If you're into using the social dance shutdown time to improve your game as
an organizer, this ought to interest you.
Dela Murphy, my wife and co-founder of both Portland Intown Contra Dance
and Form the Ocean, is a total whiz-bang organizer. She's been a leader in
shaping the community we're so proud of and has expertise in leadership and
group development. Despite many challenges in the North American contra
dance community, PICD had been growing steadily for years prior to the
pandemic and Form the Ocean has been a weekend meeting a need not
previously met. Now, Dela's been codifying why that is.
Here's an opportunity for organizers of contra/social dances to tap into
that knowledge and share it with your community!
Dela is hosting the following workshops for organizers in June. I encourage
you to sign up if you're interested, as these workshops are limited to 10
people each:
*Cultivating an Outstanding Culture*:
June 10 & 16
http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/organizer-class-culture
*Attracting, Managing & Retaining Volunteers*:
June 13 & 17
http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/organizer-class-attract…
*Attracting & Retaining Dancers*:
June 9 & 20
http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/organizer-class-attract…
You'll find them all listed here:
http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops
Dela would have posted about this herself, but she isn't subscribed to this
listserv. If you have any questions, you can reach her at
dela-at-delahere-dot-com.
Dugan Murphy
(he/him)
Portland, Maine
dugan at duganmurphy dot com
One tool that we use for Portland Intown Contra Dance's Facebook group is
"Membership Questions" that pop up when someone requests membership in our
group. Asking people to answer 3 questions and select that they agree with
the group rules helps make the decision to approve someone or not. I
recommend this tool to others.
Our questions are:
"Hi! Just want to make sure you're not a robot. Are you a robot?"
"Are you joining this group so you can post in here about an event you're
organizing? Please do that in this group instead: Portland, Maine Friends
of Old-Time Music & Dance."
"You know we're in Maine, right? If you're looking for contra dancers in
Oregon, you're in the wrong place."
People often leave cute answers to these questions, so that's fun.
Dugan Murphy
(he/him)
Portland, Maine
dugan at duganmurphy dot com
>
> Date: Sun, 31 May 2020 19:15:36 +0000 (UTC)
> From: bobfab(a)aol.com
> Subject: [Organizers] Facebook join requests
> To: organizers(a)sharedweight.net
>
> Hi organizers.
>
> The Rochester NY Contra Dancers FB page is getting a few join requests per
> week from people in other countries, from accounts that have very recently
> been created and have only a very few, if any, friends or other groups
> joined.
>
> We are leery of trolls who intend to disrupt the group, and have been
> rejecting them.
>
> I was wondering if other group pages are receiving similar requests, and
> what they have done about it.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bob Fabinski
Hello all,
As many of you know, I've been working on putting together a guide to Zoom
security based on our experiences with the Toronto dances, and with input
from other organizers/communities.
The security guide is now published - you can find it here:
http://drewdelaware.com/virtual-contra-dance-security-guide/
I should have the organizers and callers guides completed over the next
week.
Feedback and suggestions are very warmly welcomed - you can reach me at
drew(a)delaware.ca or via the Facebook Messenger integration on my website.
I'm also available to volunteer with one or two communities over the next
month if you are starting a Zoom dance and would like support for your
first event. Happy to help where I can.
Many thanks,
Drew
Hi fellow organizers,
Is your group interested in working specifically with children/youth? If
so, you might be interested in the following:
The English Folk Dance and Song Society is holding a free online event for
Folk Educators and it's open to those of us in North America. Details and
registration info is below.
I asked the organizer whether it would be relevant to those of us across
the pond. Kerry said
*There will be some practical sessions, as well as presentations, on the
day. And although it will be focused on projects in the North West and
Yorkshire, I should think it would be appealing to folk educators from all
over. It's about the rationale, approach to the material and the positive
impact on the participants/communities, and often the educators too, that
is usually the most interesting. *
Maybe see you at the event?!
