BELFAST – Need a dose of exuberance in your life? Join Belfast Flying Shoes at two participatory dance programs: A fundraising Community Barn Dance at the Bayside Community Hall on Sunday, July 19, at 4:30 p.m., and an outdoor Community Contra Dance on the Armistice Footbridge in Belfast on Tuesday, July 21, at 6 p.m.

"Spirits will lift as the shoes fly," said BFS, in a news release.

The Community Barn Dance on July 19 is presented in partnership with a local committee raising funds to support the Town of Northport’s new community building and town office. The fundraising dance starts at 4:30 p.m. and features vibrant trad music by Jessie Boardman on fiddle and Greg Boardman on guitar, with Chrissy Fowler calling easy-to-learn dances for all ages.

Held in the historic Bayside Community Hall, 813 Shore Rd in Northport, the event also features the drawing for a special Fundraising Raffle with prizes. (Purchase tickets at the Northport town office or at the dance.) Suggested admission $15, kids under 12 free.

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The July 21 Footbridge Dance, produced in partnership with the Belfast Parks & Recreation Department and the City of Belfast, features dance, music, "and the bright summer sunshine sparkling on the waters of the Passagassawakeag River, Belfast Harbor, and Penobscot Bay," said BFS. "What could be finer?"

The dance features the All Comers Band, led by Samuel Foucher and Molly Gawler. Music starts at 6 p.m, with dancing from 6:30 p.m., through the sunset hour and into the evening. Free will donations will support Belfast Flying Shoes and its programs. 

Use City parking on the west side and dance on the east side of the bridge, said BFS.

Now in its 21st year, Belfast Flying Shoes builds community and cultivates well-being through the joy of traditional music and dance, including music lessons for incarcerated men. For info, visit belfastflyingshoes.org.