Dancing, and I mean LOTS of it!!!

[Oxford, David]

Greetings all!

Here's a simple question... do you like to dance?  Of course, we all do!  But
are you frustrated when the grand four-hour ball planned at the event turns into
20 minutes of disorganized dancing (long feast, excessive court, etc)?

My friends, I have the answer... on February 17th, the Shire of Isenfir will
host the Atlantian Dance Symposium (Nothing But Dance) in Charlottesville, VA.
The afternoon will provide hour after hour of instruction in all sorts of
dancing.  Then get some dinner at one of many nearby restaurants (something you
know you'll like and won't take four hours! :)  Then COME DANCE UNTIL YOU FALL
OVER!  The evening will see a formal ball (in a fairly period style) that will
run until there is NO ONE left to dance!  We will have plenty of live musicians,
and there's scads of recorded music as backup if they poop out before the
dancers do.  There's no kitchen to clean up, no major site tear-down, just an
evening of dance for as long as we want.  (We DO need to leave by SOMETIME on
Sunday, but that's the only restriction :)  So wear your finest and come enjoy
the evening.

And what's better?  There's nothing else scheduled in all of Atlantia that day!
NOTHING!  So why sit home bored when you can be out on your feet movin' and
groovin' to the hottest hits of the 15th, 16th, and early 17th centuries?  Come
have a ball! ;)

FLYER BELOW with class list and descriptions ... also see the flyer at
http://www.virginia.edu/~isenfir/nothingbutdance

Bryan Morgan
Autocrat, Atlantian Dance Symposium

==============================================================
Atlantian Dance Symposium/Nothing But Dance
Isenfir - February 17th, 2001

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CLASSES - To brighten the dark days of winter, L'Academie Atlantienne de la
Danse will be sponsoring an entire day of classes and workshops on all areas of
European dance, hosted by the Shire of Isenfir. Instructors and teachers from
all over Atlantia, AEthelmearc, Meridies, East Kingdom, and kingdoms beyond will
descend upon Isenfir to offer up a selection of classes for every level of dance
enthusiast, from the complete beginner to the seasoned dance "old timer." Here
is your opportunity to learn the things you've always wanted to know about
Renaissance dance, but never had the chance to. Classes will include both
practical, on-your-feet dance classes, as well as sit-down
lectures/discussions/round-tables. Everything a dancer in the SCA could want to
know. 

BALL - And what day of dance classes would be complete without an entire evening
of dance to top it off? If you've been repeatedly frustrated by events that
promise dancing but don't deliver, here's your chance to make it all up, plus
some. After a break for everyone to get some dinner on their own, we will have
an evening of dance that will go until the last person has had all they can
stand. This ball will be conducted in a style similar to the Caroso-style balls
you may have seen before, where most everyone will get to pick a dance of their
choice. Show off the new stuff you learned during the day, or just enjoy a long
evening of dancing. 

Feast - There isn't one!  That means no long-running feasts to interfere with
dancing.  There are dozens of places to eat within 10 minutes of the site
(several within 1 minute), from cheap fast food to fancy sit-down meals.  Go
out, grab some food, and get back for the dancing!
 
Schedule of Activities

 8:00 am - Site opens 
10:00 am - Business meeting of L'Academie Atlantienne
             de la Danse -- open to everyone! 
12:00 pm - Classes begin 
 6:00 pm - Classes end -- Everyone has two hours to get
             dinner at one of the nearby restaurants 
 8:00 pm - Ball begins 
Late!!!! - Ball ends 

Cost: $7 pre-registered by Feb 1st (postmarked), $10 at the door. Send all paid
reservations to the autocrat.
 
Location: Charlottesville Municipal Arts Center (1119 Fifth St, SW,
Charlottesville, VA 22902).  See DIRECTIONS at
http://scs.student.virginia.edu/~isenfir/DIRECTIONS/cmac.htm 

Lodgings: See the Charlottesville Visitor's Guide
(http://www.charlottesvilletourism.org/Hotels.html) for a broad listings of
accommodations in the area.  The Holiday Inn Monticello (listed in the Guide) is
about half a mile from the site on the same road, and nearly all hotels with a
"Charlottesville" address are within 15 minutes of the site.  For crash space,
contact the autocrat. 
    
