review: Glen Echo Contra Dance
mc...@vms.cis.pitt.edu
of Washington, DC. Wild Asparagus with, of course, George Marshall
calling.
It was a great dance. Maybe the best regular dance I've ever been to.
There were 6 or 7 hundred people. I expected a lot of people for W.A.,
but this was much larger than I expected. The genders were roughly
balanced, which is nice. A couple hundred extra men or women make
things difficult ;)
The music and calling were excellent, which I expect with W.A.
The crowd was warm, freindly polite, happy to dance with strangers and
everything that I would like a contra crowd to be.
It has been several years since I danced in DC. In the past when I have
danced there, the crowd was somewhat cold and filled with center set hotshots.
I expected last friday to have those traits, because often great bands bring
out the worst of dancers ("I only dance to, and with, the best in the
center set...." ;). I warned Amy, my significant other, that we both
could end up having problems finding partners.
What a wonderful surprise it turned out to be!
What a fine community they seem to have!
Out of 600 people I ran into only one hotshot (tall,devilishly handsome,
wouldn't touch me, yanked my partner into a twirl). He was so out of place
that the regulars probably recognize him just from this description.
I have never seen so many people all dancing well. Even a first timer
I danced with danced well (picked it up from osmosis-and maybe the workshop,
I guess). The timing was generally very good. The physical connections
were all smooth and comfortable. People gave good weight but not too much.
People twirled, but not to any excess(IMO). Hands four took a while to get
down the set, but with 50+ couple lines, what are ya gonna do? Very little
overcrowding in the center.
Most important, the people were freindly. I had no trouble finding partners
and neither did Amy. Smiles all around.
Very vibrant experience. I would recommend the Glen Echo dances to anyone
going to Washington (and I used to warn people about those dances....)
Thanks, Washington, for a great dance.
Anybody from DC want to comment on the changes in the last few years in the
community?
Michael Young
Pittsburgh, PA
Neal Rhodes
>
> Last friday, I went to the Friday night contra in Glen Echo, outside
> of Washington, DC. Wild Asparagus with, of course, George Marshall
> calling.
>
.........
> Anybody from DC want to comment on the changes in the last few years in the
> community?
>
> Michael Young
> Pittsburgh, PA
I'm been to then Glen Echo Dance, but I'm not a regular. I find it
bizarre that anyone would review/rate a dance. I'll dance with anyone
anywhere anytime, including teaching first graders to do "Alabama
Gal".
Since they, like most places, have different callers and different
bands, I don't see what your point is. Dance is life.
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neal Rhodes MNOP Ltd (770)-
972-5430
President Lilburn (atlanta) GA 30247 Fax:
978-4741
ne...@mnopltd.com
http://www.mnopltd.com/
mc...@vms.cis.pitt.edu
> mc...@vms.cis.pitt.edu wrote:
>>
>> Last friday, I went to the Friday night contra in Glen Echo, outside
>> of Washington, DC. Wild Asparagus with, of course, George Marshall
>> calling.
>>
>
> .........
>
>> Anybody from DC want to comment on the changes in the last few years in the
>> community?
>>
>> Michael Young
>> Pittsburgh, PA
>
> I'm been to then Glen Echo Dance, but I'm not a regular. I find it
> bizarre that anyone would review/rate a dance.
I found the community spirit at the dance and the gentle, courteous
dancers to be well worth commenting on.
Michael Young
Pittsburgh, PA
a tuber
Neal Rhodes <ne...@dexter.mnopltd.com> wrote:
>mc...@vms.cis.pitt.edu wrote:
[...]
>> Anybody from DC want to comment on the changes in the last few years in the
>> community?
>>
>I'm been to then Glen Echo Dance, but I'm not a regular. I find it
>bizarre that anyone would review/rate a dance. I'll dance with anyone
>anywhere anytime, including teaching first graders to do "Alabama
>Gal".
>
>Since they, like most places, have different callers and different
>bands, I don't see what your point is. Dance is life.
He spent most of the article reviewing the dancers, and was asking
for comments on changes in the community.
