Here are some thoughts from Belfast ME re: Lisa's questions:
Organizers, what are your plans for restarting your dances?
At our most recent (online) board meeting, we agreed that we have no firm plan, beyond waiting until it seems safe to dance and continuing to reevaluate as time passes. So much depends on the ever-evolving situation. Whenever we do feel able restart our monthly dances and our outreach programs in the community, we're going to be really really happy.
...What should our organizations be doing [until they start up again]?
We are sending occasional updates to our email list, including a series of blog posts called Rays of Sunshine, trying to highlight some bright spots out there, either related to dance/music or our local community or both. rays-of-sunshine-march-24/<http://belfastflyingshoes.org/rays-of-sunshine-march-24/> and rays-of-sunshine-april-3/<http://belfastflyingshoes.org/rays-of-sunshine-april-3/> are examples. This blog series is therapeutic for us, as a board, and we've gotten positive feedback.
We're also sharing online offerings of music/dance on our FB page, just to help spread the word.
facebook.com/Belfast-Flying-Shoes-Dance-Series-35211723615/<https://www.facebook.com/Belfast-Flying-Shoes-Dance-Series-35211723615/>
And we're doing some groundwork for our organization, which has a varied palette of programs beyond our monthly programs. belfastflyingshoes.org/outreach/<http://belfastflyingshoes.org/outreach/>
And finally, we're continuing the fundraising effort <http://belfastflyingshoes.org/fundraising-2020/> that we leapt into on February 29, albeit with tempered expectations, given the current societal and financial upheaval.
I encourage everyone to consider reaching out to your constituents for financial support -- too many of our organizations run on a razor thin margin, and there are definitely people out there who would be happy to keep an organization from folding. CDSS hosted a web chat about fundraising - here is the webchat page<https://www.cdss.org/resources/events/web-chats> - and I recently read about a local movement by folks of modest needs who plan to donate their federal relief checks to worthwhile causes. Worth keeping in mind.
What conversations are you having within your organizations?
We are re-evaluating on a regular basis, monitoring our local situation and recommendations from our governor, state CDC, and national CDC.
We are also discussing options for holding events that aren't quite as high touch as our dances - for example, outdoor concerts, online concerts, jam sessions, etc.
We're also clear that we are very lucky to have such a strong local culture of trad music and dance. And that we in most parts of Maine are doubly lucky, given the low population density and preponderance of natural beauty. Hearing my neighbors play tunes on banjo and fiddle or sing with tight harmonies, while I weed my flower beds, is a balm for the soul.
And I, personally, am refining a concept suggested by one of those same neighbors, of dancing with foam swimming noodles as arm-extenders (glue a glove onto the end of each noodle). That way everyone can "connect" with the noodles instead of hands, maintaining a greater-than-six-feet distance from one's fellow dancers. Can't you picture the stars and circles and allemandes? I admit, it needs work. But it gives me pleasure to imagine it.
Chrissy Fowler
Belfast Flying Shoes
Belfast ME
** ** **
Dance Calling | Transcription | Belfast Flying Shoes
chrissyfowler.com<http://www.chrissyfowler.com> | westbranchwords.com<http://www.westbranchwords.com> | belfastflyingshoes.org/blog<http://www.belfastflyingshoes.org/blog>
<http://www.chrissyfowler.com>
(207) 338-0979
I think waiting for a vaccine is overkill. At some point, you have to let
people make up their own minds. There will be a few things to consider: 1)
At some point, restaurants, sporting events, and schools will all start
back up again. 2) Mass testing and antibody testing will become active. 3)
Hopefully some treatments will present statistically significant efficacy.
4) Staying cooped up and without socialization are already resulting in
increased suicide rates and are generally unhealthy in the first place.
