HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jrobie@netmbx.netmbx.de (Jonathan Robie)
Subject: What makes dances grow ? (Was  Re: Dance demos (was Re: Scottish Country Demo Dancing))
Organization: netmbx, Berlin, Germany
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 08:38:15 GMT

takoosma@utkvx1.utk.edu (Toby Koosman) writes:

>jrobie@netmbx.netmbx.de (Jonathan Robie) writes...
>>                                                                  
>>What my dancers really want to do is get other people interted in contras.
>>I do too--our group is currently around 14-16 dancers, and there are lots
>>of dances I just can't do with this size group.
>> 
>>But I don't know if demos are the right way to go....
>> 
>I'm inclined to think not.  That contra dancing has mushroomed all over owes
>little to these kinds of presentations.  Hell, morris dancers dance in public
>constantly and we have a whole lot more trouble recruiting new people than 
>any social dance would (what we'd do for 14-16 dancers!)

>I don't know what makes dance groups grow, in my experience it doesn't
>correlate to organized efforts at promotion.  One thing that has turned out
>to be critical to contra dancing here has been the place where it's held.
>After the Laurel Theatre burned in '82 we went through a succession of worse
>and worse places to dance, suffering attrition at every move, until we were
>reduced to about the size of the dance Jonathan describes and were dancing in
>a classroom.  After we got back into the Laurel Theatre in '86 we started to
>build numbers back up.  (The Laurel is a restored Victorian church whose
>congregation long ago moved to the suburbs, which subsequently fell under
>folkie occupation).  Apart from that nothing we have done has had proven
>impact on our numbers--indeed, we've had a real boom lately without doing
>any publicity at all; we're not even listed in the paper.  

>There's clearly a critical mass you have to achieve before you get growth
>momentum.  Before that, you have to be a salesman, talking it up where you
>can.  Roger Knox is said to have started the Oak Ridge International Folk
>Dancers by recruiting people on the train bound there during WWII.  But
>the thing you have to sell folks on is not how interesting it looks but how much
>fun it is to do.  In theory, a demo with audience participation might
>accomplish this, but I can't say I've ever seen it work.  In any event if
>you're going to do a demo it should look good, or you'll turn people off
>before you ever get a chance to push them into the fray.

>Toby Koosman
>University of Tennessee   Knoxville, Tennessee  USA
>Internet: koosman@utkvx.utk.edu     Bitnet: koosman@utkvx
-- 
Jonathan

===========================================================================

Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
From: kiran@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (Kiran Wagle)
Subject: Contra dancing in Baltimore?
Organization: Indiana University
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 08:15:42 GMT

A friend has recently moved to Baltimore, and wonders about the contra
dance scene there.  If anyone can send me information, I'll pass it on
to her.

Thanks in advance,
	-Kiran

-- 
"Dance, v.i. To leap about to the sound of tittering music, preferably
 with arms about your neighbor's wife or daughter.  There are many
 kinds of dances, but all those requiring the participation of the two
 sexes have two characteristics in common: they are conspicuously
 innocent, and warmly loved by the vicious."
 ............................Ambrose Bierce, _The Devil's Dictionary_
-- 

Kiran Wagle                           <kiran@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
From: jrobie@netmbx.netmbx.de (Jonathan Robie)
Subject: Re: Dance demos (was Re: Scottish Country Demo Dancing)
Organization: netmbx, Berlin, Germany
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 06:42:05 GMT


Toby Koosman writes:

The bottom line is that performing is not, per se, dancing.  You don't want to 
overly exaggerate or cutsify your dance, but you need to work on presentation
and think about lots of considerations that don't apply to recreational dance.
I see nothing wrong with refusing to do demos if you don't want to do the work
and you feel it's got nothing to do with what you took up dancing for.


What my dancers really want to do is get other people interted in contras.
I do too--our group is currently around 14-16 dancers, and there are lots
of dances I just can't do with this size group.

But I don't know if demos are the right way to go....


