Dancing is underway again and we welcome everyone, especially our new dancers. We hope they continue to attend and enjoy the exercise of body and mind (hopefully) and overall have a lot of fun.
The move from Macpherson to Gower St. seems successful and we had a good turnout on our first night.
MUN starter evening. We had a four couple and a three couple set, with four prospective dancers. We hope to welcome them to our Monday night class.
Workshop. Please keep August 3-5, 2001 free for our workshop. Mel Briscoe from Alexandria, Virginia will be the teacher and we are delighted that he can be with us. We are planning this to follow the International Scottish Country Dance School in Halifax, July 25-29, hoping that participants to that event will contiue on to our workshop.
We are looking for volunteers to help on various committees. Please speak to Sue Scott if you can help.
Socials. We will be holding six socials between now and May, 2001, some with taped music and some with our band Corryvreckan. The cost will be $3 with the tapes and $5 with the band.
The Demo. Team danced at the Dance Festival at Pippy Park in August. Unfortunately one day was rained out but the other was fine, with a good audience.
Videos and Booklets. We have a few videos available, showing various dances and step practice. If anyone would like to borrow them please ask Penny who keeps them since it is usually members of the basic class who borrow them. We also have pocket editions of all the dance booklets and a formation index which is useful when putting together a programme. These are available from Brenda.
The Notice Board will be on the stage each Monday evening. Please check it since details of upcoming events, workshops etc. are posted there.
Mugs. In the interest of the environment, we encourage people to bring their own mugs for refreshments on a Monday evening. There is a cupboard in the kitchen in which they can be kept.
Name Tags. In order to help new members, would everyone please wear name tags each week. Clear tags are available each Monday night.
FEES are $56 for the fall session which is the combined annual subscription fee and branch dues of $16 and $5 respectively, and the $35 class fee for the fall, until December. We have to pay our 6 pounds a1nnual subscription fee to Scotland in pounds sterling, which works out to approx. $16. However, with the dollar fluctuating so much it may well increase, so be smart and pay your fees early! Fees are due now but potential new members have another couple of weeks, giving them time to decide if they want to join. The treasurer is Ingrid Pardoe and cheques should be made out to The St. John's (Nfld) Branch R.S.C.D.S.
If anyone has a problem with the fee structure, please see Ingrid or your teacher since we do not want to exclude anyone from dancing due to financial difficulties.
Thursday technique class is still $3 per night and is on a pay-as-you-go basis.
If anyone cannot regularly attend the Monday class and wishes to come occasionally, they can pay a drop-in fee of $3./<
Sprung Floors. Many dancers have never danced on a sprung floor. Mercy School, where we danced a few years ago, had a sprung floor and, although we are not quite sure, we think we may now be dancing on a sprung floor in the gym at Gower Street United Church. The floor in the lecture hall (with the pillars) is not sprung but has a good "give" to it. What is a "sprung" floor and how is it constructed?
I came upon an article in a Nova Scotia Branch Newsletter which answered this question.
Sprung floors were built in the 18th and 19th centuries. They are usually of hardwood construction. The floorboards are fixed to wooden battens which are themselves spaced off the structure which supports them, often by metal clips. They are designed to bounce which means that as well as the bounce in the floorboard, the supports are designed to bounce as well, giving a very live floor.
There are actually several variations in the construction. In many cases the joists supporting the floors are wider than normal but not as deep, giving a floor with sufficient structural support but exceeding the norm for deflection.
In a few instances the floors do have "springs," which are often made of wooden leafs, between the finished flooring and the supporting structure.
There are modern wooden floors that try to emulate this by supporting the sub-floor and the finished floor on short wood "sleepers" supported by modern neoprene blocks over a concrete structure but they are a poor substitute.
Sprung floors were constructed for dancing and "give" with the rhythm of the dancers. One can dance all night and not get tired; no aches and pains, in contrast with dancing 32 bars on concrete and not being able to move for a month!
Bagpipes. We often include a Bagpipe Gag in the newsletter. However, here is something positive about bagpipes. An article in the local paper which originated in Edinburgh.
"Bagpipers, drummers make record book." It was music to the ears - well, some ears - as 10,000 bagpipers and drummers set a record for the largest-ever massed pipe band. Organizers of the pipe-a-thon, a fund-raiser for the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity, said more than 8,600 pipers set out on a procession from Edinburgh Castle along Princes Street in the heart of the city. Including late entries, organizers believe about 10,000 people participated in all.
The skirl of the pipes could be heard for kilometres. At one point, a ring of kilted bagpipers encircled the medieval castle that looms over the Scottish capital, as pipers from Spain, Alaska, Guam, Canada, the United States, Australia and Hong Kong joined them.
A similar event in 1994 attracted 5,000 pipers. Researchers from the Guinness Book of Records were on hand to verify the feat."
Caring and Sharing. Jason Churchill and Robin Tremblay were married in August. A few of our members were at the wedding in Hillview and had a lovely time. Our congratulations go to Jason and Robin who now live and dance in Guelph.
Sheila Virgo visited St. John's in August and a get-together was held at Brenda's. It was great to see her again and she was very happy to be back.
We are sorry to say goodbye to Morag Parsons who is returning home to New Zealand. A farewell dessert party was held at Susan and Joy's apartment. Morag was a regular dancer during her time here and we shall miss her. We wish her all the best.
English country dance classes are underway again on Wednesday evenings at St. David's Church. Please call Jo Shawyer at 739-5717 for information.