News Clips

May 5, 2008

The AACTMAD Annual Meeting and Election took place on May 4, 2008. Read more ...

April 12, 2008

AACTMAD Annual Meeting and Election will take place on May 4, beginning at 6:30pm, at the home of the Hillegonds, 2104 Georgetown Blvd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105. All members are welcome and encouraged to attend. Read more ...

January 15, 2008

Dawn Dance! - 27th annual Ann Arbor Dawn Dance Weekend is February 29 - March 2, 2008 at Clague Middle School in Ann Arbor. Bands Great Bear Trio and Foxfire with Paul Oorts will headline with Joseph Pimentel and Susan Kevra calling. Favorite Michigan musicians and callers will be performing, as well. Wall-to-wall contra dancing and English country dancing plus loads of other traditional music, workshops, singing, jam sessions, etc. We (all of us!) collectively put on this fabulous dance weekend, so please get involved. There are many volunteer opportunities to choose from. Another delightful way to enhance your weekend while giving back to the dance community at large is to host an out-of-town dancer. If you have a little space (even a couch) and can host a dancer or two for the weekend, or (call: 734-332-7964). Thank you.

Go swing! - AACTMAD's swing dance committee, AASDA, has started up a brand new Tuesday night swing dance on the UM campus. This new series offers a weekly focus on instruction in a variety of swing dance styles. AACTMAD/AASDA also continues with the friendly Friday night swing dance series at the Dakota Building on Ann Arbor's west side.

Community outreach - AACTMAD volunteers are committed to bringing the fun of music and dance into the community. This season, in addition to the fabulous Dancing in the Streets event over Labor Day weekend, outreach events have generated a dance series at the University of Michigan's Martha Cook Residence and Domino's Farms "Red Barn" family English country dance series. AACTMAD members are also helping to organize the "Agrarius" Regency Ball on February 16 at the Oakland Hills Community Church in Farmington. Instructional rehearsal workshops in the afternoon of February 2, 9, and 16 will teach the basics. The Domino's Farms Red Barn and Farmington Hills events welcome the public. So what about all those would-be English dancers in the western suburbs? Here's a chance to start at the beginning, close to home.

Scrip - Mark Hillegonds implemented and manages our Kroger and Busch's gift card scrip program. AACTMAD members arrange with Mark to purchase a card for any amount, then you use the card to pay for groceries you were going to buy anyway. The card is refilled at the checkout counter whenever you want, and AACTMAD continues to receive a 5% donation for as long as you use the card. Several families participate in this program, generating about $1,800 per year for AACTMAD activities. The funds generated in this way are like a nice grant to support our outreach and scholarship programs. If you don't have one yet, to get your Kroger or Busch's card.

Partnering with City of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation - AACTMAD has been invited by the Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation coordinator to work with their office to develop joint programs that reach specific age groups, help to build community, and bring more people to Ann Arbor Parks facilities (like the Cobblestone Farm Barn). We think it's a brilliant idea on their part. Don't you think music and dance in the parks might be just what they've been missing? If you have ideas or would like to participate, please contact Marge. If you can, please contribute by attending a brainstorming brunch session 10:30am - 12:30pm Saturday Jan. 26. To RSVP for brunch,

Facility update - We continue to actively pursue AACTMAD's long range plan of owning its own dance space, but a course correction in the execution of that plan is necessary now for two reasons. First, our Wagner-Waters building project was not approved by the Lodi Township planning commission, and second, the relative cost of new construction versus rehabbing an existing building has reversed dramatically from when we started. In 2004, we could not find any available existing buildings at an affordable per-square-foot cost; now there are existing buildings at attractive prices. We are continuing to work together with Gretchen's House Childcare Centers, which is aggressively looking at existing buildings to house its training and administrative facility. We'll keep you posted as things develop.

