On Thursday June 10 at 8 pm (EST), Susan Kevra will join the Mt Airy (Philadelphia) Virtual Contra Speaker Series to present “A Crash Course on the History of American Social Dance”.
Many of you know Susan as a dance caller but she is also a professor at Vanderbilt University, where she teaches a course called American Social History through Dance. Join us as Susan presents an overview of her course which charts dance history in America from Native American Dance through Hip Hop with a chance to see amazing footage of dance from across the centuries.
For more info please go to:
https://thursdaycontra.com/speakers/
Thereare two ways to watch this presentation:
1. Live stream onFacebook using this link (simply click on the link at 8pm and you'llsee the livepresentation).
https://www.facebook.com/watch/mtairycontra/
2.If you cannot tune in for the live presentation, we will be recordingit and you can go to our website in a week and it will be postedhere.
https://thursdaycontra.com/speakers/
Forthose who regularly receive the virtual dance announcements from theMt Airy email list, you can register for the Zoom experiencefrom the email announcement. However, because of limited space (100person maximum) if you don't usually receive our emails we ask thatyou use the live stream FB option. Thanks!
DonnaEmail: dhuntdancer(a)aol.com
Cell: 215-565-6050
Hi Everyone,
The pandemic has shut down dances for nearly 15 months, but things may be beginning to change. I would like your input on this --
I just received my first request to call at a regular community dance. The dance would be scheduled for September. (The organizers are beginning to schedule for the fall.) This would be a typical evening indoor dance held in a gym. Pre-covid attendance was 70-100. The organizers assured me that safety protocols would be followed, etc. I have not responded yet. (I am fully vaccinated.)
Has anyone else begun receiving invitations to call dances? How far out? What are your thoughts on this situation? What is your sense of risk and comfort and community responsibility? I'd really like to get some feedback from this group.
Thanks!
Woody
--
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Woody Lane
Caller, Percussive Dancer
Roseburg, Oregon
http://www.woodylanecaller.com
cell: 541-556-0054
I did try the humour approach first.
Here are some real numbers (I hope my math is correct):
https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/2019-coronavirus/situatio…
Québec, where I am living temporarily, has a population of about 8.5
million. The provincial website says that, to date, there have been 353,134
people infected in the province. That is a little less than 5% of the
population. Just shy of 11,000 have died; roughly 1 in 30 who catch it. I
believe the single group with the deadliest outcomes amongst those who
catch the bug has been our elders in nursing homes. The COVID record within
these residences is an abomination, generally, in at least Ontario and
Quebec.
In the States,
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/index.htm
y'all have had just shy of 565,000 deaths.
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/
says there have been, approaching, 33,000,000 cases in the US. That's
roughly 10% of your population, is it not? (Mortality rate of about 1 in
60-ish, if my math is right).
I have a difficult time understanding on what basis anyone shares
statistics not taken directly from a website such as the CDC or
state/provincial govt and, even more puzzling, "analysis" of same and
prognostication, unless one is an expert in the field of (SARS) viral
epidemiology.
How many would listen to, or welcome the gloved finger of, an amateur
proctologist?
EXACTLY!!
Please stop.
I'm sorry for the tone but this really pisses me off.
Ken Panton
I’ve been saying a tentative yes to private parties; I haven’t been asking for contracts or deposits, with the understanding that I’ll be there unless things take an unexpected turn for the worse.
Tony Parkes
Billerica, Mass.
From: Jim Thaxter <jathaxter47(a)gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 4, 2021 5:20 PM
To: Tony Parkes <tony(a)hands4.com>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Re: Question on Gig Requests
Tony,
You address the “series dance” issue, but didn’t say how you’ve responded to the private party requests. I’ve had a couple of those requests that I’ve turned down, but am reconsidering now that I’m fully vaccinated. One party said all the non-dancing guests would be masked, but the dancers would not. Not sure I get that.
Jim Thaxter
Columbia, MO
On Tue, May 4, 2021 at 4:01 PM Tony Parkes via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net<mailto:contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:
Hi, Woody (and all)…
I’ve been getting requests for the fall (and one for the summer), but so far, they’re all for private parties – weddings, family reunions, homeschooler gatherings. (From the context, I assume that by “community dance” you mean “public series dance.” I’ve also often seen the term used to mean “one-nighter / private party / non-dancer event.” Due to lack of consensus on its meaning, I tend to avoid the term.)
I’m not sure how I’d respond if I were approached for a series dance. I’m hopeful that by September either we’ll be close to herd immunity or we’ll be reconciled to thinking of Covid the way we think of the flu: an annual annoyance but not something to deter us from doing what we love.
I might accept an invitation to call at a series on the condition that if Covid statistics change drastically for the worse (to the point that states and cities are reimposing restrictions), the date could be canceled with no liability on either my part or the organizers’.
