Scores of children — and their grownups — filled the Jackson Street School gymnasium and cafeteria in Northampton on Saturday morning for the Nonotuck Community School’s annual Family Dance Party.
The gym was a little chilly to start, but soon the partygoers were warming up under the direction of dance leader Hannah Hall of Barre. The energetic Hall engaged everyone in a steady stream of call-and-response activities while a DJ spun tunes.
Nonotuck Community School, a parent-run cooperative that serves about 50 children, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
Natalie Baker, mother of a first-year “Polliwog,” who at the moment had a “one-track mind” for cupcakes, said her daughter, Matilda, 2, really enjoyed seeing all her classmates at the dance.
And Llama Maynard, parent of a third-year student, noted that the family dance means an opportunity for the kids not only to see their classmates but also to meet people from other schools and the wider community.
Kevin Gutting can be reached at kgutting@gazettenet.com.