Capering & Kickery

Eighth Annual Regency Assembly (October 16-17, New Haven, CT)

It's almost time!  Coming up this weekend, Saturday-Sunday, October 16-17 in New Haven, Connecticut, is my eighth annual Regency Assembly, an opportunity to try the kind of dances discussed in my posts on the dancing of Jane Austen's era and the Regency era in the context of a formal evening ball.

Saturday's events include a dance workshop followed by a formal evening ball with live music by Spare Parts, as heard in the film Bright Star and on The Regency Ballroom CD.

Sunday, stroll in the park before retiring to the parlor for tea and Regency gaming, including card games such as picquet and whist as well as board games, dominos, and spillikins.

Full details and registration information is available at the event website.  Here's a little secret for you: register online by Friday at 5pm and you can still take the advance rate!

Regency & Ragtime Dance Workshops, NYC (Saturday, October 2, 2010)

I will be teaching a pair of workshops sponsored by Specialty Productions in New York City on Saturday, October 2nd.  Both workshops will be at the Sandra Cameron Dance Studio, 199 Lafayette Street (one block south of Spring Street, between Kenmare and Broome).  No experience is necessary and no partner is needed.  The cost is $10 per workshop or $15 for both.  No advance registration -- just show up!

Ballroom Dances of the Jane Austen Era
12:00-1:45pm
Learn the beautiful dances of the style of the early 19th century, the era of Jane Austen and the English Regency! Romantic waltzes, lively quadrilles and cotillions. Flat shoes -- no high heels, please.
Download workshop flyer.

Classic Ballroom Dances of the Ragtime Era
2:15-4:00pm
Learn some of the history of contemporary ballroom dance with the one-step, foxtrot, and tango of the pre-World War I era.  Easy dances done to the wonderful music of the early 20th century.
Download workshop flyer.

For more information about either workshop, post questions here; call Marc Casslar at (860) 286-9191; or email.

Eighth Annual Regency Assembly (October 16-17, New Haven, CT)

Coming up on October 16 & 17 in New Haven, Connecticut, is my eighth annual Regency Assembly, an opportunity to try the kind of dances discussed in my posts on the dancing of Jane Austen's era and the Regency era in the context of a formal evening ball.

Saturday's events include a dance workshop followed by a formal evening ball with live music by Spare Parts, as heard in the film Bright Star and on The Regency Ballroom CD.

Sunday, stroll in the park before retiring to the parlor for tea and Regency gaming, including card games such as picquet and whist as well as board games, dominos, and spillikins.

Full details and registration information is available at the event website.

New Blog: Historical Fancy Dress

This is a bit premature, since there is as yet no actual content up, but after considering the quantity of information I've been accumulating regarding nineteenth- and twentieth-century fancy dress balls, I've decided it's too much to just be a category here and have thus started a sister blog, Historical Fancy Dress, to accommodate it all.

The main content of the HFD blog will be short descriptions and sometimes illustrations of costumes for fancy dress balls, all taken from period sources.  I'll also touch on hair and makeup, accessories, types of fancy dress balls, and so forth.  Pure dance content will stay here on Kickery, and I may cross-post things of interest occasionally.  But if you have a special interest in fancy dress costumes or fancy dress balls, or even historical costume in general, HFD will be the place to be.

Posts will start going up there early next week.

Stanford Historical Dance Week (June 21-25, 2010)

I'll be traveling out to California very soon for next week's Stanford Historical Dance Week.  I'm attending primarily as a student, though I'll be giving seminars on Tuesday and Friday afternoon on, respectively the Regency ballroom scene (dance developments and the feuds of rival London dancing masters Wilson and Chivers) and some of the choreographic connections between dances as far removed as Caroso's 16th-century balli, an 1830s German polonaise, and the Virginia Reel.

I'm really delighted with the mix of dances at this week.  The tracks include Renaissance dance, Baroque dance, historical ballet, and nineteenth- and twentieth-century social dance, with plenty of flexibility for people who want to mix and match.  I will be taking a mix of Renaissance dance and the nineteenth- and twentieth-century material, though I haven't decided exactly how to divide my time.  I'm probably a little unusual in that my strongest current interests are in the very earliest and very latest material, and the schedule leaves me some difficult choices.

As part of the trip, I'll also be at Stanford Dance Weekend for the preceding weekend and possibly parts of Stanford Waltz Weekend the following, along with calling for the Bay Area Country Dance Society on Saturday, June 26th.

As always, I'd be delighted to meet any Kickery readers; find me and say hello!

International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI (May 13-14, 2010)

I will be attending the International Congress on Medieval Studies this Thursday and Friday and presenting a paper on the expression of medievalism in social dance in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as part of session 243, "Long Ago and Far Away: Intra-European Perspectives on Early Modern Dance," sponsored by Early Dance at Kalamazoo.  The session is at 10:00 on Friday morning.

I would enjoy meeting any Kickery readers who might be attending the Congress, especially those who might be interested in furthering the study of dance history in academic settings.  I'm flying out Friday afternoon, so anyone wanting to spend significant time with me should prearrange a Thursday night get-together.

Sailing Masters Regency Ball, Essex, Connecticut (Saturday, May 8, 2010)

The Sailing Masters of 1812 Regency Ball is just a week away!

The ball is part of the annual Burning of the Ships commemoration, a larger event featuring a parade of fife and drum corps from all over the state, riverside reenactment, and children's activities at the Connecticut River Museum.

The ball itself will be held from 8:00-11:00pm at Essex Town Hall.  I will be leading a lively selection of country dances (and perhaps a scandalous waltz or two) accompanied by my favorite dance musicians, Spare Parts.  This will be a very beginner-friendly ball; those intimidated by Regency-era stepwork should not worry -- with this size group, steps won't be emphasized much beyond an encouragement to skip, though fancy footwork is always welcome from those who know it.

Tickets to the ball are only $15 per person. 

More information may be found at the ball's website here. There is also a Facebook page.

Victorian Dance Workshop, NYC (Sunday, May 23, 2010)

I will be teaching a mid-19th century dance workshop in New York City on Sunday, May 23rd, for a new group, Vintage Dance Northeast.

19th Century Ballroom Basics: Step back in time, step forward to waltz!
May 23rd 2-5 PM
NOLA Studio C - 250 W. 54st 11th Floor
New York, New York

19th Century Ballroom Basics will cover rotary waltz, polka and a popular quadrille of the era. This is a great venue learn the basics of Victorian ballroom dance, or just brush up on your technique and improve your dance style.  This is great preparation for a Civil War or other Victorian ball.  No experience or partner is required to attend.

The workshop cost is $20.00 per adult, $10.00 for students with ID.  Online registration is available at the Vintage Dance Northeast website.

For more information, please see the class Facebook page, visit the Vintage Dance Northeast website or Facebook page, or contact the organizers by email.

