Dance Star Online

SBCDS Calendar in your Calendar or PIM program

2008-02-29T08:34:00.000-08:00

You can embed the SBCDS calendar into your own Personal Information Manager (PIM) or calendar program if it supports the iCalendar format. Copy and use this address to subscribe (right-click, Mac ctrl-click).

Here is a list of applications with iCalendar support.

Ventura ECD Experiment Quite the Success

2008-02-28T15:22:00.000-08:00

Way back in January 2007, we began an English Country Dance series in Ventura on the First Monday of each month.

It drew many curiosity-seekers, and a respectable crowd when we had live music and a caller from England, Colin Hume. Other than that, most of our ECD fans in Ventura County found it difficult to attend, and most dances lost a small amount of money.

One of our biggest Ventura fans, Susan Pineda, located another site for us that we could use on Sunday afternoon, and has a padded floor. So on September 16, we tried a Third Sunday afternoon dance.

We had great attendance, and not just curiosity-seekers. As the dance ended, I asked if people felt we should start up a Sunday series in January. This was unacceptable! All wanted to just keep going, which meant starting in earnest on the next Third Sunday, October 21. That dance, too, was well attended. Enough to rent the hall, pay the caller, and some left over for the sponsoring group (three homeschool groups).

The November dance would have been the same date as our Pre-Thanksgiving Event, which included an English Country Dance in the afternoon, so the November Ventura dance was canceled.

The December dance came around, but the three of us driving down there started encountering serious smoke in Ventura County. This was the day of the big fires in Southern California. That dance was canceled, both because the air was unhealthy and most folks were wise enough to stay home.

In January, the SBCDS began sponsoring the dance, which moved to First Sundays, to avoid the kind of problem we enountered in November. (There can never be an afternoon dance on First Sundays at the Ballroom because the Tea Dance is in the Ballroom on First Sunday afternoons.)

Both the January and February dances (the latter featuring guest caller Ben Rotenberg) were successful, such that the rent could be paid, the caller paid, and some left over toward SBCDS expenses.

Maybe we'll see you there on one or more first Sundays!

Dance Star Editor: Your Name Here

2008-02-28T15:11:00.000-08:00

Keith Connes was the volunteer editor and producer of the Dance Star for several years. He has had much experience in this field, and has done a fantastic job with the Dance Star, the articles and the biographies.

Unfortunately, Keith has not been able to continue. Anyone interested, please contact Gary Shapiro at 805 682-5523 or via email or better yet, in person. Note that this doesn’t have to be a job for just one person.

And ask about the perks!

Sprung Floor Dance Festival: 2x the Fun

2008-02-28T15:02:00.000-08:00

Two times the dancing in a festival environment on Memorial Day Weekend.

Two (2) fun callers! Two (2) fun bands! One (1) low price ($15)! A festive potluck in between. On our favorite sprung floor. Sunday, May 25, from 2:30 till 10:00 p.m.

Details at www.sbcds.org/sf/.

New Calendar Online

2008-02-28T14:57:00.000-08:00

Now, in addition to the Dance Star schedule and the online contra and English Country Dance schedules, there’s a new way to keep up with what’s gong on: the SBCDS Calendar. Just go to our website and click on Calendar. Once there, you can view the calendar in various ways: the default “agenda” view, or by the month or week. The calendar also lists the time and place of our Board meetings.

You can also subscribe to the calendar using a calendar program on your own computer.

Harvest Moon To Shine Brightly

2008-02-28T14:19:00.000-08:00

Get ready for another great Harvest Moon Dance Festival, the 25th annual! On September 26-28, 2008, the fabulous bands, Airdance and Lift Ticket, are coming to the Carrillo Ballroom all weekend. Don’t miss two of the best contra bands in the country, along with the enthusiastic calling of Cis Hinkle from Atlanta, GA.

Early bird registration is $120, and this is sure to be a sell-out! Check out the website for more info: www.sbcds.org/hm/.

Volunteer Honor Roll

2007-11-24T09:16:00.000-08:00

Thank you past and present volunteers! Here is a list of at-the-dance volunteers from the past (some of whom are present volunteers as well).

Did we miss you? Spell your name wrong? Do you want to be removed from this list? If so, please contact us.

