Find key to the new you in area offerings

Happy New Year! Few greetings pack as much hope and joy into so few words. In just four syllables the slate is wiped clean and the path forward is cleared. So why not take the phrase to heart and start 2009 by getting out and getting inspired?

Whether it's a snowshoe trek across sparkling white fields, a concert that makes your heart sing, a reflective moment face to face with intriguing art, or a night twirling across the dance floor, here are a few ways to set the tone for the next 365 days.

A drop in the mercury can't stop Gore Place in Waltham from running its Take a Walk family program, and the fun just increases when it snows. When the white stuff covers the historic mansion's 45-acre grounds, visitors are outfitted in snowshoes for this self-guided adventure walk.

First strap on the provided "activities backpack," then investigate wintry surprises with the binoculars and magnifying glass packed inside it. Warm up as the route heads inside the 1806 mansion, and don't miss the barn where trekkers can visit the estate's llama, goats, sheep, and chickens.

Winter Take a Walk at Gore Place, 52 Gore St., Waltham, begins tomorrow, and is offered 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday, with Saturday sessions, noon-3 p.m., starting Feb. 7. Appropriate for ages 3-9 with adult. Backpack rental is $5. Snowshoe rental $5 per pair (youth and adult sizes available). 781-894-2798, www.goreplace.org.

If burning around 500 calories per hour without noticing it doesn't provide enough motivation to get you out dancing, then perhaps the friendly atmosphere at Club JoEllen will. This Wayland social dance club does more than teach swing, waltz, and two-step routines, among others; it also puts on a good party.

Monthly dances bring out a friendly community of twinkle-toes who range from beginners to pros, and holidays are usually cause for potluck dance parties. Weeknight classes offer a chance to brush up on new moves, and dances usually start with a beginner's session. Once you join in, the doors to dance events across the region will open. The club keeps members posted on the many swing and country dances held throughout the area.

Club JoEllen Monthly West Coast Swing Dance, 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m. (beginner's lessons start at 8 p.m.) on the second Saturday of each month at Longfellow Club, 524 Boston Post Road, Wayland. The next session is Jan. 10. Admission $10, includes lesson. 508-358-7355, dancingatlongfellow@longfellowclubs.com, www.longfellowclubs.com.

If you prefer a more down-home style of dance, get square at country dances held regularly in several area communities, including Berlin and Northborough.

The Berlin Country Orchestra gets everyone in the mood to do-si-do at the First Saturday contra dances held in Berlin's restored 1870 Town Hall. All levels are welcome at this monthly dance, which always features a helpful live caller. Free monthly family dances, held each third Sunday, make it easy for tiny dancers to join in.

At the Northborough Contra Dance, the Polymorphous String Band (and guests) keeps dancers moving every third Saturday from September to May. This friendly affair offers a smorgasbord of home-baked goodies and lemonade included in the admission price. Or arrange to contribute your own homemade treats in advance and get in for free.

First Saturday Contra Dance is held 8-11 p.m. each month from October to May, at 1870 Town Hall, 12 Woodward Ave., Berlin. Admission $5; $10 family. The next gathering is this weekend. The next free Family Dance is 3-5 p.m. Jan. 18. 978-273-8238, www.geocities.com/brlncountryorch.

The Northboro Contra Dance runs 8-11 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month September-May (except for February) at First Parish Church Unitarian Universalist, 40 Church St., Northborough. Admission $8. The next session is Jan. 17, when it will be tropical shirt evening. 978-365-3883, www.jonweinberg.com/northboro.

Now is the time to join local arts organizations to ensure maximum opportunity for the perks, like free admission, to get you out to shows and into exhibition halls this year.

The new two-for-one deal offered by the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham and the Center for Arts in Natick makes it especially enticing to join. Become a member of either institution, and receive discounts and freebies at both of them.

Sign up now and you can catch the Danforth's current shows, including "Story Quilts," which presents engrossing images by internationally known artist Faith Ringgold painted on quilts. Or bring the whole family for a test run of the museum at the free monthly Drop Into Art program on Sunday. Children take part in an art activity and docents provide free museum tours.

Meanwhile, upcoming highlights at the Center for Arts include roots rocker and Boston folk scene standout Eilen Jewell, who has a knack for turning out smoky, juke-joint tunes. Also coming up is saxophone prodigy Grace Kelly and rising violin star Matt Haimovitz and his trio performing Bach's Goldberg Variations. Even in this economy, TCAN shows often sell out, but members always get first dibs.

Danforth Museum of Art, 123 Union Ave., Framingham, membership is $45; seniors $35; families $60. Current shows include "Faith Ringgold: Story Quilts," "Jason Berger: Directed Vision," and "John Wilson: Martin Luther King Series," all through March 1. Also, in the Children's Gallery through March 1, "Faith Ringgold: Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky." Drop into Art session, 2-4 p.m. Sunday, free museum admission and children's activities (register at door). Museum hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Saturday; noon -5 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday; Admission: $10; students, seniors $8; under age 17 free. 508-620-0050, www.danforthmuseum.org.

The Center for Arts in Natick, 14 Summer St., membership is $50; $25 youths, seniors. Upcoming performances include Eilen Jewell, 8 p.m. Jan. 9, $22 (members $20); Grace Kelley, 8 p.m. Jan. 16, $20 (members $18); Matt Haimovitz Trio, 8 p.m. Jan. 18, $35 (members $30). 508-647-0097, www.natickarts.org.

If you've been hankering to step out of the audience and onto the stage, the Rivers Edge Players is ready to help. Rather than just putting on shows this season, the Hudson-based regional theater troupe is offering advice to aspiring performers and career changers to prepare for auditions - and job interviews.

Experienced theater professional and troupe member Sarah Worrest will help teens and adults gain more poise onstage and tune their dramatic flair. Because both skills aid job seekers, Worrest will welcome those simply in need of a boost to their interview presence as well.

Or consider this a very ambitious start for the new year, with one-stop shopping for a new hobby and a career boost.

Audition and Interview Workshop, 7-9 p.m. Jan. 15, Room F101 in Hudson High School, 69 Brigham St., Hudson. Fee: $15. 978-562-1646, www.upwitharts.org.

Have an idea for the Arts column? Please contact westarts@globe.com.