My apologies for not having any photos for these past few posts.  I’ve been leaving my camera at home more often than I would like but the activities I’ve been doing aren’t so conducive to photography and I certainly wouldn’t want to post photos of others without their consent.

Photos or not, I think it’s worth sharing what I was up to on the weekend.  I went to a grrrrreat coffee house on Friday night.  There was music from the decade before my birth, songs I enjoyed when I was a teenager, some original songs and some others I had never heard before (but have in the rotation now).  It was a fun night and it got me thinking that I really need to play more than the recorder.  I like being able to sing while I play which is why I have the lyre, but without the sharps and flats it’s hard to play much more than old folk tunes.  I think when I go back home at Christmas I’m going to have to pick up the guitar again.

When I first moved to Alberta it was mid-way through the hockey season so I took advantage of the extra time in my schedule and picked up a guitar.  I really like finger-style guitar and figuring out how to play songs I like by ear.  I started to learn some finger style but found it so confusing so mostly I would figure out how to pick the melody and strum the chorus.  The last time I did that was 4 years ago though!  Somewhere in the house there will be the notebook where I wrote out the lyrics and some of the notes of some Corb Lund and Johnny Cash tunes.  So yeah, Friday night has reinspired me to get more musical.  And the poem about the television can only help!  I didn’t have a tv that first winter in Alberta and I often wish I didn’t know that I could watch shows on-line.  Life without the tv is so much sweeter but for some reason I keep losing sight of that!

The other thing I did on the weekend was Contra Dancing.  I went to one when I was doing my Waldorf intensive in the summer and was inspired to look and see what is offered in this city.  Sure enough, there are regular dances and the folks who turn up are welcoming of novices.

Some of the steps come from square dancing (I think that’s the correct origin for do-si-do) and country dancing and as you move around, switching partners all the way through, the sense of community and shared experience grows.  It helps that there is lovely live music to dance to too!

As with my first dance I wore my birkenstocks.  They’re a little tricky to dance with but at the end of the week I’ll be meeting up with Kevin and in addition to some great time together I’ll also get to pick up some necessities such as dance shoes!

In closing, I’m so happy that I had a social weekend and found extra inspiration to get playing music, turning off the “tv” and dancing.  And I’m also looking forward to spending the coming weekend with Kev!

I might have evidence tomorrow morning that I did too much today, but so far it looks as though I didn’t hurt my run by exerting myself before it, and I didn’t exhaust myself for the evening either.

I spent the hour around 3 p.m. doing yardwork; officially, I was to have raked the front lawn and swept the driveway before the rains came, but the whole time it was dry I wasn’t yet ready to wake up. Nothing much was wet – the rain had been light and the tree had sheltered its browned progeny!

I then ran a little less than I should have; a route I thought was a fraction over 7 miles is 6.8 or 6.9 instead. Not a problem, but it probably means I’m not actually due the praise I gave myself for shaving a few minutes off my seven-mile time. I spent an hour on the road, give or take a few seconds, and I’ve passed the hour mark by a few minutes on every run since the one I did at night at SUNY.

Since I didn’t make either of the Friday-night services I’d been considering – I would have come too late to the one at Beth El (with the Hoshanah Rabbah) and Berith Sholom’s Simchat Torah service would have let me out too late. The reasoning behind the latter excuse is apropos, however: Simchat Torah involves dances celebrating the Torah scrolls, and I wanted to be sure I got in an hour of contra dancing in before the Red Sox game started at 9:30. That worked: I pushed myself through five dances even though I hardly ever go without a rest like that, and although I missed the first bits of the Sox game I would have chosen the Twins-Yankees extra innings over those early ones anyway.

Saturday I ventured down a seriously narrow road in the coastal mountains to visit a folk dance weekend. It’s a private event that’s been going on for many years. It involves camping, eating, and pretty much round-the-clock dancing. My husband’s band, Harmon’s Peak, played for a contra dance and I went along with the intention of sketching.

