By Monica Lisa Mills, Becca Wintle and Katrina Anderson
The fourth annual Catskills Old-Time Square Dance, presented by Catskills Old-Time Music, took place on Saturday, July 11, at the Andes Fire Department Pavilion. Over 250 people showed up for the dance which began with a beginner-friendly lesson and family dance at 5:30 p.m., followed by the main community square dance from 6:00–8:00 p.m. with live old-time music, a traditional caller, and dinner donated and served by the Andes Hotel. This year’s event benefitted the Andes Society for History and Culture, and raised over $4500!
About the Organizers
Catskills Old-Time Music is organized by Monica-Lisa Mills (guitar), Becca Wintle (fiddle), and Katrina Anderson (banjo), who are joined each year by an outstanding group of old-time musicians from across New York State. Together they host monthly community jams, perform throughout the Catskills and Hudson Valley, and organize the annual Catskills Old-Time Square Dance in Andes.
The Origins
The idea for the Catskills Old-Time Square Dance grew out of our curiosity about the region’s musical history. We began hearing stories about the rich fiddling tradition in the western Catskills—musicians like Hilt Kelly—and learned from longtime residents that barn dances were once a regular part of community life here. At the same time, we were looking for a way to get to know our neighbors beyond social media. We wanted to create an event where people of all ages could gather, interact face-to-face, and have fun while reconnecting with a tradition that has deep roots in this area.
The first dance, four years ago, was a pretty scrappy affair. We printed some flyers, posted an invitation on Facebook, and invited some of our favorite old-time musicians from around New York State to join us. We had no idea what to expect, and we certainly didn’t imagine it would become an annual tradition. We were amazed by the turnout. The dance floor was full all evening, people stayed to talk and visit with one another, and together we raised a meaningful amount of money for the Andes Fire Department and the local food pantry. By the end of that first night, it was clear we had stumbled onto something special that we hoped could continue to grow.
The Event
The biggest change over the past four years has simply been how much the event has grown. I think people are looking for easy, joyful ways to connect with one another in real life. At the same time, traditional social dancing—from honky-tonk and swing to Cajun dancing and line dancing—is enjoying a resurgence, and I think our square dance is part of that broader movement. Many people who came to the early dances have told their friends how welcoming and accessible it is, which has helped the event grow through word of mouth.
A lot of people arrive with preconceived notions of square dancing from elementary school gym class or old television shows, but they quickly discover that this is something quite different. One of the things we love most is seeing young children, teenagers, parents, and seniors all sharing the same dance floor. Every dance is taught and called live, so no experience is necessary and beginners can jump right in. Even people who don’t want to dance usually find themselves having a wonderful evening. The pavilion is a beautiful setting, with live old-time music, dinner served by local volunteers, the sound of the nearby stream, and neighbors gathered together under the stars. Some people come just to enjoy the meal, listen to the music, and soak up the atmosphere, and that’s just as much a part of the event as dancing.
Music & Community
There is nothing quite like playing music that was created for dancing while watching a room full of people moving together and having the time of their lives. It reminds you why so much traditional music evolved in the first place—not as something to sit quietly and listen to, but as something that brought people together. Unlike many modern musical traditions, where the focus is on performance and the audience watching the musicians, old-time music grew out of people gathering in their homes and local community spaces to make music together. Before there were endless forms of entertainment, especially in rural communities, families and neighbors played, danced, and socialized together. That’s the spirit this music comes from, and it’s a completely different feeling to play it in that setting. It’s less about performance and much more about creating a shared experience.
The connection between the band, the caller, and the dancers is what makes the evening so special. Everyone is responding to one another in real time. The musicians feed off the energy of the dancers, the caller shapes the flow of the room, and the dancers inspire the music in return. By the end of the night, everyone is in sync, and there’s a palpable sense of joy that fills the pavilion.
