Archive-Date: Thu, 06 Nov 1997 15:26:22 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 06 Nov 1997 18:21:45 -0500 (EST) From: JohnBerni-AT- aol.com Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: Ann Arbor Weekend To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU, jackie_a.crowden-AT- berea.edu, DAVIS-AT- vaxl1.danavictor.com, SBDPotter-AT- aol.com, Kdewire-AT- aol.com, jrose-AT- mis.net, wfeldkamp-AT- dspn.com, CFELSEN-AT- fpmail.stlcc.cc.mo.us, forbes-AT- george.bakeru.edu, glenn.fulbright-AT- mcione.com, S.Hamborg-AT- alco.dk, tom1000-AT- juno.com, Theresa_Lowder-AT- berea.edu, quinbus-AT- swbell.net, GMORNING-AT- aol.com, pudge96-AT- juno.com, stmt8016-AT- bureau.ucc.ie, lmr-AT- kemp-lauritzen.dk, ppslowkowski-AT- london2.skn.net, joe_tarter-AT- berea.edu, Hibthat-AT- aol.com, todt-AT- battelle.org, curquhar-AT- remc4.k12.mi.us, whiteml-AT- tso.cin.ix.net, Danzaff-AT- aol.com Message-ID: <971105174726_1692009069-AT- emout04.mail.aol.com> From John Ramsay in St Louis REPORT ON THE ANN ARBOR DANCE WEEKEND and the LOVETT HALL CELEBRATION which took place 31 October to 2 November, 1997 Berni and I drove to Ann Arbor on the 31st and arrived in Ann Arbor early enough for an evening dance. We did not receive a weekend schedule following our registration and only had the info which Erna-Lynne supplied by e-mail; it gave no times. A clerk at the Welcome Center as we crossed into Michigan on I-69 was able to locate where the Pittsfield Grange Hall should be on a county map. It was dark and drizzling and we passed the Hall four times before finding it with the help of local residents who had lights on expecting trick or treaters instead of confused tourists. I assisted those setting up by mounting and lighting candles in two pumpkins stationed at the door. Pittsfield Union Grange Hall (the Union explains why we could not find a listing for the Hall) was perfect for country dancing with a nicely proportioned wooden floor and a stage for the band at one end; kitchen and dining room in the basement. The cloak room was ample with chairs for changing shoes; there were no chairs in the hall itself, a practice I approve as it keeps the noise level from spectators down and makes it clear that those in the hall are there to dance. There were 66 dancers on the floor most of the evening, tight but do-able. A few notes by the fiddler of Footloose from Chapel Hill NC raised spirits immediately and by the end of the first dance I was elevated to cloud nine-- the sound was excellent, the band superb, the dancers cheerful and competent, and Bruce Hamilton comfortably assumed his role as caller. With that first dance I rated the weekend effort worthwhile. Bruce's confident demeanor, his precise choice of words clearly delivered-- well-paced even for my sluggish neurons-- and his remarkable accuracy (no errors to undermine or confuse), kept me on cloud nine throughout Friday evening. His sessions on Saturday began to reveal additional talents: the ability to field questions from the floor and to virtually put himself in any position in the set, his quick wit and unceasing good humor, and his dedication to "kinder and gentler" dancing. It was Bruce's attention to kinder and gentler dancing, which was offered entirely by positive encouragement in the kindest and gentlest fashion, that gives me a new level of satisfaction in dance. The fact that people all over the country are responding to Bruce's message speaks well for today's dancers, and is an observation from one who has been enjoying country dancing for 50 years this fall. Country dancing seems to be increasing, a tool people are using to create the kinder and gentler societies they desire for their home communities. Other leaders are being inspired and trained by Bruce in how to create kinder and gentler societies. This growing trend is in spite of the unkind and violent fare which the media portray as dominant in today's world. The planners of the weekend, their wisdom in selecting Footloose, the continuo us smiles from Carol Ormand who led the contra dancing and a session in Snoa, the continuous smiles from the attentive soundman who also danced, and the selfless volunteers who decorated, served refreshments, and kept the facilities clean, all worked together seamlessly to make a wonderful dance event. Bruce chose to end with Wa' Is Me as interpreted by Christine Helwig. I left Pittsfield Union Grange Hall still on cloud nine but also in the seventh heaven! Many of the Pittsfield group then hurried over to Lovett Hall in Henry Ford's Greenfield Village for a dance, organized by Glen and Judi Morningstar, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of this famous dance hall. The 300+ dancers joined in an opening march piped in by the Cawthon Brothers and sang Auld Lang Syne under the great Chechoslovakian crystal chandeliers. Glen calmly instructed this large and mixed assemblage in the figures for a Cecilian Circle (sic), reel, contras, waltz quadrille, mixer, and figures from The Standard Lancers. Demonstrations of the Lindy and a Tango act added color and skill to the gala affair. It was fun to see many vintage costumes among the participants. The Olde Michigan Ruffwater Stringband, which plays in Lovett for monthly dances, provided vintage music. A group picture was taken by Don Cardwell on a vintage box camera. Glen and Judi kindly took Berni and I out to dinner at the Dearborn Inn before we drove home with enough music and memories in our hearts to carry us thru the night. Monday we began our descent to earth again substitute teacing, but those tunes keep lingering and so does the good feeling. Thanks to AACTMAD and the Morningstars for two such memorable events in one weekend. ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Thu, 06 Nov 1997 18:03:00 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 06 Nov 1997 18:05:00 -0800 From: giovanni de amici Subject: dance in and around DC ? To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Message-ID: <3462774C.603D-AT- trw.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit References: <9707188692.AA869243017-AT- smtp-gw5.census.gov> Hallo Mary K. long time no see, but this could be the chance to fix that (unless you plan to fly west looking for warmer climate around Christmas). I will be in DC, for work, next 17 and 18 november, lodging at a Best Western somewhere in Arlington. The monday night is free, since the meeting does not start till tuesday am, and I would much rather spend the evening dancing than worrying about my presentation, so I was wondering if: a) there is still an ECD in Baltimore that evening b) there is anyone carpooling from DC to Balto, whom I could join [my plane lands at Dulles around 16:30, and I figure I should be checked-in, unpacked and ready to go out by 18:30]. Thank you for any info you can send out to the big wasteland city (aka Los Angeles). Giovanni De Amici ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Thu, 06 Nov 1997 19:02:35 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 06 Nov 1997 22:00:49 -0500 From: marthacd-AT- juno.com (MARTHA C DAVEY) Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: Ann Arbor Weekend To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <19971106.220050.6598.1.marthaCD-AT- juno.com> References: <971105174726_1692009069-AT- emout04.mail.aol.com> Hi- I'm a footloose fan. As a matter of fact, they are going to play for CD*NY's Winter Festival Contra and couple dance on January 17th. What your letter didn't make clear was whether FootLoose played for all of the dancing, or just for the Contra dancing. Martha Davey 25-14 37 ST, Astoria, NY 11103 (718)278-4389 ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Fri, 07 Nov 1997 06:24:20 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Fri, 07 Nov 1997 09:27:05 -0500 (EST) From: Eric Arnold Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: Ann Arbor Weekend To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Thu, 6 Nov 1997, MARTHA C DAVEY wrote: > Hi- > I'm a footloose fan. As a matter of fact, they are going to play > for CD*NY's Winter Festival Contra and couple dance on January 17th. > What your letter didn't make clear was whether FootLoose played for all > of the dancing, or just for the Contra dancing. Hi Martha, They were a great discovery for me. They played for the English dancing on Friday evening and Sunday morning as well as the contradance on Saturday night, and did some of the workshops. Bruce Sagan and Debbie Jackson provided music for the afternoon ECD and some other workshops. Eric Arnold Ann Arbor ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Fri, 07 Nov 1997 09:06:35 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Fri, 07 Nov 1997 09:08:38 -0800 From: giovanni de amici Subject: apologies To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Message-ID: <34634B16.D74-AT- trw.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit hallo everyone. sorry for the waste of bandwidth with my posting of yesterday. it was supposed to be a direct msg to Mary K Friday, and ended up on the mailing list! Giovanni De Amici ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 08:11:51 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Sun, 09 Nov 1997 16:14:14 +0000 (BRITAIN) From: HUGH-AT- SDL.UG.EDS.COM Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: Totally Thompson To: ECD-AT- PLAYFORD.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <01IPT8QGR90Y008ZMS-AT- SDL.UG.EDS.COM> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Philippe Callens recently asked: >> Recently a book called "Totally Thompson" was published in England. But >> that is about all know. >> >> Who knows more? Where is it available? This is a collection of 24 dances from Thompson 1750-1820. It is available as a book of dances plus music, or just the music (larger, one dance per page). Either version cost 4.50 pounds (plus an indeterminate amount for postage I expect) and is available from the authors:- Jennifer and Denys Wickens 5, Stoughton Drive Evington Leicester LE5 6AP Tel: +44(0)116-2734687 (To be precise, at present it is called "Totally Thompson 1", so numbers 2, 3, 4... may follow later) Hugh Stewart Cambridge UK ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 14:21:02 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 15:26:42 +0100 From: mdevlin-AT- teleport.com (Mary Devlin) Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: ECD Callers' Workshop To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Come to Portland, Oregon, February 27 - March 1, 1998 for a special English Country Dance Callers Weekend. Bruce Hamilton and I are organizing the event which will be co-sponsored by CDSS. The intent of the workshop is to sharpen and enhance the skills for people who are actively leading English country dance. While one of the aims is to strengthen English dance leadership in the Northwest, everyone is most welcome. The workshop is limited to 12 people. Friday evening (2/27) workshop participants will lead a public dance, followed by a feedback session with Bruce. Saturday (2/28, 9 AM - 4 PM) we'll have discussion on the fine points of English country dance leadership, more practice and feedback, and lunch. That evening Bruce will lead a public dance with music by Full Circle (George Penk, Heather Pinney, Fred Nussbaum). On Sunday (3/1) we'll have an informal discussion and feedback session and brunch. The workshop is $80, including the two dances, Saturday lunch and Sunday brunch. If you would like to attend, contact me to reserve a place. Mary Devlin 911 NE Hazelfern Place Portland, OR 97232-2627 503-236-8062 mdevlin-AT- teleport.com Regards, Mary ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 14:28:14 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Fri, 14 Nov 1997 18:33:43 -0400 From: gaff-AT- neu.edu (Terence Gaffney) Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Jacqueline Schwab To: ECD-AT- PLAYFORD.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Those of you in the Boston area on Sunday November 23, might be interested in a concert which Jacqueline Schwab is giving in the afternoon in Lexington. Details can be had by following a link from our web page, whose URL is: http://www.math.neu.edu/~gaffney/cds.html The page promoting the concert features a beautiful picture of Jacqueline (fans take note!) best, terry ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Sat, 15 Nov 1997 13:46:18 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Sat, 15 Nov 1997 22:48:15 +0100 From: Antony Heywood Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Pride and Prejudice in Holland To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711152148.WAA19563-AT- IAEhv.nl> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit We seem (almost) to have bitten off more than we can chew here in Eindhoven in the south of the Netherlands. Encouraged by what happened last March in New York and by an exhibition of the BBC costumes in the West Friesland Museum in Hoorn, the Dutch Folk Dance Society has organised a Pride and Prejudice afternoon with English afternoon tea in Eindhoven on Sunday 16th November. Up to today we have had nearly 150 registrations and there's an article still to appear in a local paper. We've now booked a second hall adjacent to the main hall and engaged another teacher (fortunately not everyone is coming to dance!). As from today we are declaring "house full" and have arranged another date in early December for those we have to disappoint. It looks as though more than half those coming have never done English Country Dancing before. We have great hopes that various ECD clubs in Holland will see welcome increases in attendance. Eindhoven has a population of 180 000 and in our catchment area there are about 350 000 inhabitants. Many participants will be coming from further afield: Amsterdam and Rotterdam are 90 minutes away, The Hague 2 hours and Utrecht only 1 hour. I'll be writing about the event after it has happened. Antony Heywood Volksdansvereniging NVS ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Sun, 16 Nov 1997 18:34:54 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Sun, 16 Nov 1997 19:41:12 -0700 (PDT) From: marthacd-AT- juno.com Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Portland Ball-Preliminary Friday dance To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <19971116.194114.7967.1.marthacd-AT- juno.com> Hi- Although I didn't get into the ball itself, I was privileged to be present at the dance the night before. Although I am from New York, I ran into dozens of friends from all over and it was delightful to see them. In addition, I am still high from the entire evening-The leading(Nan Evans), the musicians (I'm sorry I don't remember their names-someone please fill them in!), the dance program, the dancers, the hall and the floor made for a superb, exciting evening! Kudos to all involved in producing this wonderful experience! Martha Davey Martha Davey Phone # until 11/18 (541)343-3097 Phone # until11/20(510)527-4643 Then from 11/21 (718)278-4389 ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 10:04:01 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 19:05:00 +0100 From: Antony Heywood Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Pride and Prejudice Day of Dance in Eindhoven, Holland To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711171806.TAA22275-AT- IAEhv.nl> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On a grey autumn day, my wife Jennifer, got up at 6 a.m. and our guests Brenda and Vic Godrich were awake not much later. After breakfast a small band of helpers came to help butter and spread 16 large sliced loaves to make sandwiches for 150 people. The mood was jolly and they even had time to break for an hour for morning coffee. At one o'clock we all arrived at the halls and unloaded crates of food, crates of equipment and crates of books and records to sell. As dancers arrived, they were given taks to do and by 2 p.m. the starting time there was a long queue at the reception table to pay the Fl. 17.50 entrance ($9) and get their tea tickets. There were already crowds in the hall and as soon as the person who had arrived just before two was in, the chairman of the NVS, Alex Bezemer introduced the staff and set the afternoon in motion. 