From: bwalls@eng.auburn.edu (Bryan K. Walls)
Subject: North Alabama Country Dance Society November newsletter
Organization: Auburn University Engineering
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 23:46:14 GMT

North Alabama Country Dance Society 
Newsletter -- November 1992

Dances at the Burritt Museum
7:30 - 10:30 PM
Saturday, November 14, 1992
Intermediate to Advanced Dancers
Friday, November 27, 1992
Beginning to Intermediate Dancers
$4.00 for paid subscribers, $5.00 for others

Calendar:  Call me for details.

Nov   6     BCDS First Friday Dance at Avondale School -- with David
            Borland's band    Birmingham, AL
      
      7-8   Pittsburgh  Fall Vintage Dance Weekend    Pittsburgh, PA
      
      10    Ashville Dance Uptown -- Fred Park calling with Richie Stearns &
            friends     Ashville, NC
      
      10    Robin & Linda Williams & Their Fine Group -- Station Inn at
            9PM   Nashville, TN
      
      14    NACDS Dance (int-adv)   Burritt Museum
      
      13-15 Club CCD -- Chattahoochee Country Dancers Weekend      Atlanta
            (?), GA
      
      13-15  Richard Powers Vintage Dance Weekend     New Haven, CT
      
      19    BCDS Third Thursday Dance -- Doodles Birmingham, AL
      
      20    Huntsville Folk Dancers Downtown YMCA 
      
      21    Anniston/Jacksonville Dancers -- Bill Martin calling with
            Toadstompers & friends  Jacksonville, AL
      
      27    NACDS Dance (beg-intermed)    Burritt Museum
      
      28    BCDS Dance -- Bill Martin calling with Ashville's Jump Off
            Rockers     Birmingham, AL
      
Dec   12    NACDS Christmas Dance -- Scott Russell
            calling     Burritt Museum
      
      12    BCDS Christmas Dance -- with Susan Boyer Haley, Bill Haley &
            Becky Boyer Birmingham, AL
      
      26-1  John C. Campbell Folk School Winter Dance Week  Brasstown,
            NC
      
      31    BCDS New Year's Dance -- with James Bryan and Norman & Nancy
            Blake Birmingham, AL

Jan   15-18 American Ski Dance Weekend    Laurel Highlands, PA

Feb   6     Swarthmore College English-Scottish
            Ball  Swarthmore, PA


Christmas Dance:  The annual Christmas dance is coming up December 12. It
will, as usual, be a special affair. We will be up at the Burritt, but
room will be at premium. To avoid a crush, we will be selling tickets in
advance this year. Get them at one of the November dances, or get in touch
with me before the dance. Don't be left out! 

News from Travelling About:
The last month I've spent a lot of time on the road or in the air, with a
week of vacation and several business trips. On vacation I got to go to
the Black Mountain Festival in Black Mountain, NC. Chrissy Davis-Camps was
there, the mountains were cloaked in fall colors, the dancing and music
were great. It was so good I decided to bring a friend back for the second
weekend, only to find it had been cancelled! By serendipity we got free
tickets to the Ashville Symphony instead, so all was not lost. Rumor has
it that financial woes caused the cut, but the festival will survive. It
truely is a lovely area! On the other side of the country, I got to dance
with an English Country group in San Jose while in the area for work.
There was a contra dance up in Berkeley the same night, if I had wanted to
drive a bit further. Don't underestimate dance opportunities on the road!
The Country Dance and Song Society publishes a book that can help you  find
out what is available in various places. The newest version is now at the
printers.  I'll give you more information on the book as I get it. 

Closer to Home: But you don't have to travel far away to find good dancing.
We had what I think was our most successful Beginning/Intermediate dance
since we've gone home to the Burritt. It was  on Friday, October 23, with
a good sized crowd with a nice mixture of beginning and more experienced
dancers, calling by Fred Beckett, and music by the Space City String Band.
And before things got started inside, there was a quick practise outside
for:  

Lily Flag Days:  Which was the very next day downtown on the
courthouse square. After a bit more practise in a handy parking garage,
eight couples danced for the public on the courthouse steps, including one
dancer, Sandra Lewis, who had never danced before Friday night! Bill
McAllister arranged the whole thing, Pat McClain called, and Chuck Weber
and Elsie Petterson played. Elsie (a different Elsie) and Beaureguarde,
the Borden cow and calf, were on hand, as well as a couple of Jersey's,
for everyone to see and meet (Lily Flag was a famous Huntsville cow for
those (like me) who didn't know). It was good fun -- thanks to all who
participated!

Suggestion Box:  Continue to drop in your suggestions, and comments in the
suggestion box each dance.   Steering committee:  The steering committee
will be meeting at 5:00PM on Sunday November 8 at Pat McClain's place,
1703 Randolph, Huntsville, 534-8907.  Membership on the steering committee
is determined by one's willingness to show up at the meeting.

Sound System for Group: We are still raising money, and looking for good
ideas for fund raising for the sound system. Drop ideas in the suggestion
box. Donations will be gladly accepted at any dance! 

Halloween Dance: The Halloween Dance brought out quite a display of
creativity and talent. The crowd was not huge, but mostly costumed in a
panoply of variety. Sorry I can't include pictures!

On a Serious Note:  Some of you may  know Gary and Diane Brock from
Crossville TN.  They were, until recently, avid contra dancers, quite
active in the Knoxville dance group, and frequent travellers to other
dances and dance festivals. Gary and Diane are now in jail in Peoria,
Illinois. They were arrested at their home in Crossville a few weeks ago,
after returning from a Monday evening dance in Knoxville.  They are
charged with crimes in connection with a number of marijuana plants found
in 1986 on some property they owned.   Gary and Diane are legally named
Leroy and Solange Erickson. They are currently incarcerated awaiting
trial. Keith Moore, a friend of mine from Knoxville, is seeking to circulate 
this information around dancing circles so that Gary and Diane's friends have
an opportunity to write them letters of support.  The letters may be
addressed to: 
Leroy Erickson          Solange Erickson 
Peoria County Jail      Peoria County Jail 
301 N. Maxwell Rd.      301 N. Maxwell Rd. 
Peoria IL  61604  Peoria IL 61604 

If you want to send a letter to both, send a copy to each one --
they aren't able to visit with or send messages to one another. They may
receive letters on paper or photocopied materials. If you want to know
more, I'll tell you what I know, and can get you in touch with Keith.

Dance Tip of the Month - Style:   Use a light walking step, moving as
smoothly as possible, with one step on each beat of the music. (Don't
skip, march, leap, or hop.) This kind of dancing flows and is connected.
That means firm hand holds as well as eye contact with the other dancers.
Newsletter subscriptions or renewals: are $6.00 a year, and can be sent
(with checks made out) to me or paid at the dance.  You are also welcome
to call with any questions about events on the calendar.  If I don't have
the information, I can tell you where to get it.

North Alabama Country Dance Society
%Bryan Walls
4304 Holmes Ave NW
Huntsville, AL 35816
(205)837-0656
bwalls@marvin.msfc.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: rec.folk-dancing