National Folk Festival 2015

BEFORE THE NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL 2015

If you are coming to NFF2015 early, then have we a dance for you.


 * MFS proudly presents "English Country Dancing Workshops"- Tuesday, 31st March 2015 - at our new venue, with a lovely sprung timber floor – North Canberra Baptist Church Hall.

English Country Dances from Playford (from 1650), Pride and Prejudice (from 1820s), or contemporary (e.g. Pat Shaw who died 1977). Are you interested in exploring some different dances? Their historical or social context? Or want to polish up your dance technique? Or have a go teaching? Or just have fun? Then please come along.
 * “Jigs, reels, rants and waltz”


 * Workshops are twice a month - on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 7:30 - 9:30pm, at North Canberra Baptist Church Hall, 17 Condamine St, Turner. Cost will be $7 for MFS members, $9 for non-members - a small increase to help pay for a much nicer hall. Dances will be taught by Colin Towns and guests.

Enquiries: Colin Towns 0417 020 615  "Colin Towns" 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OPENING DANCE - National Folk Festival 2015

The welcome dance on Thursday night at the National Folk Festival this Easter will feature easier dances from many of the main social dance styles including Australian, Irish, Scottish, English and Contra (see below). The aim is to give those who are unfamiliar with social dance a chance to experience the variety that is on offer at the festival. This fits with the dance theme of the NFF to involve newcomers as much as possible in learning the dance streams.

Of course it will make it easier for everyone if you experienced dancers come along to help. If enough of you come then we should be able to help newcomers through some of the more challenging dances on the program like Levi Jackson's rag.

Cheers, Alex


 * Sellengers Round, Geud Man of Ballangigh, Circle Galop, Waves of Tory, Walls of Limerick, Bridge of Athlone, Be My Valentine, Good Girl, Love and Kisses, Dashing White Sergeant, Borrowdale Exchange, Bottoms up, Barn Dance, Virginia Reel, Marching Through Georgia, Emily’s Hop, Janet's Delight, Love’em and Leave’em, Levi Jackson's Rag, Margaret’s Waltz

Posted by: a.bishop@med.usyd.edu.au ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Heritage Ball 2015 - National Folk Festival

I have attached the Ball programme for the Sunday night. Music by the Heritage Ensemble and calling by Heather Clarke (early colonial), Don Richmond (goldrush to mid 20C) and Cathy Richmond (the continuing tradition). Please let your dancing associates know about it. Cheers, Dave Johnson (dave@davidjohnson.id.au)


 * Grand March, Port Jackson, Botany Bay, Melbourne Waltz, Lord Sydney’s Fancy, La Bathurst - maybe Nancy Dawson, Captain Cook’s County Dance, Trip to Ottahiti


 * Thady You Gander, Waltz Country Dance, Prince Imperials Quadrille, Varsovienna, Barn Dance (Non Progressive), Barn Dance (Progressive), Maxina, Railway Polka

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 * Blackwattle Reel, Emma Waltz, New Cumberland Town OR Diggers Jig, Festival Fancy, The Shed, Love ‘em and Leave ‘em

SCOTTISH BALL 2015 - NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL - Friday 3 April 2015
 * FIRST HALF - FEATURING STRATHMANNAN WITH TONY NORTHEY CALLING (tonynorthey@gmail.com)


 * The Borrowdale Exchange - 8 x 32 R - 2nd Carnforth Col
 * The Summer Assembly - Sq set 88b R - 35/8
 * The St John River - 4 x 32 S - New Brunswick Col
 * Barley Bree - 4 x 48 R - 13/4
 * The Charlestown Chaser - 4 x 32 J - E. See
 * Robertson Rant - Sq set 80b S - 39/8
 * Clutha - 4 x 48 R - 31/2
 * Glasgow Highlanders - 2S32 x 8 - 2/3
 * De’il amang the Tailors - 3R32 x 8 - 14/7
 * Extra: Petronella - 2R32 x 8 - 1/1

Featuring music by Chris Duncan, Catherine Strutt & Jennifer Strutt, With Special Guests - Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas (MCs: Anthony & Lisa Simon)
 * SECOND HALF - A GRAND NIGHT OF SCOTTISH DANCE -Part 2, 9 pm – 11pm


 * Bottoms Up - 32j3c - Snowdon book 3
 * Hedwig’s Reel- 2r3C - RSCDS Graded book 2
 * Balmoral Strathspey - 32S4C - Book 22
 * The Shetland Shepherdess - 32j3c - RSCDS Graded book 3
 * Flowers of Edinburgh - 32r3c - Book 1
 * 1915 Penny - 32S3C -  Tri Edith Gall
 * Galloway House - 32r2c - RSCDS Graded Book
 * Joie De Vivre - 32J3C - Book 39
 * Invercauld’s Reel - 32S3C - Book 11
 * Catch the Wind - 32h3C - Book 45
 * Mrs Stewart’s Jig - 32J3C - Book 35
 * Reel of the Royal Scots - 32r3c - RSCDS Leaflet 27
 * Auld Lang Syne

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 * ANTHONY AND LISA SIMON (ozscotdance@optusnet.com.au)

DANCERS DANCE - National Folk Festival 2015 - Coalbrook Band

As you may or may not know, The Coalbrook Band is programmed to run the Dancers' Dance at the National in 2015. We are looking forward to playing for this exciting dance and hope that you are planning to come and dance to our music. The Instructions for the Dances on the Dancers' Dance programme for the National Folk Festival should be accessible soon via the Festival website but I thought you may like a copy now  so that your dancers can start revising the dances. So if I have your email address in my system you have received an early notice.