150 dancers were too many for one hall so about 30% of them (those who could understand English) went into the small hall where Brenda Godrich was to teach the dances whilst I taught the same programme in Dutch in the main hall. We both got through 7 of the 11 dances from the TV Pride and Prejudice in 2 hours finishing with Mr Beveridge's Maggot danced exactly as in the series. I used tapes for my session, Brenda had live music played by her husband Vic (violin) and my wife Jennifer (viola). During the tea break we had planned to show a video of the dance parts of Pride and Prejudice but my video recorder chose that moment to go on the blink. Isn't it always the way? It had worked all right in the half hour before we started whilst people were coming in. Nevertheless the English afternoon tea was a great success. When we had expected 40-50 people, we had planned to do everything ourselves but when the numbers grew towards 100 and beyond, we quickly got a baker to make scones and the local catering college to make cakes. After tea we all met in the big hall and Vic Godrich regaled us with tales of his experiences during the making of Pride and Prejudice where he played the violin at the first ball. He has written this up and it has been published (in Dutch) in the NVS magazine. I could send the English version to the ECD List if people would be interested. By using first class radio microphones (thanks to my son Jonathan), a question and answer session followed with questions like "were actors like Colin Firth (Darcy) really so dour?" - answer, "not a bit of it", and "how did you, as a folk musician, get involved in the first place?". Then we danced through the 7 dances again and added one or two new ones for luck and everyone left at 7 p.m. bubbling with enthusiasm. And our little band of helpers went home to open the champagne. We don't know why it was such an overwhelming success. We must wait to analyse the enquiry forms people kindly filled in. Questions such as whether people were most attracted by the dancing, the tea or the literary associations. Questions such as how people came to hear about it because we had used one or two new information channels. If I remember I'll post the findings because they could be useful to others. In due course more information as well as details of other activities in the Netherlands will be found on the NVS home page at http://iae.nl/users/antony/ this page is very new and still a bit amateurish (garish NVS yellow) so please make allowances until I learn the HTML ropes. Antony Heywood Eindhoven, The Netherlands ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 12:26:28 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 12:29:06 -0700 (PDT) From: Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing Subject: Re: Pride and Prejudice Day of Dance in Eindhoven, Holland To: ECD-AT- PLAYFORD.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Message-ID: <01IQ46MLEJ7294NY7N-AT- SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Antony -- Thanks for posting that very interesting report. The event sounds like a splendid success, and a lot of fun. (This is definitely one of the things for which the list was meant.) A few remarks and questions: Is the "Day of Dance" format pretty typical for NVS events? If something like this were scheduled around here -- and it might well be -- the standard format would be something like a late afternoon workshop (2:00 to 5:00, say), dinner break (long enough for people to go out, have dinner at a restaurant, and change clothes), and evening ball from 8:00 to 11:00 or so. If I read you correctly, you had workshops starting at 2:00, tea break, evening dance, and were done by 7:00 pm. (I've only encountered the term "Day of Dance" in the context of Morris dancing. The Brits seem to organize multi-team gatherings, dance out all day, have a group dinner and perhaps a ceilidh dance, and head home, and this all gets described as a "Day of Dance." At least that's the impression I get from the Morris Dancing Discussion List.) I'd be very much interested in seeing the English version of Vic's article about playing violin for "Pride and Prejudice." I'd think it might also be of interest in CDSS News or to the members of a Regency-period mailing list I subscribe to. (The list is mostly event announcements and doesn't get a lot of traffic, but when we run across interesting stuff we like to post it there.) I'd also really like to see the results of the enquiry forms when you have them collated, and to hear a little more about the information channels you used. I think nearly every organizer in the ECD world -- with the possible exception of CDNY -- wants to hear about effective (and inexpensive) publicity methods. Thanks again, -- Alan =============================================================================== Alan Winston --- WINSTON-AT- SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone: 415/926-3056 Physical mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 69, PO BOX 4349, STANFORD, CA 94309-0210 =============================================================================== ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 13:07:49 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 13:10:27 -0700 (PDT) From: Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing Subject: Re: Portland Ball-Preliminary Friday dance To: ECD-AT- PLAYFORD.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Message-ID: <01IQ477DP58494NY7N-AT- SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Martha -- I'm sorry you didn't get into the Ball itself. Also sorry we didn't meet at the Friday night dance; I like to be able to identify other list members. Digression: The Morris Dancing Discussion List has a semi-official Funny Yellow Button (some PostScript art showing an -AT- waving hankies) which members may wear if they wish to be identified by other members. Should the ECD list have such a thing? It's rather pointless at dance camps, where you're wearing name badges anyway, but it might be nice to have something like that when visiting a dance where you might, unbeknownst to you, have acquaintances. Of course, I never remember to bring a camp badge with my name on it, and could just as easily forget to bring an ECD-list button. At any rate, the Ball was yet more wonderful than the Friday night dance. The Saturday workshop and the ball itself were held at the Trinity Episcopal church, which is really a beautiful building; the atmosphere enhanced the experience. If I have all this right -- and I might not -- the music was by Full Circle (Fred Nussbaum, George Penk, Heather Pinney) supplemented by someone else whose name I didn't get (Jo?), an excellent accordionist. Nan's teaching was clear, concise, and very audible, which is especially noteworthy since she was fighting a cold. In the afternoon workshop, she got people through the dances very smoothly, including some that were new to most of the people there ("Dovetail", "Trip to Amsterdam.") At the Ball itself, there were single walkthroughs of most of the dances, with some "for those who know." [I much prefer this to the style used at the BACDS Playford Ball, where nothing is taught, and there's just a brief talk-through when the sets are lined up. I think the BACDS approach tends to promote final exam anxiety, and I have seen a few people so nervous about forgetting the dances that they couldn't enjoy themselves. By having a few more "for those who know" dances, the Portland Ball was able to fit eighteen dances in the evening, as BACDS does, and still have reasonable teaching on most of them.] Also, the Friday night dance program had very little overlap with the Ball program, and could be enjoyed as an event in itself. BACDS has a Ball rehearsal the night before, which I find harder to enjoy by itself. Before the ball proper, there was a half hour of free waltzing, which I enjoyed enormously. Since many people arrived later, there was enough room on the floor to really let loose and enjoy the beautiful music. The hall was a trifle crowded when country dancing began, despite attendance having been capped at a lower level than the previous year, but it was not so crowded as to be a problem. (Mostly. In "Freeford Gardens" you pretty much have to convert the cross over and loop round into cross over and gypsy someone from the next set, but I think this makes the dance more fun. "Sally in Our Alley", where the corners cast to start the dance, requires real care in a crowded hall, and it helps if the inactive corners pull in. But the inactive corners need to pull in for the cast, pull out for the half figure eight, and pull in again to give room for the active corners to get to their new place. This isn't hard, but it requires everyone to be awake -- and that tune, and that dance, are particularly productive of trance states. These are very minor problems.) Non-dance logistics were also excellently handled. Quite substantial refreshments (small sandwiches, lots of baked goods) were available in an elegantly appointed side room at the break. (I think Anne Reif was in charge of this, and she recruited some non-dancing bell-choir comrades to help; which worked well.) There was an officially organized post-dance party in the back room of a very pretty Italian restaurant, with antipasto in the cover charge and desserts available; when I left about 1:30, singing was in full swing. [I think this is an excellent idea, also. I don't mean to slam the BACDS Playford Ball, which I also enjoy greatly, and I don't think everybody has to do things the same way. I just note that having the post-dance party at a restaurant with a parking lot, instead of in somebody's house, makes it easier on both the attendees, who can park easily, ask directions if they get lost (as we did), and readily find a place to sit and on the organizers, who don't have to clean house, borrow chairs, and handle yet more food and drink.] There was also a splendid brunch the next day, with both Ball leftovers and lots of good new stuff, impromptu country dance and musical jamming, and an opportunity finally to sit and schmooze with friends I rarely see. I'm told that something like 90 or 100 of the 150 attendees were from out of town, so quite a few beds and airport trips had to be organized. From my experience, at least, Michael Penk handled this splendidly. Paula Hamlin processed my advance registration quickly and I got a nice ball booklet in the mail very promptly. (I managed to leave it at home, but I did at least get it.) So, kudos to all of the organizers. This was my first trip to the Portland Ball, and I enjoyed it immensely. It's a warm and friendly dance community that knows how to put on a heck of a party. I'll be back. -- Alan =============================================================================== Alan Winston --- WINSTON-AT- SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone: 415/926-3056 Physical mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 69, PO BOX 4349, STANFORD, CA 94309-0210 =============================================================================== ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 14:17:45 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 14:20:18 -0700 (PDT) From: Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing Subject: What do I tell contra musicians about playing for English? To: ECD-AT- PLAYFORD.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Message-ID: <01IQ4AQK02HY94NY7N-AT- SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Folks -- I got a calling gig I'm pretty excited about. Up in Humboldt Country -- coastal Northern California -- they have a monthly contra dance, and I've been booked to come and call a somewhat Christmas-y English evening in December. (In another post I'll discuss my program and ask for comments.) This is far enough away that it is impracticable to meet in person before the dance. As far as I know, I'll be about the only person in the room who's done any English dancing. This includes the band, who have contra experience and know a few mostly-Playford tunes. They say "if you have any special tunes in mind, can you send us written parts or lead sheets and chords?" Well, Barnes can provide me with lead sheets and chords; I may just send the leader one of my copies, hoping to recover it at the dance. I may send them Gene Murrow's band handout on communicating with the caller, and then try rigorously to follow it myself. The question is, what else can I tell them? I've just sent off email asking the leader, as diplomatically as possible, whether they can sightread if I need an emergency course correction, and whether they're comfortable with widely-varying tempi. Any advice? I futz around with recorder, but I am not a musician. Thanks, -- Alan =============================================================================== Alan Winston --- WINSTON-AT- SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone: 415/926-3056 Physical mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 69, PO BOX 4349, STANFORD, CA 94309-0210 =============================================================================== ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 15:05:24 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 16:51:02 -0600 From: lstout-AT- sun.iwu.edu (Larry Stout) Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: What do I tell contra musicians about playing for English? To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711172251.QAA19922-AT- goedel.iwu.