New England Folk Festival (NEFFA), Mansfield, Massachusetts (Saturday-Sunday, April 24-25, 2010)

I'm putting the finishing touches this weekend on all the dance stuff I'm doing for the New England Folk Festival (NEFFA), where I'll be appearing on the weekend of April 24-25.

On the Saturday, I'll be doing three workshops:

- 11:00AM Intermediate Cross-Step Waltz (a lovely modern waltz form) with Harmonic Regression

- 4:00PM Introduction to Ragtime Dance (1910s one-step, two-step, foxtrot) with recorded music

-10:00PM Travelin' Blues (1910s-1920s moves for blues) with Notorious

On the Sunday, I will be performing in the 2:45PM slot with a group of my local dance students.  We'll be doing a short program with two cross-step waltzes, an 1810s waltz sequence, and an 1880s galop and racket sequence.

In between all this, I hope to get in some good contra, attend some interesting dance workshop sessions (hambo, 19th century quadrille) and do a little hoopdance jamming out in the hoped-for sunshine.

As always, I'd be happy to chat with Kickery readers.  The best time to catch me is right after one of my sessions.

Sailing Masters Regency Ball, Essex, Connecticut (Saturday, May 8, 2010)

Coming up in just a month: an exciting new Regency ball hosted by the Sailing Masters of 1812, a Connecticut fife and drum corps.  The ball will be part of the annual Burning of the Ships commemoration, a larger event featuring a paradeof fife and drum corps from all over the state.

I will be precepting the ball with a lively selection of country dances (and perhaps a scandalous waltz or two) accompanied by my favorite dance musicians, Spare Parts.  This will be a very beginner-friendly ball; those intimidated by Regency-era stepwork should not worry -- with this size group, steps won't be emphasized much beyond an encouragement to skip, though fancy footwork is always welcome from those who know it.

Tickets to the ball are only $15 per person.  Details and ticket ordering information may be found at the ball's website here. .There is also a Facebook page.

A Scandalous Ball in Bohemia, New Haven, Connecticut (Saturday, March 27, 2010)

From the unpublished journals of J____ W______, M.D.

March 1, 188_

...after which unfortunate misadventure I arrived in his well-remembered chambers at a quarter to seven o'clock to find H_____ absent and an envelope to my address upon the mantel containing a  card of invitation for a most unusual ball:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The honor of your presence is requested at

Eight o'clock P.M.
Saturday, March 27th
Pratt Hall

for an evening of Terpsichorean Delights in the company of

The most Bohemian citizens of London town, including 

EXPLORERS, Actors, Mesmerists, Gamblers, INVENTORS,
Artists, Opera-Dancers, WRITERS, Adventuresses,
Military Gentlemen, American Expatriates, and POETS. 

Fancy dress is Requested.

Absolute Discretion is assured to All in attendance.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Regency Tea Dance, Boston area (Sunday, February 21, 2010)

Along with Saturday's ragtime dance workshop, I will also be teaching Regency-era dancing at an afternoon tea dance in Cambridge, Massachusetts (Boston area) this Sunday afternoon, February 21st, from 2:00 to 5:00pm, as part of Michael Bergman and CVD's Mostly Victorian Tea Dance series.  (This is the dance that accounts for the "mostly" in the title of the series!)

This is the era of Jane Austen, Lord Byron, and the Napoleonic Wars.  Dances will be drawn from the early nineteenth-century repertoire, including country dances of various kinds, quadrilles, oddities like Sir Roger de Coverley and La Boulanger, and perhaps a bit of the scandalous new couple dance of the era: the waltz!

Read about how we won't be dancing here or about actual dance in Jane Austen's era here.

No partner is needed and no experience is needed; the figures and the lively dance steps of the period will all be taught.  Period costume of the early 19th century is admired, but definitely not required.  The music will be recordings, primarily from the Spare Parts CD, The Regency Ballroom.  Tea and delicious refreshments prepared according to period recipes will be provided.  Admission is $9, or $5 for students.

Note this is in a different location from previous years' tea dance series!

An event flier is here.  For more information and directions, please see the tea dance website or contact Michael Bergman.

Ragtime Dance Workshop, Boston area (Saturday, February 20, 2010)

I will be in up in the Boston area this weekend and will be teaching a workshop on ragtime (1910s) era dance in Medford on Saturday from 2:00 to 4:30pm for Mostly Waltz Boston.  This will be an interesting workshop: officially, it's focusing on the one-step, the easiest ballroom dance ever.  (Some variations for the one-step are described in several posts here.)  But I'm also going to be looking at the American tango of the 1910s and the blues of the 1920s and how individual steps were used in several different dances by changing the tempo and style of movement.

The suggested donation for this workshop is $10, or $5 for students.  A flyer (pdf) is here.  The workshop will be held at Springstep (directions here).  See the Mostly Waltz Boston website for more details.

As always, I'd be delighted to say hello to Kickery readers at the break or afterwards.

Dance Flurry 2010 - Saratoga Springs, NY (February 12-14, 2010)

This weekend I'm off once again to the Dance Flurry in Saratoga Springs, New York, where I will be teaching four sessions which cover almost the entire range of historical dance: 1589 all the way to the present day.  Here's the list:

10:00-11:15am Saturday
Victorian Contras & Squares
By modern standards these are quite gentle dances with beautiful figures generally taken at a relaxed pace, though I have a couple of dances with galop segments on my list as well, time permitting.  Very beginner-friendly.  Musical accompaniment by Spare Parts.

3:15-4:15 Saturday
Having a Branle! French Circle Dances
I wish this one had been a little more helpfully labeled -- the era is relevant.  These are easy sixteenth-century (Renaissance) dances with simple steps, hops, and jumps and little "miming" segments.  A few of these have been discussed on Kickery and may be found in the Arbeau category.  Music will be provided by The Flying Romanos.

9:00-10:15pm Saturday
Flashback to 1978 Line Dances
This is a repeat of the very successful session of disco line dances I did last year.  Perfect for anyone who still feels nostalgic about Saturday Night Fever, though last year I actually had plenty of attendees who were considerably younger than the film.  I've posted quite a few of these dances in the Disco category here on Kickery.  This session will use recorded music.

10:00-11:00am Sunday
Cross-Step Waltz
This is a beautiful, flowing modern waltz form that works best with slow music and incorporates moves from many different dance forms.  I mostly do historical dance, but I have a special love for cross-step and its immense variation.  Musical accompaniment by Mary Lea, Jacqueline Schwab, and Dan Beerbohm.

The Flurry is a huge, fabulous festival that takes over much of downtown Saratoga and covers a wide range of social and performance dance styles.  If I have enough energy between teaching sessions, I'm hoping to dance everything from contra to Texas two-step to Balboa to Hambo.  While it's not primarily focused on historical dance, I can't recommend it highly enough as an overall experience for general dance junkies like myself. 

Check out the Flurry website for the full program and the list of performers.  And if you read Kickery, please do say hello after one of my sessions!