What 1) means is that people will start coming in contact with people
again, even if it means in the background of at-the-door temperature
checks, abundant hand sanitizer, etc., and our dances wouldn't be the only
risk factor in one's life by far. 2) means that we will be able to make far
more knowledgeable decisions on who should go out. It also means that if
you do feel sick, you'd be able to get tested and treated early. You'd also
be able to know if you're already immune. 3) , especially in conjunction
with 2), means that covid-19 becomes less fatal. There are I think
something like 300 clinical trials in progress looking for treatments. Some
are garbage, but others are showing promise. 4) means that there is
pressure from the other end saying that at some point, the danger posed by
socializing becomes lower than the danger posed by continued isolation.
While I don't think those will all come at the same time or in quick
succession, I think they'll all be true before a vaccine is approved for
use in the US. I think 1) is two to three months away, 2) is probably two
months away, 3) could be realized by the end of this month (albeit
production capabilities would need to ramp up), and 4) is beyond my
knowledge base. The kicker, in my mind, is that that means potentially
dancing in August? But then it's likely that we'll see a resurgence in fall
again, and we'll see if our capabilities mean we go on lockdown again or do
the S. Korea approaches of widespread, aggressive testing with contact
tracing.
Jonathan Roveto
Owner/Member
Fair Oaks Holdings, LLC
Cell: (559) 961-7497
PO Box 684492
Marietta, GA 30068
On Thu, Apr 9, 2020 at 9:22 AM Lisa Sieverts via Organizers <
organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Organizers, what are your plans for restarting your dances?
>
> I had a conversation with a smart person the other day, who said “we
> probably can’t dance again until there is a vaccine for this corona
> virus.” And that might be 12-18 months away.
>
> If that’s the case, what should our organizations be doing during that
> period of time? And how many dances just won’t restart?
>
> What conversations are you having within your organizations?
>
> Thank you,
> Lisa
> Monadnock Folklore Society
>
> Lisa Sieverts
> 603-762-0235
> lisa(a)lisasieverts.com
> _______________________________________________
> Organizers mailing list -- organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> To unsubscribe send an email to organizers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>
Hi,
One thing I'm doing which might be worth sharing: I have started a *new*
e-mail list for sending out information about virtual dances, videos, etc.
Because I think that some people will not be interested, and I don't want
those people to unsubscribe from my main group mailing list for when we
restart, some sunny day.
regards,
ajr, dancing in and near Toronto, Canada
We are dancing via Zoom, lots of ECD dances being adapted or written for one or two people. Using recorded music.
Is it ideal? No. But we can see each other moving and it is the best we can do. It has been lots of fun and a wonderful way to stay connected.
We plan to keep this going until we can dance in person. We are keeping to the regular weekly dance schedule.
Best wishes to everyone
Cathy Campbell - Toronto English Country Dance Assembly
-----Original Message-----
From: Lisa Sieverts via Organizers <organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: April 9, 2020 9:22 AM
To: A list for dance organizers <organizers(a)sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Organizers] It might be a long time until we dance again
Organizers, what are your plans for restarting your dances?
I had a conversation with a smart person the other day, who said “we probably can’t dance again until there is a vaccine for this corona virus.” And that might be 12-18 months away.
If that’s the case, what should our organizations be doing during that period of time? And how many dances just won’t restart?
What conversations are you having within your organizations?
Thank you,
Lisa
Monadnock Folklore Society
Lisa Sieverts
603-762-0235
lisa(a)lisasieverts.com
_______________________________________________
Organizers mailing list -- organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to organizers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Our dance organizers have not had the conversation. But here are the same thoughts I would express to them if we had that conversation this week.
I think resumption will follow this pattern. Each organizer will make their own individual decision about when they will be safe to help run a dance. Dancers and performers will likewise. As a result, dances can only resume if enough organizers and performers for a dance series decide to resume it. Hopefully they don’t need 100% of the organizers, but many series are run by very few people.
Dances stand a good chance of losing money (more than usual, anyway) for months until enough dancers decide to come.
Performers will face pressure to decide between health safety (their own and the dancers) versus income/supporting dances. Hopefully no one adds peer pressure to anyone else, but that seems unlikely. I imagine the most powerful pressure arguments will include “Our dance will die if we don’t resume now!” “Our venue’s regular reservation will be taken by some other group!” “We need to support our artists!”.
