American Social Dance in China
Old-time Music and Barn Dance Workshop Series for Families and Communities!
What is a Barn Dance
They are first and foremost social dances. It's not just you and your partner, there's a roomful of people you'll be meeting during a dance.
A barn dance is any kind of dance involving traditional or folk music (Old-time music) with traditional dancing, which is usually associated with family-oriented or community-oriented events.
Barn Dance are good dances for people who do not normally dance - if you ask, "Is it difficult?", the answer is generally no... The dances can be done without having to learn particular steps or without having to remember complex sequences of instructions. There is a large range of dances done but it is normal that instructions (or reminders) are called out as part of the dance. The caller will, therefore, generally use easy dances so that everyone can join in.
Media Review
The artists and their Barn Dance performances and workshop series have been featured by:
english.people.cn: FEATURE: Square dancers cut a rug in Beijing
Global Times: Square Roots
The World of Chinese: Hip to be Square - Spreading American square dancing throughout China
The Beijinger: Square Dancing Lessons
“CityWeekend”
“Old-time music is all about building community, so we wanted to get people taking part by dancing, singing or playing an instrument,” said Weasels fiddler Kirk Kenney, 28. “Some of the magic of this music is that the parts are very simple, but sound magical when combined. It’s just like friends and family playing on the front porch.”
“The manic pulsing and thumping of these beats can cut through even the balmiest air like a knife through butter, and one could be forgiven for assuming that the people dancing to it might be hard-partying young people, raging hard into the night”.
More About Barn Dance Program And Artists
The artists of Barn Dance performances and workshops have been on tour since 2013. The first few events are aimed at children and families, with a square dance, a singalong, and a chance to hear and try out instruments like the banjo, violin, guitar and ukulele. Since then they keep bringing this brand of old-time fiddle-playing and square-dance calling to various venues and audiences in 20+ cities across China, such as UCCA, Shanghai Disneyland Park, Beijing American Center, Shanghai American Center, Taihu Music Festival in Wuxi.
Band Leader Of 2019 China Tour: Kirk Kenney
The following are press and notable events:
- Leading figure in the American folk scene in China
- January 2019 Headliner at China's first festival with a stage in an underground cave, on an island in Lake Tai
- Organized a kids world music camp for World Music Asia, mainland China's premier world music organization (2018)
- Subject of a feature article in China’s premiere English newspaper, The Global Times
- Awarded a grant from the US Department of State for Cultural Programming in China (2016-2017)
- Officially signed with JZ, China's most prominent jazz label (2016-present)
- Toured in 30+ cities all over China
2019 Tour Schedule
Social Benefit Activities:
April 2019, Yufang Primary School, Xushui Dist., Baoding City, Hebei Province (Supported by Sun Future Foundation)