Victorian Dancing with Steampunk Style (Baltimore, January 23, 2010)

A word to any Maryland-or-vicinity readers who might be willing to experiment a little with some alternate history:

I'm going to be precepting a Victorian Steampunk Ball in Baltimore this Saturday, January 23rd, 2010, as a fundraiser for research against Multiple Sclerosis.  Dancing will be creatively Victorian in style, to a mix of Victorian and modern music.  That means a mix of called set dances (contras and quadrilles) and couple dances (waltzes, polkas, schottisches).  The event will be beginner-friendly, with the set dances (1) easy and (2) taught.

For more information:

Team Greykell's blog.

Any help spreading the word would be appreciated -- this is a good cause! -- and I'd love to meet any Kickery readers who might be attending!

Tea and more tea! (Massachusetts, December 13 & 20, 2009)

Update 12/20/09: This Cambrdige Mostly Victorian Tea Dance is canceled due to severe weather conditions!  Sorry!

I don't actually drink tea, but this month I'm doing two afternoon tea dances in Massachusetts on consecutive Sundays.

On Sunday, December 13th, I will be leading a just-pre-Regency-era tea dance in Rehoboth (closer to Providence than Boston) in honor of Jane Austen's birthday.  (That's actually the 16th, but the 13th is as close as we can get.)  The dancing will primarily be country dances, but we'll also do the Boulanger (as mentioned in Pride and Prejudice and some of Austen's correspondence);  the nine-person reel known as the Bumpkin; and a cotillion (slightly shortened) from the 1770s.  We might even get a bit radical and do some of that scandalous waltz that came in at the very end of her lifetime!  Dances will be taught and steps briefly gone through but not dwelled heavily upon.  (More information about dance in Jane Austen's lifetime may be found in my earlier post on this topic.)

The suggested donation is $6.  Music will be recorded, primarily from the lovely Regency Ballroom CD by Spare Parts.  Light refreshments will be provided.  Period costume of the early 19th century is admired but not required.

For more information, please see the event website, download the flier (pdf), or contact Liefe Wheeler.

And then on December 20th, I'll be up in Cambridge as part of Michael Bergman and CVD's Mostly Victorian Tea Dance series.  This event will be a mix of couple dances and set dances (contras, quadrilles) of the  mid- to late 19th century and a mix of instruction and social dancing.  Instruction will probably focus on the schottische and polka.  There will be a mix of recorded music for teaching and live music for social dancing.

Admission is $9, or $5 for students.  Light refreshments will be served.  Note this is in a different location from previous years' tea dance series -- see the directions on the website.  Period Victorian costume is admired but not required.

More information, please see the tea dance website or contact Michael Bergman.

1830s Gallopade & 17th-Century English Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, December 6, 2009)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, December 6th.  Logistical details are below.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will cover English gallopades of the 1830s, including the Royal Gallopade described here.  This will be a lively class, with gallopades combining quadrille figures done with steps similar to those of the Regency era and whole-set gallops up and down the room.  Depending on available time and numbers, we will also dance the lively reel for nine people (and one hat) known as the Bumpkin, which isn't a gallopade but is still lots of fun.  (This class replaces the usual monthly Regency class, as traditionally for the two classes after the Assembly we enjoy a change of pace by sliding a few years into the future to enjoy the dances of the post-Regency but pre-Victorian era.

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will focus on English dance of the 17th century, mixing a selection of the processional dances known as almans with some of the rounds, squares, and early longways country dances drawn from the earliest editions of John Playford's The (English) Dancing Master.  These dances are low-key and non-bouncy.

Both of the above are beginner-level classes.  No experience is needed and no partner is required, though gender balance is not guaranteed.  Clean, leather-soled flat shoes are recommended for both classes.

The classes are held at Dick Shea's (a capoeira studio), 104 W. 14th Street at 6th Avenue, New York City.  Ring buzzer #3, up 2 flights, first door on the right.  For more information, please email EAS.

The 1830s gallopade class costs $18, or $12 for people attending a 1:00 class for the first time; the seventeenth century English dance class costs $15.  Pay at the class.

1830s Spanish Quadrilles & Schottische Evolution Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, November 1, 2009)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, November 1st.  Logistical details are below.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will cover Spanish quadrilles of the 1830s, including the Primera Tanda (the Spanish version of the First Set of French quadrilles), which has some intriguing figure variations, as well as assorted figures from other quadrilles.  These quadrilles are done with steps similar to those of the Regency era. Depending on available time and numbers, we will also dance the lively reel for nine people (and one hat) known as the Bumpkin, which isn't Spanish but is still lots of fun.  (This class replaces the usual monthly Regency class, as traditionally for the two classes after the Assembly we enjoy a change of pace by sliding a few years into the future to enjoy the dances of the post-Regency but pre-Victorian era.

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will cover the variations and vagaries of the schottische as it evolved over time, starting with the earliest schottische variations recorded in the 1850s through the 1870s, moving into later developments in the dance through the end of the nineteenth century, and concluding with the gliding ragtime schottisches of the first two decades of the twentieth century.

Both of the above are beginner-level classes.  No experience is needed and no partner is required, though gender balance is not guaranteed.  Clean, leather-soled flat shoes are recommended for both classes.

The classes are held at Dick Shea's (a capoeira studio), 104 W. 14th Street at 6th Avenue, New York City.  Ring buzzer #3, up 2 flights, first door on the right.  For more information, please email EAS.

The Spanish quadrilles class costs $18, or $12 for people attending a 1:00 class for the first time; the schottische evolution class costs $15.  Pay at the class.

Regency Assembly ~ New Haven, CT (October 17-18, 2009)

This weekend I will be leading workshops and precepting a formal ball at the Elegant Arts Society's Seventh Annual Regency Assembly in New Haven, Connecticut.  This event features the dances of the first quarter of the nineteenth century (1800-1825), the era of Jane Austen, Lord Byron, and the Napoleonic Wars.  There will be country dances done in period style, quadrilles, waltzes (including the bouncy sauteuse waltz), and reels, including the lively nine-person Country Bumpkin.  Once again, Spare Parts will play for the evening event.  Refreshments custom-baked from period recipes will be served at the ball intermissions.  The workshop runs from 2:00-4:30, the ball from 7:30-11:00.  Attendance at the workshop is encouraged because the more people who arrive at the ball already familiar with the particular country dance and quadrille figures, the more smoothly the evening will run.  This is part of a larger event with Sunday activities scheduled as well.

Cape May Vintage Dance Weekend (October 10-11, 2009)

Here are some details about this weekend's dance events in Cape May, New Jersey, where I will be teaching workshops and leading a ball and tea dance with the accomplished musicians of Spare Parts.

Saturday afternoon dance workshops
Registration 9:00-9:30am; workshops 9:30am-3:00pm with a lunch break.  The location is the Franklin Street School Gym, on Franklin Street between Washington and Lafayette.  In the morning, I plan to cover Victorian dances for the evening ball, including the Polo Quadrille.  In the afternoon, I will look at 1910s couple dances for Sunday's tea dance.  I expect to teach at the beginner level, but this is subject to change depending the dancers attending.

