She Teaches Contradancing, While He Leads Contra Band

The objective was to dance closer to home, and Vickie and Pat Marron pursued it like people possessed.

They studied and practiced, planned and organized. In the end, they resurrected contradancing in Sandpoint, but they still have to dance in Spokane.

In Idaho, “Pat plays, I call,” Vickie says, with a helpless shrug. There’s no more to say.

Contradancing called to the Marrons seven years ago as their youngest child left for college. They needed a joint diversion.

Pat, an electrical engineer, plays fiddle, mandolin and guitar. He revels in his Irish heritage. Contradancing blends English country dance style - columns of men and women facing each other - with square dance moves and Appalachian music.

Appalachian music has roots as Irish as Pat’s.

The Marrons lived in Spokane then and danced at the Spokane Folklore Society’s weekly events.

They loved the dances - Dandies Hornpipe, Al’s Safeway Produce, The Bells of Auburn, Ann’s a Bride Tonight - so much that after they moved to a secluded log home in Careywood they continued to drive to Spokane every week. It took them 90 minutes each way.

Two years ago, Pat and Vickie decided to bring contradancing to Sandpoint. They rented a hall. They attended a dance camp where Vickie, a schoolteacher, learned to call and Pat learned to play the light, bouncy music.

The Sandpoint dance attracted crowds of 20 for the first few months. Vickie taught beginners the left-hand star and how to allemande right, circle left and swing. Every dance began with a walk-through, sometimes several.

As dancers returned, the Marrons offered more complicated combinations.

Crowds grew. People came to laugh, sweat, catch up on neighborhood news and lose themselves in the mesmerizing music of Pat’s band, “Drivin’ Home.”

But the Marrons had to watch the action - and still do. The monthly dances at Sandpoint’s Community Hall attract up to 80 people now, but Pat and Vickie still kick up their heels in Spokane. They’re not complaining.

“There’s no way to solve it,” Vickie says. “This is pure fun. It’s something that’s been lost. We really love it and want it to spread.”

Sandpoint’s contradances are at the Community Hall the first Saturday of each month, September through June with the exception of October. Lessons are at 7:30 p.m. Dancing starts at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $5 for adults and $2 for children who dance.

Shoot ‘em up

Even if you hate guns, The Great Northern Single Action Shooting Society’s contest at Farragut State Park this weekend is worth seeing.

There’ll be an Old West shooting match using frontier weapons. There’ll be artifacts, antiques and a contest that involves horses, shooters and balloons. There’ll be a bullwhip exhibition. Yikes.

Money raised from a raffle and other sales will go to the Wishing Star Foundation. The fun starts Thursday. Call 667-6047 or 245-4142 for details.

Strings attached

Bows will fly this weekend in Kellogg where the Idaho Old Time Fiddlers will gather for the 1998 hoedown convention. This group means the best in old-time waltzes, jigs and unwritten music.

Fiddlers will start their jammin’ at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Elks Lodge, move to the Union Hall Friday for a warm-up for the evening dance, then continue jammin’ at the Union Hall Saturday.

If you can’t make Friday’s dance, there’s another Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Everything’s free. Have a blast.