I'm simply amazed that a normal dance could have 700 dancers! Last
night, here in San Diego, we had only 16 active dancers at the end
of the night (although that was unusually small). I don't think I've
ever seen more than 100 contra dancers together.
-Dan Damouth
--
Joss Whedon: "As far as I'm concerned, the first episode of BUFFY
was the beginning of my career. It was the first time I told a
story from start to finish the way I wanted."
Mark Gaines
make positive remarks about someone or something, or takes the time to
thank another. So often today all you hear is criticism or worse from
others. My boss NEVER says anything positive to any of us unless she
thinks something is wrong. Indeed we have thought of putting up a
personalized "Reserved Parking" sign on the wall next to her office, and
permanently installing a broom there!
I for one appreciate positive feedback, and have seen such a dirth of it
that this makes me realize just where society has gone.
Just my thoughts.....
--
Mark Gaines M.S. B.S.N. RN RRT
danse...@earthlink.net
<http://home.earthlink.net/~dansegypsy/index.html>
"The road to tyranny, we must never forget, is the destruction of
the truth" President William Clinton 1995 from a speech at The
University Of Connecticut <G> <G> <G>
Nancy Mamlin
<mc...@vms.cis.pitt.edu> wrote in message
news:7hku1t$85u$1...@usenet01.srv.cis.pitt.edu...
> > mc...@vms.cis.pitt.edu wrote:
> >>
> >> Last friday, I went to the Friday night contra in Glen Echo, outside
> >> of Washington, DC. Wild Asparagus with, of course, George Marshall
> >> calling.
> >>
> >
> > .........
> >
the
> >> community?
> >>
> >> Pittsburgh, PA
> >
> > I'm been to then Glen Echo Dance, but I'm not a regular. I find it
> > bizarre that anyone would review/rate a dance.
>
> dancers to be well worth commenting on.
I, for one, was glad to read Michael's review. I used to dance in a very
friendly community (with Michael, in fact), and then moved to the DC area
for six years, and I know what Michael was talking about in his previous
post about the more-often-than-you'd-like unfriendliness/snobbishness of the
DC crowd. Now I've been away for five years, only returning to call/play but
not to dance there, so I was glad to hear of a potential change in the
crowd, and I, too, would like to hear from locals as to what they think
happened.
Last time I was there to call on a Friday night, I noticed a change in
attitude, though it's hard to put my finger on it... another thing that
contributed to the change, I think, was the deterioration of the Ballroom,
making it a bad idea to dance in the center of the hall, thus doing away
with the "center set" syndrome (though with a bid crowd, you still kind of
have to dance there)..... I dunno.
I disagree with Neal that it has much to do with who's calling/playing and
think that it has more to do with who's coming to dance.
Nancy Mamlin
--
******
Nancy Mamlin
"Whenever you got more than one person in a room together,
there's the potential for conflict." --Brian Yerman
******
Ken Davis
contra danced before that, in fact I never danced at all (except under
extreem duress, like at my wedding). Like others I have encountered, I found
contra dancing right around the time of my divorce. It has been a revelation
to me that so much fun could be had so easily. I have always found the Glen
Echo Dance community friendly and welcoming... perhaps even more so in the
last year since the Friday Night Dance has begun a concerted effort to
attract (and keep) more dancers. I was at the same dance that Michael was
(and Sunday night as well) and I thought his comments were on target. I had,
nevertheless, heard rumors and comments that the dances here weren't always
as nice as they are now. Actually, the specific comment that I had heard is
that the more critical dancers have moved over to swing dancing. For me,
this is a bit of a relief. Otherwise the degree of self-reproach I might
impose for missing contra dancing for so many years might be too much. I
think, after 4 years, that I have moved from phase I addiction to phase II
addiction (I can now occasionally miss dances without experiencing too much
pain). Even with the damaged floor, there is still a bit of a center set in
exile. It seems to be the set just right of center. It is only recognizable
because it is the last to get hands four. Anyway, I'm sorry that this
community may not have been as wonderful in the past as it is now, but I
hope that those who might have been staying away will come back. Thanks for
following my musings and thanks for your comments (complements), Michael. -
Ken
mc...@vms.cis.pitt.edu wrote in message
<7hhvt5$sfn$1...@usenet01.srv.cis.pitt.edu>...
