"The one thing that can solve most of our problems is dancing." ~ James Brown

I just returned from spending a few days in Vermont visiting Alex and Hannah. What a beautiful state, and what a wonderful time I had!

The photos below are from a Contra dance that we attended. My niece Laura is a member of the group The Irregulars, and they were the musical group for the dance. It was great fun, though I admit that I was just a spectator this go-round. The photos are a blur - but so was the dancing!

"The Irregulars are a talented and energetic group of young musicians on Vermont’s traditional music scene. The teen band's high spirits, tight harmonies, and driving contra dance tunes delight both listeners and dancers. Performance highlights include performing for hundreds of dancers at the Dance Flurry weekend in Saratoga Springs NY three years in a row, and winning First Place in the Young Traditions Vermont competition held in Burlington in June 2011. The band has entertained at the Champlain Valley Folk Festival for several years running, as well as the New World Festival in Randolph and Burlington’s First Night celebrations. They have played sets for the Queen City Contras and Mad Robin contra dance series and also frequently host benefit contra dances on their own. They have also enjoyed performing at festivals, farmer’s markets, house concerts and other venues. Their first CD (Waiting for Wisdom) was released in the spring of 2013."

Laura, before the dance begins.

My sister, Robin and her husband Mike.

Alex and Hannah take to the dance-floor!

I did a quick phone video of the action. This particular dance was a bit calmer than some of the others - but still spirited and fun to watch!