How many Mudcatters are folk dancers

Subject: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: hesperis
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 04:21 PM

Do you dance? Do you clog? Do you trade off between playing and dancing morris?

We need to know!

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 04:26 PM

One should try everything once, except incest and folk dancing....

I used to do one, but it got so's I'd need an oxygen tent and a 20 minute sit down afterwards.

I still like to watch it though, if the participants are enthusiastic and professional about it... can't stand sloppiness.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Jock Morris
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 04:55 PM

Does my Mudcat name give you a clue?:-)

Scott

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Gareth
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 04:57 PM

Shhhhhh ! Don't intrude upon private embaresment.

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 05:03 PM

And here was me thinking you like Scottish cars......!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Genie
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 05:10 PM

I used to be very heavily into folk dancing -- mostly Balkan, with some Israeli, British Isles, Northern European, and Appalachian clogging thrown in, too. The folk dancing thing for me kind of evolved into a love of swing dancing (first East Coast, then West Coast), and I continued to do some contra dancing, mostly for the exercise.

In the last 10 to 15 years, my dancing has become very sporadic and rare. E.g., I'll go nearly all year without dancing and then go the the NW Folklife Festival in Seattle in May and get "weekend warrior" injuries from jumping back into the smorgasbord of participatory dance programs that are offered there.

Gotta start doing it again more regularly, but it seems as I've done more and more guitar playing/singing, I've done less and less dancing, ice skating, etc. Probably got something to do with there being only 24 hours in a day.

Genie

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Ebbie
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 05:25 PM

Genie, along those lines- I say that it wouldn't be so bad that life is so short, if only it were WIDER.

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Genie
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 06:08 PM

Actually, Ebbie, it's not so much that life itself is short (though it is) as that the energy levels of youth don't maintain themselves throughout the whole life span. If they did, I could keep my lifestyle "wider" as the years relentlessly press on.

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: GUEST,Singout
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 07:13 PM

Contra dancing! However, as I get older and worn out from working, don't want to drive the hour to get to one.

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Banjer
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 07:13 PM

If the Virginia Reel and similar period dances count as folk dances, then yes.....

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 07:15 PM

I used to do lots of Israeli folkdancing, with some international folkdancing in general. Since I took up trad music I dropped out of the folkdance scene, but with an occasional appearance at a contradance. I went back to an Israeli folk dance a few years ago, and didn't know any of the dances! Recently I saw an Israeli folkdance workshop divided into two sections, "contemporary" and "classic." I guess I'm just a classic man in a contemporary world :-).

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 07:32 PM

I will join in a dance very occasionally, if it's easy. But there are a lot of dance enthusiasts in the North of Germany, and we increasingly include dancing in the official programme of our annual Whitsun festival. Great fun! Interest is mainly in French and Scandinavian material, but one group has just brought out a live CD & accompanying book of German dances which is said to be very good.

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 08:30 PM

I love playing for dances, but will only do it myself under threat of death or divorce.

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: MAG
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 08:45 PM

Used to love it, until the knees gave out. That's why I rejoined the contra band. Can't stay home when all my buds are there...

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Robin2
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 08:57 PM

Used to contra dance, but now a days just play. My hubby, although he can play a rock solid contra dance, has two left feet, bless his heart.

He tried to get out on the dance floor one evening. After being directed, shoved, and generally stepping on everyone's toes, one frustrated dancer exclaimed

"Musicians! You can't dance with em....and you can't dance without em!"

:) Robin

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: hesperis
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 08:58 PM

Oooh, very cool. I like a little bit of everything when it comes to dance, same as with music. I've also started teaching Sacred Circle Dance again after a bit of a break from teaching. Love it!

For me, dance is a personal and community thing, not a performance art. I don't feel like I'm "on stage" at all, I'm just having fun. And I really love the feeling when I'm watching people's faces light up as they realize that they CAN dance!

The music ties right into that, too. There's dances that you do to chants, or to field recordings of musicians from all over, or to modern songs, or jsut to drumbeats... one time I was playing recorder on the way back from breakfast at a dance camp, and there were people dancing in a field just off the path back to the lodge, so I played for them. I tried to play and dance at the same time, but kinda ran out of breath. It was just such a beautiful experience.

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Mr Red
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 09:05 PM

Social Dance Yes. Morris - never so far.

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: hesperis
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 09:17 PM

Robin2 - that's a great line! I'm going to have to use it on one of my friends.

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Melani
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 09:58 PM

Let's just say I sing better than I dance. People are usually happier if I stick to one and avoid the other. And while we're on the subject, where's Bill R, who was kind enough to take his life in his feet and dance with me at the Dickens Faire?

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: alison
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 10:10 PM

I play for dances, but enjoy dancing when I can........ although I'd rather do salsa, or rock'n roll, or disco, or latin....... and I clog too... *grin*


slainte

alison

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Genie
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 10:19 PM

LOL, Robin!

