Newtown High School will once again be the host site for NOMAD, a three-day festival of folk dance and music from around the world. The 1999 Northeast Music, Art and Dance (NOMAD) Festival will be at the high school Friday, November 5, from 7:30 to 10:30 pm; Saturday, November 6, 10 am to 11 pm; and Sunday, November 7, 11 am to 5 pm.

Admission to NOMAD varies. Ticket prices are based on the number of sessions each attendant would like to be at the festival, and the age of the ticket holder. Tickets can range from $11 for one session to $35 for the entire weekend. Reduced rates are available for senior citizens and students. Children age five and under are admitted free with a ticket-holding adult.

All dancers are requested to bring soft-soled shoes with them.

The festival traditionally opens with a dance party. This year, the 12th NOMAD Festival will open with a contra dance party that will feature caller Bill Olson, who will travel in from Maine to take part, and music by P,B&J (Pam Weeks, Bill Olson & Jim Joseph).

Traditional folk music and dance from around the world are presented during the weekend in the form of workshops and performances for all ages. NOMAD offers entertainment and a learning experience to spectators and active participants alike.

The weekend’s festivities this year will once again include dance performances, concerts and participatory dance and music sessions. There will also be a special family area with activities for children and their parents.

NOMAD’s dance activities will include stage performances and participatory dance sessions. Stage performances will feature American, Irish, Scottish and English dance forms. Particularly noteworthy will be the English “rapper” dancing, a vigorous ritual dance in which flexible steel swords are woven through intricate patterns by a team of five dancers. There will also be Morris and sword dancing, outside on Saturday from 1 to 4 pm.

Participatory dance sessions will include such as Cajun, waltz, swing, English and Scottish country dancing. There will also be dances from eastern Europe, Israel, Italy, Scandinavia, Germany, and of course US square and contra dancers who will dance to their favorite callers and bands in the school’s two gymnasiums.

No previous experience is necessary to enjoy the folk dancing at NOMAD. In fact, many of the sessions are designed for beginners, and even the participatory sessions welcome spectators.

Also, it is not necessary to bring a dance partner. Many prospective partners can be found among other friendly attendees.

Musical treats will include concerts of American songs and ballads, cowboy songs, songs and ballads of the British Isles, gospel songs, Norwegian songs, humorous songs, nature songs, African songs, Klezmer music and more. Singalongs will also include gospel songs, in addition to shape-note singing, rounds and chorus songs of all kinds.

Musicians will enjoy the workshops in various folk instruments such as bagpipes, hammered dulcimer, bodhran, guitar, folk harp, fiddle and didgeridoo. There will be numerous opportunities for jamming.

A special feature of this year’s festival is an emphasis on music of the sea, including a two-hour “Shanty Blast” which will be one of the programs to close Saturday’s schedule. The Blast will begin at 9 pm in the lecture hall, and tentative performers include The New York Packet, The Johnson Girls, Shipping News, Lynn Noel, and David Diamond.

For families, NOMAD offers story telling, family concerts, singing games, an origami workshop, a puppet show and family dance activities.

Additional attractions will include a folk bazaar and crafts area and foods prepared by members of the Newtown High School Culinary Arts program. The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society of New Haven will again be offering breakfast on Sunday morning from 9 to 10:30 am, with the public invited to purchase juices and coffee, oatmeal, bagels and muffins. (Culinary Arts students will be serving food choices all weekend.)

The festival uses the majority of the high school’s main floor. Classes and workshops are set up in Gym 1 and Gym 3, a Dance Hall area, a Double-Room Family Area, the Lecture Hall, the Chorus Room and even the Cafeteria. A full schedule is available at http://www.geocities.com/heartland/hills/8797/. For other information, call 372-3890.

There are a few house rules for the festival, and all are meant to make the festival experience an enjoyable one for all ages. Smoking, alcohol and other drugs are not permitted anywhere on school property, including outside the building. Children must be accompanied by and under adult supervision at all times. Dancers with babies or young children, in arms or backpack-type carriers, are not allowed on the dance floor.

Only fully enclosed sport-top water bottles will be allowed in the dance areas. Security will ask that all onlookers keep aisles and doorways clear, for safety and school insurance requirements.

A Hospitality Booth will be set up in the lobby for the duration of the festival. All festival workers — all of whom are volunteers level — will be wearing NOMAD T-shirts or buttons, and will be able to help, or point in the right direction for help, with finding workshops and answering questions. The Hospitality Booth will also have information on area restaurants and lodging, along with emergency phone numbers. An Info Board will also have messages posted.

Newtown High School is at 12 Berkshire Road (Route 34), at the intersection with Mile Hill Road; use Exit 11 off I-84. Signs will be posted around the area directing travelers to the high school.