Stegastomp 2024
Stegastomp has come and gone, leaving behind memories of a raucous (!) contra dance weekend in a charming village hall near Warwick. The event featured incredible music by Contrasaurus (and their many friends), a band I've since learned has been playing for quite some time.
This year has marked my foray into festivals. Having only just discovered folk music and dancing, I was initially hesitant to dive into the festival scene. However, with some encouragment from friends, I've now experienced my first IVFDF, Chippenham Folk Festival, and now Stegastomp.
The journey to the Stomp began with Jeremy kindly offering a lift to the village hall. Our two-hour drive was pleasantly interrupted by a Thai stew I had cooked, which we enjoyed at a service station. Upon arrival, we were immediately swept into the festivities, with music and dancing already in full swing.
As I've engaged more with the UK folk world, I've come to appreciate certain aspects. People tend to be refreshingly direct, yet loving in their own way. There's a palpable sense of free self-expression that permeates the community. Of course, being new means encountering the 'newcomer syndrome' - that feeling of being surrounded by people who all seem to know each other and you're a bit hesitant to interrupt conversations to introduce yourself.
It's clear that many have been part of the folk scene for years, even decades, with friendships spanning just as long. This realisation initially made me feel out of place at Stegastomp, but I'm learning that becoming part of this community is a gradual process like everything else.
The weekend itself was exceptionally well organised. Charlotte, who runs Stegastomp, clearly knows her stuff – everything ran like a well-oiled machine.
The calling and music were fantastic. Dancing with seasoned contra partners was a treat, making it easier to experiment with flourishes and role-switching. I particularly appreciated that this was a gender-free calling event, contrasting with my experience at Chippenham, where gendered calling sometimes caused confusion. While I prefer gender-free calling, I understand why those accustomed to years of gendered calling might find the Larks/Robins system challenging. Louise Siddons is calling at the next Stegastomp and does positional calling which gets rid of the need for terms like man/lady, larks/robins. I am curious to see how I find dancing to that.
The evenings were anchored by tune sessions where musicians gathered to play folk music. These sessions provided the soundtrack for balfolk dancing, a style of European folk dance. In my experience, balfolk has a more relaxed and improvisational feel compared to some other dance forms. People brought various instruments to join the sessions. I brought my ukulele, feeling a bit out of place among the fiddles, accordions, and other typical folk instruments. It was impressive to see how quickly many musicians could pick up new tunes by ear - a skill I haven't mastered.
As a newcomer to balfolk, I'm gradually getting more comfortable with it. While I still struggle with some of the more complex dances like the mazurka, I've found enjoyment in simpler forms such as bourrées and waltzes. What I appreciate about balfolk is its forgiving nature - it's okay to make mistakes and just find your way back to the rhythm.
The sessions often continued until midnight, which was challenging for me, especially on Saturday when I was ready for sleep. As I was camping indoors in the same space where the music was happening, it led to some late nights. Part of me wished for earlier endings, but the lively atmosphere was engaging.
Saturday's workshops were excellent, offering both familiar material (like Charlie's workshop on connection) and challenging new experiences. Sunday's Playford workshop was less to my taste – I found the dances somewhat rigid and struggled to connect with them. However, the contra medley was a highlight, featuring an impressive hour and a half of non-stop dancing!
I even got to try my hand at calling, leading the "Square Affair" by Becky Hill. I really enjoy calling – it feels like a skill that's fun to try and master. I asked around to see where I could have a go at calling more often and got some pretty good advice.
Overall, Stegastomp was a lovely experience – an affordable contra festival packed with dancing. I'm look forward to the next one!