Community Contra Dance Returns to Williamstown This Saturday

11:18AM / Tuesday, January 06, 2026Print Story | Email Story

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — North Berkshire Community Dance will host its monthly contra dance this Saturday, Jan. 10, at the First Congregational Church.

The event, held in the Community Hall at 906 Main Street, offers an evening of traditional New England folk dancing open to families, couples, and individuals.

The evening begins with an introductory lesson at 7:15 PM, followed by the main dance from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM. Liz Nelson will serve as the caller, utilizing "Larks and Robins" role terms.

Music for the event will be provided by Spare Parts, a Berkshire-based trio featuring:

Bill Matthiesen on piano
Liz Stell on flute
Eric Buddington on fiddle

Organizers emphasize that contra dancing is a social activity where participants are encouraged to change partners throughout the night; no partner is required to attend.

Admission follows a sliding scale of $12 to $20, though the organization maintains a policy that no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Regarding public health, masks are welcome but not required, and the venue will keep windows open for ventilation. Attendees are asked to stay home if they feel unwell.

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Images Cinema Community Rallies to Aid Departed Managing Director

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:34PM / Thursday, March 12, 2026

Janet Curran's friends started a gofundme to help her through the transition.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The community is rallying to support the longtime managing director of Images Cinema after her job was eliminated late last year.

As of Thursday morning, a Gofundme campaign for Janet Curran had raised more than $12,500 from 90 contributors.

"I feel really held and supported by the community right now," Curran said this week. "I'm really moved that people appreciate the work that I did at Images."

Curran did that work for about a quarter of a century, first as a volunteer in 2000, then as an intern in 2002 and finally as the managing director, a position she held since 2007.

"If you've been to Images Cinema in the last 25 years … you've probably been helped by her, welcomed by her, or had a conversation with her that you still think about," the creators of the Gofundme campaign wrote.

"Janet is one of those people who makes a place worth living in. She's kind without making a show of it, dependable in a way many people aren't, and she has given more to this community than she'd ever say herself."

Two days before Thanksgiving 2025, Curran learned from the Spring Street theater's board of directors and Executive Director Dan Hudson that her position was being eliminated. Her last day at the non-profit movie house was Jan. 2.

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