George I is on the throne. Both John Walsh and the old Playford house publish "Compleat" collections,
and Walsh publishes two sets of 24 new dances, one by Nathaniel Kynaston and one by A Person of Quality
English country dancing is all the rage, and new tunes and dances are everywhere.
Welcome to the 1718 Ball! This project has been a hare-brained idea and a labor of love for several of us for over a year. Kalia, Sharon, Graham and I are so excited to see it coming to fruition, and are gratified that so many connoisseurs of this period will be in attendance.
The music will be fantastic! Shira and Judy have put together a group of musicians they like to play with in the early music community. They will be joined by Katherine Heater on harpsichord and Alexa Haynes-Pilon on viola da gamba, so we will have a very baroque sound. David Newitt will make them sound audible, they will sound wonderful all on their own.
The ball will be one walk through for the most part, but the set dances are mostly a reminder and go, especially Farnicle Huggy, Dunrobin Castle and King's Maggot. There will be some old favorites, some vaguely familiar, and a few relatively unknown longways. Remember, in this period everything was triple minor, so those roots often show, or we are doing them in their original triple minor formation. The 3 couple sets are just modifications so everyone gets to be active.
A quarter of our attendees are from 300 or more miles away. We have 16 visitors from every region of the country, all with impeccable dance credentials. The local dance community has stepped up beautifully to welcome them in every way. At the ball, please be sure to mingle. The stranger who asks you to dance may be your next favorite partner. It will also be delightful to welcome back some former residents who are attending.
Our open rehearsal is on November 10 at Christ Church, Berkeley, the regular hall for Berkeley dances, at 2138 Cedar St, near Oxford, 2-5 pm. The Peninsula workshop was at the Carriage House o, a very small hall in Atherton on Sunday 10/28, , also 2-5. Sebastopol will be Sunday, November 11, 2-4:30 at Wischemann Hall, their usual location. We ask that only attendees and waitlisted attendees come to these workshops so they are not overcrowded and we can build on the work we have already put in and not have to start from scratch.
Period dress will certainly be admired, but dressy dance wear will be most acceptable. Even your dance leaders will not all be in period attire. Be sure your shoes are comfortable. The floor should be nice for dancing, not too fast or slow.