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi- The band I'm in plays for both contras and ECD, so I may be able to shed some light on the subject. The biggest difference is the emphasis on the lyric in ECD. Next would be the speed-- contra dances are played in a rather narrow range (116-120, usually) which is generally faster than is desirable for an English country dance with a reasonably large set. (Though there are dances in the Community Dance Manuals which are faster than most contras-- Thady You Gander calls for 160--a real workout for both dancers and musicians.) ECD tunes also use keys (those using several flats: D minor, G minor) which don't often appear in the contra repetoir (usually in G,D,or E). In general ECD tunes are less regular, often having unusual length parts. Contra tunes are almost always 32 bars in 8 bar phrases. Thus a purely contra band may have some adjustment to make if you use any dances with other lengths. Some ECD tunes also have nonstandard repeat patterns (Picking up sticks and Dargason come to mind immediately). Some of the later dances (like the ones we practiced for a recent Jane Austin era dance) are more like contra jigs. Dances like Jenny Pluck Pears with a change of meter will also be difficult without prior practice and knowledge of what is happening in the dance. In my experience the hardest adjustment comes in dances in 3/2 time. The rhythm instruments seem to have trouble figuring out what to do since a boom-chuck approach doesn't work and neither do the usual waltz licks. Since your band has asked for written parts, lead sheets, and chords I'd assume they can read music and may well be able to sight read if you need to change the program. Ideal instrumentation would include multiple fiddles, perhaps some woodwinds. A hammered dulcimer may have trouble because of the keys called for. I've got to run, hope this is helpful. Larry Stout ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 15:35:28 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Return-Path: bolker-AT- phoenix.Princeton.EDU Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 18:33:10 -0500 (EST) From: Susie Lorand Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: What do I tell contra musicians about playing for English? To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Mon, 17 Nov 1997, Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing wrote: > As far as I know, I'll be about the only person in the room who's done any > English dancing. This includes the band, who have contra experience and know > a few mostly-Playford tunes. They say "if you have any special tunes in mind, > can you send us written parts or lead sheets and chords?" Well, Barnes can > provide me with lead sheets and chords; I may just send the leader one of my > copies, hoping to recover it at the dance. good idea--and if this is a piano-based band, please draw the piano player's attention to the "quick & dirty guide to english dance accompaniment" (or whatever the exact title is) in the back of the new edition of barnes. standard contra-dance piano accompaniment will work for some ecd tunes, but not all. do give them approximate metronome markings (or perhaps a range) for each tune, since there is *such* wide tempo variation among english tunes compared with contra tunes. - susie lorand dance musician in new jersey ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 15:43:33 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 18:46:15 -0500 (EST) From: Jonathan Sivier Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: What do I tell contra musicians about playing for English? To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711172346.SAA19790-AT- staff1.cso.uiuc.edu> I have a similar situation coming up in January. I'm calling a dance for a wedding. The band is one of the local old-time contra dance bands, but the bride has requested some English dances. Since this is a one-night stand and there will be many non-dancers, I've had to choose dances by different criteria than you probably are, but there's still some similarity. I've chosen some dances that fall into the middle ground between contra and English, such as Galopede and Thady You Gander and some that are directly descended from English like the Virginia Reel. I have given them the music (from Barnes) for the strictly English tunes in plenty of time for them to work on the instrumentation. The tunes will sound fine on the hammered dulcimer and other instruments, but they may decide to have the banjo drop out for those tunes. Jonathan ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Jonathan Sivier |Q: How many angels can dance on the | | j-sivier-AT- uiuc.edu | head of a pin? | | Flight Simulation Lab |A: It depends on what dance you call. | | Beckman Institute | | | 405 N. Mathews | SWMDG - Single White Male | | Urbana, IL 61801 | Dance Gypsy | | Work: 217/244-1923 | | | Home: 217/359-8225 | Have shoes, will dance. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Home page URL: http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~j-sivier | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 18:03:27 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 18:05:58 -0700 (PDT) From: Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing Subject: English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- PLAYFORD.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Message-ID: <01IQ4IDPFK5294NY7N-AT- SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Folks -- As I mentioned in my last note, I'm going to be calling a program of English dances next month for a group of contra dancers with no previous exposure to English dancing. There's supposed to be a bit of a Christmas theme to this program. I'm excited about a chance to introduce a lot of people to this dance form that I love, and I don't want to screw it up. This seems to be like a really different opportunity than calling a wedding, or calling for not-previously-dancing Janeites. They're used to reasonably sophisticated contra dances. My goals: 1) An enjoyable evening for everybody. 2) Show off some of the differences between English and contra -- different meters, tempi, formations, and even a little stepping. 3) Pay at least some service to the "Christmas" theme. 4) Ideally, convey my enthusiasm for the dance form to this group, and inspire them to continue. It seems like a good idea to pick dances I know and love, since I can convey more sincere enthusiasm about them, and because I'll be more secure in teaching them. It also seems like a good idea to avoid things with a low return on teaching time invested. Here's my proposed program, with a few notes. I welcome comments or suggestions. Margaret's Waltz (sicilian circle, uses some contra figures) The Female Saylor (tune used for Christmas carol; has some of the joyful flow of contras.) Christ Church Bells (or maybe Lilliburlero, since the band knows Lilliburlero.) Come, Let's Be Merry (easy three-couple set) Hambleton's Round O (joyful flow, killer dance) Ashford Anniversary (three couple, USA figures, great tune) BREAK Morpeth Rant (teach rant step) Irish Lamentation (gorgeous tune, _slow_ tempo) The Dorset Triumph Sir Roger de Coverley (as mentioned in Dickens) Well Hall The Bishop Sellenger's Round (the band already knows the tune) So what do you think? -- Alan =============================================================================== Alan Winston --- WINSTON-AT- SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone: 415/926-3056 Physical mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 69, PO BOX 4349, STANFORD, CA 94309-0210 =============================================================================== ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 20:30:58 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 23:33:09 -0500 (EST) From: CF1125-AT- aol.com Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: What do I tell contra musicians about playing for English? To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <971117233206_-1877728045-AT- mrin54.mail.aol.com> In a message dated 11/17/97 11:16:35 PM, you wrote: >I got a calling gig I'm pretty excited about. Up in Humboldt Country -- >coastal Northern California -- they have a monthly contra dance, and I've been >booked to come and call a somewhat Christmas-y English evening in December. >(In another post I'll discuss my program and ask for comments.) This is far >enough away that it is impracticable to meet in person before the dance. > >As far as I know, I'll be about the only person in the room who's done any >English dancing. This includes the band, who have contra experience and know >a few mostly-Playford tunes. They say "if you have any special tunes in mind, >can you send us written parts or lead sheets and chords?" Well, Barnes can >provide me with lead sheets and chords; I may just send the leader one of my >copies, hoping to recover it at the dance. > >I may send them Gene Murrow's band handout on communicating with the caller, >and then try rigorously to follow it myself. > >The question is, what else can I tell them? I've just sent off email asking >the leader, as diplomatically as possible, whether they can sightread if I need >an emergency course correction, and whether they're comfortable with >widely-varying tempi. A suggestion: try and figure out which tunes a contra band is likely to sound good playing, and try to stick to these unless your musicians turn out to be more versatile than expected. A few examples of relatively easy dances that most contra dance bands with some music reading ability should be able to play: Trip to Paris, Trip to Tunbridge, Childgrove, Black Nag, Jack's Maggot, Jack's Health. Also, pick some dances that can be done to any reel or jig, such as Highland Lilt. Do a traditional dance such as Soldier's Joy. Everyone will enjoy the evening more - the dancers, the musicians, and you - if the band isn't struggling to play something they have no experience with. Chances are you will be able to adapt to the band's abilities more easily than they will be able to do a night of C minor 3/2 tunes. Good luck! --Carl Friedman ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 21:07:24 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 21:00:34 -0800 (PST) From: "Paul J. Stamler" Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: What do I tell contra musicians about playing for English? To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU CC: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Dear Alan: It sounds like the band hasn't realized one crucial difference between ECD and contemporary contra-dancing: that in ECD (at least the Playford variety and its descendants) each dance goes with a specific tune. In contemporary contra, with a very few exceptions, any 32-bar tune will work with any dance, and the custom of matching dances and tunes has largely disappeared. So it'll be important to let them know that, along with the other differences such as tempo. And I agree with the other correspondents that you should probably lay off the 3/2 tunes (alas, since they're some of the most fun to play). Peace. Paul ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 21:12:48 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 00:15:30 -0500 (EST) From: Dawn Culbertson Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: Pride and Prejudice Day of Dance in Eindhoven, Holland To: ECD-AT- PLAYFORD.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Mon, 17 Nov 1997, Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing wrote: > I'd be very much interested in seeing the English version of Vic's article > about playing violin for "Pride and Prejudice." So would I! How would this be possible? Dawn Culbertson dcculb-AT- peabody.jhu.edu ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 21:22:26 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Mon, 17 Nov 1997 21:13:11 -0800 (PST) From: "Paul J. Stamler" Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU CC: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Your program looks good; I do see one weak spot. You have a USA three-couple dance (Ashford) right before the break, and Morpeth Rant right after. This means you'll be teaching Ashford for a while, then dancing it for a very short time, then taking a break, then teaching the rant step, then teaching Morpeth Rant itself, then doing it. The net result will be a very long interval with only a few minutes of actual dancing, which in my experience is the kiss of death, for dancers and musicians alike; the energy level drops astonishingly. I think if you're planning to teach the rant after the break (which seems reasonable), it'd be a good idea to either do a longways dance before the break or parallel the contra-dancers' custom and do a waltz-time dance. But in either case, it should be something that lasts a while. Incidentally, and speaking of Ashford Anniversary, the same tune shows up in Hungarian manuscripts from Renaissance times, with the exception that the F is always played natural rather than sharp. It gives a very different feeling to the tune. My $.02. Peace. Paul ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 02:57:47 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 10:59:57 +0000 (BRITAIN) From: HUGH-AT- SDL.UG.EDS.COM Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- PLAYFORD.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <01IQ5I9ELLYA0007HS-AT- SDL.UG.EDS.COM> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT How about sending them a tape to show them the sort of style you want? I would be worried about a contra band playing Morpeth Rant -- I have heard a contra band playing that tune in contra style for a contra, and would be suprised if they could play the same tune as a rant. (Though I remember Roger Wilkins doing a suprisingly good job at some workshop where the leader said "play us a reel"..."play us a jig" so we could hear the difference, then someone said "Can you please play the reel tune in jig time cos I still don't really see the difference") ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 05:04:58 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 08:03:24 -0500 From: "Hanny D. Budnick" <74031.77-AT- compuserve.com> Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: What do I tell contra musicians about pl To: Blind.Copy.Receiver-AT- compuserve.com Message-ID: <199711180807_MC2-2896-2A4B-AT- compuserve.