:) Emily in Ottawa
*******************************************
*Invitation to the next EFDSS ONLINE: Folk Education Development Day*
Our Folk Educators Group
<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.efdss.org%2flearnin…>
national
network will be holding its first ever online informal conference day.
*Friday 19 June 2020,* 10:30am-4:30pm (10.30am-11am Arrivals in the Zoom
Room)
You are warmly welcomed to attend this free informal conference and CPD
event, organised by EFDSS’ Folk Educators Group. Folk Education Development
Days are typically attended by 30 – 40 people: a mixture of people working
in folk arts education and related sectors such as music, dance, arts,
heritage and education. As ever, this will be an action-packed day of
presentations, practical sessions and discussions, designed to be
thought-provoking, informative and enjoyable, and to encourage
knowledge-sharing, discussion and networking.
The theme for the day is: Celebrating folk education in the North West
We’ll be focusing on folk education initiatives in the Greater Manchester
area and will be presenting the day in partnership with our friends at
English Folk Expo who are based in Rochdale, as well as other friends and
partners in the North West and Yorkshire.
*More details and to book a free place*
<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.efdss.org%2fwhats-o…>
Read on for more details…
*Outline of the Day*
The theme for the day: Celebrating folk education in the North West
Join us for an action-packed day of presentations, practical sessions and
discussions. The day will be thought provoking, informative and enjoyable,
and will encourage knowledge-sharing, discussion and networking.
*Speakers include:*
· Rachel Elliott, Education Director and Sarah Jones, Programme
Manager, National Youth Folk Ensemble - an update from the EFDSS Education
Department on current work and future plans.
· Tom Besford, Chief Executive, English Folk Expo - a presentation
about EFEx, covering their response during COVID 19, an overview of their
Artist Development Programme and their Promoter Training Programme,
including Rochdale Folk Festival.
· Georgia Woodhead, clog dance teacher with Oakenhoof Folk Arts – an
overview of their work, including a practical session.
· Kath Becker and Sorrel Harty, Bolton Music Service - setting up and
running the Greater Manchester Folk Ensemble, and more widely about Bolton
Music Service and the Greater Manchester Music Hub.
· Rebecca Denniff, Flash Company Arts - a presentation of their
Plough Stots project in Yorkshire, including a practical session.
· Bella Hardy, Learning Programme Manager*, *Band on the Wall – an
overview of their work, including a practical session.
Having been enthused by the speakers' presentations, there will
be the opportunity for discussion and sharing of ideas in breakout rooms.
The agenda will be available soon and you can *book your free place here
now!*
<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.efdss.org%2fwhats-o…>
*****************************************
*Here's a bit more information about EFDSS' Folk Educators Group...*
The Folk Educators Group
<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.efdss.org%2flearnin…>
is a national networking group of folk arts educators from across England
and beyond, run by the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS). Our
membership encompasses all forms of the folk arts and we currently have
over 360 members.
Established in March 2011 the Group has become a rapidly growing network
committed to promoting high quality folk arts education and supporting the
practitioners who deliver it.
It exists to provide peer information and support, and to encourage
dialogue with the wider worlds of culture, learning and participation. The
Folk Educators Group also offers other organisations a platform through
which to consult, or inform, a committed group of folk arts educators.
Hi fellow organizers
Is your group interested in working specifically with children/youth? If
so, you might be interested in the following:
The English Folk Dance and Song Society is holding a free online event for
Folk Educators and it's open to those of us in North America. Details and
registration info is below.
I asked the organizer whether it would be relevant to those of us across
the pond. Kerry said
*There will be some practical sessions, as well as presentations, on the
day. And although it will be focused on projects in the North West and
Yorkshire, I should think it would be appealing to folk educators from all
over. It's about the rationale, approach to the material and the positive
impact on the participants/communities, and often the educators too, that
is usually the most interesting. *
Maybe see you at the event?!
:) Emily in Ottawa
*******************************************
*Invitation to the next EFDSS ONLINE: Folk Education Development Day*
Our Folk Educators Group
<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.efdss.org%2flearnin…>
national
network will be holding its first ever online informal conference day.
