Category Archives: News

2017 Albuquerque contra dance schedule

Albuquerque Contra Dances
1st and 3rd Saturdays
Abq Square Dance Center unless otherwise noted
7:00 pm – Lesson, 7:30-10:30 – Dancing
Member $8, Non-members $9, Students half price, Under 12 free
Credit Cards Accepted!
 Date  Caller  Band
 Jan 7 Kris Jensen Abq Megaband
 Jan 21 Erik Erhardt (contra) and Rikud Dance Troupe (klezmer) Joint Klezmer & Contra Dance with Rebbe’s Orchestra (klezmer) and The Thrifters (contra)
 Feb 4 Ben Werner Cheap Shots
 Feb 18 Sherilyn Urben Abq Megaband
 Mar 4 Merri RUdd Adobe Brothers
 Mar 18 Ben Werner Rusty Tap
 Apr 1 Sage Assembly English Ball with Wendy Graham and Ladies at Play
 Apr 15 Lewis Land Abq Megaband
May 6 Cancelled Cancelled (No Hall)
 May 20 Kris Jensen String Theory
May 26 -29 FolkMADness Dance Camp Weekend
Jun 3 Folk Festival: workshops and jams.

Beginner’s contra workshop by Ben Werner.

Evening contra dance with Megaband and caller Erik Erhardt

June 17 Marj Mullany Virginia Creepers
July 1 Erik Erhardt SyGyZy
July 15 Marj Mullany Boxwood Consort
July 29 Special 5th Saturday Dance!

Erik Erhardt and Adobe Brothers

Challenging Figures and Unusual Formations (Advanced Dance)
Aug 5 Ben Werner Abq Megaband
Aug 19 Cancelled Cancelled (No Hall)
Sept 2 Lewis Land Cheap Shots
Sept 16 Kris Jensen Boxwood Consort
Oct 7 Ben Werner Avourneen (Denver CO band)
Oct 21 Sherilyn Urben Abq Megaband
Oct 27-29 Boo Camp at Hummingbird Music Camp, Jemez Springs NM. More info TBA
Nov 4 Kris Jensen Virginia Creepers
Nov 18 Marj Mullany Cheap Shots
Dec 2 TBA SyGyZy
Dec 16 TBA Abq Megaband
Jan 6 Merri Rudd TBA

2017 Santa Fe Dance Schedule

Santa Fe Contra Dances
2nd and 4th Saturdays
Odd Fellows Hall
7:00 pm – Lesson, 7:30-10:30 – Dancing
Member $8, Non-members $9, Students half price, Under 12 free
 Date  Caller  Band
Jan 14 Marj Mullany Adobe Brothers
Jan 28 Kris Jensen ATC String Band
Feb 11 Lewis Land Flagpole Salad
Feb 25 Will McDonald SF Megaband
Mar 11 Marj Mullany Virginia Creepers
Mar 25 Chris Kermiet (Colorado) SyZyGy
Apr 8 Lewis Land Roaring Jelly
Apr 22 Kris Jensen SF Megaband
May 13 Ben Werner Kindred Spirits
May 27 FolkMADness Camp in Socorro NM
Jun 10 Will McDonald Cheap Shots
Jun 24 Don Veino (Concord, MA) SF Megaband
Jul 8 Kris Jensen Adobe Brothers
Jul 22 Erik Erhardt SF Megaband
Aug 12 Lauren Soherr SyZyGy
Aug 26 Sherilyn Urben Ladies at Play
Sept 9 Erik Erhardt Roaring Jelly
Sept 23 Ben Werner Kindred Spirits
Oct 14 Will McDonald SF Megaband
Oct 28 Boo Camp
Nov 11 Lewis Land Cheap Shots
Nov 25 Will McDonald and Jim Werbel SF Megaband
Dec 9 Kris Jensen Connie Manhattan
Dec 23 Richard Wilson Birthday Celebration. Erik Erhardt and Will McDonald, SF Megaband
Jan 13 Will McDonald  TBA
Jan 27 Katherine Bueler  ATC Band
Feb 10 Marj Mullany  TBA
Feb 24 Sherilyn Urben  SF Megaband
Mar 10 TBA  TBA
Mar 24 Chris Kermiet  TBA

Richard Wilson’s book published, All Join Hands: Dances and Stories

FolkMADS members and community,

Richard Wilson‘s book is complete and available for purchase.  I’m very proud of what we’ve created.  Proceeds to benefit youth scholarships for NM FolkMADS.

