BAY CITY – Community dances used to be a regular occurrence in tight-knit rural communities across the nation, a place to meet potential suitors and mingle with friends. They are making a comeback in Bay City, thanks to a few dedicated folks.

A Community Folk Dance will be held on Valentine’s Day (Saturday, Feb. 14) at the Bay City Town Hall featuring Contra, Square, Polka and Schottische dancing. Bring a dish to pass for the potluck at 5 p.m., then get your dancing shoes on for a lesson at 6 p.m., followed by dancing from 6:15-9 p.m. No experience is necessary and all ages are welcome.

Cella Langer and Emmet Fischer of Oxheart Farm in Hager City and Hope Schwen and Cy Benson from Oak Center General Store and Folk Forum (located south of Lake City, Minn. in an historic building) have teamed up to bring this recurring event to the community.

GrassRoots Organizing Western Wisconsin (GROWW) and Red Wing Arts are also sponsors of the event, which features live music by Sweet Milk & Peaches (husband/wife duo Jesse Downs ad Liz Voz). Sweet Milk & Peaches plays a mix of traditional old-time music, original songs and in their words, “pull musty tunes from the attic of the early 20th century and air them out in the 21st century air.”

According to Fischer, he and Langer share an alma mater with the new owners of the Oak Center General Store, a small college in Asheville, N.C.

“Western NC has a strong musical tradition and our college hosted weekly contra dances,” Fischer said. “We had all thought about starting a dance, but joining forces made it feel a lot easier. Hope and Cy are used to booking musicians and Hope has connections in the Twin Cities dancing community.”

They chose the Bay City Village Hall because it’s a good-sized venue with the right combination of old school charm and amenities. The first dance was held there in November, though they may branch out to other locations in the future.

Their goal is to help the community have fun through dancing, like in the old days.

“I think it's the perfect antidote to the current time when we are so connected be screens but the physical ties that bind us together as communities have deteriorated; this type of dancing is intended to be accessible to anyone and provides a physical connection between friends and neighbors,” Fischer said. “We enjoy many styles of dancing, but contra dancing is a rural tradition that originated in this country, which makes it especially relevant to the place we live. Dances are 'called,' meaning that directions are built into the dance so that no experience is needed to join in the fun.”

According to Northwest Folk Life, contra dancing features couples in two long facing lines or in groups of four. It’s led by a caller who walks through steps beforehand and focuses on walking steps, twirls, and interactions with other couples in the line. Schottische features sideways steps, hops, and turns, blending elements of the polka and waltz into a gentle, bouncy folk dance, according to the Library of Dance.

The dance held on Nov. 2 attracted around 120 people, ages 0-82, Fischer said.

“A few folks came to watch, but almost everyone was there to dance, and we got very positive feedback from folks encouraging us to do it again,” Fischer said.

The cost is $10 per person (for the band) but kids dance for free. Don’t forget to bring a potluck dish to share. And if you can’t make the Valentine’s Day dance work, don’t despair. The group plans to host quarterly dances with the next one coming in early May.