\Bob Peterson
Boston Gender Free Contra Dance
PS I haven’t even considered how dances must change to reduce virus transmission. That’s a related but separate topic.
> On Apr 9, 2020, at 09:22, Lisa Sieverts via Organizers <organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Organizers, what are your plans for restarting your dances?
>
> I had a conversation with a smart person the other day, who said “we probably can’t dance again until there is a vaccine for this corona virus.” And that might be 12-18 months away.
>
> If that’s the case, what should our organizations be doing during that period of time? And how many dances just won’t restart?
>
> What conversations are you having within your organizations?
>
> Thank you,
> Lisa
> Monadnock Folklore Society
>
> Lisa Sieverts
> 603-762-0235
> lisa(a)lisasieverts.com
> _______________________________________________
> Organizers mailing list -- organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> To unsubscribe send an email to organizers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Organizers, what are your plans for restarting your dances?
I had a conversation with a smart person the other day, who said “we
probably can’t dance again until there is a vaccine for this corona
virus.” And that might be 12-18 months away.
If that’s the case, what should our organizations be doing during that
period of time? And how many dances just won’t restart?
What conversations are you having within your organizations?
Thank you,
Lisa
Monadnock Folklore Society
Lisa Sieverts
603-762-0235
lisa(a)lisasieverts.com
We can't dance without each other but we dancers have other overlapping
interests. This happened kind of organically, but myself and a few other
dancers scattered across the country started an ongoing movie night. We use
Kast ( https://www.kastapp.co/ ), which is a program (or browser plugin)
which enables users to stream their webcam or what's on their screen, so
people can share movies and chat. Ours is a smaller private group which
makes communication easier than if you tried to make a movie night with
your whole local dance group (this way also you can find people with your
interests / movie or activity preferences / political leanings).
For musicians in our extended community that miss playing with others,
there's another program that is a little more tricky to use than Kast,
which is called Jamulus ( https://sourceforge.net/projects/llcon/reviews/ ).
It's for jamming in as close to real time as you can get over the internet.
It's a bit harder to figure out but there are guides, maybe read before
downloading to know what you're getting into (
https://www.facebook.com/notes/jamulus-online-musicianssingers-jamming/idio…
)
and I found a FB support group (
https://www.facebook.com/groups/507047599870191/ ) for help using it.
These solutions, I suppose, are best for smaller groups. I like that we
have our respective local Facebook groups open for dancers to communicate
within, but I do wonder about the older dancers and other non-FB users in
our dance group. There's always email that could go out to our dance
members but then what would we say as just an announcement rather than
back-and-forth engagement? And I do know some individuals are regularly
checking up on people, if they have each other's phone numbers. It could be
nice to share dancing videos with each other and talk about dancing, but
for me personally, it usually makes me feel sad. The talking about and
sharing of stories of dancing exist peripherally because of the dancing
itself, which we can't do. In fact, we participate in what I'm convinced
will be one of the last activities allowed again, after everything else has
opened back up again. It's sad and scary and depressing but it's a good
thing that we're trying to stay connected. I am mentioning that because I
know there's a lot of people who dance who aren't as passionate about it as
other people (like myself and other people on this list); so they may not
care to stay in touch or it might make them feel worse to be reminded of
something they can't do. I'm all for creative, opt-in ideas to connect each
other.
Hey, maybe local communities can do a sort of secret santa, except everyone
cooks or creates something with things they have in the house, and then
delivers it to someone else in the community. (People who don't want to
touch things can leave it outside for 3 days, and we can encourage good
hand hygiene during creation). I'm thinking art and food; trading sewing
projects and books.... Just a thought!
Sounds like a great idea Sarah!
A group to work on masks would likely attract a large group... I think many
people are already doing that and I'd like to make a few too.
