Square Dancing Administrivia

[bjarvis]

Square dancing continues to dominate nearly every waking moment of my life, usually in a good way.


kent4str stayed home last night to enjoy an evening by himself and to work on promotional materials for the 2009 IAGSDC convention. I went to our Wednesday C1 workshop session in Arlington, VA, for a little more C1 dance practice and some calling. Doren definitely pushed us harder that in prior session: we spent much of the workshop working lefty versions of various calls or launching certain calls (tally ho, linear action, percolate) from positions we haven't tried previously. It was quite the kick to the pants and I'm glad I was there for it.

Doren also invited me to share a tip and we alternated calling figures. I used some of my previously written material, updated & revised with advice I received here on LJ and a very detailed review from Barry Clasper. The four figures or so I called all went very smoothly and I'm delighted with the overall results. I'll try to keep composing figures with the intent of keeping them flowing and easy-to-medium in difficulty... writing difficult figures seems to come a little too easily. :-)



Our application for DC sales tax exemption for the 2009 convention has been submitted. I have no idea how quickly the DC gov't bureaucracy will take to process the application and respond --hopefully-- affirmatively.

I'm working on a pre-registration form for the 2009 convention so we can (a) include them in the Denver registration packages and, (b) take up to 100 registrations at a special early-bird pre-registration while at the Denver convention. discord35 sent me copies of the 2000 Baltimore convention's forms, and I've dug out 2003-2007 forms from my own files so I have lots of model material.



With Warren's passing earlier this week, much of March's dance schedule was thrown into turmoil but the next several weeks are now smoothed out.

Our dance hall will be dark tonight in remembrance of Warren. I'm sure Warren would wish us to dance, but it would be an enormous struggle for Dayle, kent4str or I could keep ourselves emotionally collected to perform effectively. Any healing would be undermined by us callers blubbering on mic.

kent4str and I have been formally asked to take over teaching the Mainstream class on Monday nights. According to notes past to us last night, they've had four two hour sessions thus far out of 14 weeks planned. Last Monday's class session was scrubbed just before Warren was stricken so we have 9 weeks left to teach the rest of the course. Actually, a little less since we'll likely take Monday's session for the class to share remembrances of Warren and perhaps have a gentle review of calls to date with no new material.

The club board is still determining what to do about Warren's club night slots, typically the 3rd & 4th Thursdays of each month. We've been formally asked to take March 22 but since that's our annual general membership meeting & board elections night, there will likely be little if any dancing. We were already planning to be present anyway. The current board may simply make an interim arrangement for Warren's March slots and let the new board determine what they wish to do for the end of April and onwards.

I also have to start working on a lesson plan for a Plus class. While the board hasn't asked us to teach it or even formally announced it, our club will now have three consecutive semesters of Mainstream class grads, some of whom are itching to get into Plus. Even if DCLS asks someone else to teach the class --and I'm fine with that-- it would be a useful personal exercise.

No word yet on funeral arrangements but I'm sure we'll know more later today. Thank you to everyone for their support for kent4str and me, for our club and for Warren's partner, Tom, most of all. It's been rough on everyone but your kind thoughts have made it easier.

Comments

others have offered, as well...

[justetthon.livejournal.com]

Tom Sellner (local caller, teenage buddy/caller peer/friend of Warren's) and Jim Wass (local caller, sometimes-caller for DCLS) offered, out of the goodness of their hearts, to help cover if needed. I think that between all of us in the area (Tom, Jim, Dayle, me, Brian, and Kent) Warren's memory will live on and the calling dates will be covered. Warren wouldn't want anything different. Ett

[apparentparadox]

Tally Ho from inverted lines with ends facing. Get's em just about every time.

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

Oh, good...I'll try that one on Monday. I have to reteach that call to at least 2 of our dancers every week anyway. As well as Percolate, Linear Action, Zing, Allemande Left...you know the drill.

another one to try...

[justetthon.livejournal.com]

try "little, replace the step and fold with a ." That'll get 'em every time, too. Doesn't matter what the call is... so often, C1 dancers don't realize there IS a step and fold in there somewhere.