I like dancing a lot, and I had to exert an enormous amount of self-discipline to pull out my sketchbook and get some work done. Of course I was shy to sketch around people I didn’t know (they might look!), but even when a man plunked down right beside me and took a good long gander at my sketches, I just kept drawing.

Dancers present the puzzle of sketching a moving target. When the dancers were flying across the deck, I could only scratch out the briefest of lines. So I mostly drew them as they stood waiting for instruction, and during the repetitive parts of the dance. I had to watch carefully to catch them as they returned to the same position over and over again. Then I’d tear into the drawing and get a few more lines down.

I started by drawing stick figures with the pen side of my Tombow Dual Brush-pen. Stick figures are a great way to get a gesture down fast. I start with the line of action so I’ve got a place to go, then over that line I draw in the barrel of the chest. That’s the most important part—it’s the visual clue about the torso’s inclination in space, and as Rob has told me millions of times in class, it’s all about the torso. When I’d got the torso down, all the rest of the bodily bits—hips, arms, legs, and head—could be attached with some success.  Last of all, I hung flesh and clothes on the gesture drawing using the brush side of my Tombow.

The contra was short and sweet. Afterward, the dancing rounded back to Israeli line dancing, a style of dancing I don’t know. It was interesting to watch the dancers as they stepped and twirled. They didn’t have partners, as they would in contra dancing, but they did form a large circle and danced as a group. Each song had intricate stepping patterns and lots of whirling, and some dances had arm waving and gestures. It seemed almost meditational rather than social in the way a contra or a set dance is social. Without someone to tell me what I should be doing, I’d sure have to be meditating on what the heck I was supposed to be doing in that circle.

If you live in the S.F. Bay Area and want to find a contra dance, the BACDS (the Bay Area Country Dance Society) is a good resource.

There is evidently a large subculture of Israeli line dancing in the Bay Area. You might try the Sunnyvale Community Center.

NOTE: The Big Red Apple is now TheBigRedApple.net

To view this post at its new location click HERE!

It is so lovely outside today that I almost don’t want to be indoors writing to you, however, I would be a terrible blogger if I failed to inform you of some of the wonderful events the Big Apple has to offer this weekend.

First, an addition to tonight’s lineup; a new exhibit is opening at Mixed Greens- X 10th Anniversary Exhibition:

With X, we present a large selection of the many amazing artists with whom we’ve been privileged to work. Their techniques and subject matter vary widely, but all of these artists captured our attention either by their extraordinary use of materials or through their deep examination and investigation of their subjects. There is no theme uniting the 84 participating artists—the only common denominator is Mixed Greens. Some might call it narcissistic. Others nostalgic. We consider it to be a celebration of some of the best artists working today.

I’ve heard tell that the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck will also be there!

If you’ve never been to a Contra Dance event you should experience the madness Friday night at the LGBT Community Center; this event will have the added twist of being “gender neutral.” There are a lot of twists in contra already, that one makes this a true ‘only-in-New-York’ event.

Contra Dancers

If you’re looking for a nice way to enjoy the evening outdoors you can enjoy a childhood favorite on the shore of the Hudson River; The Wizard of Oz will be screening on Pier 46!

Inside, and a bit further north, The Raspberry Brothers will be tearing apart the 80s classic Pretty in Pink! This is a must see if you’re going to attend the Pretty in Pink Prom Saturday night (keep reading for details). I guarantee their antics will give you excellent cocktail conversation.

So, The Prom, well, Pretty in Pink Prom Night is happening Saturday night at The Bell House (where else?). It’s going to be an epic nostalgia trip complete with a “totally radical giant 80s prom backdrop,” in front of which you can have your prom pictures professionally shot, a “50 foot balloon drop” AND “bathrooms stocked with Aqua Net for heavy primping.” Not to mention one of the best 80s cover bands available- The Engagements! Get out there and have the prom you always dreamed of!

Also on Saturday it’s Bronx Gridlock vs. Brooklyn Bombshells at the Hunter College Sportsplex! If you haven’t made it out to a Gotham Girls Roller Derby bout this year, this is a great time to go!

