calendar
June 9, 2025 - Strawberry Dance
Band: Jim Fownes, piano and David Di Giuseppe, accordion
Caller: Emily Rush
5:30 – 6:30: Bring games and finger food. We’ll provide pizza and lots of strawberries. Help set up and hang out
6:30 – 7:00: Lesson
7:00 – 8:30: Dance
8:30 – 9:30: Closing song (refrain from Harry Chapin’s “Circle”) and clean up and connection.
Location: Jubilee Baptist Church, 2025 Ephesus Church Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
June 16, 2025 - Watermelon Dance
Band: Jim Fownes, piano and Kathleen Fownes, fiddle
Caller: Emily Rush
5:30 – 6:30: Bring games and finger food. We’ll provide pizza and watermelon (to eat outside). Help set up and hang out.
6:30 – 7:00: Lesson
7:00 – 8:30: Dance
8:30 – 9:30: Closing song (refrain from Harry Chapin’s “Circle”) and clean up and connection.
Location: Jubilee Baptist Church, 2025 Ephesus Church Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
June 23, 2025 Formal Potluck & Paper Airplane Contest
5:30: Potluck – bring serving utensils (we’ll provide paper plates and plasticware and water)
Paper Airplane Contest: paper and tape and paperclips to make planes will be provided. We’ll launch our planes from the balcony. Which one will travel furthest? Which one will be in the air the longest?
Bring games and ways to connect.
Closing song (refrain from Harry Chapin’s “Circle”) and clean up and connection.
Location: Jubilee Baptist Church, 2025 Ephesus Church Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
July 21, 2025 Formal Potluck & Dance
5:30 – 7:00: Potluck – bring serving utensils (we’ll provide paper plates and plasticware and water)
7:00 – 7:30 Lesson
7:30 – 9:00: Dance
9:00 – 10:00: Closing song (refrain from Harry Chapin’s “Circle”) and clean up and connection.
Location: Jubilee Baptist Church, 2025 Ephesus Church Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
More coming soon
location
Come hang out with us!
Address
2025 Ephesus Church Rd
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
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COMMUNITY.
DANCE.
CONNECTION.
We—Russ Bowen, Galen Kirkpatrick, Julian Bowen, and Emily Rush—are bringing people together through the joy of traditional music and dance. Our weekly, early-evening contra dance is shorter than a typical evening event, making it more accessible for families with young kids, newcomers, and anyone who loves to dance but also values time to connect before and after.
Rooted in tradition and built for community, our dance is about more than just the steps—it’s about creating a place where everyone belongs.
Our Organizers

Russ
Bowen
Organizer, Pres.

Emily
Rush
VP & Caller

Galen
Kirkpatrick
Treasurer & Sound Wizard

Julian
Bowen
Youth Ambassador