I think that any way that we can make connections at this time is great and
we can all find different ways of doing that based upon our personal and
community situations. I know that many of our dance organizations are going
to need lots of love in the months to come.
:) Emily in Ottawa
This is Sarah Roberts, using my husband, Larry Koplik's membership. I
know that people do what they need to do to get through this time, which
for many reasons is tougher for some than others, and they help in the
ways that they can, such as delivering groceries for neighbors.
For me, making face masks is a way of coping with a worry by doing
something about it. I worry that medical workers will die, terrible
enough in itself, and then there will be nobody to take care of the sick
people. The doctor who I'm sewing for is a friend, though not a dancer.
Many of our dancers are healthcare workers, and I worry about losing
them. I'm not against people making quilts; that's the way I coped with
two miscarriages. When there are enough face masks, I might make a quilt
from my scraps, or maybe a patchwork dance skirt. We could have a quilt
show in a year or two.
I do sometimes feel lonely and isolated in my sewing room making face
masks, and would love the support of my fellow dancers in this project.
I, and maybe other contra dancers making masks, could use a forum to
share encouragement, advice and tips, supplies, frustrations, triumphs,
compliments, not to mention to recruit more sewers, and any non-sewers
who might be willing to help with non-sewing tasks such as sewing
machine maintenance, drop-off and pick-up, sharing supplies,
pre-shrinking fabric, cutting, pinning, etc. Maybe next year all this
will lead to dancers' sewing classes or quilting groups.
Sarah (Roberts)
On 4/6/2020 7:56 AM, Chrissy Fowler via Organizers wrote:
> Thanks Sarah, for this important reminder! We all need to stick
> together, and remember that there are many many many ways to act
> positively in this unprecedented situation.
>
> Here in Maine, we have all sorts of wackiness going on, including
> vigilantes who are tailing out of state cars for "bringing Covid-19"
> here, and people who are angry at privileged summer residents for
> coming here earlier than usual, from NYC and CT and other
> high-community-spread places. And wackiness of people like me who are
> enraged that access to all Maine beaches is banned -- since seeing
> that water and sand and rock is a necessary balm for the soul. (Yes, I
> ignored that edict, but it still troubles me more than I'd have
> imagined.)
>
> And Bread and Roses is the perfect song for today* As the song goes,
> "Our lives shall not be sweated, from birth until life closes. Hearts
> starve as well as bodies, give us bread but give us roses." and
> "Small art and love and beauty their trudging spirits knew—
> Yes, it is Bread we fight for—but we fight for Roses, too."
>
> Things I'm especially worried about are these:
> -small businesses failing because they are not "essential" (including
> ones that are in the "roses" category)
> -workers in "essential" businesses being put at risk and paid poorly
> to boot (grocery clerks, Amazon workers, mail delivery folks at US
> Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, etc)
> -dance and music and song organizers watching their volunteer
> organizations crumble with crippling financial losses and the
> stigmatizing of all activities that are based in positive human contact
> -at risk children living at home in unsafe conditions when they
> typically would have some sort of respite at school
> -the politics of oppression marching onward, continuing its dirty work
> of dismantling environmental protections, eroding human rights,
> codifying the control of women's bodies, legislating unequal
> distribution of wealth.
>
> I could go on and on.
>
> Anyway, thanks to everyone who's working hard, in whatever ways they
> can, to keep a positive attitude and to work for the common good.
>
> With all good wishes,
> Chrissy Fowler
> Belfast, ME
>
> *April 6, 1882 is the birth date of Rose Schneiderman in Sawin,
> Poland. She was a US labor leader who dramatized the Triangle
> Shirtwaist Factory fire. Noted for phrase "Bread and Roses" associated
> with 1912 textile strike of immigrant women workers.