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Alan - I would make the transition from contras to ECD as smooth as possible by using the TRADITIONAL ECD (Cumberland Square Eight, Haste to the wedding, Bonny Breastknot, Nottingham Swing [great fun dance!], Durham Rangers first. All these dances have components familiar to contra dancers. Then I would introduce some of the Playford-type dances. Beware of triple minors! I have found Sellengers' Round to be a great introductory dance, followed by a big circle version of 'I care not for these ladies'. Upon a summer's day is great, although it does not qualify for 'Christmassy'. The Female Sailor IS christmassy but may be too complicated... Good luck! Hanny Budnick ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 05:20:35 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 08:19:44 -0500 From: "Hanny D. Budnick" <74031.77-AT- compuserve.com> Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: English program for contra dancers To: Blind.Copy.Receiver-AT- compuserve.com Message-ID: <199711180823_MC2-289A-89F3-AT- compuserve.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Alan - unless the contra dancers are familiar with triple minors, leave out the Bishop. Have a luck at 'Upon a summer's day', it has triple WHOLE SET progression! If you are using Well Hall, make sure you say that it's not 8 steps per phrase but rather 6... Hanny ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 07:20:52 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 10:23:32 -0500 (EST) From: Eric Arnold Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: What to tell band & English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Hi Alan, Lots of good advice out there, and obviously you can't follow it all. My thoughts: I think Christchurch Bells is a splendid choice, and it'd be a real shame if Lilliburlero bumped it -- it fits the theme marvellously, and is such a bright, bouncy little gem -- it can *really* perk up a program and the dancers. It's a real quick teach, too. If it's a question of following your instincts vs following others' advice, follow your instincts. You know what you can do best. If you have Gail Ticknor's book "Gail's Maggots", you might take a look at her pair of dances to "Jingle Bells". Chances are the band could pick that up real quick. Fried Herman has a couple of dances to Christmas carols, too, which might be appropriate. The idea of sending them a tape with examples of the kind of music-making you'd like to have is an excellent one, which I would second. If you can, and the band has time to work on them, give them a list perhaps 20-25% longer than you intend to use, and then ask them which ones they like best, and which ones they didn't like or had trouble with, to help you make up your program. Use the ones they particularly liked in places where you would like a high point, if you can. Make sure, too, they are real clear about the number of repetitions of each section... Using the device of having the band play through the tune for a new dance first, to get the dancers accustomed to the new tune and to set their clocks running at the right speed for the walkthrough, can also give you a chance to pick up on minor or gross details in the way they're playing it and gives you the opportunity to take corrective, or if necessary, evasive, action. It would also be particularly helpful if the band has to sight-read a piece or two, for them as well as for you. The dancers will need rhythm, melody, and lift from the band. If you can get that idea across to them, and they can do it, that's half the battle! On the rant-step: I recently did a program which included Morpeth Rant, and it came right after the break; I had folks start to practice the rant *during* the break, in a rather informal way, and I found that pretty soon, just about everybody was practicing it -- but it seemed separate from the teaching of the dance that way, and it was easier for folks to pick it up at their own pace. One of the musicians cooperated with an impromptu rant for them to practice to, and it seemed to be a good way of introducing this step. Another dance possibility (perhaps you can tell that I've been thinking along seasonal lines, too -- I have a Winter Solstice party coming up on the 23rd of December, and a regular ECD on the 27th...) is Colin Hume's "Birthday Waltz" (I think in Dances with a Difference v. 4), with the suggestion of turning it into a "Christmas Waltz", using essentially a medley of carols in a clever way. A list of appropriate carols is provided; the dance is in Sicilian circle formation, and is contra-like in many ways. I haven't danced it that I remember, but it looks reasonably straightforward and yet interesting. Good luck, & have fun! Eric ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 07:35:57 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 10:38:30 -0500 (EST) From: Eric Arnold Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: Pride and Prejudice Day of Dance in Eindhoven, Holland To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Tue, 18 Nov 1997, Dawn Culbertson wrote: > > On Mon, 17 Nov 1997, Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing wrote: > > > I'd be very much interested in seeing the English version of Vic's article > > about playing violin for "Pride and Prejudice." > > So would I! How would this be possible? I'll add my voice to those interested in reading this. Is it in a form that could be posted to teh net? Eric Arnold Ann Arbor ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 09:33:53 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 09:35:53 -0800 (PST) From: bestockp-AT- oz.net Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: What do I tell contra musicians about playing for English? To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Alan, Your gig sounds like fun. Though working with the contra dance band will be a new experience for both of you, having people who are dance musicians is definitely an advantage. They already understand that the tempo needs to be steady with no rubato and no pauses at the ends of phrases, and that they will play the same tune over and over and over and be expected to make it sound totally different each time. (We take this for granted, but I once had some symphony musicians playing for a dance performance, and they did not have these understandings about dance music! Technique and tone, yes, steady tempo, no!) Contra dance musicians are used to choosing their own tunes when they see what the dance looks like, and English dances are wedded to the tunes. After you make up the program, you might add some extra tunes that the band can prepare ahead of time in case you want to make changes. They'll do better preparing more tunes and not using some, than sightreading, and they'll feel more secure. I don't think they'd be offended if you asked about sight-reading though--and it would be good to know if you have the flexibility. One thing I've found with contra dance musicians, is that they are used to emphasizing the beat, or actually the backbeat. For english you want a more continuous sound, or the dancers will start plodding, coming down heavy on the beat, instead of floating through the phrase. Suggest arpeggios to the pianist if you are getting too much boom-chuck, or putting more notes on each bow for the fiddler-- bow changes give accents, so they are used every couple of notes in contra dancing for pizazz, and avoided in English because you want a continuous line. But most musicians respond to descriptive language so you don't need to get technical-- words like- "long phrases" "sweep" "continuous sound" will tell them what you want-- they know their instrument and how to give you what you've asked for. I gave music for a new tune to my band and they played it as a march-- My concept was more slow and lyric and flowing. I said the word "dreamy" to them, and they immediately gave me just what I wanted. You might think about their comfort zone, too, and choose one or two ceili type dances where their natural style can shine. The basic beat for contra is a shade faster than for English. It isn't possible to set, skip or slip at contra dance tempo, so you may have to slow the band down-- they can play, and are used to playing, faster than the dancers can dance. If you dance a phrase in front of them just before they start to play the tune (and include setting or skipping if it occurs in the dance,) it will give them both a sense of the mood and also the best tempo. It seems to us Seatleites who have come to California dance camps that you have more anti-english prejudice to overcome there, so planning the program, and figuring out your approach is a bit of a challenge-- there is some sterotyped thinking that has to be overcome--namely, that English dancing is too slow, too prissy and proper. In fact, even waltz-time dances are only a shade slower than contras. Marches like Knole Park are right at normal contra-dance tempo. Dances with setting, skipping and sliding have a slightly slower beat,(104-112 compared to 120) but you are doing two movements to each beat, so you are actually moving faster! Contra dancers think its slow because they are used to using less space, so they finish each move too soon. If you can convince them that they'll have more FUN if they stretch out their arms on the right hand turn, gaze into their partners eyes and use more space so they fill up the music, and that they'l be missing a great opportunity if they just do an alamande right instead, you'll have done a Great Thing for English dancing. English is the opposite of prissy-- its far more sexy and flirtatious than contra. It ranges from rowdy, to lively and social, to tremendously romantic. But the (too slow and prissy) stereotype is there, nevertheless, getting in people's way of enjoying themselves. A challenge for you. A chance to make converts. I'll be interested to see what dances you choose, and very interested to hear how it goes, and how the crowd responds. It was good to see you at the Portland ball! I look forward to dancing with you at the Seattle ball in January. Regards--. Vicky >I got a calling gig I'm pretty excited about. Up in Humboldt Country -- >coastal Northern California -- they have a monthly contra dance, and I've been >booked to come and call a somewhat Christmas-y English evening in December. >(In another post I'll discuss my program and ask for comments.) This is far >enough away that it is impracticable to meet in person before the dance. > >As far as I know, I'll be about the only person in the room who's done any >English dancing. This includes the band, who have contra experience and know >a few mostly-Playford tunes. They say "if you have any special tunes in mind, >can you send us written parts or lead sheets and chords?" Well, Barnes can >provide me with lead sheets and chords; I may just send the leader one of my >copies, hoping to recover it at the dance. > >I may send them Gene Murrow's band handout on communicating with the caller, >and then try rigorously to follow it myself. > >The question is, what else can I tell them? I've just sent off email asking >the leader, as diplomatically as possible, whether they can sightread if I >need >an emergency course correction, and whether they're comfortable with >widely-varying tempi. > >Any advice? I futz around with recorder, but I am not a musician. > >Thanks, > >-- Alan > > >=============================================================================== > Alan Winston --- WINSTON-AT- SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU > Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone: 415/926-3056 > Physical mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 69, PO BOX 4349, STANFORD, CA 94309-0210 >=============================================================================== ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 11:29:13 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 20:32:53 +0100 From: Antony Heywood Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Vic Godrich on Pridea and Prejudice To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711181931.UAA29954-AT- IAEhv.nl> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit PLAYING FOR THE BALL IN THE BBC'S "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE" Early in the summer of 1994 I was surprised to get a message from the choreographer Jane Gibson that I would be asked to play for one of the ball scenes in the forthcoming production of "Pride and Prejudice" at the BBC. Jane had been coming to Cecil Sharp House to research the dances and had been to some of our classes to consult my wife, Brenda. The recording session was fixed for July and three hours were allocated to record about eight dances. All the dances we were playing for were from the Apted book so I knew all the tunes well but they had been specially arranged for flute, fiddle, and cello by Dave Townsend, a well known musician from the Melstock Band, and so I had to sight read them after all. The cellist, the flautist and I had not met until the recording session so we had little time to get used to playing together. The cellist came from a baroque orchestra in Manchester and the flautist was a folk musician from Leeds. Although I did not own a period instrument I used gut strings to try to produce a period sound. Of course there were no dancers in the recording studio although Jane Gibson was there to tell us how fast she would like us to play and the Musical Director, Carl Davis, stood in front and conducted our trio to ensure that we all played in time! As it happened, however, we finished the session in two hours – the music was in the can! The music was all very well but that had to be married to the dancing and to the pictures. This happened in early September when the ball scene was to be filmed at the BBC's film studio in Ealing, West London. I had been warned that I would be required to appear in vision when I was first asked to play and I was told that I must grow my hair as long as possible and also grow long sideboards but no moustache or beard. At the time I had a very short crew cut and I was not very optimistic about the amount of hair I could grow in a month and a half. I was right. My hair never grew enough and the result was that they gave me an enormous wig to wear. The sideboards, however, were fine. The filming took place over