♪♪
(PHILIP CRAFT) By having Dancing til Dusk
in a park, you're kind of inviting everyone.
It's like an open air event. The music to itself travels
throughout the park.
♪♪
(MONICA HAUGEN) A lot of the participation, especially here
at Cal Anderson, are
just people who are walking by who get curious,
and we invite them into the space
and they're able to enjoy music and build community
and have a really great night.
That's free.
♪♪
-One step, two step.
(LILLI ANN CAREY) We've got a lesson
usually from 6 until 7.
We assume somebody has not danced at all before.
[dance instructions]
-And then we go to the next partner.
♪♪
(LILLI ANN CAREY) Then we've got dancing from 7 to 9,
or 7 to 9:30,
depending on the park.
(PHILIP CRAFT) At Westlake, sometimes 450 people
all dancing on this big floor, all meeting new people,
all developing community and coming together in the park.
♪♪
(LILLI ANN CAREY) Social dance isn't like ballroom per se.
It's not formal, it's not fancy.
People put on their tennis shoes
and they get out and dance.
♪♪
You have this connection to this other human
and to your body and to the music
and to really all the people around you.
There's a lot of warmth and joy that happens
on that dance floor.
♪♪