Jonathan
-- 
Jonathan

===========================================================================
From: kvry@troi.cc.rochester.edu (Kevin Ryan)
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
Subject: A la MAIN
Date: 10 Nov 92 15:35:32 GMT
Organization: University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)


	Even though the Allamande controversy has subsided, I
found this anecdote which I thought had an interesting bit of
trivia.  I guess it would have been clear where "allamande" came
from, had I ever thought about it... :-)

"
And...I sort of enjoyed the third dance!  Except this time I was
dancing as a woman and I haven't figured out how to kindly say in
8 beats or less, "Excuse me, you insufferable clod, you're holding
my waist much to roughly and this swing is very uncomfortable."
Plus all the women seem to know how to do thumb-grip allemands,
plus all the inexperienced men, but there are a couple of experienced
men, who I like even, who for god only knows what reason give me
their wrist to allemand with.  I'm getting very good at 
[the] technique of limply disengaging my wrist from this
ridiculous grasp.  I'd like to try bilingual reproofs "Excuse me,
this is an "A la MAIN" not an "A la POIGNET" (poignet is French for
wrist) but I suspect the point would be lost.
"
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
From: rost@rgb.dec.com (My name is Brian Rost)
Subject: Re: Piano vs Guitar in contra bands
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Distribution: usa
Date:  6 NOV 92 12:08:46    


In article <Bx775y.IB7@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, cottle@cmp-rt.music.uiuc.edu (David M. Cottle) writes...
> 
>Recently there was a discussion about instrumentation when
>forming contra bands.  I expressed the opinion that the
>piano is not well suited for this medium.  I just attended
>three dances (almost in a row) where the band "Coastbusters"
>played (Randy Miller? and Linda Handelson?).  I take back
>everything I said about the piano.  In the hands (under the
>hands) of a talented musician it is a wonderful instrument for
>contra style musics.  I guess what I should say is that a
>mediocre guitarist is more palitable than a mediocre pianist.

I see from your address you are in Illinois.  Here in New England, a piano plus
fiddle is the basis for most contradance outfits.  In fact, pianoless bands are
uncommon. 

Being a bassist myself and new to playing contras (and to this newsgroup, not
to dancing them) I find it tough to define a "space" for the bass when a piano
is present.  Also, since the music is largely played on melodic instruments, it
seems that the chord progressions used are often at the whim of the pianist. 
I'd love to hear from other bassists about what they have done to deal with
these problems.

					Brian Rost @rgb.enet.dec.com

					508-568-6115

	****************************************************
	*						   *
	*  The above does not reflect the opinions of	   *
	*  my employer.					   *
	*						   *
	*  If music is outlawed, only outlaws will be      *	   
	*  musicians.					   *
	*						   *
	****************************************************

Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
From: billmers@merlyn.enet.dec.com (Meyer Billmers)
Subject: Re: Dates for 1993 Dance Flurry and NEFFA
Reply-To: billmers@merlyn.enet.dec.com (Meyer Billmers)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 13:31:18 GMT

In <9211112020.AA15777@slate.cs.rochester.edu> (Dates for 1993 Dance
Flurry and NEFFA),

>Does anyone know for sure when they will be?

>Diane Reiman

NEFFA is April 23-25, 1993 at Natick High School.
From: thurlow@convex.com (Robert Thurlow)
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
Subject: Looking for contra dancing in Dallas area
Date: 6 Nov 92 22:38:31 GMT
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

Hi, folks.  I was up in Philadelphia last weekend visiting a friend,
and I went with her to try contra dancing.  It was great!  I'd like
to link up with a group doing contra dancing, or something similar,
in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  If anyone has information about this
kind of dancing in my area, please let me know.  Thanks!

Rob T
--
Rob Thurlow, thurlow@convex.com
"I get so tickled debunking bad personal philosophy." - Milquetoast
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
From: zielke@hemlock.nrl.navy.mil (David Zielke)
Subject: DC and Annapolis Contras
Organization: Naval Research Laboratory
Distribution: rec
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 00:28:20 GMT

As I don't get the DC or Annapolis papers I am trying to figure out where
the Annapolis contras are as well as if the DC dance held during the summer
at Glen Echo has moved for the winter and if so, where.