Lost and found - Joan Hellmann says someone left a very nice ceramic pie plate with cover at the Grange over the summer. We think it appeared either after the party for Sandy Cherry-Garr or after Neil Epstein and Elizabeth Ashman's wedding dance. If it belongs to you, please

August 15, 2007

Lots going on as we start a new season in September. Here are some notes from AACTMAD committee chairs:

Dancing in the Streets - Sheila Graziano
Sunday, September 2, 1:45 - 7pm, in downtown Ann Arbor, AACTMAD's Dancing in the Streets becomes a free festival of acoustic music and dance. It's got dancing you can do, dancing you can learn, dancing you can watch, a dollop of music you can sit right down and listen to, plus children's activities, a Maypole, and more. All performers are volunteers. Production is supported this year by Pfizer community grants, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Ann Arbor Arts Alliance, the City of Ann Arbor, and AACTMAD. It's a great way to share with your friends, neighbors, and people you sit next to on the bus what is that thing you do, as well as a great way to spend the last official Sunday afternoon of the summer.

Concerts (music is not just for dancing) - Joan Hellman
The concert committee presents occasional concerts featuring performers who might not otherwise have a venue in Ann Arbor. We always welcome suggestions about musicians, especially local ones, you would like to hear. Two concerts are being planned for November: The Wild Wood, an eclectic band of UM students, on November 2, and Motor City Sidestrokers, a Detroit area jug band, on November 30. Watch for more details soon.

First Saturday Contras - Richard Raymond
The First Saturday Dances continue this fall with the best of local and regional performers. This fall callers include Drake Meadow, Glen Morningstar, Don Theyken, and, from Kalamazoo, Mike Clark. Bands include, for the first time in Ann Arbor, Celery City Sodbusters from Kalamazoo, Stout Hearted String Band, and Paul Winder and Friends. And we continue to offer a special low price for students.

Fourth Saturday Contras - Ed Vincent
The Fourth Saturday contra dance aims to bring new and old dancers together, mixing well with a fresh blend of callers and bands! Becky Hill from Cleveland is here on September 22 with Marty Somberg and Friends playing the music. The October 27 dance will be a special "Halloween Harvest Moon" dance; costumes are encouraged. Ed Vincent will be calling with Golden Griffon Stringtet providing the music.

Friday Advanced English country dance - Fae Fuerst
2nd Friday advanced English dance programs are designed for experienced English dancers ready to enjoy difficult mind-bogglers or no-teaching dances -- though not both at once, and not all the time! We'll kick off a new season on September 7; note the special 1st-Friday date. (MDH fall camp is the next weekend.) The theme will be "What We Learned On Our Summer Vacations" with local callers sharing new and newly-appreciated dances picked up over the summer. Our wonderful Ann Arbor band Childgrove (Debbie Jackson, Martha Stokely, and Anne Ogren) will play for about half the dances this season, including the first two, and we'll also have some exciting mixtures of local and traveling musicians and callers. There are special afternoon dances on Sunday December 9 and Sunday June 8, and the dance really is on 2nd Fridays the rest of the season! When we have out-of-town callers, we often try to schedule some extra events, including English dances for everyone. with questions and suggestions.

Friday Night Swing Dance - Scott Rice and Holly Ackerman
Swing dancing every Friday on the UM campus. Beginner lesson 8 pm; open dancing to DJ'd recorded musics from 8:45 - 11:30pm. Nice friendly, partner-changing atmosphere. $5 general admission; $3 students; AACTMAD members $1 off admission. Dance Revolution Dance Studio 603 E. William St., Ann Arbor 48104. The swing dancing committee is planning to host a swing dancing workshop over the November 3-4 weekend with instructors from Cincinnati, OH.

Pittsfield Open Band (POB) - John Lesko and Betsy Foote
The POB is an open contra dance band and welcomes musicians playing instruments compatible with contra dance music. POB jams are from 3-6 pm on the first and third Saturday of the month. We play for contra dances about quarterly, and sometimes a little more frequently. We often hire an experienced local musician to rehearse with us and lead us at the dances we play for. We ask people to attend the rehearsal of the POB that afternoon to play for the dance that night. Saturday, September 15th we are playing for the Cobblestone dance at the Grange with Bill O'Connor leading.

