For local musician Michael Pattavina, hosting a dance festival during Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend has become a tradition that started 20 years ago and continues to this day.

This year, he is hosting a mid-winter and Zydeco dance fest at Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in Greenfield on Sunday, Jan. 14, from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will feature music by Zydegroove and Planet Zydeco. Jim Christensen will start the day with zydeco dance lessons for those who are interested.

Greenfield resident Pattavina said that the first dance fest came about because he wanted to throw a party to celebrate his 50th birthday. The event occurred over an entire weekend at the Charlemont Inn in Charlemont.

“In the beginning, it was just an excuse to have a milestone birthday party. It worked so well that I continued having a music and dance party every year,” recalled Pattavina in a recent email about the origins of these shows.

“The Charlemont Inn was the perfect place because it had multiple large rooms which allowed for multiple bands,” he said. “They were exceptional parties that lasted for two days, and this ran for close to 10 years until the Inn closed.” When the Inn closed, the dances moved to the Arts Block in Greenfield in 2017; under new ownership, the Arts Block changed its name to Hawks & Reed. The venue’s central location and spacious dance floor have made Hawks & Reed the perfect home for the dances.

Hosting the fest in the afternoon also makes it easier for people to come out of their mid-winter hibernation and opens it up for dancers of all ages. Pattavina, who also hosts a monthly bluegrass and beyond session at The Rendezvous in Turners Falls, has stressed that these shows are as much about community as they are about music, and families are encouraged to attend.

Zydeco music has always been a big part of these mid-winter parties, but honky tonk, country, gospel, and old-time have also filled the air at these shows. Over the years, many local musicians have provided this music that has kept the dance floor moving. Some bands that have played over the years include The Roland LaPierre band, Girl Howdy, Chapeau Noir Cajun Band, Moonshine Holler, and Pattavina’s previous group, the Nite Caps.

This year, Pattavina has booked what he considers to be “two of the best zydeco groove bands in the Northeast,” Planet Zydeco and Zydegroove. Both bands feature accomplished area musicians among their lineups and have played festivals, concerts, and dance halls throughout the Northeast. They have also both participated in past dances that Pattavina has hosted.

Article continues after...

Yesterday's Most Read Articles

Greenfield homicide victim to be memorialized in Pittsfield

1989 homicide victim found in Warwick ID’d through genetic testing, but some mysteries remain

As I See It: Between Israel and Palestine: Which side should we be on, and why?

Softball: Greenfield puts up 9-spot in the 8th inning to knock off rival Turners 11-2 in extra-inning thriller (PHOTOS)

DA to announce breakthrough in 1989 unsolved homicide in Warwick

Former Greenfield man granted new trial after 1995 murder conviction, walks free

Zydegroove and Planet Zydeco are known for the excitement they create on the dance floor. And after all, dancing is what zydeco music is all about.

For those unfamiliar with the genre, zydeco is a distinct musical style from southwest Louisiana that draws from Black American blues, Louisiana French Creole, and Native American musical cultures. Its origins date back centuries. In the 1950s, musical pioneer Clifton Chenier, known as the King of Zydeco, brought it into the mainstream.

The core of this music is built around the accordion and rub-board (washboard) with the accordion pumping out the melody and the rub-board providing the steady, scraping rhythm. It’s uptempo music with a strong rhythmic core that makes for great fun on the dance floor.

Chances are you have heard this music played at MardiGras celebrations, as it’s music that lifts your spirits and moves your feet.

Zydeco has its own style of dancing. It’s a partner dance where one partner leads, and the other follows. It has a 4/4 time signature with a fast tempo that is danced by leaning to one side for the ‘slow’ and then shifting your body weight quickly from side to side. Dance instructor Jim Christensen, who will be teaching dancing at this event, has been teaching for more than 30 years at major festivals like Winterhawk, Rythm and Roots, Falcon Ridge, Grey Fox, and so many more. He will have you enjoying this fun style of dancing in no time!

Zydeco dancing and other styles like Salsa and swing are enjoying growing popularity here in the valley.

“Hawks & Reed has been sponsoring Cajun and zydeco dance events each month, which has been great in building the dance community,” said Pattavina. “The hope for this event is that dancers will get a full day of some of the best Louisiana dance music possible.”

“It’s expected that experienced dancers will be in attendance, providing an opportunity to see what it’s like to dance in the prairies of southwest Louisiana,” he added.

The mid-winter music fest schedule is as follows:

1:00 p.m. – Doors Open.

1:15 p.m. – Zydeco Dance Lesson with Jim Christensen, open to dancers of all levels. Learn the steps and moves that make zydeco dancing a unique and joyful experience.

2:00 p.m. – Planet Zydeco kicks things off with a fusion of traditional Zydeco with a contemporary twist.

3:30 p.m. – Zydegroove, who has deep roots in the sounds of Louisiana, will keep the dancing going.

5:30 p.m. – Festival draws to a close.

Come enjoy an afternoon of music, community, and dancing!

Tickets are $20 in advance and available at hawksandreed.com or by phone at 413-774-0150, or $25 day of show.

Another way to escape the winter doldrums is to head to the Permaculture Place at the Mill in Shelburne Falls this weekend to soak up the enjoyable acoustic music of Katie Clarke and Larry LeBlanc. The duo will launch the winter concert series at Permaculture Place with a show on Saturday, Jan. 13, at 7 pm. The pair have been playing music together since 2016, when they met at a bluegrass jam at the Conway Inn. Clarke, an accomplished singer-songwriter who plays guitar and clawhammer banjo, has worked as a solo artist and as a member of the Boxcar Lilies. Clark is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo and button accordion.

When they first met, Clarke had just left the Boxcar Lilies, and LeBlanc had recently moved to the area from Old Town, Maine. Their musical chemistry was evident right from the start. They have performed throughout the Valley. Together, they play a mix of Clarke’s originals and covers of bluegrass, folk, country, gospel and old-time music.

Other shows for this winter series are Gypsy jazz trio Swing Caravan on Feb. 24 and U.K. chart-topping singer-songwriter Luke Concannon on Saturday, March 9; shows are at 7 p.m.

Tickets for the Clarke/Leblanc show are $20 and are available at permacultureplace.com or at the door. Permaculture Place is located at 49 Conway St. at the Mill in Shelburne Falls.

Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer who resides in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications. She can be reached at soundslocal@yahoo.com.