Dear dance friends,
The results are tabulated, the video links are in place, participants have
posted their comments, and the results of the (First Annual?) International
Money Musk Moment have been neatly packaged, ready for your enjoyment:
http://www.davidsmukler.syracusecountrydancers.org/bring_back_mm.html
Executive summary: more than 20 locations and callers, 88 musicians, and nearly
1,400 dancers participated.
David Millstone
Lebanon, NH
P.S. Dancers at in the Northeast will have an another Money Musk opportunity at
the New England Folk Festival (NEFFA) at the end of this month. Hope to see you
there!
As a dancer from Virginia, I've visited the Lambertvlle contra dance on two occasions while in NJ, both in the summer ('05 and '06, I think). They have an active contra community, and I remember being pleasantly surprised at the number of dancers. I'd say it was at least in the 50-60 range. I'm thinking of going there again this summer.
Brian
Bill wrote: "...when I used the New England Chestnuts recording, I slowed that
version down from 121bpm to 116bpm, but the other Money Musk Moment dances on
youtube seem to be slower than that 112 bpm and 105 bpm."
Opinions differ about how fast it should be played. You'll notice great
variation in the various video clips and recordings, with McQuillen and the
Rhythm Rollers setting a steady tempo on the slow side compared to others.
Rodney Miller et. al on the New England Chestnuts album have it at about 120
beats per minute; an early Ralph Page recording is more like 116 bpm. Northern
Spy played it at 111 at our dance; Dudley Laufman recorded it at 103 bpm, which
is close to the 106 tempo played by the Rhythm Rollers in the video clip. And at
the other end, that 78 rpm recording of Benjamin Lovett calling with the Henry
Ford Orchestra (32-bar version) is at 127 bpm!
David Millstone
--- Chris wrote:
I'd guess this lookalike phenomenon is from the constraints of 32 bars, using
common conventions and pieces, and trying to minimize the complexity while
using a given concept.
--- end of quote ---
And if a dance includes a partner swing (and a neighbor swing to boot) that
limits the possibilities even further of what can fit into the remaining music.
David Millstone
Hey SW crew,
I'm playing a gig this weekend with Notorious and one of my favorite
Larry tunes is "The Judge". I know that they like to save that tune for
a dance with Petronella balance and spin to the right at the top of the B1.
I'm hoping that you will share with me your favorite dances that have
Petronella moves in the B1.
Thanks!
Chris Weiler
Goffstown, NH
The Friday night dance sponsored by the Lambertville Country Dancers dance was,
briefly, in Trenton and is now in Titusville, NJ, just a few miles downstream
from Lambertville. Sometimes it's an English country dance and sometimes a
contra, so you'll want to get clear with the organizers about who you are and
what you do.
It's a small group, maybe 30 people, at least at the English dance I called
there in February.
David Millstone
Thanks, Chris, for starting this thread. I was calling with Notorious on
Saturday night in Montpelier, and finished out the evening with The Judge as the
tune, though I picked Maliza's Magical Mystery Motion as my choice to go with
it.
David Millstone
So, Chris, what did you choose? I noticed lots of Petronellas last night,
but I don't specifically remember which one was in the B1.
Lark
--
It is not necessary that you leave the house. Remain at your table and
listen. Do not even listen, only wait. Do not even wait, be wholly still and
alone. The world will present itself to you for its unmasking, it can do no
other, in ecstasy it will writhe at your feet.
--Franz Kafka, _Aphorisms_ (1918)
A thanks of great appreciation for all who put up videos of their Money
Musk dances. Having read about this dance for years, never seen it,
never danced it, certainly never called it, it was so nice to see the
dance (so that's how it looks!), if only via the airwaves. Someday it
will be in person. But the energy and joyous enthusiasm came through
even this way.
Cheers for all the sharing,
Sue
PS -- Thanks also to those who included the musicians in their clips.
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