Suggestions for ballet group

Subject: Folklore: Suggestions for ballet group
From: Escamillo
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 06:06 AM

My friends at the "40-90 Ballet" a wonderful group of female dancers of age 40 to 90, is looking for new pieces of music and choreographies for the coming new season. They have many numbers of Spanish, Arabic, Argentinean and a lot of music-hall and Cabaret style music, but none of the USA or British folk, which they would like.

Imagine a brilliant spectacle of up to 50 dancers with a phenomenal emotional charge, well trained, profesionally leaded, who will put a smile on your face in an excellent performance of really good taste, but thay are not young dancers.

Do you know of some traditional dance who could be obtained in form of a book or booklet with choregraphic directions, and full music score or pre-recorded CD ? This would be read by their director who is a professional choreographer and musician, for her to study the piece and add her creation.

Perhaps you could lead me to a library of traditional dances or a Website, or a personal collection. Thanks a lot.

Un abrazo,
Andrés (in Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Suggestions for ballet group
From: Escamillo
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 06:08 AM

PS: oh, they are not 90. The oldest of them is 72 and moves her hips better than I could.

Subject: RE: Suggestions for ballet group
From: sian, west wales
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 10:15 AM

Escamillo, I'll be seeing people from the Welsh Folk Dance Society next week. I'll print out your request and see if there's anything suitable. As Patagonia is/was the infamous Welsh attempt at colonization, there's an obvious link. Perhaps they could even undertake a project with British Council funding ...

I'll also mention your request to a friend who manages a regional community dance company here in West Wales.

sian

Subject: RE: Suggestions for ballet group
From: The Barden of England
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 11:02 AM

Have you tried EFDSS on: http://www.efdss.org/

They may be able to help

Subject: RE: Suggestions for ballet group
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 11:39 AM

Be careful that you don't get a conductor like the late Sir Thomas Beecham. One evening he had a dinner date to get to after he finished conducting a ballet. He therefore increased the tempi considerably for the whole piece. Afterwoods he is reputed to have remarked, rather smugly, "That made the buggers hop !".

Subject: RE: Suggestions for ballet group
From: Shelley C
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 01:50 PM

I can't really help with your original request. But I'd like to say, your dance group sounds fantastic. My late mother started a tap dancing troupe of retired women - some of them had never danced in their lives but managed to learn to be competent and enthusiastic dancers in their seventies.
I presume you are aware of NDT 3 - part of the Nederlands Dance Theatre made up entirely of dancers over 40. I once saw a performance of theirs on TV, where they danced to early Bob Dylan music. It was absolutley wonderful - maybe some Dylan might be suitable for your group.

Good luck, I wish I could get to see you, but I'm in UK.

Shelley

Subject: RE: Suggestions for ballet group
From: Shelley C
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 01:56 PM

By the way, Dave, loved your Thomas Beecham remark. My favourite dance related quote is from Robert Helpman. When 'Hair' came out in the 1960's, he was asked if he would ever consider dancing in the nude. He apparantly said 'No. The trouble with dancing in the nude is that not everything stops when the music stops'.

(PS. Those of you who don't know him as an acclaimed Ballet Dancer might remember him as the Childcatcher in the film 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang).

Subject: RE: Suggestions for ballet group
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 02:42 PM

A spot of massed Appalachian clogging always goes down a storm.

Subject: RE: Suggestions for ballet group
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 05:20 PM

There are some great New England contra dance recordings; they don't always come with directions but a good place to look is the Country Dance and Song Society http://www.cdss.org/

Subject: RE: Suggestions for ballet group
From: Burke
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 05:26 PM

An American Ballroom Companion presents a collection of over two hundred social dance manuals at the Library of Congress.

Subject: RE: Suggestions for ballet group
From: SINSULL
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 05:34 PM

American ballets? "Fall River Legend" comes to mind. Anything Balanchine or Peter Martins. OOOOOH How about Jewels? Somewhere in "the boxes" is a collection of "Dance" magazines circa 1975. If I dig them up, they are yours. PM an address. There may be notations on performing in them. "Stars and Stripes" is another all-American ballet, more modern dance but has some classical moments.

Reminds me - if Deda reads this I have infact finally unearthed some Latin and Greek texts. Now to pack and mail them.

Subject: RE: Suggestions for ballet group
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 05:46 PM

Calls and some figures illustrated here. Scroll well down the page to 'Basic list of square dance calls,' etc.
Square Dance Calgary

Subject: RE: Suggestions for ballet group
From: Escamillo
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 01:34 AM

I'm now surfing those sites, thanks thanks very much to all, and every additional suggestion will be much appreciated. Indeed this group of ladies is fantastic. They have already earnt the sponsorship of the Secretary of Culture of Buenos Aires City, but (Alas) the sponsorship is only moral, if it can be.

If their director Elsa Sagras insists, I could be singing with them some music-hall or cabaret songs. I'm not sure whether I'll be able to do it, but if I can, it would be an honor for me to contribute a bit.

Un abrazo,
Andrés (as Phil Collins says, I can't dance)