David
From: holcomg@atlantis.CS.ORST.EDU (Gordon Holcomb)
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
Subject: COLUMBUS OHIO
Date: 9 Nov 92 17:01:39 GMT
Article-I.D.: leela.1992Nov9.170139.3569
Distribution: usa
Organization: Computer Science Outreach Services - Oregon State University

I'm going to be in Columbus in late December and early January, and I'm
looking for dancing in the central Ohio area to go to while I'm there.
I'd like to hear about any IFD, Scandanavian, or Contra dancing.

Thanks,

Gordon
From: jc@minya.UUCP (John Chambers)
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
Subject: Re: query about boston folkdancing
Date: 11 Nov 92 12:49:27 GMT
Article-I.D.: minya.1390

In article <1992Nov7.033605.19094@cs.uoregon.edu>, pdm@sisters.cs.uoregon.edu (peter d. mark) writes:
> a friend of mine from the west coast is planning to be in the boston
> area from dec 27 - jan 3 and would like to know about folk dance 
> opportunities in the boston area.  of particular interest are
> any notable weekend-length dance workshops or dance-related special
> events.  

Call the Folk Arts Center in Cambridge, 617/491-6084.   They  are  the
main clearinghouse for folk dance events (and run some of them).  They
can also give you names and numbers for specific dance groups.

> please e-mail any pertinent info to me  rather than, or at least
> in addition to posting.  my usenet access is somewhat problematic
> since i must telnet to a (very) remote site in order to read
> these groups.
> 
> pdmark@colby.edu  (please use this address, not the one in the header)

Sorry, that bounced instantly.  The mailer here (which has the  usenet
maps,  but  no Internet access) doesn't have a clue as to how it might
reach you.

-- 
All opinions Copyright (c) 1992 by John Chambers. Inquire for licensing at:
1-617-647-1813 ...!{bu.edu,harvard.edu,eddie.mit.edu,ruby.ora.com}!minya!jc 
--
Pensu tutmonde; agu loke.
From: pearl@sw.stratus.com (Dan Pearl)
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
Subject: Re: What is the current address for the folkdance server?
Date: 11 Nov 92 14:31:51 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: spectacle.sw.stratus.com

I asked someone in the know, and they said that the server has been
moved to Boston, somewhere, and that the new maintainers are tinkering
with it before they put it up again.

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Pearl  **  Stratus Computer, Inc.  **  pearl@spectacle.sw.stratus.com
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
From: philhowr@unix.cie.rpi.edu (Bob Philhower)
Subject: Re: Dates for 1993 Dance Flurry and NEFFA
Organization: CIE, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 17:29:50 GMT

In <9211112020.AA15777@slate.cs.rochester.edu> (Dates for 1993 Dance
>Flurry and NEFFA),
>
>Does anyone know for sure when they will be?
>
>Diane Reiman

According to the calendar maker for HMCD (the Dance Flurry sponsors)
the dance flurry will be February 12-14 at the Farnsworth Middle
School in Guilderland, New York.  Flyers are being prepared and the
information will be in the December/January/February HMCD dance
calendar.

If you need more information, please contact me.

Robert Philhower		            (philhowr@unix.cie.rpi.edu)
Rensselaer Center for Integrated Electronics                     
CII 6111 / Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute / Troy, NY  12180 / USA
From: pearl@sw.stratus.com (Dan Pearl)
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
Subject: Re: Dance demos (was Re: Scottish Country Demo Dancing)
Date: 12 Nov 92 15:06:17 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: spectacle.sw.stratus.com

In article <8JT8TRR@netmbx.netmbx.de>, jrobie@netmbx.netmbx.de (Jonathan Robie) writes:
> What my dancers really want to do is get other people interted in contras.
> I do too--our group is currently around 14-16 dancers, and there are lots
> of dances I just can't do with this size group.
> 
> But I don't know if demos are the right way to go....

Try periodic "bring-a-friend-for-free" nights, with the program designed to
accomodate newcomers.  The best advertising your group could do is 
word-of-mouth.  

 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Pearl  **  Stratus Computer, Inc.  **  pearl@spectacle.sw.stratus.com
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
From: jrobie@netmbx.netmbx.de (Jonathan Robie)
Subject: Growing a dance ( was Re: Dance demos (was Re: Scottish Country Demo Dancing))
Organization: netmbx, Berlin, Germany
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 08:35:56 GMT

pearl@sw.stratus.com (Dan Pearl) writes:

>Try periodic "bring-a-friend-for-free" nights, with the program designed to
>accomodate newcomers.  The best advertising your group could do is 
>word-of-mouth.  