Tony Parkes
Billerica, Mass.
tony(a)hands4.com<mailto:tony@hands4.com>
From: Woody Lane via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net<mailto:contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>>
Sent: Tuesday, May 4, 2021 4:37 PM
To: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net<mailto:contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] Question on Gig Requests
Hi Everyone,
The pandemic has shut down dances for nearly 15 months, but things may be beginning to change. I would like your input on this --
I just received my first request to call at a regular community dance. The dance would be scheduled for September. (The organizers are beginning to schedule for the fall.) This would be a typical evening indoor dance held in a gym. Pre-covid attendance was 70-100. The organizers assured me that safety protocols would be followed, etc. I have not responded yet. (I am fully vaccinated.)
Has anyone else begun receiving invitations to call dances? How far out? What are your thoughts on this situation? What is your sense of risk and comfort and community responsibility? I'd really like to get some feedback from this group.
Thanks!
Woody
--
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Woody Lane
Caller, Percussive Dancer
Roseburg, Oregon
http://www.woodylanecaller.com
cell: 541-556-0054
_______________________________________________
Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net<mailto:contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net<mailto:contracallers-leave@lists.sharedweight.net>
Hi trad dance callers,
There's a brand new Shared Weight list specifically for callers interested
in learning about/sharing best practices around positional calling. The
idea for the list emerged from a workshop on positional calling for contra
dancing led by Beth Molaro and hosted by Seth Tepfer. Callers who
participated in the workshop wanted to continue the conversation and make
space for others to join the discussion. At the same time, we didn't want
to flood existing lists with the minutiae of figuring out how to call using
this approach.
The list is for callers from any traditional dance background whether it be
ECD, contra, trad squares, family dances, etc.
If you're interested, you can learn more and sign up here:
https://www.sharedweight.net/lists/positional-calling/
Thanks,
Emily Addison (list administrator along with Seth Tepfer)
Hi contra callers,
There's a brand new Shared Weight list specifically for callers interested
in learning about/sharing best practices around positional calling. The
idea for the list emerged from a workshop on positional calling for contra
dancing led by Beth Molaro and hosted by Seth Tepfer. Callers who
participated in the workshop wanted to continue the conversation and make
space for others to join the discussion. At the same time, we didn't want
to flood existing lists with the minutiae of figuring out how to call using
this approach.
The list is for callers from any traditional dance background whether it be
ECD, contra, trad squares, family dances, etc.
If you're interested, you can learn more and sign up here:
https://www.sharedweight.net/lists/positional-calling/
Thanks,
Emily Addison (list administrator along with Seth Tepfer)
Hi all,
I have posted eight videos (37 minutes) on YouTube covering
all the basics of how to Swing, plus twenty Swing variations plus some fun
entries and exits. Please spread the word to anyone you know who might be
interested. "Likes" on YouTube are always appreciated!
Twenty Swing Variations - Video Workshop
Learn the basics plus lots of fun variations:
http://contrafusion.co.uk/SwingWorkshop.html
I have also written a new article:
Swings & Two-Hand Turns - History and Evolution:
http://contrafusion.co.uk/SwingTwoHandTurn.html
As always, I would love to hear from you if you have any
corrections, comments or additions.
Thanks.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802
940 574
http://contrafusion.co.uk/KentCeilidhs.html for Live Music Ceilidhs
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive DVDs
The National Folk Organization has liability insurance coverage for all
members. Members can be individuals or folk organizations and you pay
nothing additional to your membership fee. Here's what their website says:
The National Folk Organization and its members are covered by a general
liability insurance policy. This coverage is a benefit of being a member
and no application is necessary. Members wanting a certificate to show
proof of coverage, or to extend coverage required of a venue, must complete
a form and submit it to the NFO broker, Mercer Consumer, a subsidiary of
Marsh & McLennan Companies.
Several years ago I switched my caller's insurance to NFO as well as our
local Folklore Society (contra and English dances). Member fees are $30
individuals and $50 recreation/folk groups. I asked the president of NFO
why the insurance was so inexpensive and he said it was because they rarely
have any claims.
I do not believe this would cover BMI/ASCAP.
Bev Young, caller
Missoula, MT
Hello all,
In a regular year, this is about when I'd be signing up for my annual
caller's insurance through CDSS.
This year, the policy is running for the same time-frame, May to May. Given
that there's no in-person dancing now or for months, that seemed
sub-optimal, since they won't pro-rate it for later in the year.
The policy through CDSS is apparently also explicitly NOT covering anything
covid related. Apparently the insurance companies don't want to open up
their liability. I can't say their policy is that inspiring if they won't
cover the first thing I've ever actually worried about at a dance. I can
see not starting it now, but it seemed odd that it's the blanket no-go for
the foreseeable future.
So I'm wondering if there are other options or policies that folks are
using? Something that starts on a different calendar and/or covers for
covid possibilities?
Looking forward to safely getting back together for community dancing again.
Luke