Class
Coordinator: 
Pomestnitsa Tatiana Miroslavovna (Sharon Buczko)
10755 Clover Ct
Manassas, VA 20109
703-551-2174 [H] (NLT 11pm)
sharon at cybernothing.org  
    
Autocrat:
Lord Bryan Morgan (David Oxford)
765 Verdant Lawn Ln
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(804) 979-3792 [H] (NLT 11pm)
(804) 979-3700 [W]
dmo at pqa.com  



Class List (as of 1-29-2001) 

o Advanced English Country Dance
  Stefan of Cambion   

o Beginner 15th C. Italian
  Edvard Gayer
Yes, the Italians did stuff before they discovered garlic, race cars, and salad
dressing. Students will be introduced to several steps unique to Italian dance,
and will learn dances such as "Gelosia", "Anello" and that crowd-favorite "Petit
Vriens" (aka Italian Bumper Cars).
Beginners welcome. Class is a recommended prerequisite for the Intermediate 15th
C. Italian class.
 
o Beginner 16th C. Italian Dance
  Judith de Northumbria (East Kingdom)
But wait! The fun of dancing in Italy did not end in the 15th Century! Those
crazy, conniving Italians had more coming, and it only got better! This class is
geared towards those who have either never danced any 16th c. Italian dances, or
who have danced very little. Basic steps will be taught. Dances to be taught
will include: Carmen's Whistle Canary, Lo Spagnoletto (basically an Italian
ECD), and Ballo del Fiore. And now it's time for something completely
different....(and yet not)
 
o Beginning English Country Dance
  Evelyn Merrimet   

o Dance Excellence
  Signy Dimmridaela (Meridies)
This class targets dancers with some experience, particularly those who consider
themselves at the intermediate level and those who are teaching and performing.
It is a class on how to dance and how to improve one's dancing, and covers such
topics as posture, balance, movement, kinesthetic awareness, etc. in a context
of 15-17c dance.  

o Galliard Basics and Variations
  Tahira bint Ibrahim al-Ixbilyi
Galliard, gagliarda, cinque-pace, call it what you will, either way this step is
the perfect show-off piece. This class will teach the basic 5-step galliard as
well as period variations to spice up your galliarding technique. 
Beginner to intermediate... advanced dancers probably know everything I'd be
teaching
 
o Intermediate/Advanced 15th C. Italian Social Dance
  Judith de Northumbria (East Kingdom)
So you know the basics...You have dance Petits Vriens and Gelosia until you
could doze off while dancing it, and you are ready for a bit more a challenge
(though not much, I assure you). You like flirting, and you like showing off,
and you want a new way to do it. This is the class for you. Steps will be
reviewed. Dances to include: Rosti Boli Gioioso, Anello, Leoncello, Colonesse,
Marchesana, and Lauro.  

o Make 'em Laugh!: The Use of Humor in Teaching Dance
  Anjuli McDonald of Clanranald (AEthelmearc)
A demonstration of  teaching beginning English Country Dance using humor and
laughter to help overcome the self-consciousness and hesitation of inexperienced
dancers. This class is open to all, but is directed specifically toward dance
masters/mistresses -- because, as we all know, it's one thing to know how to
dance, it's quite another to impart the skill to others!
Class time: 2 Hours
 
o Playford's "Secret" Dances
  Edvard Gayer
There are over 100 dances in Playford's first edition, yet we tend to dance the
same 20-30 over and over again! In this class, we'll explore some of the really
fun "secret" dances that you rarely see done in Atlantia. Dances may include
"Old Mole", "New Boe Peep", and "Boate Man" among others.
Intermediate -- previous experience with English Country Dance is recommended.
 
o Running an Effective Local Dance Practice
  Bryan Morgan
This class will address various issues involved in starting and running a local
dance practice, including finding sites, getting people to attend, keeping it
interesting, what dances to do, how to organize, and other topics of interest to
the local dance master.  Experienced local dance masters are encouraged to
attend as well and offer and exchange ideas.  

o Simple Medieval Peasant Dances: The Saltarello and the Piva
  Judith de Northumbria (East Kingdom)
Dance did not simply appear out of the clear blue one day in Italy when Messer
Domenico decided to write dance manuals. There was a tradition long before this
that existed, amongst both the nobility and the peasantry, and there seems to
have been considerable cross over between the two. This class is geared towards
those who just like to dance. No choreographies to remember. No rules (except
that Thou Shalt Not Hurt Others). Just lots of fun. Come and try something new!


o Snooty Walking Dances
  Edvard Gayer
Are you feeling particularly snobbish today? Can you walk a reasonably straight
line? Can you count to four? If you answered "yes" to ANY of these, you can
dance! Come learn some very easy, very elegant dances, that will come in handy
the next time you wish to show off some really spiff garb, or for when you're
feeling particularly "hoity-toity".
Beginners welcome.
 
o Two Muses Married: Dance and Drama Unite
  Anjuli McDonald of Clanranald (AEthelmearc)
An intermingling of these two artistic endeavors, during which a short play with
dances will be studied and practiced, possibly for performance to an audience at
some point during the day or evening.  This class is open to those who are
already proficient in the basic SCA English Country Dances and have an interest
in theatre.
Class Time: 2 hours