Every year, the autumn world quiets itself under the amber glow of string lights and a comfortable October breeze at Duke Campus Farm’s Fall Contra Dance. This year, I found that this evening came at an especially perfect time: the week leading up to Oct. 25 had been personal chaos. Midterms, projects, the constant hum of deadlines; the unrelenting Duke rhythm of always doing, always rushing. My days blurred together in study spaces and classrooms, and I didn’t realize how noise had become my reality until I stepped away from the chaos of campus to the serenity of the farm.
The pavilion, standing tall at the heart of the farm, felt like another world. The air smelled faintly of cider, and the tables were lined with small, unassuming comforts: cheese and crackers, apple slices and chocolate chip cookies. People arrived in small groups, bundled in sweaters, full with the awkward energy of not knowing quite what to do yet.
As the live band began to tune their instruments, the atmosphere shifted. Mara Shea’s fiddle and Dean Herington’s piano-playing cut through the chatter, bright and energetic, as Eileen Thorsos’ voice followed — confident, rhythmic and inviting enough to convince us all to line up (even though we were unsure exactly what we were lining up for)…