Dance coordination

Joe Aleks, Rob Gardner, Tom Biesanz, Barry White, Roxan MacDougall, Marty Frith, John Redding, Matthew Thornley, Rebecca Zendejas, Don Higgins, Jeff Kidson, Duncan Badine, Bob Mesick, Keith Connes, Ann Paff, Peter Glatz, Ramsey Harris, Jane Leavitt, Rodrigo Soria, Chris Ritter, Laura Ritter, David Lee, Dick Anderson

Greeters

Moira Butler, Marilyn Whitford, William Noack, Jean Olson, Annelie Zeise, Susan McNeil, Heather Babaoye, Christine Loizeaux, Laura Waters, Ann Kidson, Linda Bernson, Leslie Tejada, Lois Holt, Vicki Gardner, Hazel Frosher, Leah Diamond, Jo Wamser, Sammy Ellis, Luci Andrino, Jonnie Lawhon, Tina Fear, Jean Olson, Alice Williams, Anita Hendricks, Jane Leavitt, Patricia Jessup, Jatila Davis, Carol Wade, Justine Sutton, Doris Gordon, Jeanette Love, Simin Rastan, Joann Eisberg, Elaine Miller, Jennifer Tom, Jim Moresi, Carolyn Coleman, Doris Gordon

Refreshments

Steve Spiers, Monica Spiers, Charlotte Gould, Mark Edwards, Tony Marzio

Scheduling

Kelli Butler, Vicki Gardner, Simon Kiefer

Letter of appreciation from Scott Swain

2007-11-24T00:51:00.000-08:00

Scott Swain submitted this appreciative letter for the Dance Star that would have come out this month:

Dear Fellow Dancers,
Thank you for honoring me at the dance last September 9. It was a great dance and I appreciate the high attendance on that wonderful evening.
I can't believe how quickly the years have passed since I first started contra dancing, and volunteering shortly afterwards. Helping to keep the dances running has been a satisfying endeavor.
I would like to thank many other "behind the scenes" volunteers who have pitched in to help over the years. Without their help, it would not have been possible for any one person to have kept the dances going. They all deserve our thanks. We all owe a special thanks to Joe Aleks, who has been setting up the contra dances for at least as long as I have been, and has often offered to help even when it was not convenient for him to do so. Our volunteers who have recently pitched in to set up the dances include Rob Gardner, Tom Biesanz, Roxan MacDougall, Barry White, and Marty Frith. A list of previous volunteers can be found here on this weblog.
Finally, a big thank you to Marty Frith for kindly assenting to take over my duties as the Event/Dance Coordinator, and to Moira Butler, who took over the duties of coordinating the front door Greeters a few years ago.
Here's to many more years of dancing for everyone.

Revels: Santa Barbara's New Seasonal Tradition

2007-11-19T15:28:00.000-08:00

Santa Barbara Revels launches an exciting holiday tradition this year with "The Christmas Revels: in Celebration of the Winter Solstice." Santa Barbara Revels is the newest of ten Revels companies nation-wide, the first having started in Cambridge, MA, 37 years ago, and each presents fully staged and costumed productions that incorporate traditional music, dance, drama and ritual and commemorate the changing seasons.

This inaugural production of Santa Barbara Revels focuses on the traditions of Medieval and Renaissance England, with vocal performances from SBCC’s Quire of Voyces, conducted by music director Nathan Kreitzer, and from the Revels Children's Chorus, led by Pam McLendon. The newly-formed Revels Morris Men will present a variety of traditional dances, the James Michael Consort will perform musical selections on 15th and 16th Century instruments, and the Revels Brass Ensemble, composed of musicians from the Santa Barbara Symphony, will provide musical accompaniment.

All Revels companies incorporate volunteer and professional performers and are inter-generational, multi-ethnic and non-denominational. All productions contain the hallmark Revels characteristics of audience participation and community celebration.

Susan Keller is Founder/Producer of Santa Barbara Revels and Maggie Mixsell the Stage Director for performances on Thursday, December 6, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. (as part of First Thursday) and Sunday, December 9, at 12:30 p.m. Both performances are in the Courtyard of the historic Casa de la Guerra, 15 E. De la Guerra Street. Thursday is a preview performance open to the public; tickets for Sunday’s performance can be purchased at the door, $10 for adults and $5 for children over three. For additional information: www.santabarbararevels.org or call 565-9357.

No Winter Dance Star?

2007-11-18T11:04:00.000-08:00

The Dance Star is on hiatus due to lack of a staff.

Contact any of the SBCDS Board members (http://www.sbcds.org/contacts/) for more information on helping with the editorial and/or production aspects of our quarterly newsletter.

In the meantime, this Dance Star Online is alive and well if anyone has any suitable contributions for it.

Also in the meantime, a flyer-schedule combo is being printed in lieu of the Dance Star and is available for download.

Debuting Band #3: Dannsair

2007-08-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

Flutist Suzanne Duffy writes in and tells us she is…

bring[ing] in another band to the contradance community, the Santa Barbara-based Celtic band, Dannsair, led by guitarist Russell Doherty. Dannsair has had longstanding performance engagements at two much-loved Irish pubs in Santa Barbara, Sunday evenings at the James Joyce and Thursday evenings at Dargan's. And for some time, contradancers have stopped by for a listen and encouraged the band to consider performing for a contradance. So here we go! We're delighted and honored to be partnered with caller Susan Petrick from the Bay area for our debut dance. Hope you'll come close out your Thanksgiving holiday weekend with us on Sunday, November 25th.