ALSO on Saturday Rooftop Films is screening a movie at The Old American Can Factory- 45365 won Best Documentary at SXSW 2009:

45365 captures the plain pathos of a single place like few other films ever do. It is amusing and informative, exciting and realistic, tragic and eternal. But as I said, this synopsis is inadequate. To get at these emotions and ideas, you could live all your life in Sidney, Ohio, or you could see this film.

The Oberlin band Like Bells will perform before the screening; my little sister is currently an Oberlin student so all things Oberlin have a special place in my heart.

Of course I’m also a tremendous francophile so I may have to celebrate Bastille Day on Saturday. There are a number of celebrations in the city; my pick is the Petanque Tournament at Cornichon. Petanque is sort of like frenchified bocce ball; there will also be lots of wine and good cheer!

Libertie! Egalitie! Fraternitie!

On Sunday you can continue to embrace your inner francophile at Le Poisson Rouge, where they will be screening one of the most influential French films of the French New Wave- The 400 Blows. François Truffaut’s masterpiece gives you an intimate look into the Paris of the 1950s.

Also on Sunday you can swing under the stars with George Gee’s Big Band at Moondance on Pier 54!

Monday is the start of the Metropolitan Opera’s Summer Series; Paulo Szot, Lisette Oropesa, Alek Shrader, and Vlad Iftinca will be performing on Central Park’s Summerstage. If you can’t get any of the free tickets for this event check out the performances in the outer boroughs throughout the week.

Also on Monday, Wilco will be performing in Keyspan Park; Yo La Tengo will open. Check out this video:

Have a marvelous weekend and stay tuned for additions!

This was the spring contradance weekend in Toronto, with sessions from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. We couldn’t attend it all but we did go to the Saturday night dance. The band was Wild Asparagus.

Contradancers lining up before a dance

I think about 180 people attended, which gave us 5 sets in the gymnasium at Eastminster United Church. It’s normally a basketball court, so it was pretty crowded with five double rows of dancers.

The music was good and it was a lot of fun. The room turns in to a mass of swirling dancers.

I took Andie to contra dancing at St. Barnabas, where we met Ian and Erin. The band was from Michigan and it was quite good. Andie danced the last dance, among others, with her father. As usual, she was the best dancer among us. I stuck to the male position as it’s confusing to keep switching and there’s always a shortage of men at the dances.

Erin was quite shy about dancing, but we eventually got her up and going. I think she enjoyed it.

I took some fairly good pictures and even a couple of videos. Unfortunately I lost them while transferring them to the computer.

Oh, yes—the Toronto Country Dancers have a new sound-mixing control panel. It looks something like the one below (minus cat).

more funny cats

The Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company – The BEST dance company in Israel

Its about time I dedicated a post to my favorite dance company in Israel, and without a doubt the best Contemporary dance company that Israel has to offer the world. If an Israeli names another dance company from Israel as the most famous or appreciated company, then your are talking to someone who isn’t really into dance and has very little knowledge of it. The main problem today with the KCDC is that it is so successful around the world, that there aren’t many shows in Israel and they preform mainly outside the country.
The KCDC is a very unique dance company, it’s home is at Kibbutz Ge’aton in the north of Israel and all dancers in the company live on the Kibbutz. The dancers come from all over the world, but the choreography is 100% Israeli – all by the artistic manager of the company – Rami Be’er. Take a look at this video about the KCDC and get to know the special environment in which this dance company lives and create – it is called “The Galilee dance village”.

Isragirl Presents : The Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (KCDC), Video by Dariya Koren ©

If you enjoy contemporary dance you cannot afford to miss the KCDC, an utter pleasure is guaranteed at any of their shows. All you have to do is enter the KCDC web site and check out when they preform in your country. In recent years I’ve made it a rule of mine to watch all their shows and I can assure you that you wont be disappointed. The company has brilliant dancers and a visionary choreographer who demonstrates an impossible imagination well above and beyond any thing you may look for, or expect.