>
> //** ** **
> //
>
> //Dance Calling//| ////Transcription//| //Belfast Flying Shoes
> //
>
> //chrissyfowler.com <http://www.chrissyfowler.com> |
> westbranchwords.com <http://www.westbranchwords.com> |
> belfastflyingshoes.org/blog <http://www.belfastflyingshoes.org/blog>/
> <http://www.chrissyfowler.com>/
>
> /(207) 338-0979/
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Sarah Gowan via Organizers <organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
> *Sent:* Monday, April 6, 2020 7:25 AM
> *To:* organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> <organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
> *Subject:* [Organizers] Re: Maintaining contact with our communities
> Might I suggest that there is no right or wrong way to pandemic - there is
> only taking care of ourselves and each other in the best ways we can. The
> quarantines are likely to last longer than most of us ever imagined and I
> think those of us who have been sidelined from our regular activities will
> find the time for both creative and useful crafting. At this moment I¹m
> gazing at a mountain of scraps left over from making masks and mentally
> arranging the pieces into quilt designs. Oh my, maybe that¹s the project -
> Quaranquilts? Quiltantines? Mask-arade?
>
> As the saying goes, "Bread for all, and roses too².
>
> Sarah G.
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Organizers mailing list -- organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> To unsubscribe send an email to organizers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Thanks Sarah, for this important reminder! We all need to stick together, and remember that there are many many many ways to act positively in this unprecedented situation.
Here in Maine, we have all sorts of wackiness going on, including vigilantes who are tailing out of state cars for "bringing Covid-19" here, and people who are angry at privileged summer residents for coming here earlier than usual, from NYC and CT and other high-community-spread places. And wackiness of people like me who are enraged that access to all Maine beaches is banned -- since seeing that water and sand and rock is a necessary balm for the soul. (Yes, I ignored that edict, but it still troubles me more than I'd have imagined.)
And Bread and Roses is the perfect song for today* As the song goes, "Our lives shall not be sweated, from birth until life closes. Hearts starve as well as bodies, give us bread but give us roses." and "Small art and love and beauty their trudging spirits knew—
Yes, it is Bread we fight for—but we fight for Roses, too."
Things I'm especially worried about are these:
-small businesses failing because they are not "essential" (including ones that are in the "roses" category)
-workers in "essential" businesses being put at risk and paid poorly to boot (grocery clerks, Amazon workers, mail delivery folks at US Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, etc)
-dance and music and song organizers watching their volunteer organizations crumble with crippling financial losses and the stigmatizing of all activities that are based in positive human contact
-at risk children living at home in unsafe conditions when they typically would have some sort of respite at school
-the politics of oppression marching onward, continuing its dirty work of dismantling environmental protections, eroding human rights, codifying the control of women's bodies, legislating unequal distribution of wealth.
I could go on and on.
Anyway, thanks to everyone who's working hard, in whatever ways they can, to keep a positive attitude and to work for the common good.
With all good wishes,
Chrissy Fowler
Belfast, ME
*April 6, 1882 is the birth date of Rose Schneiderman in Sawin, Poland. She was a US labor leader who dramatized the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Noted for phrase "Bread and Roses" associated with 1912 textile strike of immigrant women workers.
** ** **
Dance Calling | Transcription | Belfast Flying Shoes
chrissyfowler.com<http://www.chrissyfowler.com> | westbranchwords.com<http://www.westbranchwords.com> | belfastflyingshoes.org/blog<http://www.belfastflyingshoes.org/blog>
<http://www.chrissyfowler.com>
(207) 338-0979
________________________________
From: Sarah Gowan via Organizers <organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Monday, April 6, 2020 7:25 AM
To: organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <organizers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Organizers] Re: Maintaining contact with our communities
Might I suggest that there is no right or wrong way to pandemic - there is
only taking care of ourselves and each other in the best ways we can. The
quarantines are likely to last longer than most of us ever imagined and I
think those of us who have been sidelined from our regular activities will
find the time for both creative and useful crafting. At this moment I¹m
gazing at a mountain of scraps left over from making masks and mentally
arranging the pieces into quilt designs. Oh my, maybe that¹s the project -
Quaranquilts? Quiltantines? Mask-arade?
As the saying goes, "Bread for all, and roses too².
Sarah G.
