The Bay Area Country Dance Society Website

Program and Schedule:

Our program is designed to appeal to new dancers, old hands, and everyone in-between. The staff will enlighten you to the Zen of dancing in workshops that are really playshops, designed to challenge you to think about dance in new ways. Celebrate those magic moments in a dance where you go “ahhhh!” Learn the secrets of how to make your dancing more enjoyable for yourself and those around you. Explore fiendishly challenging yet ultimately satisfying dances.

Musicians and callers will have the opportunity to share ideas with our talented staff on building energy and enthusiasm through presentation. We equally focus on both contra and English dance as well as other dance styles.  This abundance of options allows campers to indulge in a number of dance styles.

Here's the preliminary schedule (more details to come and all items subject to change):

HELGESSON HALL SESSIONS

• Saturday 9:00-10:15am, Playford Classics for All (English)
  It seems doubtful that John Playford could have guessed that “The English Dancing Master: or Plain and easy Rules for the Dancing of Country Dances, with the Tune for each Dance” (1651) would form the basis for an international revival of English Country Dance a quarter of a millennia later. A century later still, while inundated in gorgeous modern compositions, we continue to find delight in many of these old classics. In this workshop we’ll dance a bunch of them, some easy, some challenging, and look at how to combine one’s personal dancing style with the teamwork inherent in a community dance to generate a sublime dance experience for all.
   
• Saturday 10:30-11:45am, Lead, Follow, Communicate! (Contra)
  The first in our "improve your contra dancing" class series: Aiming after a swing, Twirling, Silent instruction, rollaway, gentle leading.
   
• Saturday 1:15-2:30pm, Set Phrasers on Stun (English)
  Good phrasing: Dancing each figure in its allotted musical phase.  Stunning phrasing: Phrasing so good the electricity flows and people perk up and notice.  The art of fitting dance figures to musical phrases is what holds country dancing together. Come prepared to stun your set with exquisite phrasing. Bad puns optional. Suitable for all.
   
• Saturday 2:45-4:00pm, Injury Free Dancing (Contra)
  Twirls, Allemandes, bouncy vs. smooth style, crowded conditions, timing and smoothness.
   
• Saturday 4:15-5:30pm, No-Walk-Through Contra Dances (Contra)
  The contra dance dessert session.  End a busy day with a chance to just dance.  May include a medley.
   
• Sunday 9:00-10:15am, Stepping Out (English)
  Walking, running, skipping, slipping, setting, waltzing, skip-changing, ranting. So many ways to move to the music! Yet too often our “dancing” becomes a plodding execution of geometrical figures. So, sleepy or not, come out to dance on Sunday morning and we’ll put some spring into our steps. No ranting this time, but we may possibly take a brief excursion north to the highlands just for fun. All dancers welcome!
   
• Sunday 10:30-11:45am. Transitions: the Rocket Science of Dance (Contra)
  Apogee, balanced forces, centrifugal and centripetal, gravity well.  It's all about those magic weightless moments in a dance where you're floating between connections. Superb!
   

DINING HALL SESSIONS

• Saturday 9:00-10:15am, Breaking Out of the Mold: Eclectic ECD music treatments (ECD music)
  Just like contra, ECD is starting to use ideas from all kinds of music - ragtime, blues, Breton, Eastern European, African, and more.  And since ECD tunes vary so much in phrasing and tempo, they allow even more room for creative borrowing.  Anita will shows you some of the Tricky Brits and Roguery licks of this type, with advice on how to slip them in more or less discreetly.  Jane Austen would definitely not approve - but she's not here; we are!
   
• Saturday 10:30-11:45am, Slow Jam
  We're bringing back the music track this year, including this slow jam led by Dave Langford.
   
• Saturday 1:15-2:30pm, Kerry Sets
  Dance camp.  Wee hours.  The floor is visibly bouncing.  There are at least three fiddles turning out jigs.  Four square sets are packed into a room no larger than a Cary quad.  You're having a blast dancing Irish sets.  That's later tonight.  For now, take this opportunity to learn some set from county Kerry (or Claire or Killarny or ... ) when you have the space to dance them without having your glasses knocked off.  You'll be surprised how many figures and moves you'll recognize.  Suitable for all.
   
• Saturday 2:45-4:00pm, Contra accompaniment techniques
  Learn how to make your music transport the dancers.  Backup techniques for contra musicians.
   
• Saturday 4:15-5:30pm, Farnicle Huggy and other light classics (Experienced English)
  One of the joys of ECD is the incredible range of dances, from light snacks to 7 course meals. The latter are great fun, but usually are too frustrating for new dancers to be tackled at regular open dances. So we’ll take advantage of this gathering of gourmets to do Farnicle Huggy and a couple other challenging dances. You’ll have to do your own cooking, but it will be worth it! For experienced English Country dancers.
   
• Sunday 9:00-10:15am, Gospel Singing
  A non-denominational variety of religiously inspired songs.  Suitable for all, even non-believers.
   
• Sunday 10:30-11:45am, (Almost) No-Walk-Through ECD
  The English dance dessert session, for experienced dancers.  Each dance will be briefly talked through, as though at a ball and then minimally prompted.  There will be few, if any, walk-throughs.