We're especially excited to have Susan Songer, director of the 75-member Portland Oregon Megaband contra dance band and author of the Portland Collection, here in December. Susan will be directing the POB for a special third Saturday Cobblestone contra dance on December 15. From 7 - 8pm, there will be couple dancing to waltzes, schottisches, polkas, etc. and from 8 - 11pm there will be a contra dance. We are expecting a good turnout of musicians, and Susan is wonderful with directing a large band, so it should be great fun. Stage risers will extend the stage three feet to accommodate the musicians, so we may need to limit the dancers to a maximum of 60; so dancers, come early to make sure you can get in. Standard admission prices will still get you into this special event, as the POB is subsidizing a large portion of the evening's above-normal cost.

If you're a musician, we encourage you to come play with us, whether you've played with the POB before or not. If you'd like to play for the December 15 Susan Songer dance, we recommend that you come to rehearsals November 17th and December 1 at the usual POB jam times and also must practice with Susan on Friday evening December 14 and Saturday afternoon December 15. If you can do some but not all of these, to talk about your participation.

Tuesday English country dance - Shirley Harden
You may have heard the Tuesday English Country Dance is bursting at the seams? Could the reason be...the friendly people... the welcoming attitude... the wonderful music... the variety...the clear teaching and calling... the experienced dancers' enjoyment in making newcomers feel comfortable...the inter-generational mix...the great refreshments...the air conditioning....the silly surprises? Or maybe it's just the joy of moving to live music on a Tuesday night? It's all those things and more - and it can include YOU every Tuesday evening from 7 to 9:30 pm in NE Ann Arbor. Don't miss the Winter Solstice party December 18.

Membership - Ray Bantle
September 1st marks the start of the new dance season, so you'll be getting a renewal notice in the next mailing. We hope you'll support all these great activities by renewing your membership. Renew now so you won't miss an issue of the dance calendar. And please spread the word to your dance friends and new dance acquaintances: joining AACTMAD is a good thing!

SCRIP (painless fundraising) - Mark Hillegonds
Mark Hillegonds initiated a scrip program for AACTMAD about a year and a half ago. It means we all can buy the things we were going to buy anyway and at the same time raise money to support AACTMAD activities. AACTMAD provides infrastructure so that AACTMAD-sponsored events can be self-sustaining; the admissions go to the performers and the hall and to making the event the best it can be. AACTMAD memberships, donations, and the scrip program support the distribution of the calendar statewide, scholarships, training new musicians and callers, and publicity and support for all event organizers. Ongoing, year-round community outreach, including quality events in schools and churches and small grants to experimental projects - like last year's community Christmas Eve party at the Grange are also funded. Expansion of these types of efforts add to the viability of the future dance community.

So: if you haven't bought scrip yet, it's definitely not too late! There are a huge variety of things you can buy scrip for, but here's a really simple way to get started. If you are a Kroger or Busch's shopper, and let him know you'd like to buy a gift card for $100. You use the card like cash when you shop, and when your sales slip shows your gift card balance is low, the next time you shop you ask the clerk to add more money to your gift card before ringing up your order. These organizations pay AACTMAD 5% of our members' grocery bills, every time we use our cards. Based on the numbers from just about 10 people participating over the last year, we're projecting to raise almost $2,000 this coming season. Imagine what we could do if half the membership participated, just for their groceries alone!

Facilities project - Abby Liskow
The Facilities Committee is currently working actively to secure support for our project among Lodi Township officials in order to gain approval of our combined partners' proposed uses of the property in the agricultural zoning. Township officials seem to have a strong general desire to discourage almost any development, but the Township Planning Commission in June recommended the Township Board grant a special use permit for the activities of two of the three partners. The township was then advised that they can't split up partners like that. The partnership as a whole has achieved a consistently even split between our supporters and non-supporters on the Township Planning Commission; we hope the tie-breaker will be present at September's meeting. As a result of the uncertainty of working with Lodi, we are again looking at what's available in the real estate market. Conditions have evolved a lot since we started this project, and now it's more possible that existing buildings would offer us a good alternative. Stay tuned.

