Burns Night 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012 at the Jackpot Saloon, downtown Lawrence. Music by Uncle Dirtytoes, Forest Green, and another band or two, with pipers, jam session, a few toasts (Guinness and single malts!), hairy legs in kilts, and Burns poems along the way.
Kansas City
Scandinavian Folk Dancing
Tuesdays at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1700 Westport Road, KCMO.
This group performs Scandinavian couples' turning dances
and mixers, and welcomes newcomers. Some teaching. Phone 816-444-4253
or contact
.
World Folk Dancers
Fridays, 7:00-9:00pm at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1700 Westport Road, Kansas City, MO 64111. Use the double doors off the small parking lot on the northeast side of the church. This group begins with easier dances, and does a lot of teaching, mostly from 7:00-8:00pm. Newcomers are welcome. $3.00. Contacts: Vivian Hunt, (816) 756-2952; Cassi Neff, (816) 333-3213,
; Jeffrey Klute, (816) 776-6769,
Kansas City Israeli Folk Dance
Tuesdays, 7:00-9:30pm at the Jewish Community Center, 5801 W 115th St, Overland Park, KS
This group meets upstairs in Studio 1, begins with easier dances, and does a lot of teaching. Newcomers are welcome. $2 for JCC members and $3 for non-members.
For more information, contact: Sue-Ellen (913) 568-9353
or the JCC (913) 327-8000
Topeka - Saturday nights: International Folk Dancing led by
Bob Shapiro and
Elaine O'Gara from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church,
1821 SW 37th St., Topeka, KS. No experience or partners needed. All ages
welcome. Most dances will be easy, but other dances can also be done if other
experienced dancers participate. $2.00 donation suggested to help the church
defray expenses. For more information contact Bob or Elaine at
785-286-0761
or
.
Wichita Grapevine International Folk Dancers
Sundays 5-7:15pm
Contact Joyce at (316) 683-1122 for info.
Folklore Village in Dodgeville, Wisconsin:
For more about Folklore Village visit www.folklorevillage.org.
Chicago - Check out www.ethnicdance.net for more info
on Chicago area events
Learning to folk dance
OK, weight on the left. And ---
Here are some ideas about how to enhance the process of learning
international folk dancing.
1. Come early, come often. Research shows that what really
counts is muscle
memory - doing the same movements over and over again. How do you get to
Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.
2. Pick 5 to 10 dances that you really like (the ones where you say to
yourself as it ends: "I liked this dance!" Go over to the program book and
see what dance it was, or ask someone. Keep a list. Request "your" dances
often (programmers LIKE requests). Get the music - play it in the car.
When you can dance your dances while talking to a friend in the line, you've
got it! it's time to pick the next 10 dances.
3. Tune into the steps. Identify and work on some basic
figures: grapevine,
step-hop, 1-2-3, pas-de-bas, lift-step etc. Once you can
recognize and do
this dance "language", you can master any dance fairly quickly because
you
can recognize the sequences.
4. Line strategies for intermediate to advanced dances:
Once a dance has started (while you're hanging back to see if you know
it)
join in the middle. The first 3-4 spots in a dance line are where
the
"hotshots" will congregate to do extra variations. If you need to
concentrate on steps or are unsure of the dance, the middle section is
good.
The end is OK, but you may feel "dragged" (and may, without meaning to,
drag
the line).
NEVER HESITATE TO GET IN THE LINE - the longest journey begins with
a single
step-hop. BUT - be aware that on more complicated dances, the
dance is more
fun for everyone if you're able to move in the line of direction!
One way to work on steps is to dance behind the line. Another is
to pick a
dance you really, really want to learn, and ask that it be taught.
5. Oh yes, and don't forget ... Come early, come often!
Bulgarian outlet. Many of GegaNew's list, some others
as well.
Visit other parts of the Kansas Folk Music and Dance Resource Center at
www.kansasfolk.org for information on
other Kansas folk and acoustic music, dance, and heritage.
