I thought this item from the [trad-dance-callers] list would interest and amuse. Mark Jones
[email protected] wrote .. > > I just survived (as a dancer) another of the first (and best) > weekends of the month , Friday and Saturday nights at the Guiding Star > Grange in > Greenfield, MA. Friday night, one of our favorite bands (The Moving > Violations) and callers - (Sue Rosen) - 200 people, including 2, 75 > year old guys, > 1, 79, and 1 80-year old couple, a van-load of 15 girls from Mt Holyoke, > some more from Smith, Hampshire, & U-Mass. A few college guys too. > Even a > car load from Wesleyan Univ in CT - a 1 1/2 hour drive. This helped > to > offset the usual gender imbalance of 10 -20 extra guys. Of course this > forced > us older men to dance with younger women most of the time, but we bore > this > hardship cheerfully. > Everyone was in high spirits - Cheers would ring out from the crowd > spontaneously whenever the band changed keys or tunes. Everyone clapped > on the > petronella twirls, and the caller didn't even try to stop us! One medley > consisted of 3 tunes of GYPSY music from classical sources. Between dances > I > discussed with the lead fiddler, Van Kaynor, and Sue, the caller, > whether > this might put them "over the edge" as to Political Correctness, but > she > called several dances with gypsies anyway, saying that she was not concerned > - > had too much to think about to worry about it. (Sue is on this message > board, but seldom replies to the discussions. I told her I would report > this, > she was amused and said OK) > During the break, to celebrate the holiday season, we were treated > to a > sword dance-mummer's play, and on Saturday night, to a Morris dance > demonstration by a team of teens from Northern VT, who of course danced > with us > all night. > Saturday Night was just as much fun, same attendance, plenty of > cheers, gypsies, claps, even more college girls, many beginners, some > high > school boys AND girls. Wild Asparagus played, George Marshall called, > - it was > great! > We are so fortunate to have such a great hall within easy reach of 5 > colleges, and a vast reservoir of dancers from CT, MA, VT, and NH, > and close to > a major highway, with what we believe are the best bands and callers > in the > USA twice each week!! Ralph Sweet > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> > Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. > Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! > http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/uAiolB/TM > --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> > > The J. Appleseed Society > E-Mail Discussion Lists to nurture the growth of participatory art and > cultural activities. > > The Traditional Dance Callers List: For participatory dance callers, teachers, > leaders and interested friends. Subscribe by sending a blank e-mail message > (no subject, no message) to: [email protected] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/trad-dance-callers/ > > <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > [email protected] > > <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ >
