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Dances for the High Tea Dance 2016

The Caller

Sharon Green is, quite possibly, the kindest, most joyful person you’ll ever meet. She simply loves sharing the pleasures of dancing with other, and our weekend with her was transcendant. You will soon be able to see some of the videos of the dancing and the joy on the Dance Video Archives.

Her workshop on the dances of Fried de Metz Herman was wonderful - what a history!  Sharon brought us a wonderful story about her first encounter with Fried, who was well-known to be rather demanding and critical. When Sharon returned, downhearted, to her cabin at Pinewoods after this encounter, her cabin-mates told her "You just have to understand that Fried is Dutch, and blunt. When she said those unflattering things to you, it just meant that she likes you and wants to be your friend." 

The words "She's Dutch, and blunt, but she likes you and wants to be your friend" have now taken root in our local vocabulary and, amusingly, help us deal with the occasional critical caller or teacher.  

Sharon herself, however, is the opposite - welcoming and kind, as well as somehow powerful and commanding. She managed to create our most joyous High Tea weekend ever.

 

Ladies at PlayThe Band

The band was the wonderful, amazing Ladies at Play, joined by our own Martha Edwards on fiddle.  Miranda Arana brought her transcendant flute playing to the weekend, this year joined by her beloved band-mates, Kathy Dagg, master of all things horizontal and plucked (guitar, mandolin, etc.) and Shanda MacDonald, funky, bluesy fiddler and kick-ass keyboard player. Martha brought her classical training and years of melodic improv to the mix, and they seemed to be constantly having fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dances

Friday Night English Country Dance

The Ramble
The Minor Spaniard (Jenny Beer)
I Care Not for These Ladies (Kitty Skrobela) [published in Hunter's Moon]
A Double Duet (Gary Roodman)
Tambourine Dance (reconstruction, Jacqueline Schwab) [published in Playford Assembly]
Well's Humour (reconstruction, Brian Wedgbury) [published in Purcell's Dancing Master]
The Pugilist (Ron Coxall) [published in Roles]
-break-
The Upright Man (Sharon Green) [web publication]
Saturday Triad (Fried de Metz Herman [published in Serendipity]
Leather Lake House (reconstruction, Fried de Metz Herman) [published in Playford Assembly]
An Early Frost (Philippe Callens)
Barbarini's Tambourine (reconstruction, Jacqueline Schwab) [published in Playford Assembly]


Saturday Morning Workshop: The Legacy of Fried de Metz Herman

The Chocolate Equation [published in Ease & Elegance]
The Archbishop [published in Potters' Porch]
10 for the Ten Commandments [published in Ease & Elegance]
Bottoms Up
Rose of Sharon [published in Potters' Porch]
Bryon's Boutade
Winter Waltz [published in Serendipity

Saturday Afternoon Workshop: Dances from the Greenery

A Mover and Shaker (Gary Roodman) [published in Multiple Calculated Figures]
Golden Green (Philippe Callens) [web publication]
The Unknown Buccaneer (Sharon Green)  "
Familiar Quotations (Sharon Green) [New Shoots]
A Child's Christmas in Berkeley (Sharon Green) [web publication]
Little Sir Isaac (Sharon Green) [web publication]
Scotch Capers ( Sharon Green) [web publication]

Saturday Evening Ball

The Drummer (reconstruction, Charles Bolton) [Retreads]
Trip to Provence (Susan Kevra)
Doctor Bending's Serpent (Sharon Green) [web publication]
Mr. Isaac's Maggot [The Playford Ball]
Foxfire (Steve Sargent)
Juniata (Sharon Green) [web publication]
Softly Good Tummas (reconstruction, Andrew Shaw)
-break-
Mount Hills
Key to the Cellar (CDSS News)
Mile of Smiles (Joseph Pimentel)  [The Goldcrest collection]
St. Margaret's Hill
Soulton Jigg (reconstruction, Kathryn & David Wright) [Wright's Humours]
Jaque Latin ( reconstruction, Chip Hendrickson) [

Dances for the High Tea English Ball

Saturday September 3, 2016

 

The Drummer

Trip to Provence

Doctor Bending's Serpent

Mister Isaac's Maggot

Foxfire

Juniata

Softly Good Tummas

--break--

Mount Hills

Key to the Cellar

Mile of Smiles

Soulton Jigg

Saint Margaret's Hill

Jacque Latin

The Dances of 2010

Called by Joanna Reiner at High Tea & Whiskey

See the dances of 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015

Saturday - 10am - Taking on the Dance

  1. Take A Dance
  2. Elverton Grove
  3. Kelsterne Gardens
  4. Dick’s Maggot
  5. Cottonwood - Chris Sackett & Brooke Friendly
  6. Alice - Philippe Callens
  7. Cadgers’ Caper - Gary Roodman
  8. Freeford Gardens - Kathryn and David Wright
  9. Whiskey Before Dinner - Gary Roodman

Saturday - 2pm - The Philadelphia Special

  1. The Minor Spaniard - Jenny Beer
  2. Autumn in Amherst - Philippe Callens
  3. After Dinner Maggot - Gary Roodman
  4. Dusty Miller
  5. Treasure of the Big Woods - Joseph Pimentel
  6. Key to the Cellar - Jenny Beer
  7. Leslie’s Valentine - Scott Higgs
  8. Mr. Beveridge’s Maggot
  9. Barbarini’s Tambourine

