Folk Project: Swingin' Tern Dances

SWINGIN' TERN HAS MOVED

After 23 years of dancing in Chatham, Swingin' Tern has migrated six miles north to East Hanover. Our new nest has a wonderful and larger wooden dance floor which is flanked on each side by large windows allowing great ventilation. Come HOME to our new nest!

The change took place with the June dances. Click for maps and directions to our new location.

Swingin' Tern presents Contra and Square Dancing to live music in East Hanover the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month. Beginners are welcome at the dance and are encouraged to come to the beginner's workshop preceding the dance proper. No experience is necessary and one may come alone or with a partner.

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Click on the following buttons for useful information:

	for maps and directions to our location		to see a catalog of photos from our dances (scroll the page down if anything overlaps the pictures)
	for a flyer of the dances		to receive e-mail notification of our dances
	to forward a link to this page to a friend		for a more detailed explanation of Contra dancing

LOCATION: The First Presbyterian Church, 14 Hanover Road, East Hanover, NJ.
COST: Admission is $10 per adult, $5 per student with Student ID.
TIMES: The beginner's workshop starts at 7:30 PM with the dance following at 8 PM.
INFORMATION: (973) 822-2137, (973) 989-4429, or send email to

DIRECTIONS:

The most direct highway access is from Route 10 (see specific info below). Route 10 has many fast food and sit down restaurants, gas stations and other services. Please note that although some sections of Route 10 are also called Mount Pleasant Avenue, the Church is not on Route 10 but on a road that runs parallel to Route 10 for a short distance. It is known to locals as Old Mount Pleasant Avenue.

From I-287-Northbound or Southbound Take Exit 39 and travel East on Route 10 for approximately 3.5 miles. Exit by the Ford dealership (sign says: "To River Road/Okner Pkway") onto Mount Pleasant Ave. Turn right at the second light (Hanover Rd.) then an immediate left into the parking lot of the Parish House.
From the Morristown Area (alternate to I-287) Take Columbia Turnpike (510) towards Florham Park. Turn left at the 6th light after Route 24 onto Hanover Rd. Turn right into the parking lot of the Parish House just before the road ends at Mount Pleasant Ave.
From Chatham (original Swingin' Tern site) or Madison (Main Street-Route 124) If coming from Swingin' Tern Dances original dance site in Chatham on Elmwood Avenue, turn right onto Main Street. Go 0.8 miles to Brooklake Road (Lukoil gas Station). Turn right onto Brooklake Road. If coming from Madison travel east on Main Street to Brooklake Road (Lukoil gas station) and turn left onto Brooklake Road. Go approximately 4 miles on Brooklake Road until just before the road ends. Turn right onto Hanover Rd. Cross over Columbia Turnpike (510) and keep going. Turn right into the parking lot of the Parish House just before the road ends at Mount Pleasant Ave.
From I-78 Take Exit 48 (Route 24 West) to Exit 2B for Route 510 East/Florham Park. Go 1.9 miles and turn left onto Hanover Rd. Turn right into the parking lot of the Parish House just before the road ends at Mount Pleasant Ave.
From I-280 Take Exit 4 for Route 609 (Eisenhower Parkway) going South. Turn right onto Route 10 West. Go about 0.8 miles to exit for Okner Parkway/Florham Park. Turn left at the end of the exit, go straight across Route 10, to the T intersection and turn right onto Mount Pleasant Ave. Continue straight about 0.7 mile and turn left at the light onto Hanover Rd. Take immediate left into parking lot of the Parish House.
From Garden State Parkway or New Jersey Turnpike Take Exit 145 from GSP or Exit 15W from NJTP to go onto I-280 West then follow directions from I-280.

Please carry in clean, soft-soled shoes for dancing.
Non-dancing children must be supervised at all times.
Dance at your own risk.

SAT APR 18: Closed for SPRING FESTIVAL

Join us at our new festival site in Bloomingdale, NJ—just 40 minutes from Chatham. Dances occur throughout the weekend, along with a host of musical events. Go for the weekend or for the day.

There will not be a Swingin' Tern dance in Chatham on Saturday, April 18.