If you are in Israel these days you have a triple chance to enjoy one of their shows:

Ekodoom – Suzann Dellal Center for Dance and Theater, Friday Oct. 10th at 10pm and Saturday Oct. 11th at 9pm. Tickets at 03-5105656

Kef-Kafim – Suzann Dellal Center for Dance and Theater, Friday Oct. 17th at 10pm. Tickets: 03-5105656

60 HZ – Herzliya Stage Arts Center, Friday Oct. 24th at 10pm. Tickets: 09-9729999

60 HZ is their latest show, I was at the premier in July and its magnificent!!! My general tip is to try and watch the KCDC shows on big stages, since their work is usually grandiose and takes up most of the stage. Suzann Dellal is a great theater but maybe a little too small for Ekodoom. For the very fun Kef-Kafim it will be excellent.

Enjoy a parallel universe of imagination by the KCDC

• Travel Israel: Guide, Travel Tips, Photos and Videos
• Isragirl presents: Stuff!!!
• Oh well – Maybe next year
• Israel National Trail
• Loving Tel Aviv
• Doof Festival by the Sea of Galilee
• Israel’s SPA Retreats

Oh yes…contra. That’s right, I went contra dancing this past weekend and it was AMAZING. A group of the students went a few times last year, and since then they have been taking anyone and everyone who will agree to go. The contra dance was held in an old barn-like building…out in the middle of NOWHERE. We took a group of 12 people…

XA Contra Group

It really was a neat experience. I don’t think an explanation would even do the actual experience justice. Basically though, since few people actually know or understand what contra is, it is one of the most clean dancing experiences you will find. The place we went is very much family-friendly. The people there ranged in age from about 10 up to 60-something. There was a great band of guys playing bluegrass music…at least, that is what I think you would call it. Anyway, it was great. The whole time you are paired up with your partner but you also dance with all the other people in the set you are in. I got to dance with some pretty interesting people. There is even a guy who comes wearing a kilt!

I recommend that you check out this whole contra dancing thing. It is amazingly fun. It is incredibly fast-paced though, so wear comfortable shoes. Oh, and for the ladies – wear a flowy skirt for sure. It makes the swinging a lot more enjoyable…and trust me, you will be doing a lot of it!

So, we are going again this weekend because some of the students didn’t get to go last weekend. I will surely be better at it the 2nd time – I hope!

Greetings Inspire(d) Friends!

Just wanted to round up some of the great live music that is coming up in the area in the coming weeks – there’s a lot going on so make sure you get to enjoy at least a couple of these events!!!

*Friday September 12  – Iowa’s own Salsa orchestra – Orquesta Alto Maiz – Marty’s – Luther College -9pm

*Saturday September 13 – Contra Dance at the Highlandville School House! Highlandville, IA – 8pm

(Traditional Contra Dance with fantastic local musicians – contact Beth Lynch (lynchbet@gmail.com))

*Friday September 19 – Chris Koza Band w/ Amalia Vagts (opening) Steyer Opera House – 8pm

*Saturday September 20 – Pieta Brown w/ The Pines (opening) Steyer Opera House – 8pm

(Click names / pictures above for more info on these great midwest musicians!!! Advnace tickets available at the Hotel Winneshiek front desk or by email – contact benji@theinspiredmedia for more info. Advance tickets are suggested! Come enjoy incredible midwest music in a stunning environment! )

(The Pines – Photo Sandy Dyas)

*Saturday September 26 – Shoeless Revolution & Public Property – Popcorn Tavern, La Crosse – 10pm

*Saturday September 27  – Lakota Sioux Dance Theatre – Center Stage series – CFL, Luther College – 7:30pm

(contact Luther College Box Office, (563) 387-1357)

*Saturday October 4 – Joe & Vicki Price – Main Entrance – Prairie Du Chien, WI – 9pm

*Saturday October 11 – DASY Productions presents a special evening in benefit for the Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!  Dog House Jon & The Misbehavers w/ The Benefits. Plus lots more fun, auctions, in one of NE Iowa’s classic venues!

Saturday October 18 -  Dawn of The Deb fight against Breast Cancer!

