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BACDS December 2011 Electronic Mailing
BACDS sponsors English and American traditional dances in the San Francisco Bay Area. This is fun, relatively easy, community-oriented dancing with live music. All dances are taught, no partner is necessary, and first-timers are welcome unless otherwise noted.
- Find out more about BACDS at the BACDS website
- Can't find an old flyer? Don't forget to check out our archive of past mailings
BACDS Quarterly Calendar
See all the dances and special events for January-March of 2012.
Bay Area Country Dancer, #88 - December 2011
The BACDS newsletter. Catch up on all the local dance news. In this issue:
- Catch Spring Fever - March 18-20 (CORRECTION: the dates are actually March 16-18)
- Didn't get into Contra Carnival? - January 11, 12, 16, 18-22
- Bruce Hamilton with Style - January 14
- A Week of Impropriety - January 27-29
- Getting up STEAM! - February 24-26
- Year Two - Hey Days English Dance and Music Week (by Heather MacKay)
- American Dance & Music Week 2012 (by Eric Black)
- San Jose Dance Series Continues
- Announcing a New CD You'll Love!
- The President's Corner (by Jens Dill)
- BACDS Social Contract
- What does BACDS do with the contact information it collects?
- Special Thanks: Loretta Guarino Reid
- Help Wanted: Production Editor
- Volunteer Thanks
- Upcoming Events
Check out the San Francisco English Winter Schedule
2nd Saturdays, 2011/2012, San Francisco
Here's the San Francisco 2nd Saturday ECD flyer for the dances through first three months of 2012 We've got great programs lined up; spread the word!
- San Francisco English Winter Schedule PDF flyer
- San Francisco English web page
- San Francisco English blog
- Find us on Facebook
San Jose Community Dance series
1st Sundays (mostly), 2011/2012, San Jose
NEW! Community Dances in San Jose! It's now official - a monthly Sunday afternoon dance in San Jose, with favorite dances of Jane Austen, George Washington, William Shakespeare, and Henry Ford! All dances will be taught at this beginner-friendly event, and there will also be a few dances throughout the evening for more experienced dancers. The dance features Bob Fraley calling to the music of William Allen and friends. Check out the flyer for details and actual dates.
New Year's Eve at the Palo Alto Contra
Saturday, December 31, 2011, in Palo Alto
Finish out the year with good cheer and good dancing at the Palo Alto Contra. Special price and location for this event, with calling by Tina Fields to the music of Star Thistle (Cheryl McKinney, Dave Kistler, Lonna Whipple, David Wright. Happy New Year!
Contra Carnival staff at local dances in January, 2012
Wednesday/January 11/Palo Alto, Thursday/January 12/San Rafael, Monday/January 16/Palo Alto
Whether you can't make Contra Carnival, or just want another opportunity to experience some of their great performers, check out these bonus dances in the Bay Area! Whether it's Tidal Wave (Sabin Jacques, Eric Favreau, Rachel Aucoln, Stuart Kenney) with Lynn Ackerson on Wednesday, Tidal Wave with Joyce Miller on Thursday, or Elixir (Ethan Hazzard-Watkins, Jesse Hazzard-Watkins, Anna Patton, Owen Morrison), with Nils Fredland on Monday, you're sure to have a great time.
An English Country Dance Style Workshop and Evening Dance
Saturday, January 14, 2012, in Palo Alto
Get the most out of ECD and enjoy it more than ever. Learn how to feel musical phrases, move with the flow, and connect with your fellow dancers. Bruce Hamilton leads this afternoon workshop for dancers already familiar with standard ECD figures. The workshop is followed by an Evening Dance open to all, with Bruce Hamilton calling and music by Bill Jensen, Jim Oakden, and Michelle Levy.
Great Bear Duo Tour
Thursday-Sunday, January 18-22, 2012, Berkeley/San Francisco (concert)/Felton/San Francisco/Hayward
Great Bear Duo (Andrew & Noah VanNorstrand, NY) will tour the Bay Area, joined by caller Sarah VanNorstrand (NY) for four contra dances and a house concert. Check out the flyer for details.
