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What's been happeningWe started this page to keep track of what we've been doing each Zoom session. and now and then, an occasional real event, with the notes written by various members. You can find a more concise summary of what dances were taught which nights, with links to available videos, at Dances-taught-on-zoom-2020-2021. The videos used during the sessions can be found on this YouTube Zoom Dance Demos Playlist. April 13, 2022, notes from Wendy We tried out a hybrid live/zoom dance on a Wednesday when we could not be at our usual venue. We met at the Danish Church nearby, Gammel Dansk played for real live dancers, And Randall Peterman looked after the zoom session from his home. Once we set up a second camera so people could see the musicians and could also see the dancers, we think it went well. We have been doing live dances now, so far without zoom except for our session just described. February 23, 2022, notes from Wendy
We have kept up with our twice a month zoom dances, even though we have
not kept up with the blog notes. Janet Gabites has been leading the zoom
sessions, but on February 23, Ross Schipper filled in for her, from his
new home in Australia. The new dance for the evening was Heel and Toe
Polka, a Norwegian dance that has made it over to Australia as a bush
dance. Here are some links to Treklappdans from Norway:
and here are two videos of the Australian bush dance version of Heel and
Toe Polka (each a little different):
We also talked about a stylistic point we've seen recently in Sønderhoning
videos, with a dip on the second beat - when the leads are on both feet
(easy) and the follows are on their right foot (painful, in my opinion).
Here is a video: November 24, 2021, notes from Wendy Wendy reviewed Stabbe ringlender. October 13, 2021, notes from Wendy Mostly the same great tunes from last time. Wendy reviewed Royal Empress Tango. September 15, 2021, notes from Wendy It looks like we're doing the programming director's favourites now, with the occasional review. If you want to teach a dance, or have a dance reviewed, or want to hear a particular tune or type of dance, let Janet know: jgabites@telus.net September 8, 2021, notes from Wendy We have no word regarding where in the moving process Soren and Ross are, but we're continuing here without them. :( Things were fine, though. There was no featured dance tonight, but several dances were reviewed, and Janet Gabites played some wonderful music from her own collection. August 25, 2021, notes from Lisa Lisa Brooks taught two Zweifachers that were new to us, and reviewed the ones she taught previously: Alte Kath WWPP Eisenkeilnest (PPWW)x2 PW PW PPWW Nudeli PPWW Mary Lea CD Cascade of Tears https://dancefiddler.com/mp3s/5_Nudeli.mp3 Wirt vo Stoa (WPP)x2 WW August 11, 2021, notes from Wendy I taught Royal Empress Tango, which I had just learned from Richard Powers two weeks ago at the online Stockton Folk Dance Camp. Richard learned it in 1976, but it had first been taught at Stockton by Lucile Czarnowski in 1950. It is an English ballroom dance, choreographed by H.A. Clifton in 1922. The tune of the same name was composed that year by Harry Wood, arranged for orchestra and also for solo piano: Royal Empress Tango - YouTube. You can find the piano sheet music at Royal Empress Tango (libraryofdance.org). The dance, however, can be done to any tango music that has regular 16-bar phrasing, for instance, here is one sung in Swedish: A Swedish tango with dedication ! - YouTube. It has an 8-bar intro. The page at Library of Dance - Royal Empress Tango has the dance description and a video of two of Richard Powers's students doing one sequence. July 28, 2021, notes from Soren
This is the third time I’ve sat down to write a blog post, so I’m hoping
I’ll actually complete this one so that Wendy and Judith don’t think I’m a
complete flake! One would think that one would be less busy upon
completion of a graduate program during a pandemic, but it somehow turns
out to be the opposite (!?).