Saturday night Victorian Ball (with Spare Parts)
8:00-11:00pm.  Location is the Cape May Elementary School Gym, 921 Lafayette Street.  The dance program will commence with a Grand March and include waltzes, polkas, schottisches, a galop, and set dances including the Polo Quadrille and the Spanish Dance.  I'll have some CDs of the Polo music as recorded by Spare Parts available for sale.

Sunday afternoon Ragtime Tea Dance (with Spare Parts)
1:00-3:00pm.  Location is the Corinthian Yacht Cub of Cape May on Delaware Avenue.  The 1910s dance program will include the one-step, foxtrot, tango, two-step, blues, waltz, and the delightful finger-snapping Lulu Fado.

You can pre-register online for the weekend here.  Prices are: $95 for the full weekend; $35 for Saturday night's Victorian Ball; $25 for Sunday's ragtime tea dance; $45 for the Saturday dance workshops.

All of these events are part of Victorian Week, which takes place all over Cape May (a stunning Victorian resort town); more information about the other events may be found at the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts website.

If you're a Kickery reader, please say hello to me after the workshops or during a break.

Regency & Renaissance Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, October 4, 2009)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, October 4th.  Logistical details are below.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), specifically on reels, and waltzes, and country dances.  Depending on available time and numbers, we will also dance the amazing reel for nine people (and one hat) known as the Bumpkin.  This class is the final review before the Regency Assembly taking place on October 17-18 in New Haven, Connecticut.  (For information on the Assembly, please email EAS.)

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will drop all the way back to the 1500s and the line and circle dances known as branles as described by French cleric Thoinot Arbeau in his 1589 work, Orchésographie.  This will be a lively class of full of kicks and jumps and will cover ten to twelve easy dances done to wonderful 16th-century dance tunes.

Both of the above are beginner-level classes.  No experience is needed and no partner is required, though gender balance is not guaranteed.  Clean, leather-soled flat shoes are recommended for both classes.

The classes are held at Dick Shea's (a capoeira studio), 104 W. 14th Street at 6th Avenue, New York City.  Ring buzzer #3, up 2 flights, first door on the right.  For more information, please email EAS.

The Regency class costs $18, or $12 for people attending for the first time; the Renaissance class costs $15.  Pay at the class.

Historical Dance Weekends ~ October 2009

Next month I'll be teaching at two historical dance events on back-to-back weekends with the wonderful musicians of Spare Parts.  The events range from the early 19th century all the way through the first decades of the 20th.

On October 10th & 11th, I will be in beautiful Victorian Cape May, New Jersey, for the Vintage Dance Weekend that is part of Victorian Week, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts.  I will be teaching some dance workshops on Saturday afternoon, followed by a formal 19th-century ball that evening featuring the classic 19th-century couple dances of the Civil War era and later (waltz, polka, schottische) as well as a few contras and the Polo Quadrille.  On Sunday afternoon, I will precept a Ragtime (1910s) era tea dance including the one-step, foxtrot, tango, and the delightful finger-snapping Lulu Fado.  Period costume is encouraged for Saturday's ball and Sunday's tea dance, but is not required.  Spare Parts will play Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.  Full registration and logistical information may be found at the MAC website.

Then on October 17th, I will be in New Haven, Connecticut, teaching an afternoon workshop and precepting a formal ball at the Elegant Arts Society's Regency Assembly.  This event features the dances of the first quarter of the nineteenth century (1800-1825), the era of Jane Austen, Lord Byron, and the Napoleonic Wars.  There will be country dances done in period style, quadrilles, waltzes (including the bouncy sauteuse waltz), and reels, including the lively nine-person Country Bumpkin.  Once again, Spare Parts will play for the evening event.  This is part of a larger weekend including a park stroll and tea-and-games event on the Sunday.  The flier for the event can be downloaded: front, back, registration form.  You can also email for further information.  Not part of the weekend (but also fun) is an evening of couple dancing on the preceding Friday night, Elm City Waltz, where I will be DJ'ing a mix of historical and modern music.

It would be lovely to see Kickery readers there; please come and say hi when I'm not in the midst of ball-running!

Call for Papers: Early Dance at Kalamazoo (2010)

A call for papers for a dance-oriented session at the International Congress for Medieval Studies taking place next May in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  Responses are needed pronto, as the paperwork has to be in to the Congress by the end of September.  The conference is huge and very exciting, with scholars in many disciplines from all over the world; I've presented there the last three years and hope to have a paper there this year as well.  They're looking for something a little beyond a simple dance reconstruction -- more on the process of reconstruction itself and the history of dance reconstruction and connections between dance history and other fields of study.

The call for papers:

Long Ago and Far Away: Intra-European perspectives on early modern dance.
Early Dance at Kalamazoo
45th International Congress on Medieval Studies (May 13-16, 2010)

Early Dance at Kalamazoo is an organization formed to encourage further scholarship at Kalamazoo in the field of early dance and its relation to other disciplines, including literature, art history, musicology, theater, history, and textiles through the interdisciplinary pursuit, independently or in conjunction, of textual and performative research. We are particularly interested in forming links between scholars in the field of dance history and those in other disciplines, as each group is, to its detriment, often unaware of the significant work done by the other. We focus on different aspects of issues in dance reconstruction and the general subject area, bringing together scholars of dance, manuscript illumination, textiles, and church history.

This year's proposed session looks at cross-cultural aspects of and perspectives on early modern dance, its history, and textual background, such as the Renaissance French interpretation of dance in the Ottoman Empire. It is a segment of the field that is rarely studied or discussed and deserves greater attention in order to further understanding of greater cross-cultural currents in 15th and 16th century Europe.

We are seeking papers dealing with these themes for the session entitled "Long Ago and Far Away: Intra-European perspectives on early modern dance."  Abstracts are to be sent to earlydanceatkzoo@gmail.com before the end of September.

Regency & Renaissance Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, September 13, 2009)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, September 13th.  Logistical details are below.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), specifically the French quadrilles which became popular in the mid-1810s.  We will dance and look at a step-sequences to use in the five figures of the First Set of French Quadrilles: Le Pantalon, L'Eté,  La Poule, La Trenise, and La Finale and figures one, two, four, and five of the Caledonians.  Depending on available time and numbers, we will also dance the amazing reel for nine people (and one hat) known as the Bumpkin.  This class is the final review of quadrilles before the Regency Assembly taking place on October 17-18 in New Haven, Connecticut.  (For information on the Assembly, please email EAS.)

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will drop all the way back to the late 1500s and explore Italian dances for groups of three or six taken from the Fabritio Caroso's 1581 treatise, Il Ballarino.  Two or three dances will be chosen from among Allegrezza d'Amore (for three), Ballo del Fiore in terzo (three), Dolce Amoroso Fuoco (six), Contrapasso Nuovo (six), and Furioso (six), depending on the numbers in attendance and general skill.

