12 Oct
2016
12 Oct
'16
8:41 a.m.
This might shed some light on the subject -
https://www.library.unh.edu/find/archives/collections/ralph-page-dance-lega…
Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend
The Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend (RPDLW) is held every January at the University of New
Hampshire in Durham. It takes its name from the man who was perhaps the single most
important figure in the preservation of traditional dance in New England and was conceived
to keep his legacy alive.
Begun in 1988, the RPDLW celebrates the music and dance of New England: contras, squares,
and more. From the beginning, the emphasis has been on preserving the smoother style of
dancing that Ralph Page favored. A significant portion of the program celebrates the
tradition's roots and includes traditional contras and quadrilles, triple minor
dances, singing squares, and couple dances as part of the program. The program also
includes a retrospective focusing on a particular caller or musician's contribution to
the tradition.
The approach is not only one of preservation; there is a deliberate attempt to connect the
past with the future of traditional dance. It also features some of the best new
choreography and newly-composed tunes.
Over the years the event has become noted for its cultivation of community, for being a
gathering of "the ones who have played the music, called the figures, and danced the
dances in crowded, joyful halls for decades," and for being a weekend of outstanding
dancing.
Ben
---- Neal Schlein via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
I would agree--giving a place to smoother, calmer, and
inequal dances that
give people time to interact, chat, make eye contact, etc, instead of
forcing a rapidity of constant interaction. It's not so much a matter of
music speed as choreographic selection.
He was also known to occasionally use patter when calling contras and
quadrilles. Apparently the tradition historically existed in New England,
but was much less pronounced than elsewhere and has since virtually
vanished.
I forget the source from which I got that tidbit, but it very possibly was
Time to Dance by Richard Neville. Or it could have been a letter in the
Lloyd Shaw Foundation Archive collection. Not sure.
Neal
Neal Schlein
Youth Services Librarian, Mahomet Public Library
Currently reading: *The Different Girl* by Gordon Dahlquist
Currently learning: How to set up an automated email system.
On Tue, Oct 11, 2016 at 10:11 AM, Jeff Kaufman via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> I think they're trying to refer to the style of dancing that was
> popular before Larry Jennings-style "zesty contra".
>
> On Mon, Oct 10, 2016 at 4:21 AM, John Sweeney via Callers
> <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> > Hi all,
> > I was at a workshop recently where someone asked me if I liked
> "the
> > Ralph Page style" of contra dance. They claimed that they had been told
> > that he wanted dances to be slower and calmer.
> >
> > Is there a "Ralph Page style"? If so what is it?
> >
> > If he wanted the music slower, what speed did he want? Did he
> want
> > it slower than the 130+bpm that square dancers used to use? Or slower
> than
> > the 120bmp that is common now in contra?
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > Happy dancing,
> > John
> >
> > John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
> > http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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