What kind of dancing are you into?

Subject: RE: What kind of dancing are you into?
From: Patrish(inactive)
Date: 29 Oct 99 - 06:13 AM

Bald Eagle, I lived in Morpeth in Northumberland for 15 yrs. I ranted quite a lot! But seriously I have a book of tunes called the Morpeth Rant (it contains many other tunes)and also a lot about the histories. If you are interested I could get the information for you. kind regards

Patrish

Subject: RE: What kind of dancing are you into?
From: bill\sables
Date: 29 Oct 99 - 05:27 AM

Hi Marion, I run a celidh band -playing mostly for weddings, we play Irish, Scottish, English and some American. But when I get to dance I do Yorkshire Longsword I Dance with Castleford Longsword Team who have just celebrated their 30 birthday this year. Cheers Bill

Subject: RE: What kind of dancing are you into?
From: Ringer
Date: 29 Oct 99 - 05:14 AM

Country Dancing, which in England these days includes English dances (eg Morpeth Rant), American contras & squares, and Playford. Playford is my favourite: the modal tunes ravish and the best dances completely occupy the intellect

Subject: RE: What kind of dancing are you into?
From: Patrish(inactive)
Date: 29 Oct 99 - 04:37 AM

I love belly dancing, NW Morris and Ceilidh dancing. I'd like to try flamenco. I really like moving to music, when I am alone in the house I even have a go at ballet dancing(by looking at old Bunty magazines -very sad)

kindest regards

Patrish

Subject: RE: What kind of dancing are you into?
From: Owlkat
Date: 29 Oct 99 - 04:22 AM

Hi Marion, For the record I'm willing to confess to having been one of the charter members of the Vancouver Morris Men, in the early to mid 80's, as a dancer and fiddler, and when I lived in Toronto, in 86 to 89, I flirted with the Toronto Morris Side, though I don't remember what they called themselves. They weren't as much fun as the Vancouver bunch, at least not then. Possibly, I was able to hold my liquour better in Vancouver. Yeah. That's it.

;-) Mart.

Subject: RE: What kind of dancing are you into?
From: Ely
Date: 28 Oct 99 - 10:44 PM

I contra dance occasionally at home in Houston, and have done Irish set dancing a few times. Iowa is a pretty darned good place for "barn dances"--a lot of people call contras but I like squares better. There is also Jewish folkdance on campus once in awhile (I have not had the guts, though, to join the swing club).

Subject: RE: What kind of dancing are you into?
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 28 Oct 99 - 09:44 PM

Marion, I'm soooooo happy you started this thread!
I play the banjo and though I am only a beginner I am very serious about developing my skill. Currently I am exploring all kinds of banjo music so it is difficult to say what type of music I play.

I've always wanted to take folk dance, but I didn't know where to pursue it. I haven't researched it yet but I plan to and I live in a large city (Toronto, Ontario Canada) so it shouldn't be difficult finding classes.
I would like to integrate dance somehow with my banjo music. How, I have no clue.

I'm not one to ask 'is it part of the Folk World?' I'm so new here I have no clue. But, I do know I would love to discuss dance with you or attitude? (wasn't quite sure what you meant)
I dream of slinging my shoes over my shoulder when I head out to entertain others. Haven't told my music teacher yet, but I'm glad you brought this discussion up because I find it inspiring.
Would I dance to the banjo music I play? Absolutely, costume and all! Marion, you have really got me thinking here

Little Neo

Subject: RE: What kind of dancing are you into?
From: Alice
Date: 28 Oct 99 - 08:01 PM

Marion, are you sure you want to be in that rogues' gallery?

The last dance class I attended was salsa, taught by a touring Cuban salsa group.
Before that was tango (which I love but don't do enough).
Before that was flamenco, but the teacher could not get enough students, so the classes were not repeated.
Before that was ancient Hawaiian hula.
Years before that was polynesian, including modern and ancient hula, tahitian, and maori.

None of those connect much to the music I sing now, which is Irish, Scottish, classical arias, and art songs, although I do 'think' of hula when our circle sings Down to Old Maui.

I wish there were Irish step dance classes here, but alas, no. We do have an active contra dance group and other folk dancing, but I don't make it to those gatherings.

Alice in Montana

Subject: What kind of dancing are you into?
From: Marion
Date: 28 Oct 99 - 05:18 PM

Hello all. I've seen a few references to dance in the months that I've been here, but not a survey thread.

So... what kind of dance do you do?

I take classes in Irish solo dancing and Irish ceilidh dancing, and also very much enjoy contra dances and randomly bopping around to fiddle tunes.

I have also dabbled in Hungarian dance, Scottish country dance, North American square dance, and Cape Breton stepdance.

The ones that I've tried but haven't liked are belly dancing and English country dancing.

I also have some general questions about your attitudes to dance, in case anybody wants to discuss it...

In the "what instruments do you play?" thread several people said "voice" which took me by surprise, because I would never have thought to add voice to my list. But it does make sense to call voice an instrument when I think about it.

Would anyone add their shoes to their list of instruments? If anyone asked you what kind of music you like to make, would you think to mention your favourite dances?

Is the music you like to play the same as the music you like to dance to? Or is there a dichotomy?

If you consider your dancing to be integrated with your music-making, do you consider it to be folk music? Has anyone formulated a definition of what they consider to be a folk dance?

If contra dance, for example, is a folk dance, is the macarena? Or Irish solo dancing done as a performance rather than a participatory event? Or randomly bopping around to the old fiddle tunes?

Just dreaming of getting a thread of mine included in the "Threads about defining folk music" thread,

Marion