Both of the above are beginner-level classes.  No experience is needed and no partner is required, though gender balance is not guaranteed.  Clean, leather-soled flat shoes are recommended for both classes.

The classes are held at Dick Shea's (a capoeira studio), 104 W. 14th Street at 6th Avenue, New York City.  Ring buzzer #3, up 2 flights, first door on the right.  For more information, please email EAS.

The Regency class costs $18, or $12 for people attending for the first time; the Renaissance class costs $15.  Pay at the class.

Regency & Ragtime Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, August 2, 2009)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, August 2nd.  Logistical details are below.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), including steps and figures for country dances and French quadrilles.  Specifically, we will dance and look at a step-sequences to use in the five figures of the First Set of French Quadrilles: Le Pantalon, L'Eté,  La Poule, La Trenise, and La Finale.  Depending on available time, we will also enjoy a Spanish Dance and an 1816 version of the classic Money Musk as well as the Scotch Reel for six and -- numbers permitting -- the amazing reel for nine people (and one hat) known as the Bumpkin.

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will turn to the early 20th century ragtime era and will focus on the foxtrot in its very earliest versions of the 1910s, including the original walking/trotting combinations and the development of the alternating slow and quick step patterns that became the standard for the dance, as discussed here and here.

Both of the above are beginner-level classes.  No experience is needed and no partner is required, though gender balance is not guaranteed.  Clean, leather-soled flat shoes for the first class or low heels (character shoes or similar) for the ladies for the second class (no spike heels!) are recommended.

The classes are held at Dick Shea's (a capoeira studio), 104 W. 14th Street at 6th Avenue, New York City.  Ring buzzer #3, up 2 flights, first door on the right.  For more information, please email EAS.

The Regency class costs $18, or $12 for people attending for the first time; the Ragtime class costs $15.  Pay at the class.

Goucher & Newport

I'm going to be traveling to two dance events in the next week, one as a student and one as a teacher. 

On Saturday, July 25th, I will be attending a one-day historical dance workshop held by the New York Baroque Dance Company at Goucher College, near Baltimore, Maryland.  The teachers are Catherine Turocy and Richard Powers.  There will also be a country dance party in the evening, called by Catherine Turocy and Charles Garth.  This event precedes a full-week workshop at Goucher which I am unable to attend because...

...from Monday, July 27th through Saturday, August 1st, I will be at Newport Vintage Dance Week, sponsored by the Commonwealth Vintage Dancers, at Roger Williams University. near Newport, Rhode Island.  I am on the faculty for this week, and will be teaching intermediate/advanced nineteenth century couple dances: racket, schottische, and two-step.  Also on the faculty this year are Joan Walton, Marc Casslar, and Barbara Pugliese.  There will be balls in the style of the 1860s, 1890s, and 1910s as well as informal dancing in the evenings, a silent movie, and other fun historical pastimes.  This is my third year on the faculty for Newport.

I'd be happy to chat with any Kickery readers attending either event.

Known World Dance Symposium

I'm off this weekend to a Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) event, Known World Dance Symposium VII, in Hamilton, Ontario (near Toronto).  I'm not an active SCA member, but I have very pleasant memories of the last one of these I went to, in Boston back in 2001.  I'll be there Friday through Sunday, off and on.  I'm not teaching anything, so I'm just planning to hang out with other dance geeks and do some relaxing dancing.

I'd be happy to say hi to any Kickery readers attending this event.

Regency & Ragtime Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, June 28, 2009)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, June 28th.  Logistical details are below.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), including steps and figures for country dances and French quadrilles.  Specifically, we will dance and look at a step-sequences to use in Le Pantalon, L'Eté,  La Poule, and La Trenise (first through fourth figures of the French quadrille) and the first, second, and fourth figures of The Caledonians.  Depending on available time, we will also enjoy a Spanish Dance and an 1816 version of the classic Money Musk as well as the Scotch Reel for six and -- numbers permitting -- the amazing reel for nine people (and one hat) known as the Bumpkin.

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will focus on some of the more unusual dance fads of the mid-1910s.  We'll dance the simple and delightful Lulu Fado (featuring a mix of two-step and walking sequences with finger-snapping and clapping) and work on some essential moves for the swaying Brazilian maxixe (as filtered through France and America) and the half and half, an unusual waltz in 5/4 time.

Both of the above are beginner-level classes.  No experience is needed, no partner is required, and clean leather-soled flat shoes (or low heels for the ladies for the second class; no spike heels!) are recommended.  Gender balance is not guaranteed.

The classes are held at Dick Shea's (a capoeira studio), 104 W. 14th Street at 6th Avenue, New York City.  Ring buzzer #3, up 2 flights, first door on the right.  For more information, please email EAS.

The Regency class costs $18, or $12 for people attending for the first time; the Ragtime class costs $15, or $12 if paid in advance (no later than 6/26) via Paypal cash transfer (NO CREDIT CARDS) to paypal@elegantarts.org.

Newport Vintage Dance Week (Rhode Island, July 27-August 2, 2009)

I will be teaching at Newport Vintage Dance Week, sponsored by The Commonwealth Vintage Dancers, later this summer.  There are still openings to sign up for the week, especially for couples and single men; I believe single women are currently being wait-listed.

Newport is a lovely event with formal balls in three eras: 1890s, held at the Astors' Beechwood mansion; 1860s, held at the Rotunda Ballroom (with a carousel to ride at the breaks); and 1910s, held at Glen Manor House with a dinner beforehand.  There are also three evenings of informal dancing, a silent movie showing, and a "swap and sell" for vintage clothing and other items of interest.  Typically, there is also a formal afternoon tea one day, and there is time off to tour in Newport, play croquet, or simply relax.  During the daytimes, there will be workshops in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century dance.  The dance spaces and accommodations in this year's venue (Roger Williams University) are air-conditioned.

I will be teaching the Intermediate/Advanced Nineteenth-Century Dance class.  While I haven't finalized exactly what I'm teaching, so this is subject to change, it will likely be some combination of:

- rackets and racket waltzes (1880s-1890s)
- mid- and late nineteenth-century schottische variations (probably including the gliding five-step scottische)
- two-step (c1900)

The plan for racket and schottische variations grows from one of my current dance/reconstruction interests, rhythm variations and syncopations in nineteenth-century dance; posts here on the various rackets will probably follow along in July or August.  The two-step will serve as an easy, relaxing windup to the week after I have over-filled peoples' brains and tired their legs out with jumping around for the first few days of the class.

The other members of the teaching staff this year are:
Joan Walton (Intermediate/Advanced Twentieth Century and Twentieth Century Specialty)
Marc Casslar (Basic Twentieth Century and Nineteenth Century Specialty)
Barbara Pugliese (Basic Nineteenth Century and the Prince Imperial Quadrille)

Full details about the week, including a tentative schedule, are on the CVD website.