July 14, 2021 Ross Schipper presented a Bingsjö Polska for One that included the steps for both the lead and the follow as a single dance. June 23, 2021, notes from Wendy Sigrid Felland taught Electric Slide. I had no idea this dance had a name. I've been doing it for years at the swing dances at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend. When an appropriate tune comes along, the dance floor fills with people keen to get to groove without a partner. I did it last Wednesday to music for several Scandinavian dances, including humppa and some of those fancy Norwegian dances. I changed the timing a bit - an advantage of dancing on one's own in one's living room. June 16, 2021 We had an extra session for our Annual General Meeting. To make sure we'd have people there, Ross arranged for Loretta Kelley and Andrea Hoag to each play a set. Best. Meeting. Ever. June 9, 2021 Soren put on a Finnish evening, demonstrating some dances that can be done to the tunes in the first set. She began the evening with a beautiful tune by Bart Brashers, Viksta 4, which she recorded on recorder, playing the melody and harmony. Here is the playlist for the evening:
1st PLAYLIST May 26, 2021 Soren taught Boda Polska for one. Here is a link to a demo by the people she learned it from: May 12, 2021, notes from Pia Christensen
Sønderhoning comes from the small village of Sønderho (current population
about 200), at the south end of the island of Fanø off the SW coast of
Denmark. Laine Ruus, who used to dance with us in Vancouver and run our teaching, has a website with a lot of Scandinavian dance descriptions, mostly in English: Folkdansbeskrivningar, översättningar, m m (utoronto.ca) April 28, 2021 Soren taught “Finnskogs pols for One.” Mel Klassen recommended a great video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e-Pz9gTmxI, of a couple dancing Finnskog pols to "ordinary" fiddle (really, it was a cello) at the master-concert at the closing day of the "national championship in folk music" in 2009 at Geilo. They were winners in that class. Mel was there! Between Mel and Tom Sears, we have dancers names as Bjorn Sverre Hol Haugen and the EQUAL partner Veslemøy Nordset (Mel says to check her footwork on the clockwise turns). Ea Karlsson was the cellist. Tom also recommended Norwegian Folkdancing - YouTube with Audun Gruner-Hegge and Anbjorg Bergwitz, filmed on Feb.13, 2013 by Oyvind Refsnes, with four dances including Finnskogspols. April 14, 2021 Soren taught "Åtapprox Polska,” a modified version of the common Swedish couple dance, “Åtabaks Polska.” March 24, 2021 Soren and Ross taught Halling, some basic steps. March 10, 2021
Review of Dances Recently Presented during Zoom sessions February 24, 2021 Harry Khamis taught "Easy Does It Boda Polska" February 10, 2021, notes from Wendy Roo Lester taught us Tokyo Polka, a dance choreographed by Richard Powers, a big name in the vintage dance scene, world-wide, I think. Roo mentioned this dance to me a few months ago, and it seemed like fun but hard to learn when I watched the videos, but the teaching must have been pretty good, because it turned out to be easy. The steps really do flow nicely. I think Roo said Richard created the dance for a workshop in Tokyo, hence the name, which I guess you could say went viral.
On the
video of Richard Powers's class doing it
(that's Richard in the olive-coloured tshirt at the left front), it has the music as Mel Klassen has sent along some additional notes:
If you have too much time during your self-quarantined life, YouTube is an
endless source of _good_ videos for Ievan Polkka: Enjoy this "ear-worm". :-)
Here also is a page with an English translation of the lyrics: January 27, 2021, notes from Wendy Harry Khamis taught his Easy Does It Hambo. Harry developed this modification of the classic Hambo which transforms the popular Swedish gammaldans into a perfect non-partner dance for a small space on a less-than-ideal surface. An added benefit to learning this dance is that it teaches everyone both the lead's and the follow's step. We had a call for our pet attendees to make a group appearance.
January 13, 2021, notes from Wendy
There's lots more room here, so I'll use it to thank Ross Schipper for organizing these dances.