Impropriety Weekend Tour
Friday-Sunday, January 27-29, 2012, Palo Alto/Berkeley/Sebastopol
Brooke Friendly, joined by the band Roguery (Anita Anderson, Dave Bartley, Shira Kammen and Jim Oakden) will tour the area with a series of music and dance workshops showcasing the works of Brooke's 3 Impropriety volumes. This is a great opportunity to play, dance, and enjoy with these fine performers.
Dance to STEAM!
Friday-Sunday, February 24-26, 2012, San Francisco/Palo Alto/Hayward
STEAM! is a new touring band featuring Claire Zucker and Dave Firestine from Tucson, Arizona, with Robert Rosenberg and Alice Boyle from Vancouver, Canada. Join them for their first Bay Area Tour.
Register now for Spring Fever Weekend at Monte Toyon
Friday-Sunday, March 16-18, 2012, Aptos
We've got exciting callers Erik Weberg and David Newitt. We've hand-picked musicians from some of the best bands across the country: Dave Langford and Bill Tomczak from Latter Day Lizards, Ann Percival from Wild Asparagus, Anita Anderson from KGB, Jim Oakden from Roguery, Michelle Levy from StringFire. And we're not done yet! Join us for a high-energy weekend of music and dance that puts the awesome in Hot Contra dancing and Exuberant English dancing. Thrill to workshops that challenge newcomer and experienced dancers alike. Besides, Saturday is St. Paddy's Day, so expect some surprises!
- Spring Fever Weekend registration PDF flyer (reg form on page 2)
- Spring Fever Weekend web page
- Find us on Facebook
Register now for the 2012 Playford Ball
Saturday, March 31, 2012, San Jose
A terpsichorean delight led by Dancing Master David Newitt, with music by Shira Kammen, Danny Carnahan and Charlie Hancock, with special guests Patti Cobb, Doug Olsen and Celia Ramsey, Saturday, March 31, 2012, at the historic Landmark Ballroom in the San Jose Woman's Club. Workshops are Saturday, March 3 (Berkeley) and Sunday, March 11 (Palo Alto). Rehearsal dance is Friday, March 30 (Hayward).
Thinking about summer camps?
You should. We're already planning for lots of fun at our week-long summer camps:
- American Week, July 1-6, 2012 (check out our PDF flyer)
- Family Week, July 1-7, 2012
- English Week, August 19-26, 2012
Balance the Bay - Save the Date
Friday-Sunday, August 10-12, 2012, San Francisco
The excitement for this year's Balance the Bay weekend is already building. Here's a save-the-date reminder
Playford-to-the-Present Ball - Save the Date
Saturday, October 6, 2012, Pasadena
Head south for the 12th annual Southern California Playford-to-the-Present English Country Dance Ball at the lovely Pasadena Scottish Rite Temple, with Dance Master Ric Goldman and music by The Syncopaths (Ryan McKasson, Ashley Broder, Jeffrey Spero, Christa Burch). The event is sponsored by the California Dance Cooperative and the Culver City English Country Dance.
- Playford-to-the-Present - Save the Date PDF Flyer
- California Dance Co-op website look under Special Events
Looking for more places to dance?
We've compiled a regional list of Contra and English country dance venues so you always know when and where to get your dance fix. Check out our easy-to-use summary with an at-a-glance look at the dancing month (and let us know if we missed any)!
- Contra Dance Directory PDF flyer (updated January 13, 2012)
- Bay Area Contra quick-reference half-page PDF flyer
- Northern California English Dance Directory PDF flyer
- Southern California List of English Country Dance PDF flyer
Are you a BACDS member?
Our "rolling" memberships are now good for 12 months from the date you join so you can start enjoying the benefits today. Be the envy of all your friends, and help support the dance community!