Thursday October 23 – BACKYARD TIRE FIRE! – Club Pyramid, Decorah 8pm $5 at the door – all ages!

KDEC FM 100.5 and Inspire(d) Present!!!

Backyard Tire Fire have been making midwest rock and roll for several years. Based out of Bloomington, IL they have been said to be “distinguished by a rare combination of workingman authenticity and indie-rock eccentricity.”

Daytrotter.com recently raved: “Backyard Tire Fire are the choice we make when the extremes always sound too extreme, the bright lights feel too foreign, the money’s not important, the beer’s on ice and the clothes we like most are the ones that we’ve had on our bodies for decades and we know what made all of the holes and rough patches in them.”

Backyard Tire Fire will play Decorah just days before they go on to open a series of shows for Los Lobos, The Squirrel Nut Zippers, and The Reverend Horton Heat. Catch them in an intimate venue while you can! 5$!!!

SUPPORT LIVE & LOCAL MUSIC!!!

Heather dragged me contra dancing tonight, and it was fun!  Exhausting, and hot, but fun.  There’s a contra dance every Thrusday night in Concord. I think I’m going back!

I’m glad the partners I had put up with my complete and utter clumsiness and inability to tell left from right.  I had a lot of fun.  It was also very dizzying.

I struggled for about a month trying to write at post about “Left Behind”. Truth is, there isn’t much of a story…

I got a last-minute gig fiddling for a dance. I was to play with Dave on piano (the same Dave from Time Czar’s “Maine Crew”) for a family dance at a summer camp-type-place. True to form, I arrived half an hour late to practice and put together some sets that afternoon.

True to form, we left for the gig a few minutes late, and then stopped to get pizza. We had a bit of an argument over who would pay for said meal, both of us saying “No, I’ll pay, I’m rich! I’m getting paid tonight.” You know you’re not living easy when $100 makes you feel rich.

In the car, eating our giant, gooey, greasy slices of pizza, we realized we hadn’t thought of a name for our “band”. We wanted to play off the fact that we’re both lefties, and if we can get in a reference to our habits of tardiness, all the better. Well, what about…

“Left Behind”

We liked it. It met our criteria, and threw in a vaguely snide political allusion in the process.

So, we played.  And people danced.  We were kind of disappointed when people filtered out early, but the organizer assured us that we were great, it was just that they had just eaten a big dinner, and some had spent all day traveling, so were tired.  We chatted a bit, got our checks, and then went to dance in Walpole.

So, be on the lookout for “Left Behind”.  We may, you know, play again.  Someday.

Last night at the Baltimore contra dance, I noticed two young teens dancing as a couple. At first I just assumed they were brother and sister, as they looked comfortable together. Then, while dancing in a set with them, I witnessed something that quickly corrected my perception: The young man, at the most opportune moment, took his partner’s hand and gave it a gentle kiss … all while executing the dance move fluidly. The young girl, in the most classic and feminine of gestures, lowered her eyes, tilted her head slightly downward and smiled demurely in receipt of his gift.

It was soooo sweet to witness and enjoy that small moment between them.

The Contra Dance spring weekend is almost here! Visit TCdance.org for details.

Location: Eastminster United Church, 310 Danforth Avenue
Dates: 2008 April 11 19:30 – April 15 16:30

The previous dance was the very successful 25th anniversary dance. It was fun but very crowded, as you can see below. There were five lines of dancers instead of the usual two or three.

We should be getting back to normal with tonight’s dance.

January 26th

Caller: Mike Jones

Mike is a member of Toronto Country Dancers. He has been calling contra dances since 1998 in southern Ontario and northern New York. He has a clear voice and good command of language. He enjoys calling a variety of dance figures and looks for good flow in the dances that he calls.

Band: The Puffins: Jamie Snider, Shelley Coopersmith, & Rose Bolton

The Puffins were formed in 2000 to perform Newfoundland fiddle music and songs, and to take advantage of their knack at spontaneously creating beautiful three part fiddle harmonies.