Volunteers
Volunteer efforts make all of AACTMAD's activities possible, from scheduling performers to bringing refreshments, from accounting to publicity...to a list too long to include here. if you could contribute an hour or two a month, even if you're not sure exactly what you'd like to do. Try something new or do something easy! All these efforts help make life more fun...for everyone!

May 1, 2007

The annual meeting and election was held on April 22.

• Nancy Meadow was newly elected to the board and Ruth Jones to the nominating committee. Thanks to all of the returning board and nominating committee members for volunteering to serve.
• The committee annual reports were presented.
• The goals, set by the board, for 2007 were presented.
• A big thank you to the volunteers who organized the talent show and volunteer thank-you party which followed the meeting.

April 15, 2007

Planning is beginning for the 10th annual Dancing in the Streets, which will take place in downtown Ann Arbor on Sunday, September 2 2007. It would be great to have some new and returning(!) folks involved in the planning process and as day-of-event volunteers. If you could be part of the planning committee this year, please contact Sheila Graziano at your earliest convenience and we can discuss your interests, amount of time, etc. Great ideas come from all sources, and I welcome your input on all aspects of the event. DITS 2006 was a wonderful day of music and dance, and Sheila is looking forward to putting together another vibrant dance party for the community to enjoy! Please feel free to give her a ring at 734-433-9907 if you'd like to be part of DITS '07. Thanks ever so much!

Dancing in the Streets has been notified we've been awarded a Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs minigrant!

"Let's Dance!", formerly known as the Youth and Family Team: Tammy Corwin-Renner, Anne Ogren, and Nora Karsch are working to connect schools and community groups up to traditional music and dance programs. Recent events:

• Lee Knight (NC) residency at Slauson Middle School in January; Lee also performed at Glacier Hills Retirement Center and the Ann Arbor District Library.
• Glen Morningstar has just completed a residency at Ann Arbor Burns Park Elementary School; a fabulous time was had by all. This was a collaboration between Glen Morningstar, AACTMAD, and the Ann Arbor District Library's Songsters Program.

In March, AACTMAD brought English country dancing to more than 100 UM English Department "Jane Austen in Context" students (check out the pictures.) Ray Bantle taught dances to live music by Childgrove, while Tuesday night dancers seeded the crowd with ringers to help make a successful experience for all. It was great fun, but not JUST fun; students also discovered how dancing functioned in Jane Austen's social context and how it contributed to the events and relationships described in her novels. Support was provided by the UM English Department, AACTMAD, and Arts at Michigan.

The AACTMAD facility group and our facility partners (Shalom Community Church and Greg Meisner and Gretchen Preston) have submitted plans to the Lodi Township planning board for consideration at their meeting on April 24. In addition to asking for approval of our building and site plan, we are asking the Township for approval of a special use designation for a community building in our agriculture-zoned neighborhood. If you'd like to know more or would be able to attend the public meeting,

Dawn Dance Weekend 2007 - Like to get a beautiful hemp dance T-shirt promoting the weekend? A one-of-a-kind letterpress commemorative poster, suitable for collectors? And thanks to our local merchant donors: Washtenaw Dairy, Barry's Bagels, Evergreen Restaurant, and Arbor Farms, A big thanks to Debbie Jackson and Rick Szumski, co-chairs, the mighty committee, and all the volunteers who helped make it a wonderful event.

The AACTMAD Library is an interesting collection of music and dance-related materials, including an archive of Sing Out! magazines, recordings, books, etc., and housed at Gretchen's House on Oak Valley Drive. Ruth Scodel would welcome a few additional laptops and their human operators to join her for an enjoyable hour or two of cataloging the existing collection. if you might be able to help. There might be a pizza in it for you.