I am sure this is true.  It is hard to explain to people what a contra
dance is unless they can participate.

There was a cartoon in the Detroit Free Press about five years ago showing
a woman who was to demonstrate Ukranian Easter eggs on a talk show.  When
the eggs and decorating materials did not arrive, she found herself in front
of a live camera with nothing to show.  In the last frame of the cartoon she
started waving her hands, and the caption read: "Picture, if you will..."

Jonathan

(I need to figure out why the news poster keeps appending stuff under
my messages....must be in a file her somewhere....)
-- 
Jonathan

===========================================================================

Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
From: reiman@cs.rochester.edu
Subject: Dates for 1993 Dance Flurry and NEFFA
Organization: Computer Science Department University of Rochester
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 15:20:30 -0500


Does anyone know for sure when they will be?

Diane Reiman
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
From: noel2@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Noel Taylor)
Subject: Dances in Philly area this Saturday? [11/14]
Organization: HAC - Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 15:12:06 GMT


	I'll be in Philadelphia this weekend for a convention, and wondered
if there are any local contra or English Country dances this Saturday,
November 14. Information on location [including directions, please?],
cost, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

	Thanks! :-)


				Noel-Marie
From: photo@ccmail.orst.edu (Peter Freeman's Research Group)
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
Subject: Student Dancing Nights
Date: 10 Nov 92 00:48:08 GMT
Organization: Chemistry Department, Oregon State University

Hi.  We have started up a group to teach folk dance at Oregon State on 
campus.  So far we have been meeting on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:
30.  We have attracted more staff/community members than students.  When 
students do show up they say what a great time they had, and I can tell they'
re having fun.  But, they don't always come back.  We have been holding 
monthly dances on the second Saturday of the month for years, and these 
dances were being held off campus until recently.  

This weekend we are having a workshop/dance.  We hope to generate student 
interest, and we have contacted the student newspaper, the international 
studies newsletter, staff/faculty newsletter, etc.  We put out a mailing 
with the Oregon Folk Dance Federation plus sent posters to folks out of town 
who would be interested.  We plan to plaster posters all over.  The student 
newspaper will be doing an interview with us tomorrow and plan to feature 
this event in their Weekend sheet.  Unfortunately, we're competing with a 
country western dance the same night.  We also sent out public service 
announcements to radio stations/newspapers and were featured in our local 
paper.  

The ballroom dance club had a Halloween dance with $500 of expenses and 
still cleared $1100!  They hardly even advertise, but ballroom seems to be 
the thing right now.  Plus there are several ballroom dance classes and a 
performance group class which feed the club.  We have desperately tried to 
get a folkdance class back into the curriculum.  Unless the class has at 
least 20 students, it's no go due to budget constraints.  We are hoping to 
generate interest so that students will request a folkdance class.  A recent 
survey of interest showed none (but I don't think they know what it is).  

There used to be dancing outside, so people could see it. But that was 
stopped due to safety reasons of some sort.  We keep trying to do outreach 
stuff in the community too along with the community dance group.  They're 
having trouble as well, but noone has given up yet.  At the end of the year, 
if we have no new students this group is gone.  

I hope you have good luck.  It really helps to have a folkdance class in the 
curriculum somewhere and to have events on campus.  Let me know how it goes.
Maybe with the new political climate things will favor us.
Thanks.  Susie
From: ssnyder@sunai.er.usgs.gov (Steve Snyder)
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
Subject: Dances in Denver area
Date: 5 Nov 92 17:52:45 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Who me?


  I'll be in Denver for the next couple weeks, until 11/20 (lucky me).
Are there any local contra or other folk dances coming up in the
Denver area?


Thanks

Steve
From: bradl@neptune.informix.com (Brad Levy)
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
Subject: Re: Dance demos (was Re: Scottish Country Demo Dancing)
Date: 12 Nov 92 17:56:34 GMT
Organization: Informix Software, Inc.

We've done contra demos, both on a stage, and on the back of a flatbed
truck (moving in a parade!).  They are generally well received.  We do
practice beforehand, try to keep the dances easy enough to carry off with
some precision, and (when not in the parade) grab audience members for
participatory dance afterwards.  