See you at the Festival, Helen Strutt (the.strutts@bigpond.com)

DANCE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE DANCERS DANCE

http://folkfestival.org.au/wp-content/uploads/NFF2015-Dancers-Dance-Instructions.pdf ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

INTERESTING FACTS RE DANCE STYLES REPRESENTED

An analysis of the time allocated to these dance styles in 2014 compared to 2009 is in the files section of the group site:

https://au.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/AustSocialDanceNetwork/info

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Meeting with Pam Merrigan, Program Manager, National Folk Festival - 2.00 pm Wednesday 11th February 2015

The dance Venues for the 2015 Festival will include:

1.   The Coorong, as a dedicated venue

2.   The Piazza, as a dedicated venue 3.   The Central Park Stage, as a small venue which may be used for small dance groups from time to time among other things 4.   A new canvas covered site called The Pod

The Coorong - the walls will be draped on all four sides, with heavy cloth, to improve the acoustics, there will be a 'new' sound provider. This provider has previously dealt with the Coorong as a concert venue - the mixing desk will be at the back of the hall facing the stage - the stage will be installed in "portrait" position i.e. same orientation as last year to provide maximum use of the pale part of the floor because dancers prefer to use that part (the floor's slight  springing system is actually the same across the pale and dark areas) - will use the existing Coorong floor, which will not be varnished again since last year. The surface is still in good condition.

Piazza - will be in the same place as last year behind the Grandstand where it can be viewed by passing      traffic - will be the same size as last year - will feature a mix of scheduled dances and displays.

Central Park Stage (open air)- This venue is available for a mix of community activities, brass bands, street theatre, dance, recital - it's just inside the Gates on Flemington Rd.

The Pod- This is a new, albeit small, venue. It includes a small sprung dance floor 4X4M in a 10X8M tent partially open at the sides for viewing, which may be used for dance/music/recital/song as a blackboard stage. In addition it will have a small raised stage about 1.5m deep and a small back-of stage area suitable for putting bags etc. The venue will have power, a microphone & sound system and a CD player. The rest of the tent will have space, including some seating, for observers. - It will be where the Bohemia was last year, outside the Marquee, close to lots of food stalls, and close to the Budawang too. - Although it will be available in part as a spontaneous blackboard stage, the NFF hopes to pre-schedule some events on it. This will depend on offers before Easter to run things including dance happenings. Examples of dance events that might be offered on this little stage, could be to do a display say of a square set dance and then teach it to bystanders, to do a short practice or display that serves to advertise a workshop or social dance event later in the Festival, to teach some basic dance steps to passers-by etc. So if you have ideas get in contact with the NFF Attn Pam Merrigan.

The Bohemia will move along to sit outside the Coorong, where the Merry Muse was some years ago.

Broadly speaking it is the aspiration of the NFF to: -   reintroduce a third dedicated dance venue in the next year or so. This, in considerable measure, will be determined by the overall patronage of dance at the Festival because the costs are high -   try to integrate dance with other activities at the Festival to maximise the exposure of patrons to the dance aspect, to increase interest and involvement in the dance stream while still maintaining a high standard of dance at the top end. The idea is to render the activity more accessible to patrons to ensure continuity for the future.

Content - the program has largely been fixed and will in any event be available on the NFF web site for the official launch on Wednesday 18 February

Major dance events have been allocated about 3 hours. These include the Contra, Scottish, & Irish dances. The Heritage Ball has been allocated 4 hours. Thursday - Welcome dance, 8-11pm Friday  - Grand Night of Scottish Dancing = 4 hrs Saturday - Dancers dance = 2.5 hrs, Family Dance = 1.5hrs, Irish Ceili = 3 hrs, Contra = 2 hrs Sunday - Contra = 3hrs (afternoon), London Klezmer, Heritage Ball = 4 hrs Monday - Irish (Margaret & Bill Winnett) = 1.5hrs Farewell dance = 2 hrs Music for the Grand Night of Scottish Dancing, 7-11pm, will be by Strathmanan, followed by Chris Duncan, Jennifer Strutt, Alistair Fraser, Natalie Hass, with a 15-20 minute changeover.

'''Overall what we heard was very encouraging for a great dance experience in the offing with much improved sound in the Coorong compared with last year and indeed with years before that. It seems that ASDN feedback based on the exit-survey we conducted at last year's festival was appreciated and acted upon. Fingers crossed that the sound engineers deliver on their earnest intent'''

Ray Mulligan and Roger Gifford, ACT Reps. of ASDN Posted by: rmulligan@netspeed.com.au

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DANCER'S DANCE AT THE NATIONAL 2015

As you may or may not know, The Coalbrook Band is programmed to run the Dancers' Dance at the National in 2015. We are looking forward to playing for this exciting dance and hope that you are planning to come and dance to our music.

The Instructions for the Dances on the Dancers' Dance programme for the National Folk Festival should be accessible soon via the Festival website but I thought you may like a copy now  so that your dancers can start revising the dances. So if I have your email address in my system you have received an early notice.

See you at the Festival. Best wishes, Helen Strutt __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

HERITAGE BALL AT THE NATIONAL 2015

Hello you keen Heritage Ball goers. The first section of the Heritage Ball programme this year will feature five early colonial dances. Instructions for these dances can be found at the colonial dance website.

http://www.colonialdance.com.au/nff-heritage-ball-2015

As many of you will be unfamiliar with these dances, we have taken special care in describing the details of each dance. Please contact me if you would like further information or a recording of the music.

There will be a preparatory workshop for the Ball at the Festival on Friday 3rd April at 3.50pm which will also include dances from the latter (more modern) part of the programme.

Dave Johnson is directing the ball with music by the Heritage Ensemble.

Yours in dance, Heather - Posted by: heather.clarke40@yahoo.com ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________