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! |
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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 |
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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) |
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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 |
Category Archives: News
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 |
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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
Contra Dance Santa Fe 8/27/16
FolkMADS Moments, YouTube channel
Contribute to the FolkMADS Moments YouTube playlist by uploading your video to youtube and sending the link to the video to Erik or Ben W.
Enjoy this fun memory of Mary Wesley’s Morris dance at FolkMADness 2016.
All Join Hands: Dances and stories
All Join Hands: Dances and stories
by Richard Wilson, with Erik Erhardt and Lauren Lamont, 2016.
The new book is finished and will be available for order at FolkMADS 2016 and online.
Why I Contra Dance
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.
Automatic (and free) donations via Amazon Smile
Amazon.com will donate 1/2% of your purchase price to FolkMADS (with no additional cost to you) by purchasing through Amazon smile. Set this (https://smile.amazon.com/ch/85-0380660) as your Amazon bookmark and send some smiles to FolkMADS which we will use for new or continuing initiatives to cultivate our talent and community.
Caller Responsibilities
Dancers, Callers, Musicians, and general FolkMADS members!
We’re putting together a caller responsibility document in order to help ensure our callers host the best dance event they can. We have a draft document here: Caller Responsibility Document
We would love to have your feedback.
Please email Ben Werner with any thoughts you have on this document. Thanks!