Instrumental musicians have been enjoying band workshops led by Dr. Grangelove before the 4th Saturday dances in January and February. These workshops have been in addition to the Pittsfield Open Band (POB)'s regular open jams every 1st and 3rd Saturday, and occasional experienced dance musician-led workshops. Musicians of all levels and instruments are welcome to come and play jigs, reels, and waltzes with the POB, by ear from 3-4 pm and from printed music from 4-6 pm. Check out the new POB website.

Annual Meeting This year's annual meeting will be April 22, 2:30 - 3:30pm at Gretchen's House VII on Dhu Varren Rd. (near the intersection of Pontiac Trail). Please plan to attend this meeting to meet board members, participate in the annual election of board members, and hear board and committee updates. We'll allow time for a robust update on the facility project, so come with your questions.

Thank-you to volunteers - the April 22 annual meeting will be followed by a thank-you party for AACTMAD volunteers, 3:30 - 5:30 pm. We'd like to thank volunteers of all stripes with a nice afternoon of socializing that we think will be fun. So we hope you can join us if:

• You are an AACTMAD committee chair or a committee member
• You regularly help with an ongoing event, like a dance series or a jam
• You help with a special event like Dawn Dance Weekend, Dancing in the Streets, or other special events
• You help behind the scenes, for example with mailings, dance calendar, dance phone, membership database, accounting, and so on

March 15, 2007

The 26th annual Dawn Dance Weekend was wonderful. Thanks for a wonderful time to this year's co-chairs Debbie Jackson and Rick Szumski and the committee that works virtually all year on planning and organizing, including Kate Moore, Roger Faust, Nancy Meadow, Drake Meadow, Joan Hellmann, Richard Raymond, Dave Sebolt, Nina Scheider, Abby Liskow, Jim Horton, David Kanistanaux, Robert Messer, Bronwen Gates, Karen Brown, Paul Brown, Dawn Swartz, Ray Bantle, and Phil Tuchinski. Thanks also to the mighty sound team and all the people who volunteered to help with specific tasks over the weekend, including hosting out-of-town visitors. We had dancers visiting from 14 states and Canada and heard lots of happy comments from dancers throughout the weekend. Several of our headliners, who see a lot of these kinds of events, made a special effort to tell us how much they enjoyed the spirit and friendliness of our dance community.

The Youth and Family team is working to make more families aware of the fun of live music and multi-generational dancing. Their program is called "Let's Dance!" The team has developed a web page and a color flyer to send to school PTOs and other groups that may be interested in holding family events for their group. The team also facilitates school residency programs. If you'd like a flyer and/or have a group in mind for a one-time dance event or residency,

"The leader of our music and dance residency took us on a dance trip back a hundred years or so. His costumes, songs, and stories set a mood that made history feel like a party. What a wonderful way to learn about the past!"   Martha McDowell, Teacher, Rudolf Steiner School

Facility project: The facility partner group is working with our architect and site planner to submit plans to Lodi Township planning commission for consideration at the April meeting. The current plans were on display at the Dawn Dance Weekend.

Annual Meeting: This year's annual meeting will be April 22 2:30 -3:30 pm. Please plan to attend this meeting to meet board members, participate in the annual election of board members, and hear board and committee updates. We'll allow time for a robust update on the facility project, so come with your questions.

Thank-you to volunteers: The April 22 annual meeting will be followed by a thank-you party for AACTMAD volunteers, 3:30 - 5:30 pm. We'd like to thank volunteers of all stripes with a nice afternoon of socializing that we think will be fun. So we hope you can join us if: - You are an AACTMAD committee chair or a committee member - You regularly help with an ongoing event, like a dance series or a jam - You help with a special event like Dawn Dance Weekend, Dancing in the Streets, or other special events - You help behind the scenes, for example with mailings, dance calendar, dance phone, membership database, accounting, and so on Please RSVP to Dave Wilson by April 18 if you can attend.

