SF Contra Dance 2/13/16
President’s Corner: Self-improvement and self-assessment
President’s Contra Corner
How do we each improve as musicians, callers, and dancers, climbing up the Dreyfus model of skills acquisition, especially in the tacit knowledge related to music and dance? In lots of ways. Primarily by having a vision of where we want to be, observing objectively where we currently are, and taking action to bridge the gap between vision and reality. Andy Shore is a long-time MWSD caller from Santa Cruz, CA, and has been thinking about this for about a year and the ideas below started from his post.
But first, I think there’s a higher purpose to being great: to contribute to a robust and vibrant community of people who care for each other. And there’s lots of ways we can (and do) do that. In our FolkMADS Spotlight On project, we recognize our volunteers and talent for the gifts of their time, energy, and attention they give each week.
Intro: Helping your community by being your best
Set your best example. Be friendly and invite new people to dance, take hands four as you introduce yourself to your partner and neighbors, give your quiet attention to the caller during the walk-through, dance safely and with awareness, and show your appreciation for your fellow dancers, the caller, the band, and organizers.
Finding the vision of greatness
Dancing to other callers and bands throughout the world
Callers: Come early and attend another caller’s beginner lesson. During a dance’s walk through note the details they emphasize and leave out. How do they connect to the dancers and the band? Are they having a good time, or does it feel like a chore? How was the program in terms of variety, difficulty, energy (did they give the dancers a rest after a vigorous one)? How did they manage difficulties on the floor? Take notes when you learn something new and incorporate the best ideas. And always jot down the choreography of the dances you loved. Ask callers if you can record them to review their performance for which words they used, etc.
Dancers: Regions of the country have different styles and cultures and it’s valuable to see what these are and bring home the best aspects. How friendly are communities to new dancers? How was the general dance (skill) level on the floor? What made the dance experience great? Can you help recreate those best aspects in your home community?
Musicians: The same tune can be played in 100s of ways (Noah VanNorstrand showed me that at a fiddle workshop several years ago, repeating the A-part 30 times and never repeating a musical idea). What’s the character of the band? Do they gel? Do they watch the dancers or stare at their music? Do they respond to what the dancers need? How are their dynamics over the song? Do they tell a story? How is the tempo? How is the balance/dynamics between musicians? Are they having fun?
Seeking the best on the internet
While our FolkMADS page is a good source for local music and calling information, youtube generally is a great location for seeing the best dance calling, music, and dancing around the country. Videos can help a caller get clear about choreography and teaching, help a musician learn that squirrelly B-part of a new tune, or a dancer learn flourishes. In particular, SharedWeight forums for organizers and callers.
Objective self-observation
Whether you’re a caller, a member in the band, a sound person, an organizer, a volunteer, or a dancer, there are things you can do to observe how things went at a dance. Below I focus on callers (as that’s my expertise), but these ideas can be generally applied.
Post-dance self-debrief
Callers: Within a day, review what you called, what you adjusted, and how you think things went. If things crashed, why? If you realized a teaching moment in a dance, make a note. Was the difficulty and variety about right for the evening? How clear was the communication with the band? Did you and the band trust each other throughout the night? Did you make the dancers feel appreciated? Did the last dance leave the dancers wanting more?
During the dance, if you really liked the pairing of some tunes to a dance, ask the band for the name of that tune and write it on your dance card.
Friendly feedback
Callers: If you have a few trusted people whom you know can give specific and constructive feedback from (as we do in the NMCC), consider asking them at the start of the evening to make a few notes of situations where a different strategy might have had a better outcome. When giving feedback to another caller, keep it simple and positive unless they ask you otherwise.