*Friday 19 June 2020,* 10:30am-4:30pm (10.30am-11am Arrivals in the Zoom
Room)
You are warmly welcomed to attend this free informal conference and CPD
event, organised by EFDSS’ Folk Educators Group. Folk Education Development
Days are typically attended by 30 – 40 people: a mixture of people working
in folk arts education and related sectors such as music, dance, arts,
heritage and education. As ever, this will be an action-packed day of
presentations, practical sessions and discussions, designed to be
thought-provoking, informative and enjoyable, and to encourage
knowledge-sharing, discussion and networking.
The theme for the day is: Celebrating folk education in the North West
We’ll be focusing on folk education initiatives in the Greater Manchester
area and will be presenting the day in partnership with our friends at
English Folk Expo who are based in Rochdale, as well as other friends and
partners in the North West and Yorkshire.
*More details and to book a free place*
<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.efdss.org%2fwhats-o…>
Read on for more details…
*Outline of the Day*
The theme for the day: Celebrating folk education in the North West
Join us for an action-packed day of presentations, practical sessions and
discussions. The day will be thought provoking, informative and enjoyable,
and will encourage knowledge-sharing, discussion and networking.
*Speakers include:*
· Rachel Elliott, Education Director and Sarah Jones, Programme
Manager, National Youth Folk Ensemble - an update from the EFDSS Education
Department on current work and future plans.
· Tom Besford, Chief Executive, English Folk Expo - a presentation
about EFEx, covering their response during COVID 19, an overview of their
Artist Development Programme and their Promoter Training Programme,
including Rochdale Folk Festival.
· Georgia Woodhead, clog dance teacher with Oakenhoof Folk Arts – an
overview of their work, including a practical session.
· Kath Becker and Sorrel Harty, Bolton Music Service - setting up and
running the Greater Manchester Folk Ensemble, and more widely about Bolton
Music Service and the Greater Manchester Music Hub.
· Rebecca Denniff, Flash Company Arts - a presentation of their
Plough Stots project in Yorkshire, including a practical session.
· Bella Hardy, Learning Programme Manager*, *Band on the Wall – an
overview of their work, including a practical session.
Having been enthused by the speakers' presentations, there will
be the opportunity for discussion and sharing of ideas in breakout rooms.
The agenda will be available soon and you can *book your free place here
now!*
<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.efdss.org%2fwhats-o…>
*****************************************
*Here's a bit more information about EFDSS' Folk Educators Group...*
The Folk Educators Group
<https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fwww.efdss.org%2flearnin…>
is a national networking group of folk arts educators from across England
and beyond, run by the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS). Our
membership encompasses all forms of the folk arts and we currently have
over 360 members.
Established in March 2011 the Group has become a rapidly growing network
committed to promoting high quality folk arts education and supporting the
practitioners who deliver it.
It exists to provide peer information and support, and to encourage
dialogue with the wider worlds of culture, learning and participation. The
Folk Educators Group also offers other organisations a platform through
which to consult, or inform, a committed group of folk arts educators.
CDMR has some news since my last announcement. Please share this far and wide…
————————————————————
Country Dance Music Radio is now playing at
https://radio.contracorner.com <https://radio.contracorner.com/>
CDMR’s first purpose is to provide a two-way support between musicians and dancers. Dancers can get some of that missing musical uplift any time day or night, and musicians can get your donations and purchases to help support them. Zoom concerts are just once (unless I can record them!) but CDMR is always there for you. Please listen in sometime soon!
✦ The North Bay Country Dance Society is hosting a Zoom concert featuring Rodney Miller, and Country Dance Music Radio will simulcast it! In this way lots more people can hear the concert. It will be recorded and repeated thereafter on CDMR.
The concert is Saturday, May 9
—Pacific time: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
—Eastern US time: 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Details are here: https://radio.contracorner.com/news/rodney-miller-live-and-a.html <https://radio.contracorner.com/news/rodney-miller-live-and-a.html>
✦ CDMR’s schedule has been renovated. Now you will find segments focused on song, dance, waltzing, calm time, and short musician spotlights.
