Hi All:Sorry for the late notice. Mt Airy Contra in Philadelphia has been hosting virtual dances for all and socials for our local folks since April.
Tonight we have Phil Jamison who at 8 pm (eastern) will present his book “Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics: Roots and Branches of Southern Appalachian Dance” .
Due to popular demand we were just able to set up a link for a FB feed and we can invite a lot more people than the 100 person limit of zoom.
Please join us at https://www.facebook.com/mtairycontra/posts/2464175140548961
Here's more information:
The southern Appalachian square dance is a hybrid dance form that developed in the American South during the nineteenth century, and like the Appalachian musical traditions, these dances reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the region. In this Zoom Social we will examine the multicultural roots and historical development of these dances and identify the components of earlier European, African, and Native American dance forms that combined to make them uniquely American.
Phil Jamison is nationally known as a dance caller, old-time musician, flatfoot dancer, and scholar of traditional Appalachian dance. A 2017 inductee to the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame, he has called dances, performed, and taught at music festivals and dance events throughout the U.S. and overseas since the early 1970s, including forty years as a member of the Green Grass Cloggers. Over the last thirty years, Jamison has done extensive research in the area of Appalachian dance, and his book Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics: Roots and Branches of Southern Appalachian Dance (University of Illinois Press, 2015) tells the story behind the square dances, step dances, reels, and other forms of dance practiced in southern Appalachia. He has given numerous presentations on Appalachian dance – from the Smithsonian Institution to Beijing, China – and he teaches Appalachian music and dance at Warren Wilson College, in Asheville, North Carolina, where for twenty-five years, he served as coordinator of the Old-Time Music and Dance Week at the Swannanoa Gathering. http://www.philjamison.com/
For more information about the Mt Airy Contra (Philadelphia) virtual dances and a tip jar for Phil
click here
If you have trouble getting into the FB feed please email Alex
alex(a)thursdaycontra.com
Donna Hunt
Email: dhuntdancer(a)aol.com
Cell: 215-565-6050
Hi, everyone! My name is Olivia Barry. I am a member of the CDSS Community
Culture & Safety Task Group (CCSTG). We are a volunteer group of board and
community members working to compile a set of resources and examples for
folk who are ready to dive in to work on safety of all kinds on the dance
floor or music circle. An important element of such an effort is a *Statement
of Community Values*. The goal of this statement is to identify core
values for a local group. Core values communicate to the outside world what
is important to you and what people can expect from your organization or
events. In our last strategic planning process, CDSS identified core values
for our work and we want to help local groups do the same.
To assist groups in creating such a statement, the CCSTG aims to create a
clearinghouse of samples for local communities across our constituency, and
to synthesize existing examples into a succinct template or writing guide
to help groups develop a statement of their own. We are asking our
communities to fill out a short survey related to content that has already
been developed surrounding your *community's values* to serve as examples.
Other topics will be developed as this work unfolds, and we'll be sending
additional short surveys as well as progress reports in the coming months.
Please take a moment to fill out the survey to help identify who among you
has resources on this topic that might be valuable to others:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwSUqM9dNCnMO-yjTawH8vi1Mv_4TuQMQ…
Thank you in advance for any and all information you share! We hope this
project will reflect and support the greater music, song, and dance
community. If you would like to contact us with questions or content,
please email CDSS.SafetyTG(a)gmail.com!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Olivia
CDSS CCSTG Community Member
Scissortail Traditional Dance is very pleased to announce our second caller workshop open to the whole world: Cathy Campbell, from Toronto, Canada, next Saturday, August 22 at 1pm Central time (US).
Cathy has been calling English Country dances since 2005; her home group is Toronto English Country Dance Assembly. She has a broad repertoire of both historical and contemporary dances. She has been calling a weekly Zoom dance since March 2020.
Callers everywhere have been using Cathy’s dance adaptations in their own virtual dances.
In this interactive, discussion-based workshop, Cathy will share insights into adapting, programming, and calling dances specifically for virtual solo or couple dancing. She would love to answer your questions!
Registration is a $5 donation to Scissortail Traditional Dance, which goes to our pandemic fund to support our local community.