December 9, 2020, notes from Wendy Before I write so much that you never get to the bottom, I would like to mention two upcoming events we would highly recommend:
1. Travel virtually to Portland, OR on Monday, December 14th,
7 PM PST to attend the
2. Travel virtually to Seattle, WA on Wednesday, December 23rd,
7 PM PST to attend the
It never occurred to me to wonder where Salty Dog Rag came from, but Salty Dog Rag - Wikipedia has a lot to say about it, with some excellent links. This link in particular, Salty Dog Rag (USA) | Folk Dance Musings, has the dance description, lyrics, links to sheet music, several videos and links to other pages. Here is an abbreviated video of the Ostende, the dance that started it all: The Ostende (1910) - YouTube. It’s pretty much a less-animated version of the first step and the chorus of the Salty Dog Rag, but done without repeats. Leland and Frankie Lee Lawson seem to have added the alternate A part when they came up with the dance specifically for Rod Foley’s 1952 recording of Salty Dog Rag. You can watch the Teens N Twenties Social Dance group from Portland, Oregon dancing to that recording, at TNTPD - Salty Dog Rag.wmv - YouTube. The swing dance version link is on the Wikipedia page, but here it is: Salty Dog Rag - YouTube.
The schottis (actually Reiländer) I played is from a video at
MP3 live at Ransäterstämman 2008 - YouTube. The name is
”Stuff-Stuff”, played by a Mia Gustafsson’s trio MP3 with two guest
musicians, one of whom is Mikael Marin, whom she later married and
performed with as Marin/Marin; she is no longer married to him, and she
has changed her name to Mia Marine. Now I’m getting off topic. Here is trailer video for a concert given by Marin/Marin, with dancers Petra Eriksson and Anton Schneider! Blidström - trailer för Konsert och dansföreställning - YouTube; the hour-long concert is at Blidström - Musik och dansföreställning - YouTube. In the trailer, the dancers start with a Slängpolska and then switch to a minuet. There was a
request for the list of music played last night, which Ross has kindly
provided: We hope you have a wonderful holiday season. There will be no Zoom session of the SDV (Scandinavian Dancers of Vancouver) on Wednesday, December 23.
November 25, 2020, notes from Wendy
I want to preface my very short notes with a comment about the photos on
this Virtual Dance Blog page. I've been hanging out on Facebook so much
that I have the idea everyone is eager to have their photo displayed
everywhere possible, and indeed, it has always seemed that our dancers
were keen to see theirs and others' photos on our website and photo site.
But I have been hearing rumblings that some people think that some other
people feel differently about Zoom screen prints. I have posted screen
prints from our sessions because I think it gives a little personal touch
to these events at which for many of us there is no personal touch at all.
I have used my best judgement to not post any unflattering photos. But if
you object to your appearance in any photo, please let me know and I will
remove it, or will remove your appearance from it. I can be reached at
wlcutler@gmail.com. Also, if in general, you do not want to appear in
these screen prints, let me know and I will keep a list and keep your
visage off this page.
November 11, 2020, notes by Wendy I taught Seattle Polka on November 11, a variation of the Norwegian Pariser Polka or the Danish Reinlender Polka, in which the distinguishing features are a stamp and a double clap in the first part of the dance. I encouraged people to make little changes if they are craving a bit of variety - polka steps instead of the walk or pivots in the second half. At one time, a specific tune called "Seattle Polka" was used for this, but there is no reason it can't be done to any polkett; I played the energizing Abba tune "Super Trouper" to prove my point. You can find the video of the teaching at Seattle Polka - Quarantine Version on YouTube.
October 28, 2020, notes from Judith
We enjoyed a bone-clacking preamble to Halloween on Wednesday 28 October.
In the Zoom session, -- led by Ross and Soren disguised as talking X-ray
skeletons -- we reviewed the living-room repertoire we've learned so far
during the pandemic period. The review included two line dances suitable
for reinlender music -- Linerender (chor. Alix Cordray)
and Boot Scootin Boogie. These Texas-style line dances
make the most of the living room as you turn toward all four walls.
Compass Minuet (chor. Pia Christensen) goes one step
further, with minuet steps swaying through both the four main compass
points and the ones in between (SW, NE, etc.) as well. Annas Visa
and Odinas Bakmes are fun for waltz music, while
Riitta's Tango, also works fine as for solo or couple as
you relish the classic Finnish tango tune Satumaa. I was really pleased
that Janet revived Munkedals (Malmö) Mazurka, which we
had done for performance many years ago. Incredibly, the brain connections
were still there for this tricky dance, and it's a bit more forgiving when
you do it solo rather than in a line! A couple of mind-expanding dances
completed the lot –Bugg Line Dance (a Swedish relative of
swing) was an opportunity to ham it up, while Eisenkeilnest
Zwiefacher from Bavaria pulled in our reins with its unexpected
mixture of 2-beat and 3-beat bars.