A recording doesn’t lie
Callers: If you’re brave enough to really see and hear what your performance was like, set up a recorder (most phones have apps to record voice memos or video). It often doesn’t matter much if the sound or video quality is lousy if you’re only using the recording for self-evaluation. If audio-only, set up the recorder almost anywhere in the room. If video, try to get enough field-of-view to see yourself calling, the band, and part of a contra line; this will allow you to see how much contact you’re having with the band and how attentive you are to the dancers. Consider asking a friend to press play/stop between dances to make smaller file sizes (but do try to record between dances and the walk-throughs to capture the feeling of the entire experience).
When you review the recordings, practice some self-care and remember you’re doing this because you want to improve (not because you want to torture yourself). Remember that you will be more critical of yourself than of others, so try to give yourself a break and be forgiving. Consider splitting a paper into two sides for what worked well, and what could have been done better. Then listen to how you lined up the dancers, the walk through, starting with the band, calling, timing, phrasing, command and presence, and anything else about the dance experience that you played a role in. If you have a trusted friend, let them listen and make their own list and compare — they may help you see things less critically.
Setting goals and growing
Setting short-term goals
What do you want to do next time? Do you want to teach a ladies chain using fewer words and having everyone get it the first time? Do you want to be more aware of problems on the floor and to fix them while they’re small? Write that goal down and look at it before each dance to bring your attention to it — pretty soon you’ll develop a new positive habit.
Setting long-term goals
Promote the activity and yourself as a leader
Spread the word of your love of music and dance with your friends and online. Invite new people to join you. Keep a list of the dance evenings you’ve called or played for to establish your credibility. If you want to call at a dance camp, go to camps and see what it takes. Talk to the talent and organizers, offer workshops, contribute in meaningful ways, and tell the organizers you are interested.
Growing
Callers: Discussing calling with other callers is often a rewarding experience. Establishing a mentoring relationship (mentor/mentee or even mentee/mentee) can be even more so. You don’t have to be an expert to be a mentor, it’s enough to care, to be critical, and to care — caring is most important. If there are several callers in your area, consider forming a group and meet every month or so to practice calling and giving feedback (as we do in the NMCC). When you’re at a camp, attend calling workshop. Talk about calling with the featured callers. Sit out a dance and watch from the side of the stage how the caller works out the programming on the fly, communicates with the band, uses the microphone, etc.
Callers: Every so often, review your dance collection and purge the unloved dances, make notes on dances about teaching or placement in a program. Keep a record of your previous dance programs and review them with more experienced eyes.
Finally, give yourself permission to try something new and fail. You may be surprised how supportive our dancers are when things go wrong! If something bombs, take responsibility, apologize, and be creative to find a solution. Then reflect — that’s a golden learning opportunity!
Erik Erhardt, FolkMADS President
A masterful performance: Katherine Bueler with the ATC String Band
Caller Katherine Bueler from Santa Fe stepped in at the last minute to call in a masterful performance to a packed Odd Fellows Hall filled with music students from ATC and their parents and supporters, with many of our regular dancers. What a night! Teacher Eric Carlson led music by the ATC String band, students from the Academy for Technology and the Classics (ATC), along with Gary Papenhagen and Robin Gurule.
Here’s a snippet of video from the first waltz of the evening.
Glendale, AZ – A day with Jane Austen, Feb 27, 2016
Our neighbors to the west will celebrate Jane Austen on Feb 27, 2016 all day, with guest speakers, tea, and a dance ball. The dance will be called by Peg Hesley with music performed by The Syncopaths (previous stars of the FolkMADness stage)!
The Jane Austen Society of North America is dedicated to the enjoyment and appreciation of Jane Austen and her writing. The Greater Phoenix Region serves Phoenix and its surrounding areas.
Don’t Be Late to the Ball!
FolkMADS will be holding our ninth annual English Country Dance Ball, the Sage Assembly, on January 30th. For those of you who have never heard of this fun event, who haven’t consider going, or who are maybe on the fence about joining us I thought I might entice you to come with a little bit of story and history of the Ball. I contacted Nancy Ford, Registrar for the Sage Assembly, and asked her some questions. Kit French and Mary Beath, two major sustainers of the event, also contributed their input.