Regency & Ragtime Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, June 7, 2009)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, June 7th.  Logistical details are below.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), including steps and figures for country dances and French quadrilles.  Specifically, we will dance and look at a step-sequences to use in Le Pantalon, L'Eté,  La Poule, and La Trenise (first through fourth figures of the French quadrille) and the first, second, and fourth figures of The Caledonians.  Depending on available time, we will also enjoy a Spanish Dance and an 1816 version of the classic Money Musk as well as the Scotch Reel for six and -- numbers permitting -- the amazing reel for nine people (and one hat) known as the Bumpkin.

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will focus on the turn-of-the-century two-step during its period of overwhelming popularity in the late 1890s and early 1900s, when it was danced to the lively marches of composers such as John Philip Sousa.  This will include the basic step in both 2/4 and 3/4 time, simple variations, and sequences such as the Très-Chic and Tantivy which can be used to liven up the basic two-step.

Both of the above are beginner-level classes.  No experience is needed, no partner is required, and clean leather-soled flat shoes (or low heels for the ladies for the second class; no spike heels!) are recommended.  Gender balance is not guaranteed.

The classes are held at Dick Shea's (a capoeira studio), 104 W. 14th Street at 6th Avenue, New York City.  Ring buzzer #3, up 2 flights, first door on the right.  For more information, please email EAS.

The Regency class costs $18, or $12 for people attending for the first time; the Ragtime class costs $15, or $12 if paid in advance (no later than 6/5) via Paypal cash transfer (NO CREDIT CARDS) to paypal@elegantarts.org.

International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI (May 7-8, 2009)

I will be attending the International Congress on Medieval Studies this Thursday and Friday and presenting a paper on step variation in the 15th-century saltarello at 1:30 Friday afternoon, session 301, "Riverenze e Spezzati: Challenges in Early Dance Research and Reconstruction."

I also expect to check in at the DISTAFF display/demo Thursday night at 5:45 to see the nifty textiles, but I haven't got a firm plan for anything else.  I'm flying out Friday night.

I would enjoy meeting any Kickery readers who might be attending the Congress, especially those who might be interested in furthering the study of dance history in academic settings.

Regency & Victorian Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, May 3, 2009)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, May 3rd.  Logistical details are below.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), including steps and figures for country dances and French quadrilles.  Specifically, we will dance and look at a step-sequences to use in Le Pantalon, L'Eté,  La Poule, and La Trenise (first through fourth figures of the French quadrille) and will enjoy a Spanish Dance and an 1816 version of the classic Money Musk as well as the Scotch Reel for six and -- numbers permitting -- the amazing reel for nine people (and one hat) known as the Bumpkin.

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will cover the basic steps of the mazurka (primarily the promenade, but also including the tour sur place and possibly a bit of the valse mazurka) and several freestyle mazurka cotillion figures, including Le Grand Rond, Les Chaines Continues, La Genuflexion à Quatre, and the delightfully named L'X de Cavalier et de la Dame.  This will be a bouncy class with plenty of hops and small leaps.  Steps and figures are drawn from an 1847 Parisian dance manual by noted dancing master Henri Cellarius.

Both of the above are beginner-level classes, though the mazurka requires the ability to leap and hop.  No experience is needed, no partner is required, and clean leather-soled flat shoes (no high heels!) are recommended.  Gender balance is not guaranteed.

The classes are held at Dick Shea's (a capoeira studio), 104 W. 14th Street at 6th Avenue, New York City.  Ring buzzer #3, up 2 flights, first door on the right.  For more information, please email EAS.

The Regency class costs $18, or $12 for people attending for the first time; the Victorian class costs $15.

Regency & Victorian Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, April 5, 2009)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, April 5th.  Logistical details are below.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), including steps and figures for country dances and French quadrilles.  Specifically, we will dance and look at a step-sequences to use in La Poule and La Trenise (third and fourth figures of the French quadrille) and the fifth figure of The Caledonians and will enjoy a Spanish Dance and an 1816 version of the classic Money Musk as well as the Scotch Reel for six and the amazing reel for nine people (and one hat) known as the Bumpkin.

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will cover an interesting mid-19th-century half-quadrille (two couples rather than four) known as L'Alliance, which symbolically takes dancers through the Crimean War via six figures with names like "L'Empereur" and "La Victoire."  This dance is done entirely with polka mazurka steps, so it will be a bouncy class with plenty of hops and small leaps.

Both of the above are beginner-level classes.  No experience is needed, no partner is required, and clean leather-soled flat shoes (not high heels) are recommended.  Gender balance is not guaranteed.

The classes are held at Dick Shea's (a capoeira studio), 104 W. 14th Street at 6th Avenue, New York City.  Ring buzzer #3, up 2 flights, first door on the right.  For more information, please email EAS.

The Regency class costs $18, or $12 for people attending for the first time; the Victorian class costs $15.

Regency & Victorian Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, March 8, 2009)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, March 8th.  Logistical details are below.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), including steps and figures for country dances and French quadrilles.  Specifically, we will dance and look at a step-sequences to use in L'Été and La Finale (second and fifth figures of the French quadrille) and the fifth figure of The Caledonians and will enjoy a Spanish Dance and an 1816 version of the classic Money Musk as well as the Scotch Reel for six and the amazing reel for nine people (and one hat) known as the Bumpkin.

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will be an unusual experience, as we will be teaching and dancing some of the many figures of the mid-19th century cotillion, also known as the German cotillion or simply Germans.  These are dance games done using basic steps of the waltz, polka, and mazurka in which the dancers change partners in various ways and dance figures that range from those found in quadrilles to those we think of as children's games today, though this class will focus more on the former than the latter, using figures drawn from mid-19th century French and English dance manuals.  Learn the secrets of La Phalange, Le Mouchoir, Le Chapeau Volant, L'X des Cavaliers, Les Genuflexions, La Double Pastourelle, and Les Chaines Continues.  Enough basic waltz and polka will be taught for students to be able to manage the figures.  Mazurka will be reserved for my May class, which will revisit many of the same figures using the steps of that lively dance.

Both of the above are beginner-level classes.  No experience is needed, no partner is required, and clean leather-soled flat shoes (not high heels) are recommended.  Gender balance is not guaranteed.

The classes are held at Dick Shea's (a capoeira studio), 104 W. 14th Street at 6th Avenue, New York City.  Ring buzzer #3, up 2 flights, first door on the right.  For more information, please email EAS.

The Regency class costs $18, or $12 for people attending for the first time; the Victorian class costs $15.

1880s Victorian Ball ~ New Haven, CT (February 28, 2009)

Coming up in just a couple of weeks:

On Saturday, February 28th, I will be precepting a Victorian ball in New Haven, Connecticut, for The Elegant Arts Society.  The theme is 1880s, the era of the bustle in ladies' costume, but period costume is not required - come have fun dancing regardless!  There will be live music from the wonderful dance musicians of Spare Parts and delicious refreshments made from Victorian recipes. 

Dances will include the waltz, polka, and schottische, plus the Polo Quadrille and the "star" figure described in an earlier article here, in the form of a waltz cotillion figure (German).