>Last friday, I went to the Friday night contra in Glen Echo, outside
>of Washington, DC. Wild Asparagus with, of course, George Marshall
>calling.
>
>It was a great dance. Maybe the best regualar dance I've ever been to.
>
>There were 6 or 7 hundred people. I expected a lot of people for W.A.,
>but this was much larger than I expected. The genders were roughly
>balanced, which is nice. A couple hundred extra men or women makes
>things difficult ;)
>
>The music and calling were excellent, which I expect with W.A.
>
>The crowd was warm, freindly polite, happy to dance with strangers and
>everything that I would like a contra crowd to be.
>
>It has been several years since I danced in DC. In the past when I have
>danced there, the crowd was somewhat cold and filled with center set
hotshots.
>
>I expected last friday to have those traits, because often great bands
bring
>out the worst of dancers ("I only dance to, and with, the best in the
>center set...." ;). I warned Amy, my significant other, that we both
>could end up having problems finding partners.
>
>What a wonderful surprise it turned out to be!
>
>What a fine community they seem to have!
>
>Out of 600 people I ran into only one hotshot (tall,devilishly handsome,
>wouldn't touch me, yanked my partner into a twirl). He was so out of place
>that the regulars probably recognize him just from this description.
>
>I have never seen so many people all dancing well. Even a first timer
>I danced with danced well (picked it up from osmosis-and maybe the
workshop,
>I guess). The timing was generally very good. The physical connections
>were all smooth and comfortable. People gave good weight but not
excessive.
>People twirled, but not to any excess(IMO). Hand four took a while to get
>down the set, but with 50+ couple lines, what are ya gonna do? Very little
>overcrowding in the center.
>
>Most important, the people were freindly. I had no trouble finding
partners
>ann neither did Amy.
>
>Very vibrant experience. I would recommend the Glen Echo dances to anyone
>going to Washington (and I used to warn people about those dances....)
>
>Thanks, Washington, for a great dance.
>
Neal Rhodes
> I, for one, was glad to read Michael's review. I used to dance in a very
> friendly community (with Michael, in fact), and then moved to the DC area
> for six years, and I know what Michael was talking about in his previous
> post about the more-often-than-you'd-like unfriendliness/snobbishness of the
> DC crowd. Now I've been away for five years, only returning to call/play but
> not to dance there, so I was glad to hear of a potential change in the
> crowd, and I, too, would like to hear from locals as to what they think
> happened.
>
Ok, I'm a grump. What I sensed from Michael's electing to review was
that if you don't like a dance then go on Opra or Jerry Springer to
talk about it. I figure a venue's problems need to get fixed at the
venue itself. I also figure if I'm in DC, I go to Glen Echo, if in
Baltimore, Lovely Lane, if in Atlanta Morningside Baptist. It just
seemed immaterial to "rate" venues, like I really have a choice.
> Last time I was there to call on a Friday night, I noticed a change in
> attitude, though it's hard to put my finger on it... another thing that
> contributed to the change, I think, was the deterioration of the Ballroom,
> making it a bad idea to dance in the center of the hall, thus doing away
> with the "center set" syndrome (though with a bid crowd, you still kind of
> have to dance there)..... I dunno.
>
> I disagree with Neal that it has much to do with who's calling/playing and
> think that it has more to do with who's coming to dance.
We may be looking at different aspects of the dance ambiance, and we
may both be right.
The "attitude" certainly has to do with the dancers. The non-center
sets falling apart because the walkthrough was inadequate might also
be affected by the caller.
I usually dance in the non-center set, and I try to gesture wildly
(but politely) if I think we ain't "got it" during the walkthrough.
>
> Nancy Mamlin
>
> --
> ******
> Nancy Mamlin
> "Whenever you got more than one person in a room together,
> there's the potential for conflict." --Brian Yerman
> ******
--
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Neal Rhodes MNOP Ltd (770)-