Eight of us play in a semi-circle, and the floor opens out in front of us. The circle is the whole room. We are just the part of it holding instruments.

There is no instructor at the front. No steps to learn, no partner to find, no way to do it wrong. Some people dance hard for two hours. Some people lie down for most of it. Both are the practice.

The afternoon moves through five movements and takes about two hours. It begins flowing, in long lines and easy curves. It sharpens into staccato, where the beat becomes definite and your body finds its edges. It breaks open into chaos, where you stop steering. It settles into lyrical, light and playful. And it comes to rest in stillness, where the sound thins out until it is almost only breath.

Nothing is programmed and nothing repeats. We are reading the floor the same way you are reading the music.

Where and when

Toe River Arts, 269 Oak Avenue, Spruce Pine, NC 28777. Doors at 3:30, and the wave runs 4:00 to 6:00. There is plenty of parking on the street and in the lots next to the building.

What to know before you come

Shoes off at the door. Wear whatever lets you move, and bring water. Conversation happens outside the dance space, not on the floor. No alcohol, nothing else, the room gets you there. Eyes stay soft and mostly to yourself, and no partnering unless it is offered and welcomed.

Arrive on time if you can, because the wave builds. Leave whenever you need to.

Seventy year olds and teenagers dance on the same floor. Chairs at the edge. Lying down counts as dancing.

Sliding scale

Pick the one that fits your situation. No one is asked to explain their choice.

• Supported, $15. Choose this if money is tight. It is a full spot, not a lesser one.
• Standard, $22. Covers your place in the room.
• Supporter, $30. Covers yours and helps hold one open for someone else.