We had an interesting experience with a parade this year.  We were reluctant
to do it (because it wasn't during the summer, short notice, etc.), but
accepted because we thought it would be good advertising for our 10th 
anniversary dance  (which was then upcoming).  Due to short notice, we
didn't even have enough dancers for a square, and only one female.  We
decided what -the- heck- and had the female pass out flyers while only
the men danced.  Just doing some figures, adapted to keep us paced with
the rest of the parade (the flatbed didn't show this time).  We were dubious
how it would be received, but just had fun with it, and the parade-watchers
loved it!

- brad levy  (bradl@informix.com, Lawrence Barn Dance Assn, Kansas)
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
From: takoosma@utkvx1.utk.edu (Toby Koosman)
Subject: Re: Dance demos (was Re: Scottish Country Demo Dancing)
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: University of Tennessee Computing Center
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 14:38:00 GMT

jrobie@netmbx.netmbx.de (Jonathan Robie) writes...
>                                                                  
>What my dancers really want to do is get other people interted in contras.
>I do too--our group is currently around 14-16 dancers, and there are lots
>of dances I just can't do with this size group.
> 
>But I don't know if demos are the right way to go....
> 
I'm inclined to think not.  That contra dancing has mushroomed all over owes
little to these kinds of presentations.  Hell, morris dancers dance in public
constantly and we have a whole lot more trouble recruiting new people than 
any social dance would (what we'd do for 14-16 dancers!)

I don't know what makes dance groups grow, in my experience it doesn't
correlate to organized efforts at promotion.  One thing that has turned out
to be critical to contra dancing here has been the place where it's held.
After the Laurel Theatre burned in '82 we went through a succession of worse
and worse places to dance, suffering attrition at every move, until we were
reduced to about the size of the dance Jonathan describes and were dancing in
a classroom.  After we got back into the Laurel Theatre in '86 we started to
build numbers back up.  (The Laurel is a restored Victorian church whose
congregation long ago moved to the suburbs, which subsequently fell under
folkie occupation).  Apart from that nothing we have done has had proven
impact on our numbers--indeed, we've had a real boom lately without doing
any publicity at all; we're not even listed in the paper.  

There's clearly a critical mass you have to achieve before you get growth
momentum.  Before that, you have to be a salesman, talking it up where you
can.  Roger Knox is said to have started the Oak Ridge International Folk
Dancers by recruiting people on the train bound there during WWII.  But
the thing you have to sell folks on is not how interesting it looks but how much
fun it is to do.  In theory, a demo with audience participation might
accomplish this, but I can't say I've ever seen it work.  In any event if
you're going to do a demo it should look good, or you'll turn people off
before you ever get a chance to push them into the fray.

Toby Koosman
University of Tennessee   Knoxville, Tennessee  USA
Internet: koosman@utkvx.utk.edu     Bitnet: koosman@utkvx
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
From: nmrdb@vms.macc.wisc.edu (BEVERLY SEAVEY)
Subject: Does anyone live in International House in Chicago, or know someone..
Organization:  University of Wisconsin Academic Computing Center
Date:  9 NOV 92 13:17:47    

Hi,
 I 'd like to establish email contact with someone who lives in International
House at the University of Chicago, or with someone who has a close
friend that lives there.

Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing
From: blanchad@rintintin.Colorado.EDU (BLANCHARD DAVID OWEN)
Subject: Re: Dances in Denver area
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 04:28:47 GMT

In article <1992Nov5.175245.6070@rsg1.er.usgs.gov> ssnyder@sunai.er.usgs.gov (Steve Snyder) writes:
>  I'll be in Denver for the next couple weeks, until 11/20 (lucky me).
>Are there any local contra or other folk dances coming up in the
>Denver area?
>
>
>Thanks
>
>Steve

There is a lot of contra, square, and international folk dance in the
Denver-Boulder area.  I do not have specifics with me, but you can
call around for info.

Try calling Tom Masterson or Donald Vukovic.  Both are in the Boulder-Denver
phone book.  (If not successful, call me.)

David Blanchard
Boulder, CO
dob@esg1.nssl.erl.gov