Beginners are completely welcome.  There will be an afternoon workshop for those wanting a some dance instruction before the evening.  The event is not gender-balanced, which experience suggests will result in more ladies than gentlemen in attendance (so if you are or have a gentleman who might want to dance...)  Formal dress is requested.

The cost is $25 per person in advance (more at the door), or $15 for those 21 and under.  A flier for the event may be downloaded here.

Dance Flurry ~ Saratoga Springs, NY (February 13-15, 2009)

This weekend I'm off to the marvelous Dance Flurry in Saratoga Springs, New York, where I will be teaching a rather eclectic set of four sessions on material scattered across four and a half centuries of social dance from the mid-16th century to the present day.

10:00-11:15am Saturday
Cross-Step Waltz
This is a beautiful, flowing modern waltz form that works best with slow music and incorporates moves from many different dance forms.  I mostly do historical dance, but I have a special love for cross-step.  Musical accompaniment by Mary Lea & Peter Barnes.

10:00-11:15pm Saturday
Flashback! 1978 Disco Line Dances
For everyone who still feels nostalgic about Saturday Night Fever.  I've posted quite a few of these dances in the Disco category here on Kickery.  This session will use recorded music.

10:00-11:15am Sunday
Chiaranzana!  Italian Renaissance Contra
This is a multifigure (medley) longways progressive set dance from sixteenth-century Italy; contra/country dance format but with fancier steps and a more delicate style.  I probably can't teach the whole thing in an hour, so this will be an edited-down version.  Music will be provided by The Flying Romanos.

2:30-3:30pm Sunday
Waltz 101
Just what it sounds like!  Music provided by Jane's Gang.

The Flurry is a tremendously fun festival that takes over much of downtown Saratoga and covers a huge range of dance styles.  While it's not primarily focused on historical dance, I can't recommend it highly enough as an overall experience for general dance junkies like myself.  Check out the Flurry website for the full program and the list of performers.

Regency Tea Dance, Boston area (Sunday, February 8, 2009)

I will be teaching Regency-era dancing at an afternoon Tea Dance in West Newton, Massachusetts (Boston area) this Sunday afternoon, February 8th, from 2:00 to 5:00pm.  Dances will be drawn from the early nineteenth-century repertoire, including country dances of various kinds, quadrilles, oddities like Sir Roger de Coverley and La Boulanger, and perhaps a bit of the scandalous new couple dance of the era: the waltz!

No partner is needed and no experience is needed; the figures and the lively dance steps of the period will all be taught.  Period costume of the early 19th century is admired, but definitely not required.  The music will be recordings.  Delicious refreshments prepared according to period recipes will be provided.  Admission is $6, or $4 for students.

More information and directions to the site may be found here.  Read about how we won't be dancing here.

Regency & Victorian Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, February 1, 2009)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, February 1st.  Logistical details are below.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), including steps and figures for country dances and French quadrilles.  Specifically, we will dance and look at a step-sequences to use in L'Été and La Finale (second and fifth figures of the French quadrille) and the fifth figure of The Caledonians and will enjoy a Spanish Dance and an 1816 version of the classic Money Musk.

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will be a review of some of the ballroom dances of the late nineteenth century (1880s).  Couple dances will include the polka, schottische, and galop, along with popular Victorian set dances such as the Polo Quadrille, Light Dragoon,  and the "star" cotillion figure.  This is in preparation for EAS's upcoming 1880s Bustle Ball on February 28th in New Haven, Connecticut (event flier here).

These are beginner-level classes.  No experience is needed, no partner is required, and clean leather-soled flat shoes (not high heels) are recommended.  Gender balance is not guaranteed.

The classes are held at Dick Shea's (a capoeira studio), 104 W. 14th Street at 6th Avenue, New York City.  Ring buzzer #3, up 2 flights, first door on the right.  For more information, please email EAS.

The Regency class costs $18, or $12 for people attending for the first time; the Victorian class costs $15.

Regency & Victorian Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, January 4, 2009)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, January 4th.  Logistical details are below.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), including steps and figures for country dances, French quadrilles, and the nine-person reel known as The Country Bumpkin.  Specifically, we will dance and look at a step-sequences to use in L'Été and La Finale (second and fifth figures of the French quadrille) and will enjoy a Spanish Dance and an 1816 version of the classic Money Musk.

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will be dedicated to the waltz styles of the last decades of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, when the older rotary style of waltz was giving way to the new waltz that eventually became today's ballroom dance.  We will also dance some of the easy choreographed waltz sequence dances that became popular during this period.

These are beginner-level classes.  No experience is needed, no partner is required, and clean leather-soled flat shoes (not high heels) are recommended.  Gender balance is not guaranteed.

The classes are held at Dick Shea's (a capoeira studio), 104 W. 14th Street at 6th Avenue, New York City.  Ring buzzer #3, up 2 flights, first door on the right.  For more information, please email EAS.

The Regency class costs $18, or $12 for people attending for the first time; the Victorian class costs $15.

Regency & Victorian Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, December 7, 2008)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, December 7th.  Logistical details are here.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), including steps and figures for country dances, French quadrilles, and the nine-person reel known as The Country Bumpkin.  Specifically, we will look at a variety of step-sequences to use for L'Été (second figure of the French quadrille) and will enjoy a new Spanish Dance and the 1816 version of the classic Money Musk.

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will be dedicated to two dance forms of the 1830s, the very beginning of Queen Victoria's reign.  We will enjoy a lively circular galopade, with quadrille-like figures interspersed with galops around the room, followed by some complex figures of a stately polonaise, a processional dance which was the immediate ancestor of the Grand March.

These are beginner-level classes.  No experience is needed, no partner is required, and clean leather-soled flat shoes (not high heels) are recommended.  Gender balance is not guaranteed.

Regency & Victorian/Civil War Era Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, November 2, 2008)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, November 2nd.  Logistical details are here.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), including steps and figures for country dances, French quadrilles, and the nine-person reel known as The Country Bumpkin.  Specifically, we will look at a variety of step-sequences to use for L'Été (second figure of the French quadrille) and will enjoy a new Spanish Dance, the peculiar clapping figure in La Bateuse, and the 1816 version of the classic Money Musk.

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will be dedicated to two dances composed by the 1850s London dance teacher Mrs. Nicholas Henderson.  Unusually for a woman of her era, Mrs. Henderson was internationally known and was cited respectfully by American dance master Charles Durang in his own manual as being a better writer than her male colleagues!  We will be doing her delightful Double Quadrille as well as her galopade-country dance, Holly Berry (previously posted about here).

These are beginner-level classes.  No experience is needed, no partner is required, and clean leather-soled flat shoes (not high heels) are recommended.  Gender balance is not guaranteed.

Reminder: Regency Assembly in CT this weekend (10/18-19)!

A quick reminder to folks who read Kickery for the Regency stuff: this weekend is The Elegant Arts Society's annual Regency Assembly, to be held in New Haven, Connecticut on the weekend of October 18-19, 2008.  On the Saturday, I will be teaching an afternoon dance workshop and precepting the evening ball to the accompaniment of the wonderful music of Spare Parts.  On the Sunday, there will be a costumed stroll in the park and then tea and Regency-era gaming (card games, dominoes, spillikins, backgammon, etc.)