For more information and to register, visit https://scissortail.org/cathy-campbell-caller-workshop/ <https://scissortail.org/cathy-campbell-caller-workshop/>
Questions to dance(a)scissortail.org <mailto:dance@scissortail.org>.
Louise.
—
Louise Siddons
Board member, webmaster, and past president, Scissortail Traditional Dance Society
www.scissortail.orgwww.facebook.com/groups/scissortail/
dance(a)scissortail.org
Does anyone have documentation or a video that goes into specific detail about positional calling?I would like to take this time to try and incorporate it into my repertoire, but need guidance.Off-line answers to my email are fine.
Thanks in advance,
Bob Fabinski
Hi Lenore & all,
BACDS has a 4th Sunday “Hayward” Contra dance at 4-6pm PT (7-9pm ET)
Aug 23 features Gaye Fifer (national weekend caller, amazing waltz teacher from Pittsburgh PA)
With Max Newman (guitarist from Stringrays, Nor’Easter in MA ) and Cedar Stanistreet (fiddler from Nor’Easter, etc in VT)
Sign up for future BACDS event emails: 2 Sunday concerts, 1 Sunday contra, workshops when available!
http://eepurl.com/g33a_z <http://eepurl.com/g33a_z>
(Mailchimp sign up form)
And tomorrow:
Free Workshop for Calling Online Contra
Saturday Aug 1, 2:30-3:30pm PT (5:30pm ET)
Jacqui Grennan shares tips, organization, choreography fixes, and more
(For experienced callers)
Details:
https://www.facebook.com/events/771492986921404 <https://www.facebook.com/events/771492986921404>
Advanced registration required to get meeting link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYudu-rrzIvGdDRvop9AnePli-ACgk2Fi… <https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fus02web.zoom.us%2Fmeeting%2Fre…>
I’d be happy to consult with your group about getting your group online for social or dancing.
It’s better than nothing to keep your dancers engaged.
Claire Takemori
Dance Caller
(408) 874-6840 <tel:(408)%20874-6840> (VM)
clairedancecaller(a)gmail.com <mailto:clairedancecaller@gmail.com>
https://www.facebook.com/ClaireTakemoriDanceCaller/ <https://www.facebook.com/ClaireTakemoriDanceCaller/>
bacds.org/teen <http://bacds.org/teen>
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2020 00:23:59 -0700
From: Lenore Frigo <lfrigo(a)gmail.com <mailto:lfrigo@gmail.com>>
Subject: [Callers] List or schedule of virtual Contra events?
To: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Message-ID:
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Hi all,
I'm looking for opportunities to participate in online Contra dancing (and
possibly get something going locally eventually).
Are there any listings of online contra events? Or if you have info about
attending a Zoom/online dance that you're calling?
Thanks much,
Lenore Frigo
Hi all,
I'm looking for opportunities to participate in online Contra dancing (and
possibly get something going locally eventually).
Are there any listings of online contra events? Or if you have info about
attending a Zoom/online dance that you're calling?
Thanks much,
Lenore Frigo
And they also said Zoom Contra would never happen?
To each his own. It is not for everyone.
However, putting down others’ ideas and calling names is not part of dealing with the changes our dance community is going through.
Again I am asking for on topic replies about what distanced choreo might look like? Feel free to just delete this email.
Claire
Sent from my iPhone
On Jul 19, 2020, at 10:45 PM, Stig MALMO <stigmalmo(a)gmail.com> wrote:
The idea of having distance contra dancing is pure insanity as contra dancing is a 100 % social activity
> man. 20. jul. 2020 kl. 07.32 skrev Claire Takemori via Trad Callers <tradcallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>:
> Hello Callers !
>
> Wondering if anyone has written some “contra” dances that maintain 6 feet distance?
>
> I’m imagining trying (narrow)pool noodles to use as spacers (outdoors). Maybe cut to 3 foot lengths with magnets at the ends to clack & connect to the next noodle.
>
> I know someone doing Intl Folk with ribbons and they were shared by accident, and are obviously too flexible to help keep distance.
>
> I can also see it being more like solo dancing with “contra” moves in HUGE figures (more aerobic?) or maybe something totally different?
>
> If you’d like to chat about choreo ideas for distanced outdoor (masks, gloves, etc) “contra” dances, please email me.
