Hi, everyone! My name is Olivia Barry. I am a member of the CDSS Community
Culture & Safety Task Group (CCSTG). We are a volunteer group of board and
community members working to compile a set of resources and examples for
folk who are ready to dive in to work on safety of all kinds on the dance
floor or music circle. An important element of such an effort is a *Statement
of Community Values*. The goal of this statement is to identify core
values for a local group. Core values communicate to the outside world what
is important to you and what people can expect from your organization or
events. In our last strategic planning process, CDSS identified core values
for our work and we want to help local groups do the same.
To assist groups in creating such a statement, the CCSTG aims to create a
clearinghouse of samples for local communities across our constituency, and
to synthesize existing examples into a succinct template or writing guide
to help groups develop a statement of their own. We are asking our
communities to fill out a short survey related to content that has already
been developed surrounding your *community's values* to serve as examples.
Other topics will be developed as this work unfolds, and we'll be sending
additional short surveys as well as progress reports in the coming months.
Please take a moment to fill out the survey to help identify who among you
has resources on this topic that might be valuable to others:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwSUqM9dNCnMO-yjTawH8vi1Mv_4TuQMQ…
Thank you in advance for any and all information you share! We hope this
project will reflect and support the greater music, song, and dance
community. If you would like to contact us with questions or content,
please email CDSS.SafetyTG(a)gmail.com!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Olivia
CDSS CCSTG Community Member
This is a question for traditional music/dance organizations around definitions and inclusion--
The DanceFlurry Board is beginning an examination of the types of music and dance forms that fall under our mandate of "supporting traditional music and dance from diverse cultures," with a specific eye to questions of including 20th century African-American forms such as Soul, Funk, and street dance under that umbrella. Some of this music is already included at our swing dances, and featured at our annual Albany Lindy and Blues event (http://www.albanylindyandblues.com). As we consider whether we want to engage in additional programming, collaborations, or outreach around these styles, we find ourselves contemplating the meaning of "traditional," and asking whether our goals of sharing and preserving traditional music and dance should be intentionally broadened to include forms less prominent in our predominantly White dance community.
I would love to hear from any communities or organizations that have addressed these kinds of questions themselves, and might have thoughts, experiences, resources, or other information to offer. We are thinking of engaging a scholar of African-American music to educate our Board on the evolution of these forms, and are looking for other ideas on how to approach the question of which music and dance types we want to actively support through our organization, as well as other local organizations (NY) we might look to partner with.
If you have any ideas for us, please email me at slove(a)danceflurry.org
Many thanks!
Shira
Please share!
ECD musician workshop
virtual mixer for Mac workshop for sound techs
fiddling bow & ornaments workshop.
ECD musician workshop with Rachel Bell!
This Sun 8/30 from 6-715pm ET (3-415pm PT)
We'll work on learning the tune and playing it well, with attention to phrasing and articulation. We'll talk a lot about how to make the music danceable-- both how to give attention to fitting the music with the choreography, and how to just make people want to dance! We'll talk about energy and drive as well as beauty and spaciousness. We'll talk about how to build an energy arc over the course of the dance and how to use simple tricks to create elements of excitement and surprise for the dancers. We'll talk about ensemble ideas such as harmonies, chords, and how to create variations on the melody.
****Advanced Registration and Payment required*****
Space is limited.
Minimum experience level:
People should have basic competency on their instruments. That means people should be able to play some tunes they already know with ease and without stopping. Rachel will present strategies for a variety of levels, and people should be prepared to soak up whatever applies to them.
*****Register Here ******
1. Fill out Google Form.
https://forms.gle/RtnTEUfjthDexAqK8 <https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.gle%2FRtnTEUfjthDexAqK8%…>
2. Donate Sliding Scale $15-25
https://paypal.me/pools/c/8ryp7AAyK6 <https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpaypal.me%2Fpools%2Fc%2F8ryp7A…>
(100% of donations go to Rachel)
3. You will receive an email confirmation with meeting link.
https://www.facebook.com/events/732727090894311/ <https://www.facebook.com/events/732727090894311/?__cft__[0]=AZUdiDQdooX0shJ…>
Virtual mixer for Mac workshop with Ian Brehm!