Their reportoire now crosses Canada; from Ukrainian dance music to Métis, Ontario Don Messer style and Québec dance

See Toronto Country Dancers for location and times.

Judy Greenhill introduces the rest of the “instigators” of Toronto Country Dancers.

The dance floor was full! We had five lines instead of our usual three.  

Look for more pictures at TCD 25th anniversary.

Too busy to blog, in fact.

Tuesday night I was too tired and depressed after visiting my friend to go to the STC meeting; which is just as well because it didn’t happen.

On Wednesday, my friend called me before 8:00 a.m. to tell me about another tote or suitcase she didn’t want lost in her mess. I made a note of it. I ran errands. I waited to hear the interview results. I moved the laundry along. (It’s infinite.) I made a long list of ileo-safe foods. My friend’s “helper team:” of friends had a conference call to plan. She has a one-page list of all the things that she wants us to do to get her apartment ready for her to come home. We agreed to meet there on Thursday. I picked up her keys to make copies and measured the furniture that needs to be replaced.

Wednesday night was a Pilates lesson.

Thursday I had a second interview with my prospective client. Then I walked up to visit my friend in hospital as she was anxious that she might be moved and wanted to measure the heights of various objects in her room right now. I rushed home, had a snack, and got the keys copied and labelled them. Then I met the others at her apartment. We sorted out her clothes to find the dirty ones (ALL of them, it seems). I checked her voice mail and saved the messages. We worked for about three hours to clear away some of the mess (putting clothes into closets, recycling expired flyers). Each of us took two large bags home for washing. I also identified some clothes that she’ll never get into again, which are candidates for the thrift stores. Life was complicated by my losing the car key somewhere between the car and the apartment; the other helpers gave me a lift home. Finally, I helped another friend to study for an important test–she picked me up and I was able to unlock the car with spare keys. We had a good time studying and I met her two cats.

Friday it was swimming practice at 7:00 a.m., driving LotStreetWiz to work, and visiting my friend at hospital. I figure if the clothes are smaller than a certain size, we can get rid of them. However, she wants to make the decisions. Then I went home to do more laundry and check the STC job bank e-mail & listings. I combined trips, driving to Welland and checking my dad’s house, and meeting his friends to give them an update, then driving back to Hamilton to pick up Andie and take her back to Toronto.

Saturday it was more clothes-sorting, trying to rescue my friend’s cats, checking the STC job bank e-mail & listings, and doing laundry. I sorted all our sheets to find single sheets for my friend’s prospective new bed. I took the sheets to her apartment. On the home front, one of our kittens, I presume, brought in a very flat, dried-out squirrel carcase. In the evening I took Andie contra dancing and we had about three hours of that. ( See Toronto Country Dancers for location and times.)

This morning (Sunday), one or both of the kittens brought in a pigeon; we don’t know if they killed it or found it.

We all went to a swimming lesson. We came home for lunch and to keep moving the laundry along, including my friend’s dirty clothes. LotStreetWiz is helping Andie to shop and driving her back to Hamilton. I’m *ahem* doing dishes and more laundry.

It’s the last contra dance of the year and everyone who remembered brought in treats. Some volunteers came early and decorated the hall with strings of lights and quantities of silver tinsel.

My son and grand-daughter came to dance and I met them there.

We all arrived in good time and the dance ran an extra half-hour, so I got as much dancing as my toes could stand. I must get more comfortable shoes–real dancing shoes, perhaps.

The band was TuneScape, I think… They were very good and came all the way from Pennsylvania to play for us.

And the caller was Judy Greenhill. She called many contra dances and a square dance; we also had a couple of waltzes.

The percussionist brought an unusual musical instrument from Sweden. It’s a kind of keyed violin.

Next dance: January 12.

I missed the first dance of the season because I was in Wisconsin. But I made it to the second one!

The dance was good – and so was the music – contra dancing is always done to live music. There were lots of people, so we had three sets of dancers down the hall. And there were lots of young people, including several children.

I like my underexposed pictures because they give a sense of the motion.

See Toronto Country Dancers for location and time.