From: renzland@gov.on.ca (Peter Renzland)
Subject: Recreational Dance Calendar posted to ...
Summary: (probably a waste of time in this deadbeat group :-)
Organization: Ontario Ministry of Health, Toronto, Canada
Distribution: ont
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 05:07:52 GMT


Hi all!  Sorry I missed the Ottawa and Toronto lunches.  (Probably
stayed up too late dancing the night before. :-)

Well, from time to time I post the Toronto Dance Calendar to the Net.
I've just done it again, to rec.folk-dancing, ont.events, and tor.general.

Just in case there is anyone in this here newsgroup who suspects that
dancing might be at all enjoyable, you now know where to look for it.


I should mention that there are many different kinds of dancing on the
list -- (scottish,irish,english) traditional country dance, traditional
square dance, international folkdance, ballroom dance, and even country
and western (cattle-handler boots and all).  Events range from free
lessons and dances to rather formal balls.  The traditional dances
usually have live music.  

Who dances?  Wholesome, sociable, well-adjusted people (like me:-) :-)
The ambiance?  Let me just say that unlike what some folks would call
"dancing", you require neither infrared glasses, nor gas masks, nor ear-plugs
to compensate for the "atmosphere".  


What do you need?  A pair of comfortable, soft-soled shoes.  (That don't
grind street grit, etc. into the nice wooden dance floor, and that are
neither too slippery to stop nor too grippy to turn - light running shoes,
perhaps.)  You want to wear clothes that you are comfortable in. Light and
simple.  Remember, dancing is aerobic activity.

Of course details depend on the kind of dancing you do.  Ballroom dancers
wear light shoes with leather soles, Scottish Country dancers will want
to wear ghillies, and well, we already know about country&western dancers
and cowboy boots.


Prerequisites.  Some dance forms, such as Scottish Country Dancing and
Argentine Tango require some initial learning before you can enjoy the
dance.  From 2 to 8 hours, depending on your talents.  (And those of
your teacher - I remember a Scottish Country Dance teacher turning a
ballroom full of beginners into pretty competent dancers in the course
of an evening, without anyone feeling "taught".

But other dances, such as the Mariposa Country Dances, and the Irish Ceilis,
have Callers who teach and walk through every dance, so you don't need
any prior experience.  Someone said: "If you can count to 4 you can dance.
If you can count to 8 you can dance well."

Partners.  You don't need to bring one.  If you want to that's fine too.
It's customary to change partners after each dance.  Most dances are
are approximately gender-balanced.

You dance with a partner, but you are more or less co-operating with
other couples during the dance.  (More for square-dance, less for ballroom.)

In some dance forms (Scottish Country and other "set" dances) all dancers
dance formations that are predetermined (phrased) to the beat of the
music.  This sequence is usually prompted by the caller, especially with
beginning dancers.  In other forms (rock'n roll / jive) the "leader"
determines the sequence of formations.  He (usually a he) communicates
what's next through subtle gestures (leads).  

Here's part of a little song:

	Je danse, donc je suis.
	Tu danses, et je te suis.
	Mais si je te suis
	Ce n'est past pour c'que tu penses,
	C'est pour la danse,
	Pas pour la vie ...

In most International Folkdance, you don't dance with a partner at all.
Same goes for Country&Western "line" dances.


I've rambled on long enough.  If there's some interest I can post the
schedule here regularly.  I can also post additional materials - more
details on *why* people dance, contacts and groups around Ontario, etc.

Perhaps I'll see some of you at a dance ...

-- 
Peter Renzland <renzland@gov.on.ca> Ontario Ministry of Health +1 416 327-7741
In real life:  <peter@renzland.org>   "Je danse donc je suis"  +1 416 323-1300
Newsgroups: ont.events