Shake off the blues
Flurry Festival returns for another round of dancing
Those wishing to shake off the winter blues are invited to dance, sing, jam, and more at the 31st annual Flurry Festival this President’s Weekend in the Spa City.
The festival will be held from Friday through Sunday in downtown Saratoga Springs. Events will be held at the Saratoga Springs City Center, which will serve as festival headquarters, as well as the Saratoga Hilton Hotel, Saratoga Music Hall and Caffé Lena.
A largely attended event, the Flurry is well known as the winter weekend for dancers and music lovers of all ages, featuring more than 300 performers, four venues and 250 different events.
Happenings this year will include a huge lineup of programs for families with young children, many programs for teens, and all-ages fun with international music, singing, jamming, storytelling and dance events.
Young children will be busy with simple fun family dances, square dancing, storytelling, puppet shows, movement games and sing-a- longs.
Teens will have their very own youth-only contra dance, youth-only Irish set dance, techno contra dances, teen level sing-a-longs and story tellings, a teen talent showcase, teen jam session, World dance for teens, body percussion workshops, unlimited contra dancing, swing dancing, and international experiences with music, song, and dance.
Dancing festival goers of all ages will enjoy a major lineup of international music and dance experiences.
Anyone is welcome at the Flurry Festival. “No need to bring a partner or even know your right foot from your left,” a press release for the event said. Many styles have instruction available for beginners.
Along with the festival’s traditional weekend filled with nonstop contra and swing, additional programming is lined up throughout the weekend with dance styles such as Tahitian, French, Balkan, African, Indian, German, Irish, Scottish, English and more.
North American dances will include, non-stop contra with and square dancing, Cajun and zydeco, American tap, Appalachian clogging, country line dancing, Native American and Cuban.
Non-dancers can enjoy the Flurry Festival, too. Jamming, workshops, concerts, storytelling, demonstrations and special dance performances will be offered as well.
Flurry Festival 2018 performances will include Vanaver Caravan’s World Dance Festival, New York Women, Singing for Suffrage, The Strawberry Hill Fiddlers and more.
Music instruction and jamming will be happening all weekend long including workshops for guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, ukulele, percussion and a full weekend of tune workshops and jamming for all instruments. Instrument check is available on site for those bringing instruments.
Participatory singing and storytelling are woven through the weekend, too.
New Flurry Festival program curator Jonathan Greene of Saratoga Springs, who is taking over the reigns this year from predecessor Peter Davis, said his favorite aspect of the Flurry Festival is the diversity of genres presented. “As a festival attendee every room you walk in to is a different experience,” he said. “I’m excited to be working with the artists and the instructors to curate this experience for people. It’s very positive. And I’m really impressed with the organization. It takes a lot of dedicated and passionate people to pull off a festival of this magnitude. I’m honored to be working with them.”
Looking ahead, Greene said he is committed to preserving the tradition of the Flurry Festival whilst introducing talented artists that will add even more depth to its offerings.
Vendors will be on hand with dance wear, and a variety of food will be available, including options for vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free attendees.
Tickets, including one-day and full weekend passes, will be available the door all weekend long, with special discounts for students, children, military and seniors.
More information and a full schedule of events can be found online at www.flurryfestival.org.