Springtime is an excellent time for a Footwork and Frolick field trip to Vermont! We packed up and drove north to teach a group of exuberant high schoolers about 19th century dance. This was our second year of doing so, and we were much more mentally prepared for the outpouring of seemingly unending energy of teenagers!

Footwork and Frolick has a strong relationship with Groton's Historical Society. Each December, we perform a traditional 1860's quadrille called Around the Christmas Tree at their open house for Grotonfest. In exchange, they allow us to use their space for our annual Victorian afternoon tea fundraiser.

Pousettes appear as a common element of contra dances beginning in the 18th century, and fade out by the middle of the 19th century. Like...