All Join Hands: Dances and stories
by Richard Wilson, with Erik Barry Erhardt and Lauren Lamont, 2016.

Introduction to the first edition

This book is the fruit of an old idea, a long fallow period, and a final burst of enthusiastic commitment. The idea was to provide Richard with a meaningful focus and contribution during his last year of life. He wrote and wrote, filling notebooks; Lauren transcribed what she could. We photocopied all his cards that could be found in October 2010; Katherine provided an initial transcription. This book has taken many forms in its many revisions and reimaginings: experimenting with different paper sizes, interleaving the stories from other people in with his own story, modifying the dance formats, and finally returning to this fairly simple format. The long lull, after much compilation and redrafting, was partly due to my grieving after Richard passed; with Richard gone the urgency of the project had passed, since my primary commitment was to him. Then I allowed other projects to take over, including the trials of earning tenure as faculty at UNM. Finally, after almost six years, it is done.

While I may not have been able to realize the book I envisioned, this is it. I’m heartened by a thoughtful and generous community to whom I present this gift and tribute. Five years since Richard’s passing, I still feel his spirit and gentleness as I teach new dancers and callers, just as he taught me, feeling how each foot lifted is as important as how each is set upon.

Erik Barry Erhardt
Albuquerque, NM
October 2016

Grants & Scholarships supporting our mission

Did you know that FolkMADS provides both scholarships to support our members and grants to support sister organizations with congruent visions and missions?  Most of our outreach funds come from generous gifts at dance camps, direct donations, or small residuals.

We have a wonderful story this year about the ATC school in Santa Fe.

In addition to supporting the UNM Contra, providing scholarships to young musicians to attend FolkMADness, and sponsoring the AbqFolkFest, we have twice provided grants to the Academy for Technology & the Classics (ATC) college prep charter school in Santa Fe for music workshops.  In January I wrote about how the ATC String Band (nearly all students) led by Eric Carlson played for a packed Santa Fe dance with Katherine Bueler stepping in to call a dance at the last minute — what a success!

Eric Carlson is a local hero, bringing the living tradition of folk music to his students.  His report below describes the experience he was able to create [emphasis is mine].

Follow-up Report from ATC on the FolkMADS Scholarship Grant for the Fast Peso Stringband Concert & Workshop on 8/31/16

Dear FolkMADS,

Thank you for the generous grant to bring the Fast Peso Stringband to the Academy for Technology & Classics (ATC). On Wednesday morning, August 31, the group performed a forty-minute concert for the whole school of about 400 students followed by an hour-long workshop with about 34 of our “Acoustic Americana” music students. The full grant of $500 was paid to the band.

The concert was highly successful. Many students had never heard Old-Time music before, and the Fast Pesos delivered a very engaging concert including a diversity of Old-Time music and some historical context. Students generally seemed to enjoy it, and many clapped their hands. Thus, the concert succeeded in introducing about 400 students to a musical style and a piece of musical history that most were not aware of. This helps enormously in recruitment of future students to the “Acoustic Americana” class.

The workshop following the concert was more successful still. To just sit in a room with a stringband of this caliber and hear them play acoustically for the first time may have been a life-changing experience for some. The band talked to the students about repertoire, tunings, techniques, and their own musical histories. Kids asked questions about their instruments, how they met, and other things. Since we are currently studying Old-Time music in class, this experience provided a crucial model and example that can only be experienced live. Students came away much more excited about learning Old-Time music and with a much clearer idea of what it should sound like.

Thank you again FolkMADS for making this event possible.

Sincerely,
Eric Carlson
Music Director, ATC

Thanks to all the FolkMADS members for their generous donations that help make these experiences possible!

Erik Erhardt, President

Why I Contra Dance

Local caller Merri Rudd posted this gushing appreciation of our dance community in our Facebook group. With her permission we are sharing her note.

SO proud of our folk community! At last night’s 2nd Sunday English/contra dance, a family of 2 adults and 4 kids showed up because Mom wanted her family to dance with her on mother’s day. The dancers didn’t miss a beat, asking them to dance, gently showing them a few moves, and making every single dancer look beautiful. The sprightly music didn’t hurt either! Mom told me, with a sense of wonder, “You all are so welcoming. Thanks for a very fun evening.” Thank you, Gary Papenhagen, Deb/Tom, Bob/Nancy, Bob/Linda, Kit/Mary, Meg, Erik, Emily, Lynn, Rodema, Tim, Jay, Wyn and all the others who made it a special, fun night and made my job as caller very fun too.

If you helped out and Merri forgot to include your name do know that you were very much appreciated!