Capering & Kickery

September 2012 Gig Calendar

I'm on the road through early September, and then after a little flurry of gigs in the middle of the month, spending a couple of quiet weeks catching up after five weeks of near-constant travel.  Here are the gigs open to the public:

Thursday, September 6th ~ Cincinnati, Ohio
The Royal Scotch Quadrilles: Regency quadrille workshop for The Cincinnati Historical Dance Society (dowload an event flyer here)
7:00-9:00pm

Tuesday, September 11th ~ Middletown, Connecticut
Jane Austen Era Dancing
Beginner-friendly lesson 8:15-9:30pm.  No costume needed.

Friday, September 14th ~ Middletown, Connecticut
Vinnie's All Blues Night (Facebook event page)
8:30pm-12:00 midnight.  DJing blues for the second set (10:30-midnight).

Sunday, September 16th ~ New York City
Regency Dance Workshop
Beginner-friendly lesson 2:00-4:00pm

Tuesday, September 18th ~ Cambridge, Massachusetts (Boston area)
Bluesy Tuesy
7:30-11:00pm.  DJing blues for the second set.

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I am available for private lessons at home or on my various travels; during the latter, you must provide the dance space.  Email me directly if you would like to schedule a private lesson.

New Haven & Middletown, Connecticut: September 11th-15th, 20th-30th
Boston: September 18th-19th

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Coming in October:

Regency & waltz classes in New York City, waltzing & blues DJing in Boston, and the 10th Annual Regency Assembly!

One-Step Variations: Step Out

It looks like this is going to be another one-step miniseries!

Another important, though deceptively simple, variation from the Castles is the "step out."  This is commonly done in social ragtime dancing, but rarely named (most dance manuals don't even mention it as a separate movement) and even more rarely really thought through.  But the Castles use it constantly in their one-step in The Whirl of Life, and it's the starting movement for variations like  the Pomander Walk.  It also comes up in the foxtrot as the setup for the hop-turn.  So let's talk a little about it.

First, the definition, from Vernon Castle in Modern Dancing (1914):

"It is simply stepping out at the side of your partner so that instead of walking in front you are walking a little to the right of each other."

The result of the step out is commonly known today as "Yale position", though the Castles do not use that term.  The dancers end up right hip to right hip, with their feet completely outside their partner's.  Here's Vernon's detailed breakdown:

"The gentleman is walking forward and the lady backward, as in the ordinary One Step.  Now the gentleman holds the lady a little distance away from him and steps out to his left so that, without changing the direction at all, his right foot is at the side of her right foot instead of being between her feet."

You then continue one-stepping along in this position for as long as you like.

One-Step Variations: Spin Turn

In their book Modern Dancing (1914), Vernon and Irene Castle (shown at left; click to enlarge) state that the spin is "the most important step of all, yet there are very few people who do it correctly."  and Albert W. Newman, in Dances of To-day (1914), noted that it was "most advantageous" to use when "there is a congestion of the dancers upon the floor."

The technique for the spin is quite simple.  The dancers simply rock back and forth from one foot to the other, turning as much as they like on each change of weight.  One's two feet should be almost a straight line, not spread widely apart. 

To turn clockwise, both dancers have the right foot forward, their feet very close together, the insides of their legs touching or very close to it.  This is not a move to be shy about body contact on!  The feet should be in almost a straight line; if they are wide apart, the move will look like waddling.   The right foot is the pivot point while the left foot propels the dancers around.  Here is the Castles' description:

"One main point you must bear in mind, and that is only to spin on one foot.  A peg-top could not spin well if it had two pegs, and it is the same with us.  It is absolutely necessary for both lady and gentleman to use the right foot.  Now both these feet must be close together.  With the left foot you propel yourself around -- the gentleman holding his partner closely and bringing her round with a steady pull."

August 2012 Gig Calendar (plus a bit of September!)

I'm going to be on the road for the last half of August and part of September, so no blues DJing this month and no extra time in Boston or New York City, but lots of chances for private lessons in places I'm not usually in!

Sunday, August 5th ~ New York City
Regency Dance Workshop
Beginner-friendly lesson 2:00-4:00pm

Tuesday, August 7th ~ Middletown, Connecticut
Jane Austen Era Dancing
Beginner-friendly lesson 8:15-9:30pm.  No costume needed.

Sunday-Saturday, August 12-18th ~ Maine
Ragtime/Titanic era dance workshops at Mainewoods Folk Dance Camp.

Saturday, August 18th ~ Connecticut
8:00-9:00pm
Cross-Step Waltz Workshop at Pi-Con (convention members only)

Saturday night/early Sunday morning, August 25th/26th ~ Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Saturday Night Swing
1:00-2:00am (approximate).  DJing some late-night blues after the dance!

Sunday, August 26th ~ Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Waltz workshops for Mostly Waltz Toronto  (Facebook event here; flier here)
12:00pm-6:00pm

August 27-September 9
I will be passing through Toronto (8/26-27) Chicago (8/29-9/3), Milwaukee (9/3-4), Lexington (9/5-6), Cincinnati (9/6-7), and Pittsburgh (9/8-9).  Most of my teaching will be for private groups, but the Cincinnati workshop is open to the general public:

Thursday, September 6th ~ Cincinnati, Ohio
The Royal Scotch Quadrilles: Regency quadrille workshop for The Cincinnati Historical Dance Society (dowload an event flyer here)
7:00-9:00pm

Anyone interested in further workshps in one of these cities or somewhere in between should contact me ASAP!

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I am available for private lessons at home or on my various travels; during the latter, you must provide the dance space.  Email me directly if you would like to schedule a private lesson.

New Haven & Middletown, Connecticut: through August 11th only
Toronto: August 26-27th
Chicago: August 29-31st, September 1st, September 3nd (not available Sunday the 2nd)
Milwaukee: September 3rd & 4th
Lexington: September 6th
Cincinnati: September 6th-7th
Pittsburgh: September 8th-9th

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Coming in September:

Regency & waltz classes, DJing blues in Boston, and catching up after my trip!