Author, folk dancer shares the steps of Appalachia

Phil Jamison was playing banjo at a community dance four decades ago when he volunteered to fill in for an absent dance caller. That spontaneous decision turned into a lifelong passion.

He visited Wilson Library on Tuesday to discuss his new book, “Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics: Roots and Branches of Southern Appalachian Dance,” and demonstrate some of the dances his research explores.

The book traces the roots of traditional Southern dances — such as reels, flat-footing and square dances — back to British settlers. It delves into the influence of other cultures that ultimately resulted in the dances Jamison continues to enjoy and teach to others.

Jamison, inspired to learn more about Appalachian dance, found that libraries were unable to help him in his research.

Undeterred, he decided to continue the research earlier scholars had started. Today, he is a leader in the field as a professor and the coordinator of the Appalachian music program at Warren Wilson College in Asheville.

Jamison’s work is also featured in Wilson Library’s Southern Folklife Collection.

“As a teacher and educator at Warren Wilson College and through his publications, he keeps these traditions alive, vibrant and a source for learning,” said Steven Weiss, the curator of the collection.

Since the 1970s, Jamison has broken out his dancing shoes on stages and in dance halls across the United States and overseas. He also served as a dance consultant in the 2000 film “Songcatcher” and toured with Appalachian music ensemble Ralph Blizard and the New Southern Ramblers for more than two decades.

The dances Jamison studies are as much an expression of community as they are graceful artistry.

“If you go to a club and there’s music and people get out on the dance floor, they’re dancing either as individuals or as couples for the most part,” Jamison said. “Square dances bring everybody together into one big circle, and you get much more fellowship and community.”

“Even if it’s only for the course of the evening, you’re dancing with people you don’t know and of all different ages, and it builds wonderful bonds between people.”

Tuesday evening was a community event as dancers, students and friends gathered to experience and learn about lesser-known dances.

Jamison spoke about his book for about an hour to a full room in Wilson Library before taking the stage to show off his own footwork. He was accompanied by fiddler and UNC graduate student Joseph DeCosimo.

Senior Erin West, who grew up around the culture Jamison has spent his life studying, noted at the lecture that the cultures, like hers, in Jamison’s research have often been ignored or swept over.

“Things will inevitably be affected by the things that surround them, and to not include that history is an issue that he has remedied in his research,” she said.

@TrevLenz

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