NEW HAVEN — Tourterelle Restaurant in New Haven will hold a contra dance on Saturday, June 4, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. to benefit BeeFriends, the Beeman Elementary School PTA. Mary Wesley, a Beeman alumna, will call the dance to the music of Brian Perkins and Friend in the open-air space at Tourterelle.
Contra dance refers to a folk dance that is similar to a square dance, except instead of the square formation, it is danced in lines of couples, with every other couple facing up or down the hall. It has mixed origins from English country dance, and Scottish and French dance styles from the 17th century, with strong African influences from Appalachia.
Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children and $25 for families, with a cash bar. All proceeds from the bar and admission go to BeeFriends.