October 14, 2020, notes from Soren
Hi SDV friends,
September 23, 2020, screen print from Wendy We really did get up and dance Zwiefacher, taught by Lisa Brooks.
September 9, 2020, we have two blog submissions for this week!
September 9, 2020 Mind your Hands! Notes by Judith
We don't generally do much fancy with our hands in Scandinavian folk
dancing, so some of us find that even the simplest hand or arm motions can
be challenging in a dance. But our creative and cultural horizons are
opening up under pandemic restrictions. As part of that expansion, Ross
and Soren taught a delightful swing/bugg solo dance at the Zoom session on
9 September. The steps were amusing and swingy, and the style included
expressive hand gestures as well. It was a good reminder that our upper
limbs can be part of the dance fun, too. September 9, 2020 The ZOOM-alypse, notes by Ross
The ZOOM-alypse
September 4, 2020 Pandemic Party on the Deck, notes by Judith During the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, we have enjoyed biweekly Zoom dance sessions, organized by Ross and Soren. The Zoom meetings are fun -- they keep us dancing and in touch, as well as bringing in welcome new faces from all over the map. However, we love getting together in person as well, even if we can't dance as we normally do. Deborah and Ib have helped to fill the void by organizing a couple of work sessions in the garden on the Scandinavian Centre's berm. But finally, for the first time since March, we got together for a real social event on the perfect late-summer evening of Friday, September 4. Organized by Pia, Inge, and Riitta, we set out properly-spaced tables with properly-spaced chairs on the deck at the Scandinavian Centre. Twenty-four people attended and the pandemic bureaucracy proved unobtrusive, requiring only contact information and a few health questions. We all brought our own food and behaved ourselves, talking and laughing in the outdoor air, avoiding hugs and close proximity.
August 26, 2020, screen prints from Wendy
This was a zoom dance evening; the featured dance was MALMÖ MAZURKA taught by Janet Gabites. No notes were submitted, so here are some screen prints.
August 12,
2020 Scandinavian Dancers of Vancouver Zoom Newsletter
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July 30, 2020, notes by Soren I hope you are all up to some safe summer fun whether it is physical or virtual. Given how we were unable to meet in person the last few months of our dance season, some of us have been gathering via zoom throughout the summer to catch up and get some exercise to beautiful traditional Scandinavian music, and some “different” music we’ve been throwing in for fun. We understand that virtual dancing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea or that people are busy doing other things, and so we wanted to find some alternative ways of staying connected as a group, until it is safe to resume physical dancing again. Towards this end, we thought we would try taking turns writing semi-regular letters or mini newsletters to the group just to say hi, report recent events, send links to teaching videos, etc. I get to go first! Last week Riitta (aided by Ron) gave the most outstanding zoom dance lesson I’ve seen anywhere yet. It was broken down into easily digestible steps that were super clear and easy to follow. After 3 years of fumbling and fudging the steps, thanks to this lesson, I’ve finally got the pattern down solid for Riita’s tango! If you are like me and you haven’t learned this dance, or need a refresher, it can be easily done solo in your living room or kitchen, to the video Ron and Riita made. Rainy days when we can’t get out hiking or into the yard, are the perfect opportunity to learn or review steps and patterns so we can hit the ground dancing as soon as it is safe to gather in person again. (Actually, I can’t wait to pull Riitta’s tango out of my back pocket at the next wedding reception I attend:-) On the personal front, I’m still working on my thesis and am feeling very fortunate to be “stuck” writing in Canada right now, with an amazing dance community. I’ve been trying to get out to sparsely populated trails or social distance car camping off of remote fire service roads as frequently as thesis allows. I look forward to comparing covid summer adventures with all of you, whether they are backyard or backroad adventures. Links to Riitta’s Tango instruction:
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This page was last modified on August 29, 2022. Copyright (c) Scandinavian Dancers of Vancouver, BC Society. |
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