Showing posts with label dancing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dancing. Show all posts

Friday, April 22, 2016

Step Dance Project Event and Call for Dancers



SHOW YOUR STEPS:
A NL Step Dance Project Event and Call for Dancers

The NL Step Dance Project is proud to present two connected events on April 27th, 2016, a dance discussion and workshop for invited tradition bearers at The Crow’s Nest at 7PM, and a public session of dance and music held at Folk Night at The Ship at 9PM. In partnership with the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office, DanceNL, and the NL Folk Arts Society, the NL Step Dance Project is seeking to both highlight and come to a better understanding of this vital and less-practiced tradition of freeform, solo dancing in Newfoundland.

Who in your family pulls out the freestyle solo moves at kitchen parties, weddings, or community concerts? At the trad session on a Sunday afternoon? When the toe tapping music starts up, who’s light on their feet and stays close to the floor? Join us at The Crow’s Nest at 7PM April 27th for a meal, a step, and a story or two, all as part of a collaborative effort with dancers and communities to understand how this tradition is performed and passed on. We are not just looking for ‘professionals’ or trained dancers, but rather anyone who can feel the music in their feet – from those who just do a step or two from time to time, to those unstoppable older dancers still showing their steps with the help of a chair.

After the Crow’s Nest, we’ll all make our way down to The Ship Pub at 9PM for Folk Night. Open to the public, Folk Night on April 27th will be a traditional session with a twist, featuring Newfoundland music and lively step dance for only $5 at the door. All are welcome to get up and show a few steps as the music plays. With tunes from Allan Ricketts and other local musicians, this is an evening not to be missed! Presented as part of Dance Week 2016, in cooperation with DanceNL and the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts Society, this event will also feature a brief step dance lesson, for those members of the public who want to get a little closer to the floor themselves.

Anyone interested in sharing their “old­time” step moves and dance stories with the NL Step Dance Project on the 27th will receive an honorarium and travel expenses for their involvement. Get in touch with us for more information. We are looking for dancers from St. John’s and beyond, and would love to hear from people off the Avalon. If you can’t make the April event but want to share your steps and stories, we would love to hear from you anyway.

The NL Step Dance Project is lead by Kristin Harris Walsh (step dancer/researcher) in partnership with Dale Jarvis at the Intangible Cultural Heritage office. This project is funded by the Social Sciences Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and is part of a larger project documenting and comparing the dance histories of three step dance forms from Ontario, Cape Breton, and Newfoundland.

For more information on the events or participating as a tradition-bearer:
Call: (709) 765­0468 (Jane Rutherford)


Email: nlstepdanceproject@gmail.com
Visit or message: www.facebook.com/NLstepdanceproject

Monday, March 31, 2014

Scoff ‘n’ Scuff Dinner, Dance & Silent Auction


PUT SOME SPRING IN YOUR STEP!
In support of the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts Society
Friday April 11th, Benevolent Irish Society 30 Harvey Road
7pm – Tickets $25 at O’Brien’s Music

The Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts Society invites you to a dinner, dance & silent auction. Traditional dance caller, Ford Elms, will lead the way, with musicians Rick West, Danny Mills, Tony O’Brien, Allan Ricketts & Fergus Brown-O’Byrne providing the tunes. Enjoy hot beef stew and rolls, and bid on some fabulous silent auction items. Spring may not be here yet, but you can put some spring in your step to coax it along!

ABOUT THE NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR FOLK FESTIVAL

Now in its 37th year, the Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Festival takes place in St. John’s on the weekend following the Royal St. John’s Regatta. It is the second oldest continuously running folk festival in Canada. Each year, the NL Folk Festival brings thousands of people together to celebrate the best in traditional and contemporary folk music and dance. The Folk Arts Society promotes folk arts in Newfoundland & Labrador and throughout Canada.

ABOUT THE NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR FOLK ARTS SOCIETY

The Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts Society (NLFAS) is a charitable organization located in St. John’s, NL whose mandate is the promotion of the traditional folk arts of the province. Active Since 1966, the organization works towards its goals by presenting educational and cultural events that provide artists with the opportunity to showcase their work and that engage our youth and the general public in the transmission of our intangible cultural heritage. The NLFAS produces the weekly Folk Night at the Ship Pub and several annual events including Young Folk At The Hall, the Holiday Wassail and the popular Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Festival. The 2010 Folk Festival received the City of St. John’s Event of the Year Tourism Award, and was voted Best Volunteer Opportunity by readers of the Scope.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Newfoundland Set Dancing and Percussive Dance Workshops

From Wednesday July 13th through to Tuesday July 19th there will be DAILY opportunities to participate in an exciting variety of dance workshops at the Sound Shift Festival
http://www.mun.ca/ictm2011/festival.htm