Evening Ball - 8pm

  1. Jack’s Health
  2. Muriel’s Measure - Colin Hume
  3. The Introduction - Fried de Metz Herman
  4. Well Done Jack
  5. Foxfire - Steve Sargent
  6. Prince William
  7. Sarah - Gary Roodman
  8. Christina - Naomi Alexander
  9. Trip to Tunbridge
  10. Sunlight Through Draperies - Tom Roby
  11. Haymakers
  12. Wibsey Roundabout - Gary Roodman
  13. Softly Good Tummas

The Dances of 2009

Called by Joseph Pimentel at High Tea & Whiskey

See the dances of 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015

Friday night

  1. Pocketful of Rye
  2. Saturday Night Line
  3. The Lover's Knot
  4. Hotpoint Special
  5. The Wizard Walk
  6. Batja's Breakdown
  7. Money Musk
  8. Swingaround
  9. Smithy Hill
  10. Alternating Corners
  11. Solstice Special

Saturday morning

  1. Sellinger's Round
  2. The Duke of Kent's Waltz
  3. The Young Widow
  4. Mr. Isaac's Maggot
  5. Easter Morn
  6. Anna Maria
  7. Leather Lake House
  8. Knole Park

Saturday afternoon

  1. Highland Lilt
  2. Heather Towers
  3. Westaire Court
  4. Knives & Forkes
  5. Elverton Grove
  6. Emma's Commencement
  7. Mr. Hamilton's Inauguration
  8. Jacob Hall's Jig

Saturday night

  1. I Care Not for These Ladies
  2. Freeford Gardens
  3. Fuerst Maggot
  4. When Laura Smiles
  5. Hit & Miss
  6. Keys to the Cellar
  7. Well Done Jack
  8. Mrs. Savage's Whim
  9. Physical Snob, The
  10. Leather Lake House
  11. Turning by Threes
  12. Jack's Maggot

The Dances of 2018

See the dances of 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017

Gene smileThe Caller

Gene Murrow, one of the most knowledgeable callers in the nation, called the High Tea weekend in September of 2018.  One of our dancers said "Unlike some callers, who I wish would just stop gabbing and get on with the dancing, Gene is full of short, fascinating tidbits about the history of this dancing we all love, delivered with humor and charm. I often wish he would just keep on talking."

Gene has been an English country dancer and musician since 1965, and has taught and called at clubs, workshops, festivals and balls in the U.S., England and Europe for the last 20 years. In 2006 he appeared at the Southam Gathering and Tring Ball in England and led a series of workshops in Japan. For CDSS, he has frequently chaired Early Music Week, English-American Dance Week, and English Dance Week. In summers 2000 and 2003, he offered a seminar on English Dance Leadership Training in Music at Early Music Week. In addition to oboe and recorders, Gene plays concertina, accordion, and crumhorn. He holds a degree in music from Columbia University with studies at Juilliard, Class of '68. As a member of the dance band MGM, he has made three recordings of dances by Fried Herman and Gary Roodman. He is the producer of the Boston Centre series of English dance recordings featuring Bare Necessities and has served on the Country Dance and Song Society Governing Board. He approaches English country dances as works of art, striving "to make their richness of structure, musical form, texture, and affect enjoyable and appreciated by dancers of all abilities."

 
The Dances of 2018

 FRIDAY NIGHT DANCE

Date & Time: Friday, August 31, 2018 at 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Caller: Gene Murrow       Band: The Ladies at Play

Enfield Wash
Cockle Shells
Handel With Care
Candles in the Dark
Well Done Jack
Corelli's Maggot
Bonny Cuckoo
Homecoming
INTERMISSION
Honeysuckle Cottage
Astonished Archaeologist
Passages
Emma Turns Three
Gentlemen's Delight
Alice

SATURDAY Workshop 1 Music Made Visible (Duple meter)

Saturday, September 1, 2018 at 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Caller: Gene Murrow       Band: The Ladies at Play

Red House
Autumn in Amherst
Fast Packet
Say I Do
Auretti's Dutch Skipper
Beggar Boy
Apollo's Hunt

SATURDAY Workshop 2 Music Made Visible (Triple meter)

Saturday, September 1, 2018 at 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Caller: Gene Murrow       Band: The Ladies at Play

Hole in the Wall
Vermont Friends
Irish Lamentation
Duke of Kent's Waltz
Rich Delights
Round About our Coal Fire
Potter's Wheel
10 for the Ten Commandments


SATURDAY NIGHT BALL

Date & Time: Saturday, September 1, 2018 at 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Caller: Gene Murrow       Band: The Ladies at Play

Benjamin's Birthday
Sir Watkins' Jig
Easter Morn
Kneeland Romp
Dance With Me
Mary K
Rich Delights
Fenterlarick
INTERVAL
Indian Queen
Elizabeth
Zither Man
When Laura Smiles
Well Hall
Never Love Thee More
FINIS
Autumn in Amherst

  1. The Dances of 2011
  2. The Dances of 2012
  3. The Dances of 2013
  4. The Dances of 2014

Past High Tea Dances

  • High Tea 2025
  • High Tea 2024
  • High Tea 2023
  • High Tea 2022
  • Dances of 2019
  • Dances of 2018
  • Dances of 2017
  • Dances of 2016
  • Dances of 2015
  • Dances of 2014
  • Dances of 2013
  • Dances of 2012
  • Dances of 2011
  • Dances of 2010
  • Dances of 2009

Please advise dan@childgrove.org with any updates, corrections, suggestions, concerns or problems with the site.

Thanks to Martha at martha.edwards@gmail.com.for creating and maintaining this website for its first couple of decades.

Click here for Board member emails or write to the Whole Board at CCDBoard@groups.io. For Booking Inquiries, contact booking@childgrove.org.

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