a period of four days. We had to be at the studio at 8.30 in the morning in order to be dressed and have our makeup done in time to start filming by 9.30. I was dressed in a green velvet coat and breeches with appropriate stockings and shoes and the makeup department had to fit my wig before I was ready so the time was really needed. With about thirty extras to dress, the makeup and wardrobe departments were very busy in the morning. Once dressed and made up we were sent to wait in a dressing room until required. It could be very boring just hanging around until needed – sometimes for hours. Once on the set it required quite a lot of concentration. The music that we had recorded was replayed over and over again for the dancers to perform to and we had to mime playing. I did have a problem with this as I normally have to wear spectacles for reading but of course I could not wear them in shot. This meant that I could not see the music so I had to guess what I should be playing. Most of the time we could play quietly to the recorded music but there were some shots where we were seen but were asked not to make any sound as the sound man wanted to record speech or sound effects. It is extremely difficult to look as though you are playing the violin but without the bow touching the string. The cellist very kindly lent me a baroque violin to play on in vision – one that matched his cello. It was a very interesting experience to play a period instrument wearing period costume. We usually finished shooting at about 10 p.m. so we had a long working day. It was a lot of work for a scene which lasted only three minutes out of a six hour production. Vic Godrich ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------- I hope all this was legible: I cut and pasted it from a WORD file. I'll write more and answer the other questions posted after Vic and Brenda have left. They're staying here for another day. Thanks to everyone for their encouraging responses. Antony Heywood ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 11:52:23 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 11:49:06 -0800 (PST) From: "Paul J. Stamler" Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU CC: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Tue, 18 Nov 1997 HUGH-AT- SDL.UG.EDS.COM wrote: > (Though I remember Roger Wilkins doing a suprisingly good job at some workshop > where the leader said "play us a reel"..."play us a jig" so we could hear > the difference, then someone said "Can you please play the reel tune in jig > time cos I still don't really see the difference") I once had the bizarre experience of dozing off during a practice session, while playing "Sellenger's Round". When I woke up a few minutes later, I was still playing "Sellenger's" -- but in 4/4! The effect was so strange that we used it at a beginners' workshop some time later, teaching new dancers the differences between the various time signatures. We ran through the first four times in 4/4, which people naturally found *very* awkward, then shifted to 6/8 for the final time, letting people feel how much more right it was. Peace. Paul ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 12:35:13 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 21:26:39 +0100 From: Antony Heywood Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711182037.VAA17267-AT- IAEhv.nl> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Brenda Godrich and I have been discussing Alan's program for a Christmas dance for a contra dance group. Our first comment was that as contra dancers are used to dances where 1s and 2s are pretty well continuously active, a dance like The Female Saylor could come as a bit of a shock to second couples. One solution would be to make sure it's done with short sets. But it is a good tune! As far as a dance with rant step goes, we would suggest Soldiers Joy rather than Morpeth Rant because it moves better and has a reel of 4 which contra dancers will know but this one needs to be danced rather than walked. The cast down the outside is more an "English" dance walk rather than a contra dance walk. As long as your band can play the right tune. How about trying hornpipes and polkas which are very English. We suggest The Pleasures of the Town (Pride and Prejudice again!) and Yorkshire Square Eight. We also felt that Well Hall, whilst a lovely dance, is very difficult to do comfortably and well and it may be a triple time dance too far. Another dance with a well known figure is Hunsdon House which has the grand square (but at rather a different pace) and may surprise contra dancers to know that it appeared in a dance published in 1665. We hope these comments are of interest or use. Have a good time, Antony Heywood and Brenda Godrich ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 12:35:19 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 21:38:54 +0100 From: Antony Heywood Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Pride and Prejudice in Holland To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711182037.VAA17276-AT- IAEhv.nl> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit The dances done at the Pride and Prejudice dance in Eindhoven last Sunday were as follows (in order of performance): The Comical Fellow Shrewsbury Lasses The Pleasures of the Town Mutual Love Grimstock Lord How's Jig (to the tune of The Touchstone) - Brenda's hall only Mr Beveridge's Maggot after the interval, these were repeated with the following additions: in Brenda Godrich's hall: The Barley Mow The Corporation A Trip to Highgate The Dressed Ship (not from Pride and Prejudice) and in Antony Heywood's hall: The Happy Captive Lord How's Jig The reason that Brenda got through more dances is that she had more experienced dancers than Antony. I will post more information as it becomes available and when I have time. There will be a follow-up on 4th December in the same hall when my local fortnightly group has an open evening. It will be interesting to see how many new dancers we get along. I plan to introduce them to the broad spectrum of English country dance from Sellenger's Round to Gary Roodman but with several of the Pride and Prejudice dances included as "anchors" or "safe ports in a storm" or something like that. Thank you all for your interest. It puts the icing on the cake! Antony Heywood ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 14:40:04 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 17:42:12 -0500 (EST) From: CF1125-AT- aol.com Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: Re: English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <971118170747_29828333-AT- mrin85.mail.aol.com> In a message dated 11/18/97 8:06:09 AM, you wrote: >Incidentally, and speaking of Ashford Anniversary, the same tune shows up >in Hungarian manuscripts from Renaissance times, with the exception that >the F is always played natural rather than sharp. It gives a very >different feeling to the tune. Except for Peter Barnes' version "The Book," I think just about everybody (including Peter on Bare Necessities' latest recording) plays Ashford Anniversary with F natural. To me, this is critical to the flavor of the dance and the tune. Highly primitive. Great dance and tune! --Carl Friedman ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 16:12:56 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 16:15:18 -0800 From: Bruce Hamilton Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711190015.AA254998518-AT- hplbh.hpl.hp.com> Alan, >This seems to be like a really different opportunity than calling a >wedding, or calling for not-previously-dancing Janeites. They're used >to reasonably sophisticated contra dances. It is, and congratulations on getting such a thing arranged. Setting people's expectations is half the battle. > 1) An enjoyable evening for everybody. > 2) Show off some of the differences between English and contra -- > different meters, tempi, formations, and even a little stepping. > 3) Pay at least some service to the "Christmas" theme. > 4) Ideally, convey my enthusiasm for the dance form to this group, > and inspire them to continue. A fine set of goals. In (1), put yourself at the top of the list of people who should enjoy the evening. Have someone else in charge of logistics, sound, etc. Be sure far in advance that the band is happy (have them pick their waltz in advance, so it's ready right after Sellenger's, and so it too sounds English). Do all you can to assure no unpleasant surprises. Keep the program short enough that you don't feel any time pressure. Don't have any "I hope I can teach this OK" dances on it, no matter how well you like them or how well you think they'll go over. On the evening of the event, eat a good dinner and get to the hall in plenty of time. Have all your notes out and gone over, then chat with the dancers as they come in and keep your mood good. This will help you achieve (1) and (4). You've already done (2) and (3), so you're set! Showing off the differences is my favorite way of approaching this sort of thing. Thus, I agree with the absence of traditional dances, and with your choice of consistently good tunes. I'd go even farther and leave off Morpeth Rant. It *is* different, but not so obviously, and really enjoying it requires skill, which you're not going to impart in one evening. Paul Stamler's comments about teaching time are relevant (you actually have to teach THREE steps -- rant in place, rant travelling, and polka/rant in ballroom position). Paul's comment about Ashford Anniversary is also correct. If you decide to keep AA you can help the teach/dance ratio by doing it twice, but the dance won't usually stand being done 3 times. Or you can teach another USA dance earlier in the program, to get those figures out of the way. Another thing to beware in a set dance before the break is having n-1 people sitting out. Female Saylor and Dorset Triumph are very unequal. Consider splitting the sets lengthwise, running them sideways, etc., so that everyone gets to be #1. It's hard to make the melody in Dorset Triumph sound lyrical. Be sure the band's melody players are skilled, and that they know you want it lyrical. I can lend you a recording which may help. Hanny's warning about The Bishop is a good one, but the dance is very forgiving at the end->beginning transition. I'd say keep it in, but stay awake yourself, and have a few ringers if you can. I'm more worried about Hambleton: it makes people figure out hey-for-three and their new position at the same time. If you decide to keep it, I suggest having an easy alternative in your pocket; then read the group during the first few dances and make your choice at the time. As part of your preparation, make a list of all the figures in the program; then for each one mark whether you will or will not have to teach it to contra dancers. That'll show you how the teaching load varies over the evening, and remind you not to teach anything you don't have to. Bruce Hamilton Hewlett-Packard Laboratories MS-4AD Phone 650-857-2818 PO Box 10150, Palo Alto, CA 94303-0889 Fax 650-852-8092 bruce_hamilton-AT- hpl.hp.com ** Note new Area Code. 415 will work (at home, too) through January ** ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 18:45:41 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 21:49:02 -0500 From: eferguson-AT- umassd.edu (Emily L. Ferguson) Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Neat-o, Brenda's temporarily on line! To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Brenda Godrich and I have been discussing Alan's program for a Christmas >dance for a contra dance group. Now if we could only get her permanently here. Also, does Wendy Crouch have an email address. Or can one of you English folks tell us what the heads are supposed to be doing in that two bars in the b music of An Enchanted Place, the one where they wait after the "california twirl" before the slow set right? I can't believe they're really supposed to just stand around. But the instructions just don't fill me in. Thanks Emily L. Ferguson - Cape Cod, Massachusetts eferguson-AT- umassd.edu Photographer, English Country Dance leader, weaver/spinner No matter which side of the fence you're on, the grass will always turn brown if you don't water it. ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 20:03:00 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 23:05:51 -0500 From: Erna-Lynne Bogue Subject: Re: What do I tell contra musicians about playing for English? To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Message-ID: <34726590.5567-AT- ix.netcom.