Found below are the statements for the candidates for the 2019-2020 election. They are listed in alphabetical order. Online voting will open on Nov 17th and will remain open through noon on Nov 24th. In person voting will be available at the Santa Fe dance on Nov 24th.
Hello friends,
Most of you will know me as the clarinet/accordion/piano player from Edith Boulevard, Rusty Tap, and The Parson Sisters. I have served on the NM FolkMADS board for 2 years and am running again for another term. I am interested in running for the FolkMADS board, because I’ve quickly learned that I LOVE contra dancing and connecting the music with the dance. What a joy to be on both sides of the band stand! Additionally, I believe that my experience with nonprofit arts organizations, experience in grant writing, and publicity skills I’ve developed over the years of building up my personal projects will benefit the FolkMADS board. Ultimately, I would like to see each FolkMADS dance have enough attendees to turn a profit so we can seriously consider an increase of pay for the musicians and callers. If I were elected, over the two-year term, I would like to push for increased publicity and outreach projects in an effort to increase the weekly attendance rate at contra dances. Thank you for considering a vote for me!
Mirinisa Stewart-Tengco
You may know me from the band Rusty Tap, or from my training to run sound with Steve and Bob, or, yes, even from the dance floor. I know I haven’t been around our particular group for too long, but I have been a lifelong dancer in the international folk community and have enjoyed the dynamic of contras from a young age. I get it: contra dancing is fun, it is connection with other wonderful people, and it is community—our community. So why aren’t there more people enjoying this addictive pastime with us? I would love to see two lines every week, more callers, and especially more folks from the under-35 crowd to be a part of this community (and, yes, for the organization to not lose money at most of the weekly dances). I believe that I have ideas and experience, including two years on the board of the annual international folk dance camp, to contribute to FolkMADS and I would be delighted to serve all of you as a Director.
Russell Berman
I’d like to help get more people coming to dances and explore new marketing strategies. I would love to see more younger people coming to the dances as well.
I can’t wait to bring a fresh perspective and learn all I can while involved.