SAT MAY 2: MELISSA TAGGART and NEW BAND (substituting for THE FLYING ROMANOS)

Danny Elias - clarinet, Marco Brehm - bass Sam Zygmuntowicz - fiddle Danny Weiss - guitar

Taggart hits the target with concentric contras—-you can't miss with Melissa. Marnen will rosin up his bow and arrow and join the archery duo to form the Flying Romanos who let fly their flint tipped tunes with a bullseye beat. Aim to be there—Folk Projectiles welcome.

SAT MAY 16: GREG FROCK and FISH FAMILY

Tom Phillips - fiddle; Bill Christopherson - fiddle; Robert Mills - piano

With a Greg Frock you'll be at the height of contra couture with bomber jackets and parachute pants for his high flying contras. The Fish Family will be wearing tails and shirts stuffed to the gills. Whether you favor becket bonnets and allemande aprons or chains and hip hugger heys, you'll be fashion forward. So grab your do si do duds and Frock and Roll!

SWINGIN' TERN HAS MOVED

The change took place with the June dances. Click for maps and directions to our new location. to see a map of our new location.

SAT JUN 6: BOB ISAACS and LOST ON THE TURNPIKE

Enid Diamante - fiddle; Chris Carpenter - mandolin, clarinet; Eve Rantzer - piano

When the swing, swing, Swingin' Tern comes bob, bob, bobbin' along, along,
To our Bob, Bob callin' with Turnpike playin'
Their contra song.

Wake up, wake up you Swingin' Tern,
Dance on, dance on, and feel the burn,
Swing round, swing round with moves you'll learn,
Live, love, dance and be happy.

Change is happenin',
Tern is movin' to a brand new home,
With a great wood floor, big windows and plenty of space to roam.
Come twirl and swirl again, dancin' in our new nest you'll never go wrong,
When the swing, swing, Swingin' Tern comes bob, bob, bobbin' along.

SAT JUN 20: RICK MOHR and CONTRAPTIONS

Chloe Maher - piano; Nora Smith - fiddle; Bill Quern - mandolin, concertina, banjo

The Contraptions is activated when [A] Nora starts to play her [B] fiddle allowing the end of the [C] bow to stick in the [D] ear of [E] Bill causing his [F] hand to twitch uncontrollably over his [G] mandolin causing a [H] string to break resulting in the [I] tuning peg flying off and hitting [J] Chloe in the [K] eye triggering her to jump up, knocking over the [L] piano bench which yanks the [M] microphone cord that is looped around the [N] leg of the [O] caller causing Rick to yell "hey!" leading the [P] dancers to weave around ending in a [Q] swing that causes a [R] vortex that sucks the [S] observers at the side of the hall onto the [T] dance floor causing [U] everyone to smile and scream for [V] Mohr.

SAT JUL 4: TED CRANE and HERD OF CATS

Enid Diamante - fiddle; Wes Steenson - guitar, banjo, & percussion; Kirsten Erwin - whistles

Crane calls his Herd of Cats to Swingin' Tern. From Bombay to Savannah, the Norwegian Forest to the Australian Mist, all breeds come together as the Siamese, Burmese, Balinese and Javanese unite to dance. You can wear your Shorthair in a Pixiebob or Curl or your Longhair in a Bobtail or LaPerm or even go for the Peterbald or Don Hairless look. Dress to the Manx in Chantilly lace or a Turkish Angora sweater or dress down as a Ragamuffin in a calico dress. Step out of your Turkish Van, kick back on your Persian rug and light up a Havana Brown. You'll Singapura to the tunes of Herd of Cats as Ted will Serval who come to dance.

SAT JUL 18: DONNA HUNT and TEN GALLON CAT

Jody Kruskal-Anglo concertina; Bill Christopherson-fiddle, Michael Gorin-fiddle; Larry Wallach-piano -- Contras

We looked! And we saw him!
  The Ten Gallon Cat!
And he said to us,
  In his Ten Gallon Hat.
I know it is wet
  And the sun is not sunny.
But we can dance contras
  Quick like a bunny!
  
Listen to me,
  Said the Cat in the Hat.
Circle left, circle right,
  Pass through, box the gnat.
Then Donna joined in
  Calling out something new.
Two things.  She did call them
  Thing One and Thing Two.
  
Thing Ones will dance down,
  Thing Twos will dance up.
So dance we did all night.
  Without a hiccup.