New England Folk Festival
new england folk festival annual weekend festival traditional dance music take place boston massachusetts region spring conducted new england folk festival association festival association colloquially known abbreviation neffa neffa participatory festival attendee encouraged participate dancing singing musical jam session activity run volunteer performer volunteer well festival association introduced thousand new england massachusetts resident varied community traditional social folk dance folk music year especially celebrating living tradition folk music dance traditional new england numerous new england folk dance caller leader musician formative experience festival turn inspired influenced thousand performance workshop enthusiastic participation festival influential sustaining reviving numerous folk dance tradition new england social dance festival community experience largest new england kind combined admission festival four session period inspiration similar traditional dance music festival throughout united state north america contra dance folk dance leader new england united state festival annual opportunity perform share experience insight living tradition association also conduct weekly contra dance series concord massachusetts idea neffa came summer discussion coffee square dance boston ywca participant grace palmer director ywca mary gillette head ywcas physical education program ralph page popular new hampshire caller presided square dance series running little year already drawing two hundred people every week college student ralph page later recalled conversation discussing recent attempt new england folk festival boston garden left unimpressed mary said dont real folk festival idea born mary gillette envisioned festival new england many ethnic group could share song dance craft present wider audience simple honest straightforward manner grace palmer offered facility boston ywca philip sharples founded belmont country dance group one first square contra dance series boston area joined mary gillette ralph page calling local leader meet talk many recreation agency ethnic group sent representative start festival committee agreed maintain atmosphere noncommercialism high standard performance authenticity first festival took place – october attracted attendee mainly watch performance local ethnic dance performing group festival continued boston ywca five time onward held variety town city near boston visiting worcester several time exeter new hampshire manchester new hampshire north kingston rhode island brockton massachusetts lowell massachusetts held natick high school returned natick remained festival held mansfield high middle school since festival held best western hotel trade center marlborough course plus year festival grown threeday affair admission neffa festival founded long several famous folk festival philadelphia folk festival newport folk festival recent decade neffa influential model dance music festival new england nationally including upstate new york flurry festival founded maine east country festival founded due covid pandemic festival held virtually festival held person beginning recent year participatory dancing occurs simultaneously three hall prominently contra dance international folk dance english country dance addition genre dance variety concert discussion intimate performance take place numerous class room space familyoriented event occur daylight hour saturday sunday courtyard outside devoted morris dancing rapper sword longsword dancing sunday afternoon typically schedule dance music demonstration variety ethnic dance local distant dance group main hall hundred volunteer musician singer dance caller leader dancedemonstration performer primarily new england every year number arrive distant part north america performer apply fall program announced spring addition annual spring festival neffa conduct weekly thursday night contra dance formerly cambridge held concord scout house dance nationally known contra dance community vibrancy popularity neffa also conduct separate annual winter festival called ralph page dance legacy weekend honor one organization founder promote understanding history development traditional angloamerican dance form new england especially contra dance square dance neffa also published influential book traditional dance choreography neffa affiliate country dance song society flurry festival similar festival held upstate new york social dance contra dance folk dance international folk dance folk music shape note zwiefacher official website ralph page collection brief biography neffa cofounder influential caller ralph page university new hampshire library special collection new hampshire library traditional music dance photograph mansfield festival doug plummer seattle