Sol Lederman: Tell those who have never been to the Sage Assembly what it is. And, tell them how friendly the Ball is to beginners.
Nancy Ford: The Sage Assembly is an English Country Ball in the Great Hall at St. John’s College in Santa Fe on Saturday, January 30, 2016. The dances range from the older Elizabethan dances (circles and three couple sets, etc.) to Regency dances (think of the Jane Austen movies you have seen) to modern dances in the English style (written quite recently). To prepare for the evening dance, there is a rehearsal from Noon until 3:00 p.m. All the evening dances will be taught and danced briefly, so they will be familiar when they are retaught and fully danced in the evening (7:00 to 11:00 p.m.). Some are graceful and elegant, some are quite rowdy and full of energy. The rehearsal will prepare anyone (even someone who has never danced this style before) for the evening fun.
SL: Some Contra dancers have never danced English Country. How would you describe English Country to Contra dancers?
NF: Many contra moves are based on English Country (EC) moves, although the name of the move may be different and it may be done in a slightly different way. For example, instead of a swing, there is the two hand turn. Instead of do-si-do, there is back-to-back. The one contra move that is not done in EC is the twirl. The closest move would be turn single, but it’s more like walking around a little circle in four steps.
SL: Tell us a bit about the logistics of the Ball. There’s a rehearsal, the dance, serious snacks, optional fancy clothes… How does the day flow?
NF: There is a long break between the end of the rehearsal at 3:00 p.m. until the dance begins at 7:00 p.m. This allows sufficient time to get something to eat and to primp and dress. Some people have reproduction costumes from the different eras, others find something fun in their closets or make a visit to a thrift store. As long as it suits your fancy, it’s fancy dress.Dancers are asked to bring something salty for the snack table in the afternoon OR something savory or sweet for the groaning board in the evening. It is snacks, not dinner.
SL: You dance both English Country and Contra. How long have you been dancing each and what do you love most about each?
NF: In the early 70s, I was in a folk dance group in Laramie, Wyoming, and we were asked to dance at a new event at the University–The Elizabethan Faire. Our repertoire already included some EC dances but we added some more and put some costumes together and danced at the faire. The hardest part was dancing on the sloping grass.
Contra didn’t come to Laramie until the mid 80s. There were only quarterly dances, so I ended up driving to Fort Collins or Boulder to dance more often.
Also, as a child, my parents took me to modern square dances when they started being popular in the 50s.
SL: Tell us about the history of the Sage Assembly. Whose idea was it? How long has it been held? What venues has it been held in?
NF: I don’t recall who first suggested having a ball. Many dancers had attended balls in other parts of the country and came back excited about them. They probably said, “Let’s do one.” The first EC Ball, The Enchanted Assembly, was held June 30, 2007 in Albuquerque at the Heights Community Center. We moved to St. John’s College in 2013. This will be the 9th Ball.
William DeRagon was the most knowledgeable EC caller in New Mexico at the time and he called the first balls. Gemma DeRagon, Della O’Keefe, and Karina Wilson played for the first balls.
One of the things I love about EC dances is that each one has its own specific music. You can hear the first few bars of the music and you know which dance it will be.
SL: What’s the cost and where can folks read more about the Ball and sign up?
NF: Admission is $22, students $11, St. John’s students FREE. You can register on-line here and either pay via PayPal or by mailing in a check. You can also pay at the door.
SL: Any final thoughts?
NF: Special thanks to Mary Beath and Kit French for sustaining the Sage Assembly over the years. Mary’s fantastic graphics have graced the flyers and programs, which have become collector’s items. Kit’s knowledge of callers and musicians has brought us amazing guest artists from near and far. And without William DeRagon and Gemma DeRagon starting the Second Sunday English Dance in 1992, there wouldn’t be a group of interested and able EC dancers in New Mexico.
Thank you, Nancy!