There have been so many memorable moments over the past four years, but my favorites are often the quiet ones. I love sitting with older members of the community as they watch the dancing and begin sharing stories about when they were young—remembering friends, family gatherings, and the music that was part of their own lives. Those conversations make it feel as though the dance is reconnecting people with something that has always been part of this place. I’ll also never forget a photograph from our very first dance of a father doing a simple arm swing with his three-year-old daughter. The joy on both of their faces captures exactly what this event is about: people of different generations sharing an experience they’ll remember together.
Andes & the Catskills
We’ve been traveling to the Catskills for almost twenty years, and it didn’t take long before we knew that Andes would become much more than just a place we visited. Living on Main Street has been a dream come true for us (Katrina and Monica), and Becca also owns land just outside of town. Even though we still spend some time working in New York City, Andes is home. It was never really a question where we wanted to put down roots.
There’s something about this town that feels different. As soon as you come over Palmer Hill and start down into the valley, you know you’ve arrived somewhere special. Andes is just far enough off the beaten path that the people who are here tend to be deeply invested in the community. It’s an extraordinary mix of people whose families have lived here for generations and others who have been drawn here by the beauty of the landscape and the character of the town. We never wanted to be people who simply came for weekends. We wanted to become part of the community, contribute where we could, and add to the good things that were already happening here.
One of the things we love most about the square dance is that it brings together an unusually diverse group of people. Longtime residents, newer arrivals, weekenders, young children, and older generations all share the same space. There’s something a little magical about seeing those worlds overlap. More than anything, though, it feels as though we’re not introducing something new. We’re rediscovering something that has always belonged here. The stories, the memories, and the musical traditions were already part of Andes. If we’ve contributed anything, we hope it’s simply helping awaken those memories and continue a history that was already underway.
The Fundraising Mission
It never occurred to us that the dance wouldn’t be a fundraiser. From the very beginning, it was conceived as a community event—something designed to bring neighbors together, strengthen connections across generations, and give something back to the place we now call home. As we thought about where the proceeds should go, we naturally gravitated toward the organizations that form the backbone of this community.
The first and most obvious beneficiary was the Andes Fire Department. Not only were they generously allowing us to use their pavilion, but they’re also an entirely volunteer organization that everyone in town depends on. We wanted to help raise awareness of the vital role they play while also supporting their work financially. Over the years we’ve also been proud to support the Andes Food Pantry, a small organization that quietly provides an essential service for many local families.
This year, we’re excited that proceeds will benefit the Andes Society for History and Culture, whose mission feels closely connected to our own. Through music and dancing, we’re celebrating traditions that have long been part of life in this region, and the Historical Society is helping preserve and share the broader story of Andes and the western Catskills. This area has a remarkable history—from its role in supplying water to New York City to its agricultural, political, and cultural significance—and we’re excited to support an organization that’s helping those stories reach future generations. We hope the dance continues to be an event where people not only have a wonderful evening together, but also help strengthen the institutions that make this community such a special place.
Looking Ahead
Our biggest hope is that this becomes one of those traditions people carry with them for the rest of their lives. We’d love for today’s children to grow up remembering summer evenings at the square dance and one day tell their own families about it. More than anything, we want people to remember what it feels like to simply enjoy making music or dancing together without worrying about being an expert or putting on a performance. If we’ve helped create more opportunities for people to have fun together and build community, then we’ll feel we’ve succeeded.
We certainly hope the square dance continues for many years to come, but it’s only one part of what we’re trying to build. We’ll keep hosting monthly old-time jams where people of all skill levels can learn to play this music together, and we’ll continue performing at events around town. We’d love to explore more of the region’s musical history by tracking down tunes that were once played here and maybe even holding dances in some of the area’s historic venues. And, of course, you’ll continue to find us playing music on our porch on Main Street. If we can contribute even a small amount to the sound, the spirit, and the sense of joy that make Andes such a special place, we’ll consider that a life well spent.~