If your dancing shoes are dusty, then Five Acre School’s “Beat the Blues” dances might be the perfect excuse to buy a feather duster.

The dances are a benefit for student scholarships and school equipment, and are a chance for those with and without dancing experience to find the core — fun.

Family dance is designed to get people out of their seats and moving. It has a variety of steps taken from square, contra, waltz and polka dancing.

“The caller is skilled at minimizing the time spent learning the dance and maximizing the fun during the whole process,” said longtime dance caller and Five Acre School co-founder Juanita Ramsey-Jevne.

Sponsored by Five Acre Parent Service Organization, the event on Feb. 6 is broken up into two segments. The all-ages daytime dance includes family dancing to the Black Diamond Fiddle Club and Deadwood Revival.

The evening dance brings Deadwood Revival all night, with local beer and wine available.
Food vendors Blue Flame BBQ and Bella Italia will provide food throughout both dances.

One acre to five
In 1995, Juanita and Bill Jevne started Five Acre School.

Fifteen years later, the school has grown from one small room with a dozen preschool-age students, to a three-class schoolhouse with nearly 100 students, preschool through sixth grade.

Ramsey-Jevne used her knowledge and experience to incorporate music, dance and theater and they continue to be an important part of the curriculum.

The enthusiasm for music and dance carried through the children to their parents, inspiring the family barn dance.

“We wanted to share with our community some of the great things that happen at Five Acre School,” said Mary Loftstrom, co-coordinator of the barn dance.

“Family dance was a perfect starting place.”

The dances are held in Cedarfield Barn on Kitchen-Dick Road. Co-coordinator Lynette Brown believes there couldn’t be a better venue.

She said it’s awesome watching people when they first set foot in the barn because the open rafters take her and others’ breath away.

Important to dance the night away
Ramsey-Jevne, after studying and teaching for more than 25 years, believes dancing is a basic human need.

“Our modern society has become passive participants in music and dance. We consume the experience watching the experts do it,” she said.

“That isn’t what it is about. Music intensifies and heightens our human experience. When you add movement, then the actual rhythm of feet moving on the floor allows people to become part of the music.”

She says music and dance create and strengthen a sense of community.

The proceeds of this event will benefit the Five Acre Scholarship and Equipment Fund, making the school accessible to more families.

“The ‘Beat the Blues’ barn dance is more than raising money, it is the Parent Service Organization’s way of giving thanks to our families and neighbors who support us,” Lofstrom said.

Advance tickets are available at Cracked Bean Coffee Co. and Odyssey Books. Tickets can be purchased with cash or check at the dance.

For both dances, adults are $15, and for the daytime dance, children ages 5-15 are $5, and 4 and under are free.

Five Acre School can be reached at 681-7255.