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Waltz New in Dance dancing is better for fun and exercise than for religion -- but you can do worse for any

December 1999:-- Dance has become an increasingly important part of my life, as my chief social outlet as well as a primary form of exercise. Right: Sarah Linn Shaller and I at Nashville's Playford Ball. I'm wearing the lovely costume Harriet Grable made for me. Credit: I forget! Contra dance is still my favorite (for those who don't know, contra dancing is somewhat like Square Dancing, though a more traditional form not requiring poofey skirts and bolo ties, is done to live music with a caller directing the moves, and really is a good workout). I still get to English Country dance about one weekend a year, but I still enjoy it very much. There is even talk of renewing a regular English dance here in Huntsville. I've gotten passably good at waltz (my favorite couple dance), swing, and Cajun dance forms, and am at least adequate at Zydeco. I've called a couple of contra dances, and thanks to Deanna Rutman actually danced a hambo once. Left: Rebecca Zurn and Richard Powers teaching at the Cool Studio Weekend at Split Tree Farm. Rebecca and husband Tom are founders of the Huntsville Cajun Zydeco Connection and respected teachers of Zydeco dance round the world. Richard is an amazing dance teacher, especially for waltz and swing. Credit: Bryan Walls Quite a few of my weekends the last couple of years, and especially 1999, were spent at dance weekends. With a whole weekend, there's time to learn, time to socialize, and time to get into a lovely dance trance where the dancing can happen unmindfully and you're free to connect with the music, the motion, and your partner (and, in contra dancing especially, with the whole community of dancers). The only thing better than a weekend of dancing is a whole week! But that's harder to come by. Right: Deanna Rutman and I at the American Dance Weekend at Buffalo Gap, near Capon Ridge, West Virginia. Credit: Kimberly Hart A couple of new dance discoveries for me have been the incredible teaching of Richard Powers, the Professor of Dance at Stanford University, and Split Tree Farm, where he spent a Sabbatical this year. Richard taught at the Florida Dance Rhapsody (my only dance week thus far, though I plan to repeat the experience the end of this month) where I first met him. In fall of '98 I went to a Writing and Movement workshop at Split Tree Farm, a participatory arts center on Sid Hetzler's farm in northern Georgia, just a bit from Chattanooga. I found it a wonderful space for creativity and contemplation. In the spring, I attended the Fools' Fest and Richard's Zen of Waltz weekend at Split Tree. What a wonderful combination! A friend of mine was so blown away that she quit her job and moved there for a while. Right: I'm caught in a swing dance spinout by Andy Estes. Credit: Andy Estes Web Links North Alabama Country Dance Society -- The Huntsville group that puts on contra dances and the Blue Moon Weekend. Incidentally, I designed and maintain the web site. What is Contra Dancing? -- A brief description of my favorite dance form. Split Tree Farm -- Sid Hetzler's beautiful family farm in Northern Georgia, just below Chattanooga, is also a center for the Participatory Arts. Dance, writing, music, movement, are all available. Waltz New in '94 -- Old history of dance from my 1994 Christmas newsletter. I'm not leaving my job to dance full time, nor do I want dance to be the center of my life. But, one could do worse, I think. In fact many do worse. I'm thankful for dance, for music, and for my chance to participate in them. My advice to you is, don't forget to make the time to dance! Life is too short to miss the flavor.

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