Photos courtesy of Stas Wnukowski
‘Round and ‘round: From left, Barbara Gilman from New York dances with Martin Barbour of South Brunswick; Michael Gilman dances with Mr. Barbour’s daughter, Kathryn, and a bekilted Matthew Kugler, right, Princeton University graduate, dances with an unidentified partner.
Above: Steve Terleski of Washington, D.C., is Mario the Plumber, Maureen Hoffman is Princess Peach and George Anthony Giannoumis is Luigi the Plumber.
Right: Larry Koplik of Montgomery dances with Anna Schmult and Leah Schmult of Princeton.
Boo!
Princeton Country Dancers hosted “Rum & Onions XXIX,” their annual Halloween contra dance extraordinaire, at the Lawrence Intermediate School on Saturday, Oct. 25. Once again, 200 or more folks came from all over Central Jersey, other parts of the state, and neighboring states, as well.
Contra dances — New England folk dances, similar to the Virginia reel — are lively and easy to learn. As in square dancing, each dance is “called,” and the caller — in this case, the renowned Rick Mohr — starts each new dance with a brief “walk-through” to teach the movements, such as “box the gnat,” “hey for four” and “swing.” The steps aren’t complicated, and the music was live, thanks to The Rum & Onions Band.
The band, which is led by Michael Bell and Barbara Greenberg, attracts musicians from the tristate area and, for many years, has traveled to the Boston area to perform at the New England Folk Festival, an event that draws visitors and performers from all over the United States.
Mr. Mohr, who recently relocated to Philadelphia, has been calling and composing contra dances for more than 20 years, pleasing dancers of all levels across New England and North America. He is a creator of terrific dances, fans aver —many of his dance compositions have become coast-to-coast favorites. He also plays dance music on fiddle and button accordion.
Costumes are de rigueur, of course, and provide a festive atmosphere. And the dancing was preceded by a community potluck.
On the Web: www.princetoncountrydancers.org.
Thanks to Neil Lundberg for his assistance with this feature.

