10 Dec
2013
10 Dec
'13
10:18 p.m.
I just read the results of the CDSS caller's survey.
(http://www.cdss.org/tl_files/cdss/documents/how-to/CDSS_Contra_Task_Force_s…)
One of the resulting suggestions was for CDSS to set up a dance depository. Here are my
thoughts on this.
Considering the 1000's of contra (and other formation) dances that have written, of
varying quality and difficulty, I have reservations about a single global contra database.
Such a database detracts from the folk process. And who is to say which dances are
worthy of placement in such a database?
HOWEVER (part 1) .....
CDSS should have a depository of dances, somewhat like the one on the "Contra Dances
by" section of Cary Ravitz's page http://ravitz.us/dance/
While Cary's page links to dance author's pages, the CDSS page should get copies
of each author's dances, formatted however that author formatted them (e.g. .rtf, .pdf
or .html), with the CDSS page containing links to these copies. Authors should be able to
send an updated file to CDSS up to say 3 times a year. This will preserve the
author's dances when s/he terminates his/her web site. These links could include
.pdfs of out-of-proint dance book.
The folk process in some sense is maintained by people having to peruse these various
author pages in order to find dances. A discussion board, maybe even the current Shared
Weight forum, would be the place for for callers to discuss these dances.
HOWEVER (part 2) optional ....
The Caller's Companion (http://callerscompanion.com/) provides a good model of how an
on-line database might work. Many aspects of this program will work as a model for an
on-line dance database. So in addition to the pages susuggested in HOWEVER (part 1),
CDSS could also set up an on-line database and intially populate it with at most 200-300
dances, selected by CDSS staff or a committee, of various difficulties and formations.
Any CDSS member, and only CDSS members, should be allowed to add a dance to this database
of remove a dance s/he inserted. Dances on a page from HOWEVER (part 1) may well end up
in this database.
Michael Fuerst 802 N Broadway Urbana IL 61801 217-239-5844
Links to photos of many of my drawings and paintings are at www.ArtComesFuerst.com