Ferry Boat Contra Dance Party

What do you get when you combine Seattle's best Contra Dance band, sunny skies, a ferry boat, the San Juan Islands and a whole bunch of very friendly people?

Absolutely the most fun party you could ever imagine!
And that is exactly where Kriss, Sally and I were, along with all the other party goers. We gathered together at the Anacortes ferry dock and boarded the 2:45 p.m. ferry to Friday Harbor.
Once the ferry had docked and the passengers and cars were all on board, the chairs were quickly pushed to the sides and the band set up. By the time the ferry had pulled away from the dock, the music had started and the party was underway. We danced and enjoyed the mesmerizing tunes of the KGB Band.

The ferry passed island after island along its route and we danced to song after song. We danced until we reached Friday Harbor, where some of us went ashore for a short walking tour. Then we boarded the ferry again for more dancing as the ferry boat made its way between the islands during its sailing back to Anacortes.
I danced and danced - and twirled and twirled - and was spun around and around and around.
Then I danced some more - and twirled some more - and was spun round and round.
We passed island after island, and as if hypnotized by the music, the dancing and twirling and spinning continued - song after song after hypnotic song.
Sally danced and danced - and twirled and twirled - and was spun around and around and around.
Then she danced some more - and twirled some more - and was spun round and around.

The ferry stopped at Lopez Island where more passengers loaded, and still we danced and danced and danced. Kriss danced and danced - and twirled and twirled - and was spun around and around and around.
Then she danced some more - and twirled some more - and was spun round and round.
After dancing our way through the beautiful San Juan Islands - from Anacortes to Friday Harbor and then back again - upon our return to the Anacortes dock, the group quickly put all the chairs back into the center of the cabin and gathered up the musical equipment.

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We left the ferry with those tunes still dancing through our heads, already we were looking forward to next year's Ferry Boat Contra Dance Party.

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More photos from the Ferry Boat Contra Dance Party.

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Information about the Bellingham Country Dance Society is available on their website at - http://nas.com/~mschway/bcds/index.html - and includes a schedule of local, upcoming events.

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Additional information about area folk dancing is available at the Seattle Folk Dancing website - http://seattledance.org/ - with links for a multitude of folk dance resources, including Contra, Irish, English, Scandinavian, Scottish, local festivals and workshops, dance bands and much, much more.

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Sally had shared with us as we drove from Bellingham to Anacortes to meet with our group at the ferry terminal that we should join our partners by locking our eyes and smiling as we were spun around and around and around. She said, "When you lock eyes with your dance partner, have just a little smile on your lips and you will share a special little vicarious moment with them," and we would not become quite so dizzy on the dance floor as we were spun around and around.

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