This Sun from 3-4pm ET (12-1pm PT)
Ian Brehm (Phildelphia)
Teaches the magic behind the recent contra dance at Glen Echo, where 2 co-located musicians streamed to 3rd musician and caller.
This is an ADVANCED workshop for sound technicians. You should understand Source Connect Now and virtual cable already. He will explain Reaper for Mac computers.
* FREE. All are welcome! Donations greatly appreciated. paypal.me/ianbrehm <https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpaypal.me%2Fianbrehm%3Ffbclid%3…>
* The session will be recorded and notes will be available after.
* Registration required: (this is NOT a meeting link, you must register at this link first)
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYoc-GvrjsvGtGwF42FfAc3C65ucGJoYN… <https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fus02web.zoom.us%2Fmeeting%2Fre…>
You will get an email with a unique meeting access link
https://www.facebook.com/events/670914573513071/ <https://www.facebook.com/events/670914573513071/>
Beyond the Dots: A Guide to Traditional Bowing and Ornamentation
Wednesday, Sep 9 from 7-830pm ET (4-530pm PT)
In Contra Dance fiddling, we derive our playing from various genres, including Old Time, Quebecois and Irish. Their traditional bowing and ornamentations really make a tune sound from that particular part of the world. In this class, I will be doing an overview of those genres and what makes those tunes sound the way they do. With more knowledge of bowing and ornamentation, you can use variations of these to make a simple melody more your own. This class will be focused on the fiddle, but all are welcome.
Please email audreyLK24(a)gmail.com to sign up and receive the Zoom link.
This event is free, but a suggested donation of $20 (or whatever you can afford) would be appreciated.
Class will be recorded and you will receive the link if you register.
https://www.facebook.com/events/934372433738064 <https://www.facebook.com/events/934372433738064>
I am forwarding this to all the organizers of all the Greenfield, MA dances - 9 sets of organizers! - to discuss at the next meeting.
Thanks for this great idea!
Liz Sturgen
On Monday, August 24, 2020 Drew Delaware via Organizers <drew(a)delaware.ca> wrote:
Hello!
I'm reaching out to contra dance organizers, on behalf of the crew here in Toronto. Trusting you are all keeping well.
Toronto has been holding a vibrant online virtual contra dance since May. It has been a lovely way for dancers to connect and keep contra dance, and music, in their lives.
While it isn't for everyone, it has certainly brought much joy to many homes over the past several months. And it has been a wonderful way for us to provide financial support to musicians during a challenging time.
We know other communities have considered launching online dances of their own, but don't have the resources to do so: paid Zoom accounts, tech know-how, etc. Others have done so but found it to be a lot of work on a few shoulders. And so, we are transforming our Toronto Virtual dance into a new project we are calling "All Hands In" - and we'd like to invite your community to join us.
Any community that becomes part of the "All Hands In" initiative will be able to welcome their dancers in a private room before the dance, so your community gets an opportunity to socialize and reconnect; and then all the communities will come together for one big dance, featuring fabulous bands and callers. We'll end the dance with a socializing opportunity in small groups, mixing across communities, so people have a chance to make new friends across the continent.
We will ask each community to provide one volunteer on a rotating basis once every 1-2 months, along with a moderator for their community room each dance.
If you'd like to participate, please send an email to drew(a)delaware.ca, let me know what community you represent, and we'll be happy to share further details. While we'd all love to be on a dance floor taking real hands four, we hope that All Hands In helps to fill the gap in the meantime, and be something that many will enjoy until we can dance in person again.
Let me know if you have any interest in joining us, or any questions. ;)
Cheers!
Drew_______________________________________________
Organizers mailing list -- organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
To unsubscribe send an email to organizers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Hello!