Workshops are listed at: http://www.mun.ca/ictm2011/festival_workshops.htm.
Ticket prices at: http://www.mun.ca/ictm2011/festival_tickets.htm

(Purchase at door, cash only)
$10.00 / Regular, per workshop
$8.00 / Students/Seniors, per workshop
$20.00 / Regular, 3-workshop pass
$15 / Students/Seniors, 3-workshop pass

Thursday July 14 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the MMAP Gallery at the Arts and Culture Centre, Jane Rutherford will be leading a workshop in Newfoundland Set Dancing, accompanied by Christina Smith

Tuesday July 19th from 1:30 pm - 3:0 pm, also at the MMAP Gallery at the Arts and Culture Centre,
Kristin Harris Walsh will be leading a workshop in Percussive Dance , accompanied by Stan Pickett

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Ceilidh Dance on Friday, November 26th - Cancelled


The St. Andrews Society of Newfoundland and Labrador is sponsoring an evening of ceilidh dancing and entertainment, with Corryvreckan providing live music for the dancing at the Bally Haly Curling Club on Friday November 26. Time is 7:30 pm for 8:00 pm Cost will be $10/person at the door.

Please pass this along to anyone you think might be interested.

Please confirm your attendance by email dallison@nl.rogers.com or phone 579-6114, so organizers can be sure to lay on sufficient snacks to keep up your energy!

NOTE:  The Ceilidh for Friday Nov 26 has been cancelled. Bally Haly has not completed renovations to the Room so have cancelled any functions until further notice.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

North River dancers take over the Ship Pub in St. John's!

In 1992, Sheila Power of North River organized a St. Patrick’s Day family concert, with the hope it would become a yearly occurrence for All Hallow’s Parish. Thinking that the traditional Lancers would add to the concert, she went searching for local dancers who would show off their talents.

The dancing was a great hit, and the group continued performing the Lancers for local concerts. Since 2009, the group has been meeting regularly and working on dances, under the guidance and direction of Power, with live music provided by accordionist Web Dawe. In the summer of 2010, the Baccalieu Trotters were one of the groups that took part in a traditional Newfoundland folkdance symposium in Old Perlican, as part of the Cupids 400 celebrations.

“We do this for fun but it is a great way to keep in shape,” says Power. “It also keeps the Newfoundland music and traditional dance alive.”

The Baccalieu Trotters will be the featured performers at the Folk Arts Society’s weekly Folk Night at The Ship Pub on Solomon’s Lane in St. John’s on Wednesday, October 13th. The event starts at 9:30pm, and is $5 at the door. Hosted by Dale Jarvis, and co-sponsored by Dance NL.

http://www.nlfolk.com/folknight.html

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Traditional Turkish Whirling - Live ICH Podcast recording with Mira Hunter


Mira Hunter is a visual artist and second-generation sufi mevlevi whirling dervish, and this week she is in St. John's as part of the 20th anniversary of the Festival of New Dance.

Mira began her traditional training at the age of 16 with her father Raqib Burke and Sheikh Jelaladdin Loras, and is nudging the tradition into the 21st century. According to her website, "Mira continues to challenge the fundamental forms of whirling by incorporating innovative movements and concepts, gently coaxing the 13th century practice into a contemporary context."

This Thursday, September 23rd, folklorist Dale Jarvis will interview Mira about the tradition and art of whirling, just before a free community workshop. The live recording will then be podcast and archived online as part of ongoing work to document dance and dance traditions in the province.

The interview will take place at 12:30pm at Cochrane Street United Church, Thursday, Sept 23. All are welcome to come listen to the discussion.

Immediately following the interview, Mira will be giving a workshop on Turkish whirling. Please contact Neighbourhood Dance Works to register: 709-722-3663 or ndw@nfld.net. If you wish to participate in the workshop, please wear comfortable clothes, bring an assortment of extra socks and an open mind.

Links:

Mira Hunter - Whirling
http://www.mirahunter.com/whirling.html

Festival of New Dance
http://www.neighbourhooddanceworks.com

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Happy International Dance Day!



photo by Heather Patey

Attached is the report from the Dance Heritage Think Tank, held in St. John's in February 2009. The Think Tank committee (Kristin Harris Walsh, Dale Jarvis, Calla Lachance and Colleen Quigley) is providing this report to interested parties in dance, education, government and media for their information and action.

Please forward this report to anyone else you might be interested, and we look forward to the implementation of the recommendations generated from the Think Tank.

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact Dale Jarvis or Kristin Harris Walsh

Download the Dance Heritage Think Tank report at:
http://www.heritagefoundation.ca/media/2714/dancethinktank.pdf