Kit French tells us about this year’s talent:
[Caller] Bruce Hamilton is from the San Francisco area. He has been dancing since college in the late 60s and has been teaching workshops for ECD callers for over two decades and has written a short informative booklet on the topic. He is not so much interested in fancy patterns as he is in encouraging dancers to move to the rhythm and phrasing of the dance, be comfortable in their movements and be good partners to dance with. He is past president of Country Dance and Song Society and, in fact, one of the dances at this year’s ball , Mr. Hamilton’s Inauguration, was composed for him when he took on that job.
For anyone interested in calling, the workshop with Bruce the night before the Ball is a must and for all, the Ball will be a chance to enjoy one of the country’s top callers up close and personal.
[Musicians] Della O Keefe and Juli Palladino are indeed Kindred Spirits who merge their love of English dance tunes into a delicious mix of keyboard and strings that will be supplemented at the Ball by the clear toned clarinet of Doc Litchman. They all reside in New Mexico and we are lucky to have them here at our Sage Assembly.
Mary Beath added the following:
A Ball in Albuquerque was originally Kit’s idea. He’d been to many Playford Balls elsewhere in the country and thought they were lots of fun. The first one was in June, just after May camp. Originally there was substantial hesitation about holding it, since some claimed “people in Albuquerque don’t like to dress up.” That first Ball had 90 attendees and proved that ECD (and dressing up) causes much enthusiasm in NM.
Thank you Kit and Mary!
I hope to see you at this year’s festivities.
Spotlight On Volunteers: Jenna Soherr
Jenna Soherr, FolkMADS local hero
Briefly introduce yourself and how you got involved in dance/music.
I got into dance and music as a child. I basically grew up at folkmads.
How and when did you get involved with FolkMADS? What encouraged you to contribute to our community?
My parents encouraged me to help out in the community.
What’s a contribution (or a few) you’ve made in FolkMADS that’s most meaningful for you and how has that contribution enriched your life?
I’ve been selling Raffle Tickets at the Memorial Weekend (FolkMADness) since I was around 8 years old and I have since then been trying to beat my record and have more or less taken control of the raffle area when Angela isn’t there.
I started helping out with the sound when I was in 8th grade and have since then continued because it’s fun and a great learning experience. Before I started helping with sound I just hung around the sound folks, later Steve Mills asked to see if I wanted to try helping out with sound and I have been since.
Other people that should be recognized:
Steve Mills and Bob Ford from sound.
FolkMADS-UNM Spring 2016 Schedule
See the FolkMADS-UNM page for more details.
Erik Erhardt calling with Rusty Tap four Fridays 7:30-10:30 PM during the Spring 2015 semester:
January 22, February 26, March 25, and April 15.
FolkMadness Registration is now open!
Spotlight On Musicians: Gary Papenhagen
Gary Papenhagen, FolkMADS local hero
11/25/2016: Contribute a tune to Gary’s tune book, in memoriam.
Briefly introduce yourself and how you got involved in dance/music.
My name is Gary Papenhagen and I began playing the violin in public schools – 1963. Yigal Zan resurrected my interest in the instrument in 1978 with Irish and American Old Time tunes. He was the match, I was a considerable stack of wood. Playing Dances really fanned the flame and have kept the blaze burning happily ever since.
What’s a contribution (or a few) you’ve made in FolkMADS that’s most meaningful for you and how has that contribution enriched your life?
I have learned and gained an inestimable amount running the SF Megaband and we’re practically family after all these years. We’ve played some Great dances. Sweet!
When I was asked to help with bands on the 2nd Sunday English/Contra series I think it was with the idea that I and some combination of friends would play each dance. The pool of bands was a scant puddle. Now it’s a Water Park!! I had to leave Bo y Yo out of the Fall season, we have so many capable bands. Double Sweet!!
I love to play dances. I remember a while back when I was only getting one or two dances per year with the band I was in!! Bummer!! This is better – I play more dances each year than I can easily count. Super Sweet!!!