I'm reaching out to contra dance organizers, on behalf of the crew here in
Toronto. Trusting you are all keeping well.
Toronto has been holding a vibrant online virtual contra dance since May.
It has been a lovely way for dancers to connect and keep contra dance, and
music, in their lives.
While it isn't for everyone, it has certainly brought much joy to many
homes over the past several months. And it has been a wonderful way for us
to provide financial support to musicians during a challenging time.
We know other communities have considered launching online dances of their
own, but don't have the resources to do so: paid Zoom accounts, tech
know-how, etc. Others have done so but found it to be a lot of work on a
few shoulders. And so, we are transforming our Toronto Virtual dance into a
new project we are calling "All Hands In" - and we'd like to invite your
community to join us.
Any community that becomes part of the "All Hands In" initiative will be
able to welcome their dancers in a private room before the dance, so your
community gets an opportunity to socialize and reconnect; and then all the
communities will come together for one big dance, featuring fabulous bands
and callers. We'll end the dance with a socializing opportunity in small
groups, mixing across communities, so people have a chance to make new
friends across the continent.
We will ask each community to provide one volunteer on a rotating basis
once every 1-2 months, along with a moderator for their community room each
dance.
If you'd like to participate, please send an email to drew(a)delaware.ca, let
me know what community you represent, and we'll be happy to share further
details.
While we'd all love to be on a dance floor taking real hands four, we hope
that All Hands In helps to fill the gap in the meantime, and be something
that many will enjoy until we can dance in person again.
Let me know if you have any interest in joining us, or any questions. ;)
Cheers!
Drew
Hello Organizers,
For those looking to educate their communities, wondering what will be necessary for dances to resume, or considering in-person, socially-distanced events, the DanceFlurry Organization and Flurry Festival are hosting a Zoom conversation this Wednesday, Aug 12. Claire Takemori will interview a panel of experts who will speak to these issues and take questions from the audience.
The event is from 8:00-9:30 ET. You can register for the Zoom link and to submit questions at https://www.danceflurry.org/covid-panel/, or watch live on DanceFlurry's Facebook page. Find the event at https://www.facebook.com/events/3028182130605617/
The panel will include:
Katy German, Executive Director of CDSS
Will Mentor, contra and square dance caller
Dr. Elizabeth Whalen, Albany County Public Health Commissioner
Dr. Mary Applegate, Clinical Professor in Social Behavior and Community Health at the University at Albany School of Public Health
Professor Linda Breslin, Instructor and Ethics Consultant with Alden March Bioethics Institute at Albany Medical College
The early part of the conversation will focus on dancers, but then we'll consider approaches some organizers have tried and ask the experts to weigh in on the relative risks involved. We invite participation and questions from you and your dance communities, so please pass this info on to anyone interested!
Thanks,
Shira Love (she/her)
President, DanceFlurry Organization
Albany, NY
slove(a)danceflurry.org
Hi from Ottawa,
I'm chiming in a bit late but thought I'd share some ideas from our local
contra dance.
We're a pretty big dance (attendance approx. 100-110 per evening).
We let the following people in for free:
-Floor manager (overseeing the whole night)
-Sound volunteer (helps our sound man with set up and tear down)
-One other volunteer that helps with set up and tear down.
All other volunteers pay for entry. This includes:
-All board/committee members
-Volunteer responsible for snacks
-Volunteers who welcome/help make sure shoes are clean (issue at our hall)
-Door/entry volunteers (2 people from 7-8pm, 2 people for dances 1-2, 2
people for dances 3-4, 2 people for dances 5-6)
-Others who help with tear down
We recognize volunteers in a few ways:
-Announcements from the mic
-One free dance with local talent in May at the end of our season. Others
can attend but they pay. Special snacks.
I think there's so many other cool ways that volunteers could be recognized
too...
-website
-thank yous in eblasts, maybe the odd feature of a volunteer
Emily in Ottawa