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: artbrooks
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 10:21 PM

International dance twice a week, Israeli once a week, contra twice a month (or, at least, that's the dream schedule). Herself and I spent Thursday-Sunday last at a folk dance camp.

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Genie
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 01:54 AM

Where do you go twice a week for international twice a week, Art? Seattle Center? Also, where was the folk dance camp?

Genie

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Mr Happy
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 03:55 AM

used to be in a morris side- mixed chaps & girlies- did north west, border, & cotswold.

shame the side had to disband due to lack of members. i went to dance with an all male side for a while but i think i'd been spoiled in my previous life & felt uncomfortable dancing with a lot of rough blokes.

'er indoors likes country dancing & ceilidhs so i get dragged up to do these- it's hard these days having morris dancer's knee & alcoholic's belly!

i used to have a lot of bother when morris dancing with things falling off during the dance.

like my cummerbund sliding down round my knees, my underpants falling down, bell pads coming adrift round my anles, losing my bunting & sticks shattering- splinters everywhere!

nowadays i'm a member of a small ensemble who play music, mostly reels & marches, for 'Coltsfoot Cloggies'- mixed morris,step & clog dancers in Wrexham, N. Wales.

it's a really brill side- fine in terms of diversity- gender, racially/culturally, & having a member with severe cerebral palsy who uses an electric wheelchair to execute his dancing.

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: artbrooks
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 08:33 AM

Hi, Genie. Actually, I live in Albuquerque now. When I was in Seattle it was once a week at Seattle Center and once a week with the UW dancers...they were upstairs in a big building near Ivars on the Ship Canal at the time. Yhe camp was about 60 miles south of here...one Bulgarian teacher from Holland and one Israeli teacher from the vast LA wasteland.

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Ringer
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 08:55 AM

I am. Playford mainly. Used to dance the Morris, but not since my family came along (see: it worked!)

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: IanC
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 09:12 AM

Guilty, I suppose. Dancer and musician with Stevenage Sword.

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: nickp
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 09:21 AM

My wife, Claire, clogs (Green Grass appalachian style - as most of us here in the UK) and also English (wooden sole) clog. Me... I just play for her & the team - I know my limits where dance is concerned!

Nick

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Dave Wynn
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 09:41 AM

I danced Northwest morris for 15 years and still could but for time. I also danced border for some years with a scratch team at Whitby festival. I still dance with Abram revival team (Northwest flat shoe dance from near Wigan).

I never did understand the stigma attached to dancing morris no more than performing any minority music genre.

Spot

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Mr Happy
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 09:52 AM

BTW, as most of above are naming names, in my former life i danced with Erleseye Morris in Chester & a little with Kinnerton Morris Men (9alas also defunct0)

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: nickp
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 11:12 AM

Ah yes, well, naming names, why not... a bit of free advertising - Bluefields Appalachian cloggers - www.bluefields.org.uk

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: DMcG
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 12:23 PM

Although I've done a little morris, I was always more partial to "Playford". Now we can start a thread on whether Playford is folk dance or not!

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 02:03 PM

I contra dance and call for contras, and am developing work doing what I call "American folk dance" in the local schools. Danced Morris briefly (before the group disbanded due to pregnancies/births, including mine, and key members moving away).

When I started dancing in New England in the '70's, international folk dance was part of the mix (and so were squares of course! Sigh!). I briefly checked back into that when I moved to Tucson 10+ years ago, but it's too complicated and I haven't the time now.

There are murmurs of starting English country dancing up here and I might work on playing (concertina and recorder) for that, if it happens. ~ Becky in Tucson (Arizona)

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Genie
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 02:08 PM

Desert Dancer, you danced with a Morris group until they disbanded about the time of your own birth? Nice trick!

(Or was it your own pregnancy?)

¤;- D

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: GUEST,Les B(uk)
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 02:39 PM

Guilty as charged.
After watching for 30yrs I decided to have a go, after my knees have gone, smart eh? I now dance for Southport Swords
and my wife dances for Argarmeles Cloga North West Clog side.
Cheers
Les Brown

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: GUEST,SharonG
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 02:48 PM

I'd much rather play for dancers (contra, Irish-step, or ceili) than dance myself, but will contra dance if I can't play for the dancers. I've been the couch coach for my son who does Irish step dancing but am not a practitioner myself.

I've always though I had the wrong morphotype for those dances that require a lot of "leaping about" like Morris and step-dancing though-

Sharon

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: AggieD
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 02:58 PM

My debut message as a Mudcatter & yes I have to admit to having danced Morris for 20 years, before the hips, ankles etc. started to give out. For my sins I am now playing for them, and learning to fool, which I hope to put into practice next year. So anyone who knows Bedfordshire Lace, and expect to see our regular fool Jenny, don't be surprised to see her as a dancer and another foolish female!

