Gypsies in Buena Vista
Articles - Life In BV

by: Eleanor FahrneyImg_7_4

Check out www.thedancegypsy.com and you’ll find an extensive listing of events around the country (and world) that feature traditional music and dance, including contra, square, English Country, waltz, and swing.  A true “dance gypsy” could attend a “dance camp” every weekend of the year if he wanted.  In late February, Buena Vista draws its share of “dance gypsies” to Stellar Days & Nights, a four-day event held at Adventure Unlimited Ranches.  

When my husband, Andrew, and I moved to Buena Vista to work at Adventure Unlimited, we brought with us a bit of perspective from our dance gypsy lifestyle.  We had attended dance camps in the southeast, northeast, and Midwest where we stayed in cabins and learned to clog, call square dances, play a tune on the mandolin, refine our waltz technique, and really get into the trance of contraImg_3_3 dancing.  As we imbibed in music that has brought people together for generations, we built our competency and passion for traditional dance while also developing a sense of connection with those who had shared the weekend with us.  

Five years ago, we envisioned an event that would create that same sense of connection through traditional dance.  The camp would be held at Adventure Unlimited and draw talent and participants from around the country who wanted not only to dance and play music together but also enjoy the amenities of Buena Vista.  We sought advice from Front Range organizers we had met through our continued dance gypsy life and alsoImg_1_2 received a start-up grant from Country Dance and Song Society, a national organization dedicated to “preserving the traditions . . . linking those who love them.”  Thanks to their support and the faith of our first-year participants, Stellar Days & Nights was born in January 2005.

This year, Stellar Days & Nights has moved from January to February 21st-24th and enrollment is up.  Participants are joining us from all over the state and from New Mexico, Arizona, Nebraska, Kansas, Michigan, and Alaska.  Dance instructors and musicians will be joining us fromImg_8_2 Boulder, Albuquerque, and Boston to provide top-quality workshops and evening dances.  Live music is an integral part of the experience at Stellar Days & Nights.  

There is more to Stellar Days & Nights than just dancing.  It is a retreat, a vacation, a chance to sit by the fire and connect . . . with a good book, a puzzle, your friends, a group of musicians.  Often participants will also go skiing and visit the hot springs.  We hope Stellar continues to serve the multifaceted purpose of sharing this area with outsiders while also opening up cultural opportunities for locals.  

Stellar Days & Nights has put Buena Vista on the map in the contra dancing world.  One participant said, “This is such a lovely weekend.  I was asked what was my favorite part of the weekend.  It was impossible to choose.  The dancing, the music, THE FOOD, the locale, the weather . . . the atmosphere of the dancing community.” Potential staff are hearing this talk and seeking us out.  They want to share in a weekend that is very much created by the ambiance of this place and its quality of people.  Dance gypsy or not, that’s something we can all be proud of.

For more information, visit stellardaysandnights.org or call the Stellar registrar, Andrea Earley-Coen, at 719-395-3245.  

Stellar Days & Nights is an event of Arkansas Valley Music and Dance, a local non-profit dedicated to promoting and organizing community-building events featuring traditional dancing and live music.  Find out about our swing and contra dance events going on this month by visiting avmad.org or calling Eleanor at 719-395-2299.


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