December 15, 2006

Special events: Dancing in the Streets 2006 offered about 2000 people a sampling of dancing and acoustic music in beautiful sunshine in downtown Ann Arbor on September 3. The concert committee produced two unique concerts this fall. AACTMAD's Ann Arbor Swing Dance Association committee held a weekend of swing dancing December 2 - 3.The Fourth Saturday Contra and Advanced English committees organized a special weekend December 8 - 10 with the Latter Day Lizards and caller Carol Ormand filling in for Lisa Greenleaf at the very last minute. Great events! Next big thing: the mighty Dawn Dance Weekend Committee is mobilizing for another big blast March 2-4.

Regular dance series continuing: First and Fourth Saturday contras, monthly advanced and weekly Tuesday English country dancing, and weekly Friday swing and Morris dancing. The Pittsfield Open Band practices bimonthly and has been bringing in guest musicians to lead special workshops to build technique and repertoire. The Fourth Saturday contra dance will also offer musician workshops in January and February, plus an unusual opportunity for workshop participants to sit in with Dr. Grangelove and play for the Fourth Saturday dances. A caller development opportunity is coming up January 3 with a workshop led by Colin Hume from England.

The Youth and Family "Let's Dance!" team is working on actively promoting one-of-a-kind family dance events for schools, churches, and other multigenerational groups. One such event took place at the end of November at Haisley School in Ann Arbor, when about 400 people participated in a super-size family dance event led by Susan Filipiak of Swing City Dance Studio with live music by the Stout Hearted String Band, and much-needed sound support by Don Theyken. The Let's Dance! team is also partnering with the Ann Arbor District Library to bring Lee Knight back from North Carolina. Lee will be in town for two weeks in January, doing school residencies, performing a free public concert at the downtown Library on January 31, leading an open singing session on January 27, and more. Lee is a warm and engaging folk singer and song collector from North Carolina with a wonderful repertoire and a direct connection to his primary sources.Click here for more info and photos of his 2006 Ann Arbor visit.

Board news: The AACTMAD Board welcomes David Orlin as a board member, replacing Dan Peisach. AACTMAD is supporting Dave Sebolt's Community Holiday Party on December 24, an all-day family-friendly dance and potluck at the Pittsfield Grange with no admission fee. Two teams from the University of Michigan Business School's Community Consulting Club are working on AACTMAD projects this term; we'll get their results and recommendations in January.

Facility project: The facility partner group representatives continue to meet almost weekly; facility partners are AACTMAD, Shalom Community Church, and Greg Meisner and Gretchen Preston. The partner group submitted preliminary building and site plans to Lodi Township Planning Board for discussion at their November meeting; the group is requesting a "special use" designation for the property as a community building and a church, which are both recognized as appropriate special uses for property zoned agricultural. Our request has been tabled for now, and we will be revisiting the Township Planning Board after further development of the site plan in response to their questions. The design and business planning teams are also evaluating building layouts to make sure all planned areas will be effectively used and financially supportable.

As local rental costs increase and development patterns undermine the long-term viability of existing venues, the board continues to pursue the facility project as a priority. We believe having equity in a building designed to meet our needs will help our vibrant community of acoustic music and traditional dancing continue into the future. The collaboration of the facility partner organizations is key. AACTMAD's building requirements have been developed over the last three years through open community discussions and input from AACTMAD's active committees. One gap in most of our existing venues is accommodation for children accompanying their parents to dances; that's just one important driver for the new facility.

Volunteers make all of this possible and more: Thank you so much to all of you who are contributing to all these activities that enrich our community! Or maybe your New Year's resolution is to get involved in one or more of these interesting projects and work with some great people?

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"I love to play music for family dances. I love seeing the dancers enjoying themselves. The only thing I don't love about it is that when I'm playing, I can't dance!"
-San Slomovits, Gemini

"I wish I could dance every night!"
- Allegra, age 10

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