Officially pre-reg is closed, but should your check arrive before the end of the week, you can still get the pre-reg rate.  Registration information is on the Assembly website.  Paypal cash transfers (NOT credit card payments) are accepted.

Regency & Victorian/Civil War Era Dance Workshops, NYC (Sunday, October 5, 2008)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, October 5th.  Logistical details are here.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), including steps and figures for country dances and the Royal Scotch and Caledonian Quadrilles, plus the Regency-era waltz in preparation for the upcoming Regency Assembly in New Haven on October 18-19th.  The Royal Scotch Quadrilles feature the "star" figure described in an earlier article here.  We will also dance the nine person reel known as the Bumpkin!

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will cover the earliest versions of the schottische in the 1850s and 1860s, including an interesting four-figure schottische quadrille from 1862.

These are beginner-level classes.  No experience is needed, no partner is required, and clean leather-soled flat shoes (not high heels) are recommended.  Gender balance is not guaranteed.

Regency Assembly, New Haven, CT (Oct 18-19, 2008)

Continuing with this month's all-announcements, all the time version of blogging, coming up in just under a month is The Elegant Arts Society's annual Regency Assembly, to be held in New Haven, Connecticut on the weekend of October 18-19, 2008.  On the Saturday, I will be teaching an afternoon dance workshop and precepting the evening ball to the accompaniment of the wonderful music of Spare Parts.  On the Sunday, there will be a costumed stroll in the park and then tea and Regency-era gaming (card games, dominoes, spillikins, backgammon, etc.)

Victorian Quadrilles; Long Island, NY (Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008)

I will be teaching a workshop on 19th-century quadrilles in Setauket, New York (Long Island) this weekend for The Long Island Traditional Music Association.  I plan to cover two full quadrilles (the mid-century version of The Caledonians and the 1880s Polo) as well as two or three promiscuous figures -- the Star and either the Gavotte or Minuet or both.

The workshop runs from 2:00-5:00pm and will be at the lovely Setauket Neighborhood House (directions on the LITMA site).  The dancing will be accompanied by the wonderful music of Marnen Laibow-Koser.  Full details are on the LITMA site.

I'd be delighted to meet any Kickery readers who might attend; please make yourself known!

Victorian Dance at Saloncon; NJ (September 13, 2008)

Sorry to have so many announcement posts and so little content so far this month; I promise to get better next week as my schedule eases up a little bit!

This weekend I'm going to be doing a short Victorian dance workshop at Saloncon, which is an interesting little Steampunk convention in Somerset, New Jersey.  I'll be teaching from 1:50-2:55pm (see below) and will probably cover basic waltz and some set dances; I'm thinking an 1890s Waltz Quadrille, the mid-century "Gothic Dance", and one of the more interesting promiscuous quadrille figures.  We might do a bit of polka or galop as well, time permitting.

As always, I'd be delighted to meet any Kickery readers who might be attending -- please make yourself known!

UPDATED 9/12/08: The most recent version of the Saloncon schedule now has this workshop occurring from 12:40-1:45pm.  I guess I'll find out when I get there!

Regency & Ragtime Dance Workshops, NYC (Sept. 7, 2008)

I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City this Sunday, September 7th.  Logistical details are here.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), including steps and figures for country dances and the Royal Scotch and Caledonian Quadrilles, plus the Regency-era waltz.  The Royal Scotch Quadrilles feature the "star" figure described in an earlier article here.  We will also dance the nine person reel known as the Bumpkin!

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will focus on the swaying moves of the maxixe, or Brazilian tango, a hot dance fad in the early 1910s.  This is not a class in Richard Powers' maxixe choreography; I will be teaching how to dance the maxixe freestyle to the music of Brazilian composer Ernesto Nazareth.

Regency (TWO!) and Ragtime Dance Workshops, NYC (August 2 & 3, 2008)

I will be teaching three dance workshops in New York City this weekend, August 2nd and 3rd.  You can get a double dose of Regency-era dance on both Saturday and Sunday!

On Saturday, August 2nd, from 3:00-4:30pm, I will be teaching in Brooklyn for the New York Baroque Dance Company's regular first Saturday class.  Logistical details are here (scroll down the page).  I am substituting for Caroline Copeland.  I will not be teaching baroque dance; this will be an early 19th-century (Regency) class focusing on quadrille figures and steps.

I will then be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City on Sunday, August 3rd.  Logistical details for these two classes are here.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), including steps and figures for early 19th-century country dances and the Royal Scotch and Caledonian Quadrilles, plus the Regency-era sauteuse.  The Royal Scotch Quadrilles feature the "star" figure described in an earlier article here.

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will look at two different hesitation waltzes of the early 1910s, pre-World War I era.  I will cover basic steps for the half and half, an interesting waltz done in 5/4 time and will teach the twinkle hesitation, a short sequence of waltz steps that can be done independently or as part of a regular waltz.  Information on pre-registration (at a small discount) for the ragtime class is here.  This class series will conclude in September with a workshop on the maxixe (freestyle, not choreographed).

Regency & Ragtime Dance Workshops, NYC (June 29, 2008)

Along with this Saturday's Regency Assembly at the 92nd Street Y, I will be teaching two dance workshops for The Elegant Arts Society in New York City on Sunday, June 29th.  Logistical details are here.

The first (1:00-3:45pm) will focus on the dances of the Regency era (1810-1820), including steps and figures for country dances and the Royal Scotch and Caledonian Quadrilles, plus the Regency-era waltz.  The Royal Scotch Quadrilles feature the "star" figure described in an earlier article here.

The second class (4:00-6:00pm) will cover basic steps and some variations for two popular dances of the early 1910s, the one-step and the tango, including the eight step and various hesitations as described in previous articles here.  The tango is neither the modern ballroom style nor the current Argentine style, but rather the tango as danced in the American ballroom in the early part of this century, related to but not quite the same as the current forms of the dance.  This is the first class nin a three-part series which will continue in August with a class on the half and half and twinkle hesitation and conclude in September with the maxixe.  Information on pre-registration (at a small discount) for the ragtime class or the series is here.

Historical Summer Dance Workshop at Goucher, Baltimore, MD (June 21-22)

This weekend, I will be attending the Historical Dance Workshop  sponsored by the New York Baroque Dance Company down at Goucher College, near Baltimore.  I'm going down there primarily to take the 19th- and 20th-century dance classes being taught by Richard Powers, though I may take some of the Renaissance dance as well, depending on exactly what's being taught.  My Baroque dance skills are minimal so I probably won't do much (if any) in that area.

I'm traveling down Friday night and back Sunday night, but Saturday night the social dancing ends fairly early (8:30), and I'd enjoy getting together that evening with anyone else who likes to talk about social dance history and reconstruction.