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit References: <199711172346.SAA19790-AT- staff1.cso.uiuc.edu> I've had a few occasions when I called with a band that was not an English band. Once, I was booked for a weekend and the band leader told me "They can't really mean for you to call all English -- who could have fun doing that?" The thing I've found most important is to choose dances whose tunes this band, playing in its normal style, can have fun with. I like the concept of whether a dance/tune gets "broken" by being taken out to the far edge of its universe. For instance, I think a bluegrass band would probably "break" Hole In The Wall, so I wouldn't ask for it. On the other hand, the same band might give me a tremendously interesting Knole Park or Jack's Maggot. On the weekend in question, I heard my absolute favorite rendition ever of Kelsterne Gardens, and I would give my eye-teeth to be able to work with that band again for an English dance. The fiddler didn't want to play the tune (bad key, I think), so played one of those shakey-eggs. The melody was carried primarily by an electric guitar player. The lights were low. The dance came off more like something from a smoky jazz bar than anything else -- and it was TOTALLY AWESOME!! I think, rather than despair of what a particular band cannot give because it doesn't have the background, we're so much better off to find the tunes which will take on a new, different, delightful character when the band continues to "be itself" but with new tunes. Conversely, some of the worst music I've ever heard is what happens when a non-ECD band does its imitation (parody?) of what a usual ECD band sounds like. Erna-Lynne -------------------------------- Erna-Lynne Bogue / Ann Arbor MI -------------------------------- ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Tue, 18 Nov 1997 21:22:44 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 00:14:50 -0500 From: The Dupre Family Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: English Dance Program for Contra Dancers To: 'ECD List' Message-ID: <01BCF481.72665980-AT- ppp2.nerc.com> Alan, I hope you're not regretting yet asking our opinion about your proposed program for the contra dancers. This may be a situation where you watch amazed as people give you directly conflicting opinions. For my part, I'd say stick with The Bishop but lose Hambleton's Round-O. Both are triple minor of course but The Bishop is a relatively forgiving dance, and most of its figures will be known or not seem unusual to non-English dancers (circles, gypsies and gates) whereas the heys for three (which will seem much different to many contra dancers than a hey for 4), the corner crossing, the circular hey in Hambleton's coming quickly all on top of each other in a triple minor format will cause Hambleton's to be considerably more difficult to dance than The Bishop. The Bishop has cheerful goodnatured music and nice personal interactions and I think you'll find that it will succeed - if you've laid the ground well for Couple #1 to know what to do. I think the beauty and appeal of Hambleton's will be lost in a haze of frustration. Your program already has enough tempo and timing variations as it is that I don't think another 3/2 dance is essential. By the way, as luck would have it, I wrote a dance last year called "The Shortest Day," it being inspired by sword dancing and the winter solstice. It's topical, ought to work fine for your crowd and I'm still experimenting with what's the best music for it, so I'm not wedded to a specific tune yet so there's room for musical flexibility there. In basic outline this is it: The Shortest Day - duple, proper A1: 1s gate down the set through the 2s; 1s and 2s circle left once round A2: 1s and 2s dance a full pousette (clockwise) B1: Partners turn two hands halfway; fall back away from each other Partners cross over; turn single R B2: !s and 2s right hands across all the way; 1s cast to second place as 2s move up (leisurely) Around home we've danced it to Greensleeves and Yellow Lace, but there are probably a lot of tunes it'll feel good with. What's it got to do with sword dancing? I've modified it slightly in passing it on to you but, as I originally wrote it, on beats 13-16 of the B1 there's a bit of hand slapping (think of it as swords clashing), and most of the rest of the figures you'll find in various longsword dances. Like, the gates are like doubles in sword dancing. See? And what's a sword dance without a star (the lock!)? I substituted the turn single for the slapping because the timing of the hand slaps is subtle and probably not worth struggling over with a crowd of people new to English dancing. Much luck, Alan! I hope all of you, dancers, band and teacher alike, have a great time with each other. Sue Dupre Lawrenceville, NJ dupre-AT- nerc.com ph: (609) 844-0459 ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 03:35:38 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Return-Path: philippe.callens-AT- uia.ua.ac.be Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 13:42:25 +0100 From: Philippe Callens Subject: Re: Pride and Prejudice Day of Dance in Eindhoven, Holland To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Message-ID: <3472DEB1.2C86-AT- uia.ua.ac.be> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit References: <199711171806.TAA22275-AT- IAEhv.nl> The Pride and Prejudice Day of Dance was a great succes for the NVS. Congratualtions for Antony and all the other people involved. It was nice to see so many Dutch dancers again -- some I hadn't seen for a while. Five of the Belgian dancers attended and I noticed at least one German dancers from Cologne. I had the impression that several of the "new" dancers had had some dance experience before. That reminded me of the similar New York event last spring on which Gene Murrow wrote that it attracted the "right" sort of people. That comment always fascinated me. It seems that those three words "Pride and Prejudice" seem to work! Philippe Callens Antwerp, Belgium ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 11:38:41 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 11:39:08 -0800 (PST) From: Barbara Ruth Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- PLAYFORD.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <19971119193908.4518.rocketmail-AT- web4.rocketmail.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Well I can't pass up the opportunity to suggest the dance that seems to me to be the best English dance for appealing to current day contra dancers, "Trip to Paris." It's a dance that utterly demolishes the stereotype of English dancing as prissy, stiff and boring; it has the same wild exuberance that is what appeals to so many contra dancers; and it has twirling. Contra dancers love to twirl! And "Trip to Paris" allows both men and women to twirl at the same time. It might be a good substitution for "Hambleton's Round O" which has much of the same exuberance, but according to people with much vaster dance and teaching experience than I, have suggested would be too difficult for a neophyte English crowd. "Dublin Bay" also has that same energy, but the fast moving setting step and the timing seem to be tricky for even regular English dancers, so probably would not be a good choice, although I often think it would be a great demonstration choice again for knocking down those stereotypes. I know that Sue Dupre has written a contra dance that incorporates the "Dublin Bay" down the hall backwards and reverse figure, which I think of as (apologies to Sue) the easy version for contra dancers who are too wimpy to dance *real* English. Barbara Ruth New Haven, CT __________________________________________________________________ Sent by Yahoo! Mail. Get your free e-mail at http://mail.yahoo.com ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 12:59:05 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 08:06:39 +1100 From: Martin Hungerford Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: What to tell band & English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711192106.IAA24413-AT- darth.netcon.net.au> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Alan and list, the program looks nice and I have no critisism but: 1: shouldn't Sir Roger go at the end? 2: would the Officer's Branle (tune is Ding Dong merrily on High) suit? Martin Hungerford Martin Hungerford ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 12:59:32 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 08:06:50 +1100 From: Martin Hungerford Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: English program for contra dancers CC: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711192106.IAA24423-AT- darth.netcon.net.au> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" >Subject: Re: English program for contra dancers >Sent: 19/11/97 6:49 am >Received: 19/11/97 9:02 am >From: Paul J. Stamler, pstamler-AT- crl.com >Reply-To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.Stanford.EDU >To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU >CC: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU > >On Tue, 18 Nov 1997 HUGH-AT- SDL.UG.EDS.COM wrote: > >> (Though I remember Roger Wilkins doing a suprisingly good job at some >workshop >> where the leader said "play us a reel"..."play us a jig" so we could hear >> the difference, then someone said "Can you please play the reel tune in jig >> time cos I still don't really see the difference") > >I once had the bizarre experience of dozing off during a practice >session, while playing "Sellenger's Round". When I woke up a few minutes >later, I was still playing "Sellenger's" -- but in 4/4! The effect was so >strange that we used it at a beginners' workshop some time later, >teaching new dancers the differences between the various time signatures. >We ran through the first four times in 4/4, which people naturally found >*very* awkward, then shifted to 6/8 for the final time, letting people >feel how much more right it was. > >Peace. >Paul > I once was playing in a group where the caller had goofed and taught Goddesses with too many steps. To cover, he jokingly asked the band to play more notes - so we did. Each bar got longer. The result worked for the dancers (who were new) but not for anyone else - least of all the caller! Martin Hungerford Martin Hungerford ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 13:00:48 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 08:08:10 +1100 From: Martin Hungerford Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Morris list? To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711192108.IAA24471-AT- darth.netcon.net.au> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" >Digression: The Morris Dancing Discussion List has a semi-official Funny >Yellow Button (some PostScript art showing an -AT- waving hankies) which members >may wear if they wish to be identified by other members. Should the ECD list >have such a thing? It's rather pointless at dance camps, where you're >wearing >name badges anyway, but it might be nice to have something like that when >visiting a dance where you might, unbeknownst to you, have acquaintances. Of >course, I never remember to bring a camp badge with my name on it, and could >just as easily forget to bring an ECD-list button. Excuse me, but could some-one please give directions to the Morris List. I am an ancient man of the Canberra Morris, now in exile. Martin Martin Hungerford ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 13:08:30 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 13:11:07 -0700 (PDT) From: Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing Subject: Re: Morris list? To: ECD-AT- PLAYFORD.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Message-ID: <01IQ716K9FZM94NY7N-AT- SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII To join the Morris list, try this: Send mail to LISTSERV-AT- LISTSERV.IUPUI.EDU with the message body SUBSCRIBE MORRIS "your name here" and no signature or anything. This should get you an automated response which explains, among other things, how to get a daily digest rather than each individual message. I advise doing this; there's a *lot* of traffic on the Morris list. -- Alan =============================================================================== Alan Winston --- WINSTON-AT- SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone: 415/926-3056 Physical mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 69, PO BOX 4349, STANFORD, CA 94309-0210 =============================================================================== ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 13:26:33 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 16:29:08 -0500 (EST) From: Eric Arnold Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Turn single in "Cadgers' Caper" To: ECD Mailing List Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII In Gary Roodman's dance "Cadgers' Caper", the second part of B1 (as I recall...) has a right-hands across ending in a turn single, followed by a half-pousette. The direction of the turn single is unspecified; my inclination was to turn single right, which favored conservation of angular momentum (i.e., for the non-physicists, we were already turning that way), but some dancers opted spontaneously to turn-single left, looping out of the star into the pousette. With four bars of 9/8 music for the star and equally much for the half-pousette, there seems to be plenty of musical space for an ornamental loop. I'm wondering what other folks who call this dance do. Gary, are you out there? Eric Arnold Ann Arbor ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 13:48:53 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 16:51:30 -0500 From: Maryn McKenna Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: morris t-shirts To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >>Digression: The Morris Dancing Discussion List has a semi-official Funny >>Yellow Button (some PostScript art showing an -AT- waving hankies) which members >>may wear if they wish to be identified by other members. Should the ECD list >>have such a thing? It's rather pointless at dance camps, where you're >>wearing name badges anyway, but it might be nice to have something like >>that >>when visiting a dance where you might, unbeknownst to you, have >>acquaintances. >>Of course, I never remember to bring a camp badge with >>my name on it, and >>could just as easily forget to bring an ECD-list >>button. last year - possibly for just that reason - one of the folks on MDDL (sorry, forget who, someone across the great puddle) recreated the FYBs as FYTs (Funny Yellow T-shirts, only, mine's green). since no one ever has enough T shirts for camp anyway... maryn mckenna atlanta [in my other dance life: briar rose garland, sourwood morris (adj.), rose galliard northwest morris (in ex.)] ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 14:54:58 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 17:53:15 -0500 From: Mary K Friday Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <9711198799.AA879980229-AT- smtp-gw1.census.gov> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Congratulations, Alan! on getting such a buzz going -- I was beginning to fear this list had gone moribund. It's obvious that you've already gotten more advice than you can possibly use for this particular program, so please consider this just discussion on a great topic; I can't resist chiming in with a couple of opinions. Contra dancers already know SO MUCH about English dancing, it's easy to underestimate them. And the best way to beat the "slow and boring" stereotype is to challenge them with something they'll have to scramble to keep up. In my experience, contra dancers have LOVED programmed waltzes and other triple time dances (they're really tired of all those longways 32-bar jigs and reels, they just don't know it -- and lest I be accused of contra-bashing, I'm a long-time enthusiastic contra dancer, too). So I recommend something like "Siege of Limerick," beautiful tune with a stately feeling, but you really have to move to get there in time (you might consider it instead of "Irish Lamentation," where they'll get there too soon and stand around being bored). I've been wanting to quote Bruce Hamilton, so I'm glad you spoke for yourself, Bruce, but I'm still going to do it. The reason I'd avoid the traditional dances is they're TOO much like contras and run the risk of demonstrating (as Bruce said) that ECD is ALMOST as good as contra dancing. I'm working on a seasonal program, too -- love all the ideas! In that line, think about Fried Herman's "Chrissemas Day." This is so much fun! Mary Kay Friday Washington, D.C. ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 18:19:47 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 21:21:58 -0500 (EST) From: MartinezPC-AT- aol.com Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <971119212158_177982247-AT- mrin46.mail.aol.com> Hi, Alan and everyone, What an exciting teaching prospect you have ahead, and what a range of good responses it elicited! I was interested that you chose Margaret's Waltz as your first selection of the evening - it occurred to me that I've never seen a waltz start off a program before, and I wonder if this is a Northeast quirk. In my experience, which is mainly in New York City and Westchester, N.Y., the first dance or two tend to be longways sets, fairly easy on mind and body (allowing latecomers to tag onto the end of the line without too much chaos ensuing), with a lively tune to to get the motors running and set the mood. The first waltz or triple time dance generally seems to have third or fourth slot. I don't know how large your group will be, or how punctual. At our regular weekday evening dances, the crowd is pretty thin for the first dance - definitely not large enough for a Sicilian circle. But then, these *are* on workdays... An alternative first dance might be a good idea, just in case.... Have a great time, and please do let us all know how the evening went! Carol Martinez White Plains, New York ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 19:02:41 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 22:04:51 -0500 (EST) From: Mary2dance-AT- aol.com Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: ECD List Buttons-any interest? To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <971119220450_-1742900471-AT- mrin45.mail.aol.com> On 11/19/97 2:20 PM English Country Dance List wrote: >>>Digression: The Morris Dancing Discussion List has a semi-official Funny >>>Yellow Button (some PostScript art showing an -AT- waving hankies) which members >>>may wear if they wish to be identified by other members. Should the ECD list >>>have such a thing? I have access to a button making machine, and I would be willing to make buttons and send them out. I'm no artist or designer, though, so would someone like to design one? The finished buttons are 2 1/4 inches in diameter. I could make and mail them for $1.00 each, and would contribute any profit to CDSS. Those of you who don't have easy access to American money just have to promise to dance with your fellow list-members! Let me know at mary2dance-AT- aol.com if you are interested in a button for a buck or have a design. I'll post my mailing address and more details when I know how much interest there is in this project. Alan, how many subscribers are there to this list? Mary Luckhardt who lives and dances in the San Francisco Bay Area ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 19:39:39 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 22:42:19 -0500 (EST) From: "Michael L. Siemon" Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: What to tell band & English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711200342.WAA11580-AT- mail2.panix.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 08:06 AM 11/20/97 +1100, you wrote: >Alan and list, > the program looks nice and I have no critisism but: > > 1: shouldn't Sir Roger go at the end? > 2: would the Officer's Branle (tune is Ding Dong merrily on High) >suit? I would note that Sharon Green has a dance ("Merrily on High") to the Officials' Bransle tune. Helena Cornelius taught it at Pinewoods last summer, and it is an easy dance to teach/learn, especially I would think for a contra crowd: the only thing unusual in it being a Morris Hey. ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 19:44:38 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 22:46:56 -0500 (EST) From: "Michael L. Siemon" Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711200346.WAA11951-AT- mail2.panix.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 05:53 PM 11/19/97 -0500, you wrote: > I'm working on a seasonal program, too -- love all the ideas! In that > line, think about Fried Herman's "Chrissemas Day." For those who don't know this (it's in _Potter's Porch_), the second tune is "Teddy Bear's Picnic" -- it almost doesn't matter *what* the dance is; everyone will *adore* it. ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 20:41:58 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 23:43:43 -0500 From: Brad Foster Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <2.2.32.19971120044343.006e6d04-AT- crocker.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 18:05 PM (PDT) on 11/18/97 Alan Winston wrote: The experienced (contra) dancer who is an inexperienced English dancer can be a challenage because they want/expect complexity but do not expect (and often don't deal well with) confusion or frustration with figures they don't know. I tend to do a program with a mixture of good intermediate dances sprinkeled with easier ones to keep things moving along. >Margaret's Waltz One of my all-time favorites for just about any situation. I generally put it later in the program, however, and also tend to start with a longways dance rather than a sicilian circle because it is more distruptive to a sicilian to have people try to join in after the set is formed. It is also generally easy for contra bands to play -- some know it as a "traditional" American tune! and they can switch to a 32 bar waltz they know/like better if they want. >The Female Saylor Not one of my favorites, due to the 2s having so little to do. However, it is a common dance for Christmas themes. Does this band play jigs? Most contra bands do; some don't. >Christ Church Bells (or maybe Lilliburlero) I like Lilliburlero better, but the ending can be quite confusing to the non-English crowd. >Hambleton's Round O That will be a challenge. I'd come prepared with something to put in it's place if it turns out to be too much for the moment. Not an easy tune for the band. >Ashford Anniversary Good, lively dance. People very often mess up the progression, however (1st woman/3rd man often forget to move). >Morpeth Rant Ranting is a big challange to anyone who doesn't know how to rant. Might require more teaching than it is worth. Bonnets so Blue, or Speed the Plough (neither of them rants) might be easier to do. Nottingham Swing is one of the best trad dances around; you could also do the Fast Packet, a modern dance similar to Nottingham Swing (but 32 bars long rather than 16). >Well Hall Some contra dancers will think it too wimpy, but it is a great contrast. Not an easy tune for the band. >Sellenger's Round A great and underrated dance (probably because it has been done to death in some places). Use Pat Shaw siding if you want it slightly easier. Other suggestions: The Wibsey Roundabout (circle of 5 couples; mixer, by Gary Roodman)(some musicians find it hard to play) Christina (longways) Barbarini's Tambourine (longways) Another waltz such as Heidenroslein (square, mixer) or The Wood Duck (circle, mixer) Take a Dance (6/8) or Ore Boggy (4/4)(longways) (same dance, different tune) Smithy Hill (longways) (hard for the band) Kentish Cricketeers (longways) (very contra-like) Levi Jackson Rag (5 couple set)(very contra-like) Pat's Tradition (3 couple longways set) (where the contra Beneficial Traditions got it's figure) Young Widow (triple minor; skip change) Peace be With You (longways) (could be hard for the band to play) In the Bleak Midwinter (longways) (a great dance, although too slow for some with little experience; it may be an easier slow tune for the band because it is know as a hymn, but you generally have to get people to play it faster than they would for singing) Knole Park (longways) (a great happy tune, with a dance that keeps moving) Brad Foster ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 04:07:48 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 12:40:09 +0100 From: Antony Heywood Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: An Enchanted Place To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711201210.NAA09495-AT- IAEhv.nl> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Emily L. Ferguson wrote: >Also, does Wendy Crouch have an email address. Or can one of you English >folks tell us what the heads are supposed to be doing in that two bars in >the b music of An Enchanted Place, the one where they wait after the >"california twirl" before the slow set right? An Enchanted Place was not written by Wendy Crouch but by me. For dancers who don't like to stand still for 2 bars, I usually suggest that only the first couple take a leisurely 4 bars over the California Twirl. Is the story of An Enchanted Place well known to subscribers to this list? Does everyone know which 4 Winnie the Pooh stories are portrayed in the dance figures? I don't want to waste space repeating what everyone knows. Antony Heywood The Netherlands ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 04:35:51 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 07:45:14 -0500 From: Mary E Jones Subject: Re: An Enchanted Place To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Message-ID: <347430DA.1AC6-AT- javanet.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit References: <199711201210.NAA09495-AT- IAEhv.nl> Antony Heywood wrote: > Is the story of An Enchanted Place well known to subscribers to this list? > Does everyone know which 4 Winnie the Pooh stories are portrayed in the > dance figures? I don't want to waste space repeating what everyone knows. Please tell us - not all of us do! Mary Jones - Parent for 30 years last Tuesday Amherst, MA ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 06:44:41 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 15:47:53 +0100 From: Antony Heywood Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: An Enchanted Place To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711201447.PAA16934-AT- IAEhv.nl> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit You want the story of "An Enchanted Place". OK here goes: My wife Jennifer and I did strange things on our honeymoon: we read the Winnie the Pooh books to each other! Well there wasn't much to do on a windswept Irish peninsula in December! We had both been brought up on these delightful stories and enjoyed sharing them with each other. The result was that when we celebrated our silver wedding in 1990, I wrote this little dance for her. I'd had the tune Hewlett going round in my brain (heard on the record "Music from a Little Known Planet" by Wild Asparagus - from which I also got Enrichez Vous but that's another story) and in the minibus on the way to the airport for our second honeymoon trip to New England in the fall, my wife saw the glazed look in my eyes and asked what I was doing. I said I was composing a dance but didn't elaborate. The result was presented to her on the actual day two months later (27th November). The first figure depicts Pooh and Piglet walking round the 100 acre wood in the snow and treading in their own footprints and thinking that they were following some strange creature. The circle of 6 represents the wood. The second figure depicts the search for SMALL when everyone went off in different directions. SMALL was a black beetle and was eventually found in the middle of Pooh's back. Is that why it's called the small of the back? The third figure depicts the occasion when Pooh visited Rabbit and had rather too much to eat (More bread and honey? - so as not to sound greedy, Pooh said don't bother about the bread). He got stuck in the rabbit hole and had to be pulled out by Christopher Robin and Rabbit's friends and relations. The arch is the hole and the poussette (or pooh-sette) speaks for itself. In the last figure we see Pooh, having been taken up to the very top of the forest to a place called "An Enchanted Place", being knighted by Christopher Robin. I was very flattered when Charles Bolton, after seeing the dance at a Christmas Course in 1990, asked if he could publish it in "All Alive" and even more delighted that such an occasional piece should have given so many people pleasure over the years. I had a marvellous inspiration and she, Jennifer, is just as delighted. Antony Heywood The Netherlands ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 07:58:06 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 11:00:46 -0500 (EST) From: Eric Arnold Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Enchanted Places To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII On Thu, 20 Nov 1997, Antony Heywood wrote: > You want the story of "An Enchanted Place". OK here goes: > > My wife Jennifer and I did strange things on our honeymoon: we read the > Winnie the Pooh books to each other! Well there wasn't much to do on a > windswept Irish peninsula in December! We had both been brought up on these > delightful stories and enjoyed sharing them with each other. As one who has known and loved the Pooh stories from early childhood and who has re-read them often as an adult, both as a parent to a child and for their own sake as absolutely delightful literature, what you did doesn't seem at all strange -- but it does identify you as the Right Sort of People! These stories have created many Enchanted Places for me: I remember as a child, when my mother introduced a maiden aunt to them, how she roared and jiggled (she was a jolly, plump person) in her '40's bathing suit at a beach on a small lake in Michigan, and how as graduate students we introduced them to some of our fellow students at evening parties, and how one of them, originally from Hungary, responded very much the same way. But by far the Most Enchanted Place in my experience was created by an absolutely stunning performance of your dance, Antony, by Reel Nutmeg of New Haven at NEFFA a few years ago -- I think it was 1994. It was totally mesmerizing, and they did it with Great Charm. When Nicholas Broadbridge taught it at Pinewoods in 1995, he mentioned the connection to the Pooh stories but declined to give the details because he said he felt they were too personal. I am delighted that you have chosen to share with us these very personal aspects -- while the dance is completely charming even without them, knowing them from you adds the "icing" to this delicious morsel (as Pooh would have seen it...) Many thanks, both for the dance and the story! Eric Arnold Ann Arbor ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 08:12:46 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 11:15:18 -0500 (EST) From: julia s sutton Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: What to tell band & English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- PLAYFORD.