FolkFire Articles

September/October 1994


  • A New Spin on International Couple Dancing
  • Yet Another Contra Wedding!
  • S.C.A. Dancers Step Way Back
  • FolkFireHome
  • Index of Articles

  • First Board Elected to FolkFire
    FolkFire held their first elections on June 19 during the break at the Childgrove contra dance. Elections were open to all members of the folk community. A total of 21 votes were cast and the results were as follows:
    Martha Edwards, 21 votes; Larry Gaines, 18 votes; Deborah Hyland, 20 votes; Dan Klarmann, 18 votes; Andrew Limanni, 12 votes; and Mindy Mechanic, 19 votes.
    In addition, several people received write-in votes, several of whom agreed to volunteer some time with FolkFire. They are: Donna Eckberg, Connie Mueller and Jeanette Soleil. Anyone else wishing to volunteer with distribution, typing the mailing list, writing articles, selling ads, or just offering new ideas can call 776-2763.
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    Yet Another Contra Wedding!
    Karen Jackson and Dan Klarmann invite all dancers and other friends to help share in their wedding celebration with a contra which follows their nuptials on September 3, 1994.
    Dance at the fabulous Mahler Ballroom, 4915 Washington in the Central West End, from 8:00-11:00 p.m. to music by The Allen Street String Band of Springfield, Illinois and calling by Kath Tallichet of Louisville, and Jeanette Soleil and Andrew Limanni of St. Louis. Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks will be served. Call (314) 771-2920 for more information.
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    S.C.A. Dancers Step Way Back
    by Deborah Hyland
    His lordship, Edouard d'Aubigny, Companion of the Torse, Companion of the Golden Swan, Companion of the Calon Lily and Companion of the Calon Cross can't even remember his own name, or at least not all of his titles. Ed Ransden, his real name, is a lot easier to remember, but Ransden often prefers his medieval alter ego.
    According to Ransden, who coordinates the medieval/renaissance dances for a local branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), members can create any non- historical persona from between the fall of Rome and 1600. Within the SCA, members tend to use their SCA name, to such an extent that even people who have danced together every week for years may not know each other's modern name.
    At an SCA event, members become knights, damsels, ladies, beggars, Gypsies, or merchants. In their "mundane" life, they may be doctors, nurses, chemical engineers, pilots, teachers or students, perhaps even truck drivers.
    Academic medievalists may turn up their noses at the SCA, sniffing about wrongheaded ideas, yet there is a lot to be said for a group of people willing to independently research & recreate so many aspects of an historical period. The SCA reproduces all the feasts, the fights and the festivities, including dancing.
    Within the SCA, the fighting is by far more popular, yet there are separate balls, such as the Crystal Ball held yearly in Illinois. Even there, however, there is a little fighting, just to placate the ruffians. The music is the beautiful lilting music of the middle ages and early Renaissance; lutes, harps & flutes are some of the more common instruments.
    The dances themselves are fairly simple, with easily learned footwork. Embellishments can be added if so desired. See the listings of both medieval/renaissance groups and numbers to call for more information on their upcoming events.
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    This page was composed by A Daniel Klarmann
    Please send change requests, updates, and suggestions to editor@folkfire.org