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Kim C
Date: 12 Aug 02 - 05:45 PM

I belly dance. Does that count?

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: hesperis
Date: 13 Aug 02 - 01:45 AM

KimC - yes!!! (Actually, ANY dance counts, really. It had to start somewhere.)

AggieD - welcome to the 'cat!

Looks like so far we've got a lot of dancers and players, and quite a few players that aren't dancers, more's the pity. ;)

I went out circle dancing tonight at a friend's circle, a very beautiful evening. She's a much better teacher than I am, though I really love it I still have a lot to learn about shaping the overall flow of a session through the choices of what to dance. Afterwards, everyone went out for pizza. There were some musician-dancers there as well, we decided that we HAVE to start a live band for dance purposes. I'm so excited!

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Alio
Date: 13 Aug 02 - 04:33 AM

There's an awful lot of "used to" in this thread - I used to dance with Mossley Rose and Clog. Is this a sign of our age, or have we all seen the light? Ali

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: BillR
Date: 13 Aug 02 - 05:25 AM

Hi Melani, I'm here. It just took a while for me to notice this thread. So yeah, another morris dancer ( White Rats Morris ). Also English Country Dance (aka Playford) and Victorian ballroom dancing ( Fezziwigs).
BTW, while I agree that Melani is a better singer than dancer (and she's a very good singer), she is far from the worst person I've ever tried to teach to dance.

-Bill

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 13 Aug 02 - 06:34 AM

I've been contra dancing since the late 70's; added morris to the mix about 6 years ago and just this year I've rediscovered English country dancing (kinda Playford, but with lots of new dances too). I'm thinking of getting me a pair of clogs. Any favorites?

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Jacob B
Date: 13 Aug 02 - 06:02 PM

I primarily dance contras, squares, morris, klezmer dance, English country, swing, and clog, but I'm always interested in the opportunity to learn something new. I call contras and squares, lead klezmer dance, and teach colonial dance. I dance morris with the Black Jokers, but we only manage to pull the team together for a few gigs in the spring, these days.

Jacob Bloom

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Burke
Date: 13 Aug 02 - 06:34 PM

I was a dancer before I was into folk music, but now I'm a used to.

Ballet as a child. Started into IFD in College in 70's. Added Contra when it came to that part of the world late 70's.

A fellow folkdancer took me to my first folk festival. I realized this was the music I was dancing to & loved it. I quit dancing as age, weight & an old injury caused knee & hip pain when dancing. Swinging is especially painful.

My dancing declined as I started doing more Sacred Harp singing. They seem to feed somewhat the same need inside me so I haven't really missed the dancing.

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Aug 02 - 11:43 AM

As a founder member of Hexham Morris Men, still dancing with them 25 years later, I plead guilty, but with extenuating circumstances. (I was persuaded to attend the inaugural practice as reserve musician, but as there were two musicians and only five dancers present, I got drafted.)

Seriously, though, it's been a heck of a lot of fun, and I'd recommend the Morris to anyone as a good way of keeping fit - think of it as jogging in fancy dress (and with a few beers and a song or two afterwards as a bonus).

Wassail!

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Mr Happy
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 04:12 AM

agreeing heartily with hexham morrisman above as regards keeping fit, also was one of the reasons i started doing it.

it was a way of getting exercise, along with with music i could enjoy.

i didn't want to do line dancing-'achey,breaky crap+ a cowboy suit' or popmobility- all banging & shouting 'music'.

had a lot of fun, sweat & beers during my 'folkmobility' years!

(9 is this the right way to spell 'doing'- looks like 'boing!]

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 04:24 AM

I started as a singer, but danced north-west clog with Flowers of May for about 10 years, and enjoyed it very much until it knackered my knees. So back to just singing (and occasional social dancing) ...

Kitty

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: open mike
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 06:01 AM

wow! what a lot of morris, and cloggers we have here. and contra dnacers and callers-there is an activity I enjoy too. I have been playing in the contra band for 20+ years, and dancing too. trying to learn to call, with some small success, but not pursuing this as vigorously as I'd like....i alternate between playing bodhran and dancing when the monthly dance roll(balances and swings?) along....

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: GUEST,Mike Cahill
Date: 15 Aug 02 - 05:15 PM

A founder member of Wrigley Head North West (England) morris men (1972-3?) still doing it but not jumping as high these days

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: hesperis
Date: 04 Sep 02 - 03:22 PM

Wow. Hmmm... next MudGather I get to, there'll be LOTS of dancing, I see!

Subject: RE: BS: How many Mudcatters are folk dancers
From: X
Date: 05 Sep 02 - 12:43 PM

I dance my tribal Native American dances.