To me, the ECD calls seemed fewer and simpler than contra or square dancing... granted, my footwork was not much better than walking around. But it was *graspable* to me... we did some dances towards the end that even the veterans said were complex, but it was still a *lot* of fun. The dances were:
Zephyrs and Flora Isle of Wight Sleeping in the Attic Sellenger's Round Spring Garden (Spring Garden had four A-B-C-D sections, each relatively complex...)
Up With Aily - 9/8 version Quite Carried Away Softly Good Tummas
I'm still quite vague on how to do half-heys [sp?] and would look up plaintively for someone to point me ;-). My friend and houseguest EW was responsible... she'd been talking to me about English Country dancing for over two years.
This sounds like a real success story! BACDS.org has listings for many dances in your area. They are low impact, so Pat might be able to do them also. And isn't the music beautiful!?!
The music... was delightful. There was a guest performer (Shira Kammen) and I bought one of her CDs there. EW suggests likewise that I could take patgreene...
*bounce* *bounce* I adore Shira! She's a fabulous fiddler, and a great person (and lots of fun!!).
I studied vielle with Shira Kammen at the Medieval Music workshops I took years ago. She and the rest of Ensemble Alcatraz used to make up a good portion of the staff. Actually, they're ALL great. I highly recommend seeing them in person if you can manage it. Kit Higginson is rather quiet personally, but just astoundingly competent on his instruments (recorder and psaltery). And Peter Maund is just a GOD of percussion--we used to joke that "at no time do his fingers leave his hands!" And Cheryl Fulton is one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet, as well as a FABULOUS harpist on a huge variety of harps. As well as having gorgeous long blonde hair.
Love them all, but especially Shira. She used to play really funny jokes at the workshop, and didn't even try to kill me for my truly AWFUL playing. :^)
I could imagine you and Pat English dancing together for sure. "If you can walk, you can dance!"
Ah, I get it now! I figured out why you thought I was talking about someone named Pat English. Here's that sentence again, with some clarifying punctuation:
I could imagine you and patgreene English-dancing together for sure. "If you can walk, you can dance!"
Heys take a while to figure out. I find that every caller teaches them slightly differently, and eventually one runs across an explanation that clicks. Until then, as you've discovered, people are perfectly willing to point. Or push. :-)
granted, my footwork was not much better than walking around.
Do they do complex footwork where you danced, then? I know that originally ECD often involved fancy stepping, but I thought that the modern tradition generally just used walking and skipping steps. Maybe that's an East Coast thing.
To me, the ECD calls seemed fewer and simpler than contra or square dancing...
I've never really done contra, because it's too fast for me - too much strain on my hip. ECD has more dances with slow tempos, which gives you time to adjust to/figure out new calls, but I think the actual number of different figures in ECD is greater than in contra. Wait until you get to things like crossover mirror heys. *grin*
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no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 05:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 05:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 10:38 pm (UTC)Zephyrs and Flora
Isle of Wight
Sleeping in the Attic
Sellenger's Round
Spring Garden
(Spring Garden had four A-B-C-D sections, each relatively complex...)
Up With Aily - 9/8 version
Quite Carried Away
Softly Good Tummas
I'm still quite vague on how to do half-heys [sp?] and would look up plaintively for someone to point me ;-). My friend and houseguest EW was responsible... she'd been talking to me about English Country dancing for over two years.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 11:02 pm (UTC)BACDS.org has listings for many dances in your area.
They are low impact, so Pat might be able to do them also.
And isn't the music beautiful!?!
no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 11:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 11:15 pm (UTC)Shira!!
Date: 2003-05-02 09:37 am (UTC)I studied vielle with Shira Kammen at the Medieval Music workshops I took years ago. She and the rest of Ensemble Alcatraz used to make up a good portion of the staff. Actually, they're ALL great. I highly recommend seeing them in person if you can manage it. Kit Higginson is rather quiet personally, but just astoundingly competent on his instruments (recorder and psaltery). And Peter Maund is just a GOD of percussion--we used to joke that "at no time do his fingers leave his hands!" And Cheryl Fulton is one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet, as well as a FABULOUS harpist on a huge variety of harps. As well as having gorgeous long blonde hair.
Love them all, but especially Shira. She used to play really funny jokes at the workshop, and didn't even try to kill me for my truly AWFUL playing. :^)
I could imagine you and Pat English dancing together for sure. "If you can walk, you can dance!"
Re: Shira!!
Date: 2003-05-05 10:21 pm (UTC)I could imagine you and
Re:
Date: 2003-05-02 05:13 am (UTC)granted, my footwork was not much better than walking around.
Do they do complex footwork where you danced, then? I know that originally ECD often involved fancy stepping, but I thought that the modern tradition generally just used walking and skipping steps. Maybe that's an East Coast thing.
To me, the ECD calls seemed fewer and simpler than contra or square dancing...
I've never really done contra, because it's too fast for me - too much strain on my hip. ECD has more dances with slow tempos, which gives you time to adjust to/figure out new calls, but I think the actual number of different figures in ECD is greater than in contra. Wait until you get to things like crossover mirror heys. *grin*
I'm glad you had a good time.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-04 11:41 am (UTC)A couple of the men glared or looked exasperated at my confusion, but the women were uniformly helpful, smiled and pointed...
Do they do complex footwork where you danced, then?
No, but some people did small kicks or skips at appropriate times (compared to my shuffling-around ;). The caller only asked for simple steps.
Wait until you get to things like crossover mirror heys. *grin*
(eyes cross and bug-out... *)
no subject
Date: 2003-05-01 10:30 pm (UTC)