In the bleak mid winter month of February in downtown Saratoga Springs, there is little to look forward to except cold, snow, ice, more cold and more snow…but there is one bright spot… One weekend every February The Dance Flurry comes to town and the town takes on a beat that makes your toes tap and your heart sing. Our Saratoga Springs hotel becomes a temporary home to dance enthusiasts and music aficionados from far and wide.
Saratoga Arms, a family run inn, is located just across the street from the main venue of the Saratoga Dance Flurry. We have become a home away from home to some Flurry regulars almost from the day we opened our doors. Those that attend are a hearty good natured bunch with colorful costumes, assorted dancing shoes and well loved musical instruments. According to their website the mission of the Dance Flurry is defined as “connecting and inspiring (people) through traditional music and dance”. Their core values are dedicated to supporting traditional music and dance from diverse cultures and creating a community that encourages social interaction. They focus on local talent. The Dance Flurry organization dates back to the late 1980’s when the very first event was held in a local elementary school near Schenectady with about 300 in attendance. In 1996 the Festival moved to historic Saratoga Springs making use of several venue locations to accommodate the growing numbers of attendees. The Dance flurry has grown to over 4000 performers, volunteers and participants.
In 2006 on Dance Flurry weekend we had a devastating ice storm. The whole town was without power, many of the guests had already checked in for their weekend of dancing fun. In upstate New York when you lose power you lose heat and lights and hot water. Our staff scrambled to find flashlights and lanterns to assure the safety of the guests in our three story historic Saratoga Springs hotel. It was a hoteliers’ worst night mare, but the Flurry folk turned it into an adventure full of laughs and camaraderie. Unfortunately the event planners had to cancel the Dance Flurry weekend and when the weather had improved, we sent our good-natured guests home to return again the following year. When they return we all reminisce with a smile, remembering the year of the ice storm and The Dance Flurry that wasn’t…
The 2014 Dance Flurry takes place on the weekend of February 14, 15 & 16. Our regulars are already booked in at Saratoga Arms. We look forward to seeing them again. It is a fun weekend to let your hair down, put on your dancing shoes or tune up that old guitar and meet a great group of people who love to sing, love to dance and live to keep the music alive. You can join in or watch from the side lines but I invite you to come for that bright spot in our wintery month of February, you might just become one of our Dance Flurry regulars! This year is a bonus weekend because it is also Valentine’s Day, it can be a new style romantic getaway in upstate New York.