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re Open Meeting in Edinburgh
Robert Lambie
April 23, 2013, 1:45 p.m. (Message 63985)
Ah, If only the Society did what is on the label! Traditional Country Dancing, all the bits of it, and all the different styles of it (i.e. both before and after Dr M/1945)And yes, I am an ancient member, and don't think changes to the whole concept of the society should ever have been allowed.We are now the Jean Milligan School of Dance, pure and simple, with no reference to the style of dancing we were formed to preserve; which is why one has to go to the EFDSS style to get near to how Robert Burns danced, or to historical dance groups to get as close as possible to it.Sad, really.
Robert Lambie wrote:
> We are now the Jean Milligan School of Dance, pure and simple,
> with no reference to the style of dancing we were formed to preserve;
> which is why one has to go to the EFDSS style to get near to how Robert
> Burns danced, or to historical dance groups to get as close as possible to
> it. Sad, really.
Not really. If you're interested in dance history then by all means go to the
dance historians. That's what they're there for, and nobody wants to prevent
them from doing what they're doing – on the contrary. On the other hand, we
(the SCD community) are more interested in something that is fun, sociable,
challenging, inclusive, can be straightforwardly taught and learned, works
such that we can go to Edinburgh, Tokyo, Cape Town or San Francisco and
immediately dance with the people there, and that is an ongoing, living
tradition with a pathway into the future.
From the practical point of view of running an SCD class here in Germany I'm
not in the least interested in how Robert Burns danced. (I'd be very
interested out of personal curiosity but that is a completely different ball
game.) Would you have me teach country dancing as practiced in 1680, 1720,
1750, 1816, 1880, or 1920? Or all of these styles at the same time? Do I use
the steps of 1750 for the Montgomeries' Rant and those of 1880 for the
Eightsome Reel? Who do I ask what these steps actually looked like? (Answer:
No one really knows for sure.)
I don't have an issue with the Jean Milligan School of Dance. If the JMSoD
didn't exist then in 2013 nobody except a very small handful of nerds in
universities and historical-dance societies in Scotland would know about
»country dances as danced in Scotland« at all, period. The fact that, instead,
SCD today is something that hundreds of thousands of people – Scots and non-
Scots alike – all over the world enjoy as a sociable pastime rather than a
research interest is an accomplishment of the JMSoD that those people (usually
older Scots) who whinge about how SCD isn't what it used to be (read: what
*they* would like it to be) had better take note of, and consider what they
would replace it with.
I'll now step off my soapbox in order to prepare for tonight when 30 people
from their 20s to their 70s will come together for another dose of the JMSoD.
My group had their big annual ball last Saturday, with people from all over
Germany and other countries attending. 100 kilometres north from here a girl
who herself started dancing not so very long ago is setting up a new SCD group
because she is so keen and there isn't one in the vicinity. On Friday I'll
take a plane to Hungary to meet friends from all over Europe for dancing and a
holiday. All thanks to what you so disparagingly like to call the »Jean
Milligan School of Dance«. How *dare* you tell me, sir, that all of that is
not a good thing?
Anselm
--
Anselm Lingnau, Mainz/Mayence, Germany ................. xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx
[T]his would overturn so much physics that they may as well have discovered
that gravity pushes, not pulls.
-- Phil Plait, on the neutrinos-travel-faster-than-light hubbub
Gavin Peebles wrote: > Who, Anselm, is setting up a new SCD group 100 kms North of you, and where? > I am interested because I run a group near Nieheim, which is near Brakel, > which is near Bad Driburg etc That would be Heike Thiesemann in Marburg, which is right in the middle between you and Frankfurt. Anselm -- Anselm Lingnau, Mainz/Mayence, Germany ................. xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx Apr. 26: Having violated one of the primary rules applicable to such things, an Australian gentleman pleads guilty to bigamy. The rule in question is the one against submitting second-wedding photos to the local newspaper that your current wife also reads. -- Kevin Underhill, »Lowering the Bar 2009-2010«
I am completely in agreement with Angela in support of Anselm's statement on the subject of change. My respect for Anselm grows with each day that passes. I believe it was Heraclitus of Ephesia of the ancient Greek philosophers that first espoused the philosophy that the only constant in life is change. We must be prepared to respect the old and embrace the new. SCD must be allowed to evolve, hopefully under the leadership of enlightened people. I place Anslem high on my list of leaders. Claude Hutton xxxxxxxx@xxxx.xx
and for rescuing "country dancing as it is done in Scotland" and making it appealing and appropriate for teh modern age, my admiration and respect for Miss Milligan similarly increases with every dance I go to and every class I enjoy. Whatever you call it and whatever its links might be with the social pursuits of Robert Burns, it brings together mental and physical fun in the context of non-competitive teamwork to grand music. I have found no better way to enjoy my friends and time. Bruce Herbold San Francisco