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU CC: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Please note, those who have referred to the "Officers'" or "Officials" Branle--the French term 'official' refers to the kitchen staff in an upper-class home. Dance and its title clearly evoke the peasantry. Casual translation is dangerous! Julia Sutton ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 08:12:48 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 11:15:18 -0500 (EST) From: julia s sutton Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: What to tell band & English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- PLAYFORD.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU CC: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Please note, those who have referred to the "Officers'" or "Officials" Branle--the French term 'official' refers to the kitchen staff in an upper-class home. Dance and its title clearly evoke the peasantry. Casual translation is dangerous! Julia Sutton ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 09:31:23 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 12:34:04 -0500 (EST) From: Jonathan Sivier Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: An Enchanted Place To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711201734.MAA20722-AT- staff1.cso.uiuc.edu> I had the chance to do The Enchanted Place this summer at the Kentucky Summer Dance School. It's a great dance. Having Pooh-settes in the dance is very amusing, but I thought you should also name one of the figures Pooh Corners. ;-) I'd like to hear more about it. Jonathan ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 13:25:49 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 08:33:17 +1100 From: Martin Hungerford Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: What to tell band & English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711202030.HAA16010-AT- darth.netcon.net.au> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" >I would note that Sharon Green has a dance ("Merrily on High") to the >Officials' Bransle tune. Helena Cornelius taught it at Pinewoods last >summer, and it is an easy dance to teach/learn, especially I would think >for a contra crowd: the only thing unusual in it being a Morris Hey. > :) spelling corrections noted! :) but which Morris hey? Martin Hungerford ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 13:29:17 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 08:36:51 +1100 From: Martin Hungerford Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: What to tell band & English program for contra dancers To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU, ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU CC: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711202034.HAA16234-AT- darth.netcon.net.au> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" >Please note, those who have referred to the "Officers'" or "Officials" >Branle--the French term 'official' refers to the kitchen staff in an >upper-class home. Dance and its title clearly evoke the peasantry. >Casual translation is dangerous! > >Julia Sutton > Wow! Ta :) Martin Hungerford ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 14:39:06 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 17:38:57 -0500 From: Colin Hume <100116.165-AT- compuserve.com> Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Reply to Emily Ferguson To: ECD Mailing List Message-ID: <199711201741_MC2-28EE-4B75-AT- compuserve.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Emily Ferguson asks if Wendy Crouch has an email address. Yes, it's WenCrouch-AT- AOL.Com and I've sent her a sample of the ECD Digest to see if she wants to subscribe. Colin Hume ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 22:06:51 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 01:10:19 -0500 From: eferguson-AT- umassd.edu (Emily L. Ferguson) Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: Enchanted Places To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >On Thu, 20 Nov 1997, Antony Heywood wrote: > >> You want the story of "An Enchanted Place". OK here goes: Thank you so much for elaborating on that. It's really fine to get the pieces described right from the author. In Boston we really enjoy that dance. I've taught it to my demonstration madrigal singers here in Woods Hole, also, and they've really liked it. >> > >But by far the Most Enchanted Place in my experience was created by an >absolutely stunning performance of your dance, Antony, by Reel Nutmeg of >New Haven at NEFFA a few years ago -- I think it was 1994. It was totally >mesmerizing, and they did it with Great Charm. That was my inspiration to lead it in Boston, for sure. Their set actually managed to circle only half way and the top couple actually managed not to promenade too far that afternoon. And, of course, they always remembered to close the circle before the firsts accidentally got drawn in, and to open it in just the correct place. Now if only I could get the Boston crowd to take such care. It's not like we don't have enough space to spread the circle out So I'll try making the "California Twirl" take twice the music there for the ones. Thank you, Antony. Also your descriptions of your P&P event have been really wonderful to read. Imagine, here I am on Cape Cod, reading about something that happened on the other side of the pond moments after it was finished. Almost as exciting as reading about the burning of La Fenice in Italian as it was happening. Emily L. Ferguson - Cape Cod, Massachusetts eferguson-AT- umassd.edu Photographer, English Country Dance leader, weaver/spinner No matter which side of the fence you're on, the grass will always turn brown if you don't water it. ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 06:35:10 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 09:37:20 -0500 (EST) From: RiverStSch-AT- aol.com Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: Enchanted Places To: eba-AT- umich.edu, owner-ecd-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU, ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <971121093719_617476188-AT- mrin46.mail.aol.com> I can't resist the temptation to add to the Enchanted Place discussion... Reel Nutmeg a Connecticut based contemporary English Country Dance troupe created a suite based on the dance. We wove 8 newly composed dances together useing the arches of the Enchanted Place to transport us from one dance to another. We even tied into the choreography a young child and a very large stuffed bear. Reel Nutmeg creates a new suite every year performed at NEEFA and NOMAD and people still fondly remember our Enchanted Place suite. We celebrate and applaude all of the wonderful people who are writing new and wonderful dances! Reel Nutmeg celebrates its 20th anniversary as a performance troupe next year. Helen Davenport - director ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 10:20:07 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 18:59:46 +0100 From: Antony Heywood Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: Pride and Prejudice Day of Dance in Eindhoven, Holland To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711211822.TAA28052-AT- IAEhv.nl> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Alan Winston wrote: > A few remarks and questions: > > Is the "Day of Dance" format pretty typical for NVS events? If something like > this were scheduled around here -- and it might well be -- the standard format > would be something like a late afternoon workshop (2:00 to 5:00, say), dinner > break (long enough for people to go out, have dinner at a restaurant, and > change clothes), and evening ball from 8:00 to 11:00 or so. If I read > you correctly, you had workshops starting at 2:00, tea break, evening dance, > and were done by 7:00 pm. Yes we started at 2 p.m., stopped for tea at 4 p.m., resumed about 5.15 and went on until 7. More typical for NVS day events is a 10.30 start and a 4 p.m. finish but we wanted to have the English tea as climax to the day in the middle and we hoped the Dutch who normally eat at 5.30 or 6 o'clock would put off their evening meal, which most of them did. > (I've only encountered the term "Day of Dance" in the context of Morris > dancing. The Brits seem to organize multi-team gatherings, dance out all day, > have a group dinner and perhaps a ceilidh dance, and head home, and this all > gets described as a "Day of Dance." At least that's the impression I get from > the Morris Dancing Discussion List.) You're probably right. Put it down to my being absent from the UK for over 20 years! > I'd be very much interested in seeing the English version of Vic's article > about playing violin for "Pride and Prejudice." I'd think it might also be of > interest in CDSS News or to the members of a Regency-period mailing list I > subscribe to. (The list is mostly event announcements and doesn't get a lot of > traffic, but when we run across interesting stuff we like to post it there.) This has now been posted and CDSS News is seeking permission to reprint it. > I'd also really like to see the results of the enquiry forms when you have them > collated, and to hear a little more about the information channels you used. I > think nearly every organizer in the ECD world -- with the possible exception of > CDNY -- wants to hear about effective (and inexpensive) publicity methods. As soon as I have it I'll post it. The NVS committee meets on 9 December and I hope to have it by then. Antony Heywood ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 13:26:36 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 17:28:28 -0800 From: "Michael J. O'Connor" Subject: Re: Pride and Prejudice Day of Dance in Eindhoven, Holland To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Message-ID: <3476353C.3F66-AT- erols.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit References: <199711211822.TAA28052-AT- IAEhv.nl> > Alan Winston wrote: > > I think nearly every organizer in the ECD world -- with the possible > exception of CDNY -- wants to hear about effective (and inexpensive) > publicity methods. > Alan: I didn't catch your parenthesis until I read Antony's reply just now. Just curious: is it your impression that we, here at CDNY, are only interested in ineffective publicity methods? Or only extravagantly expensive ones? Mike O'Connor ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 13:50:22 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 13:53:00 -0700 (PDT) From: Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing Subject: Re: Pride and Prejudice Day of Dance in Eindhoven, Holland To: ECD-AT- PLAYFORD.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Message-ID: <01IQ9V7WJHKC94NY7N-AT- SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Mike -- Actually, the last I heard -- which was, admittedly, a little while ago -- CDNY was reeling under the onslaught (I mean, actually, dealing splendidly well with) the huge number of new English dancers brought in by the famed New York Times article, celebrated in song and story, or at least in that dance by Colin Hume. So I thought it vaguely possible that you might not be quite as actively interested in publicity and recruiting right at the moment. -- Alan (PS: Should there be a Scottish dance called "Reeling Under the Onslaught?") =============================================================================== Alan Winston --- WINSTON-AT- SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone: 415/926-3056 Physical mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 69, PO BOX 4349, STANFORD, CA 94309-0210 =============================================================================== ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 14:58:54 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 18:04:20 -0500 From: mls-AT- panix.com (Michael Siemon) Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Subject: Re: Pride and Prejudice Day of Dance in Eindhoven, Holland To: ECD-AT- SSRL04.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Message-ID: <199711212301.SAA12309-AT- mail1.panix.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" At 5:28 PM 11/21/97 -0800, Michael J. O'Connor wrote: >> Alan Winston wrote: >> >> I think nearly every organizer in the ECD world -- with the possible >> exception of CDNY -- wants to hear about effective (and inexpensive) >> publicity methods. >> >Alan: > I didn't catch your parenthesis until I read Antony's reply just now. >Just curious: is it your impression that we, here at CDNY, are only >interested in ineffective publicity methods? Or only extravagantly >expensive ones? > Mike O'Connor I'd guess that the implication intended was that CDNY *has* (witness last year!) effective (and presumably not intolerably expensive) publicity methods. As Mike knows (he's president elect), we are not always so lucky; we too are always hoping to find new methods, and frustrated in that much the same way other groups are. :-) Michael Siemon ================================================================================ Archive-Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 21:23:53 PST Sender: owner-ecd-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 21:26:32 -0700 (PDT) From: Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing Subject: "Final" program for contra evening To: ECD-AT- PLAYFORD.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU Reply-To: ECD-AT- playford.slac.stanford.edu Message-ID: <01IQAA92L1XU94MIUY-AT- SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Folks -- There was so much interest in this that I thought I ought to tell people what I settled on. Here's a somewhat edited version of what I ended up Express Mailing, along with a copy of Barnes, to the band leader who was already getting nervous about not having enough time for his people to practice the tunes. (They're uncomfortable about sightreading.) I'm sorry it's so long. I may get metronome markings out of The Playford Ball and send 'em along by email next week. Things I didn't say before: 1) The Arcatan contra people have hooked up with their local International Folk Dance group, who are sponsoring an afternoon workshop. The theme they chose (out of a pile I offered them) was "Contra Moves in English Country Dance"; this gives me an excellent excuse not to use many of those in the evening, as having already been done. The plan is do a workshop, potluck dinner, and the evening dance, so I expect there to be a fair number of people present when the dance starts. [This could of course go the other way, with everybody cleaning up when they're supposed to be dancing, but I'm hoping for the best.] 2) The band also does vo