You can reach the DJ at bob(a)contracorner.com <mailto:bob@contracorner.com>.
Staying safe but missing our dancing,
\Bob Peterson
Country Dance Music Radio https://radio.contracorner.com <https://radio.contracorner.com/>
Hello Shared Weight community,
I’m sorry for the short notice, but I need to move the mailing lists to a different host this evening. There will be some down time between now and 10pm EST. No messages will be lost, though there may be duplicates in the digests.
I’ll send another email once the move is complete.
Nitty gritty details: AWS hosting looked like the right option, but their pricing structure is not clear. Turns out to cost nearly 2x what I had expected. I am moving us (back) to Linode, where we should have stayed all along. Better service, clear pricing, good support.
Seth
Hello fellow dance organizers,
I’m reaching out on behalf of CDSS regarding two items that we hope may be
of interest to some of you. (Apologies if you are on a few Shared Weight
lists as I'm sending similar messages to many of the lists.)
*1. Are you offering any online events for traditional dance, music, and/or
song?*
Many of you may know of this but in case you don't.... CDSS is maintaining
an extensive list of online events and we would be happy to include your
events as part of the list. Events can be free, by donation, or involve a
fee. Take a quick peek - there are jam sessions, online concerts,
workshops, sings, etc.
We’ve been sharing the event listing widely through our network and we
feature a handful of events each week through social media.
Check out the event listing here:
https://www.cdss.org/community/covid19/online-events
Submit an online event here:
https://www.cdss.org/community/events-calendar/submit-an-event
*2. Do you know of great resources for children and parents who enjoy
traditional dance, music, and/or song?*
We would love to include them as part of the new Families section of our
Resource Portal which is officially launching this weekend. A few notes:
-These particular resources need to be free (or for sale in the CDSS
store).
-If you’re not familiar with other sections of our Resource Portal, the
format of resources vary greatly (e.g., link to external website; online
video; audio clip; PDF of an activity).
-At this critical time of physical distancing, we're particularly looking
for resources that parents can access online. However, we welcome other
resources as well (e.g., lists of books they can find in their local
library).
Check out the Families section here (in development):
https://www.cdss.org/resources/resource-portal/families
Submit a resource here: https://www.cdss.org/share-your-resource
With thanks!
Emily Addison
Writing from Ottawa, ON
<http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…>
Virus-free.
www.avg.com
<http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…>
<#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
Dance organizers, if you would kindly let your dancers know the following, it will help the musicians who need everyone’s support during the dearth of dancing. I appreciate your support in forwarding this.
\Bob Peterson
Country Dance Music Radio - https://radio.contracorner.com
bob(a)contracorner.com
395 Concord Road
Billerica, MA 01821
(978) 496-6731
———
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Country Dance Music Radio (CDMR) is a new Internet streaming radio station dedicated to playing traditional dance music for the enjoyment of dancers. Programming includes contra, English country, and more. We’ve just added these musicians and bands:
- Alex Sturbaum
- Anadama
- Chip Prince and Ilya Levin
- Daron Douglas
- Chimney Swift
- Golden Bantam String Band
- Newport String Project
- The Poor Cousins
You can listen here:
https://radio.contracorner.com/ <https://radio.contracorner.com/>
Please spread the news to your dancing friends and musicians! More music and musicians are being added all the time.
Most importantly, PLEASE DONATE BACK TO THE MUSICIANS who’ve so generously lent their music to the station and played for us at our dances. Many of these are selling even more of their music than appears on the station, so don’t miss out of the music even if you can’t dance.
The station runs all day and night. This is a great complement to the live-streamed concerts popping up now and then. Radio is available wherever and whenever. You can listen through your smartphone or your computer. And watch the site for special programming that will be developed.
All my best wishes to you,
\Bob Peterson
bob(a)contracorner.com
Country Dance Music Radio - https://radio.contracorner.com/ <https://radio.contracorner.com/>