>
> I believe there will be intermediate stages of coming back to dance and we can try when County and State Health limitations allow (Mine just opened up for out door gatherings last week).
>
>
> (I’m very aware of the issues, the research about covid, and our State and County Health regulations.) I’m looking for conversation about what coming back to dancing might look like, and choreography to support this that is fun.
>
> Thanks for your on-topic replies.
>
> Best,
> Claire Takemori (CA)
> _______________________________________________
> Trad Callers mailing list -- tradcallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> To unsubscribe send an email to tradcallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Hi everyone,
I recorded a casual, impromptu video for my work contacts that shows my
home "studio" setup, as I do a fair bit of speaking, interviews, and
facilitating online in addition to calling virtual contra dances.
I thought the video might be of value for contra callers who are calling
virtual dances, as it has some tips and tricks for looking your best. The
one I recommend the most for callers, actually, is to stand - it keeps your
energy higher, your voice richer, and improves your posture so you will
appear more confident.
My setup is admittedly a bit hardcore - but perhaps there's a tip or trick
that can help you as you prep for your next time online.
To make it easy to share with everyone here, I posted it as a
private/unlisted video on my Contra on Demand channel on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/mmBCv3VCnx4
Hope it helps!
Drew
Hi all,
This a mixed response to the discussion of dancing to the phrase and the
social distancing.
I'm just throwing in my two cents, as a dancer and occasional caller, just
to add another perspective; it'll likely come across as negative but I'll
try to make it otherwise. Having recently left the Social Disdancing FB
group as a result of unexpected and disappointing behaviour presented
therein, ostensibly from within our community, I am aware that we each have
a responsibility to at least be respectful.
Maybe this post is simply a venting because I'm pissed at the virus. It's
certainly longer than I intended.
First, I acknowledge the efforts of those who try to find a way to, safely,
"make it work" these days.
Both the topics - phrasing and distance - are key to my personal enjoyment
of contra, which I've been involved in for 20+ years. It's really
interesting reading the thoughts of people who have been more involved in
the community and in some cases for much longer than I.
A musician remarked in the phrasing thread that it was discouraging to play
for a crowd that wasn't keeping time. I can understand that. For a ONS, I
can also understand callers going with the flow; if the dancers refuse to
cooperate and match steps to the musician's beats, what is to be done
except liquor-up the band so they can have some fun, too! 😊
For a regular contra, however, that would, in my opinion, be a death knell.
Squares, with which I have lot less experience, as people rightly point out
is more flexible in phrasing. Even there, however, it seems to me that call
granularity isn't reduced beyond 4-beat phrases. Also, the callers never,
to my recollection, start a figure on the off-beat. So, calls are started
on the 1 or the 5 of an 8 beat phrase (at least at the top of the dance
sequence). Squares are also more forgiving which allows for this
flexibility. It's the same 8 people through the dance and the collateral
damage is limited when things go awry. It's pretty easy to stop, re-form a
circle of 8, then wait for a reboot without affecting anyone else.
Contra ain't like that. At all.
Being on time is key, for the enjoyment of everyone in one's line. (I'm
gonna show some snobbery here). If people aren't able to be there when
needed - assuming the choreography is a good match for the crowd - then
perhaps another activity would be a better choice for the individual. Of
course, allowances/adaptations for current community members whose
abilities may be in decline for whatever reason. I can't imagine
contra-dancing with a group that consistently ignored the musical phrase;
how would that even work. No AABB? Might as well have Sun Ra's band
playing; free jazz to accompany free contra.
The social distancing thing is similar but different. The workarounds that
people are searching for presumably are sought to facilitate continuance of
what those individuals find most (?) important in our community which seems
to be just a notion of showing up - I'm here and I see you are here, too. I
attended one Zoom dance a couple of months ago, to give it a try. I can
only imagine that others place different value than I of the various
aspects of contra-dance. If I can't make physical contact with the people
I'm dancing with, it ain't contra. That's kinda what it comes down to for
me.
I certainly stand as a member of our large virtual community circle wishing
the best for every individual and anticipating that first dance, whenever
and wherever that might be.
Stay safe and, by your actions, keep those around you safe.
Ken Panton
Saguenay, QC