We'd also like to apologize for misspelling the band's name in the Dance Star. If you download it now, though, it's been corrected.

Debuting Band #2: Aolian

2007-08-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

[Waiting for any of our intrepid reporters to land some info.]

Debuting Band #1: Atlantic Crossing

2007-08-31T08:06:00.000-07:00

From their website:

This band was started in 1987 to share traditional music from both sides of the Atlantic and points beyond. Over the years, we have played traditional American music from the Appalachians and Louisiana, the Balkans and Middle East, and now, we are playing primarily contra dance music.

[more]

ECD Experiment in Ventura

2007-08-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

If you’ve paid any attention to our calendar, you’ve noticed we have an English Country Dance in Ventura on the second Monday of each month. We’ve heard from several people that Monday evenings are difficult, so as a sort of “trial balloon,” we’re offering a special Sunday afternoon dance on September 16 from 3 to 5 p.m.

The location is a padded wooden floor at the Gold Coast Fencing Center, 2300 Knoll Dr. #L. Look for “trial” balloons marking the driveway to enter.

Our Monday, September 10, dance at the usual Ventura location is still on.

Long-Time Volunteer To Be Honored

2007-08-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

Usually working behind the scenes, Scott Swain has tirelessly volunteered his services to our dance community, for decades. Yes, decades! Now we wish to publicly thank him and honor him for all he has done. The contra dance evening of September 9 has been designated Scott Swain Night. We will hold a ceremony in his honor during the break. Let’s all be there to give a huge “thank you” to Scott.

Coming Attractions

2007-08-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

BACDS Fall Dance Weekend at Monte Toyon: Contra and English at a wooded camp near Santa Cruz. October 12-14.
www.bacds.org/camps/fallweekend/

Seventh Annual Southern California English Country Dance Ball: Playford to Present. November 3. Find flyers at our contra and English Country dances.

New Year’s Eve contra dance: Ojai Art Center with Warren Blier and Bonfire.
www.ojaiartcenter.org/dance.htm

More at www.sbcds.org/festivals/.

Guest Caller from Portland, OR

2007-08-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Nationally known dance leader, caller and dance activist Mary Devlin comes to Santa Barbara for our annual Pre-Thanksgiving Event on November 18. She will lead the English Country Dance at 2 p.m. and the contra at the usual 6:30.

She’s a favorite caller in the Northwest, around the country and around the world: Monte Toyon, Mendocino, Minnesota, Brasstown, France and Denmark, among other places.

Learn more about Mary at www.mdevlin.com/dance/.

Harvest Moon—What's That?

2007-08-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

Harvest Moon Dance Festival, September 28-30, is Santa Barbara’s yearly premier contra dance camp. Based on current enrollment numbers, this year will be the biggest Harvest Moon ever and it will be held entirely at the Carrillo Ballroom. And we still have room for more dancers!

Notorious, an outstanding six-piece band, will get you completely in the groove. Musicians include Larry Unger, guitar and banjo player extraordinaire; Eden MacAdam-Somer, an exciting and versatile fiddler; Sam Bartlett, a mandolin master; Mark Hellenburg, an incredible percussionist; Ralph Gordon, driving on cello and bass; plus special guest, Bill Tomczak, on clarinet and saxophone. Virginia caller, Shawn Brenneman, is a top- notch caller calling clear, concise, smooth dances. The East Coast dancers love her!

Besides having more contra dancing then ever, you can waltz on both mornings. On Saturday afternoon, choose between Swing dancing to legendary Rob Rio or English Country dancing to L.A.’s renowned Bonfire. And don’t miss the post-Harvest Moon Sunday evening dance with Notorious and Shawn, 7-10 p.m., $10.

Download an application by going to the Harvest Moon web page.

Questions? Email Kelli Butler at harvestmoon [at-sign] sbcds.org or call (805) 649-5189

House a Dancer for Harvest Moon

2007-08-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

House a Dancer, Dance Friday Night Free!

Hospitable folks are needed to provide hospitality for our out-of-town Harvest Mooners. Floor space, futons, guest rooms, deluxe doghouse in the backyard—it’s all good. As thanks, be our guest at the Friday night opening dance on September 28. Email Donna at donnabayet [at-sign] aol.com or call (805) 682-1877 if you can help.

Welcome

2007-08-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Dance Star Online, a weblog of Dance Star articles, plus articles exclusive to the web site.

Note you can still download the print edition of the current issue and back issues going back many years at our download page.