Afterword

This book has explored what has given life and meaning to old time dancing in six communities in Eastern Kentucky, Northeast Tennessee, and Southwest Virginia in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Through interviews, it has identified a variety of circumstances responsible for the appearance of dancing in these dance communities, and the ways that residents of each community experienced and responded to industrialization and other societal changes. It has also examined how decisions made by individuals and groups shaped dancing and how decision making was affected by factors such as culture and cultural exchange. Finally, it has discussed the decline and revival of old time dancing in the six communities as well as change and continuity as evidence of the power of local tradition in the Appalachian region. The book concludes with an afterword, which expresses the hope that all six stories will stimulate thinking and exploration and pave the way for future projects on American dance traditions.