About the Film
Contra dancing has deep roots in New Hampshire, and Bob McQuillen (1923–2014) was the state's much-loved and best-known traditional contra dance musician. Winner of the prestigious National Folk Heritage award, McQuillen began his musical career with the famed Ralph Page Orchestra in 1947. He went on to play accordion and piano with Duke Miller, Dudley Laufman and the Canterbury Orchestra, New England Tradition, Old New England, and a Pacific Northwest group, the Rhythm Rollers. McQuillen discusses his life and his many experiences in the world of traditional music and dance, he demonstrates his solid “boom-chuck” piano style taught at dance events around the country, and he describes his unusual method of writing dance tunes. With this dynamic individual as the focus, Paid To Eat Ice Cream examines the evolution of contra music and dance style over more than fifty years, painting an emotional portrait of continuity and change in New England dancing.
