Seems Like Old Times...

The whole gang convened at the Tapestry Folkdance Center last Saturday night for our first dance there since April 28, 2007. We had a ball. A big crowd of enthusiastic dancers, including many beginners, seemed to have an excellent time. Beau Farmer did a great job of integrating the newcomers and praising the veterans for helping them along. We had the special pleasure of being joined for two dances by the extraordinary David Edminster on tenor sax. He tore the place up on Pat O'Loughlin's slinky tune "Cement Donkey"! We'll be back at Tapestry in Feb., March and May.

We will gather next in Northfield, MN on Friday Feb. 22 for the 2nd annual Northfield Winter Stomp! from 7-10:30 at the Northfield Armory. (Click here for photos from last year's Stomp!) Robin Nelson will be calling with us that night and will also be with us at Tapestry the following night. In addition, Robin is teaching a series of contra dance lessons in Northfield starting on Friday Jan. 25. A great opportunity to learn from the best!

It occurred to me that it might be fun to try to keep a record of the tunes we play at our dances, kind of like fans keep track of setlists from the concerts of their favorite bands. Here are some of the sets that we played last Sat., not necessarily in order.

Old French/Badlands All Night/Sand Island
Revelry Reel/French Sneakers/Maggie in the Rain
Timmy Clifford's/The Return Home/O'Keefe's Slide (D major)
Aly on the Plains/Hay to Market/Just 4 Guys
Angeline the Baker/Milk Run/Liberation
Temperence Reel/Bay of Fundy/Mouth of the Tobique
Dunn Meadow/Canny Crow (with a quick "Pop Goes the Weasel" in the middle)
Cement Donkey/Moss Don't Grow (with David on sax)
Reel St. Joseph/Star of Munster/Two-Legged Stool (with David on sax)
Palisades/Christmas Past/Fairbanks

Waltzes:
St. Louis Christmas
January 12, 2008 (world premiere)
Favors Her Father