And so it's already Sunday
Feb. 10th, 2008 09:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
billeylerYesterday was totally taken up with being at the square dance center, both calling and dancing. Advanced and round dance workshops in the morning, lunch around the corner at Millie's with the cognisenti of the ABQ square dance world, Plus workshops and EZ level dance in the afternoon, home for a nap and then dinner with abqdan at Mannie's, then back for the evening celebration and dance. Several out-of-towners wanted my card, since they liked my workshops and calling. I'm veritably unknown in the non-gay dance world.
All this while Marshall Flippo was totally bedridden in the La Quinta 1/2 block away.
Kris arranged for Bob Brundage (who picked him up at the airport Friday and is 85 himself) and John Colwell (who is an EMT) to visit him a couple of times to be sure he wasn't getting dehydrated and had something to eat. Bob cooked up some chicken soup for him. I hadn't know about some personal issues Marshall was going through other than this illness until yesterday. Very sad. He sent his regrets to the dancers through Bob and hoped to be back next year. This is all very worrying. He had a dance scheduled for this afternoon at his home club, and 3 dances on Monday and Tuesday. I heard he had also left his cell phone at the ABQ airport, but it was found. We just hope he can get back home. I'm sure I'll hear more later.
There were about 200 who showed for the evening dance, which Larada and Kris had organized well. My dance date was Eva Neal, whose foofy square dance fashions, all hand made, are the envy of all the women there and have been for years. About a dozen of the Wilde Bunch even showed up. I did have a few duties as the outgoing treasurer, but generally, just enjoyed dancing and called only one tip, with Kris.
After Bob talked about Marshall's condition, Larada made an announcement to the dancers that if they left the dance feeling gyped, we'd give a full refund. No one took her up on it.
The round dancing between tips was fun...I haven't done much of it since I first learned in 1987*, but most of it sticks with me. Eva and I got through all the rounds with only minor bobbles, since a few moves have been added to Phase 2 since I started, and the Phase 3 I just watched the dancers in front of me to learn on the fly.
Larada recognized all the dancers with an "if you've been dancing X years, go sit down" elimination, from those dancing 1 year or less to dancing 50+ years. There were at least 10 there who had been dancing since before 1958! Then she recognized all the callers in the room...there were about 18 of us, with experience between 1 month (???) and more than 50 years. I'm right in the middle at 24 years of calling and nearly 25 of dancing.
I'm skipping the morning dance today, another multi-caller trail out dance and am torn about going to the Caller's meeting at 12:30 (I think). I just want a day off!
Danny and I are going to head for the Gay Bowling group's open house tonight at Holiday Bowl. I was an avid bowler between age 10 and 23 or so, but I've only gone bowling maybe 10 times since then. The GB league apparently starts next week. We may give it a go!
* I learned both Phase II Rounds and Advanced dancing in 1987-88 from Dick Siebenforcher, a short never-married, silver-haired, middle-aged man with a military crew cut. He taught out of an addition in his house...while it was caught in a 1966 time warp, it held 4 squares. He had a reputation as being very demanding; even during dance lessons, you had to be in 'acceptable square dance attire'...no T shirts, sneakers or jeans. ONLY back-to-back dosado, and no fluff. In his years on the board with ASDC, he was adamant no signs would be taped to the walls or holes made with nails, and any signage had to be consistent.
Dick moved away maybe 17 or 18 years ago, and now lives in Marysville (?) WA. He was back last night, looking exactly as he did in the last time I saw him, except he was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. To a dance!
I always admired his teaching skills and hope I took away some of that in the way I teach.
abqdan at Mannie's, then back for the evening celebration and dance. Several out-of-towners wanted my card, since they liked my workshops and calling. I'm veritably unknown in the non-gay dance world.All this while Marshall Flippo was totally bedridden in the La Quinta 1/2 block away.
Kris arranged for Bob Brundage (who picked him up at the airport Friday and is 85 himself) and John Colwell (who is an EMT) to visit him a couple of times to be sure he wasn't getting dehydrated and had something to eat. Bob cooked up some chicken soup for him. I hadn't know about some personal issues Marshall was going through other than this illness until yesterday. Very sad. He sent his regrets to the dancers through Bob and hoped to be back next year. This is all very worrying. He had a dance scheduled for this afternoon at his home club, and 3 dances on Monday and Tuesday. I heard he had also left his cell phone at the ABQ airport, but it was found. We just hope he can get back home. I'm sure I'll hear more later.
There were about 200 who showed for the evening dance, which Larada and Kris had organized well. My dance date was Eva Neal, whose foofy square dance fashions, all hand made, are the envy of all the women there and have been for years. About a dozen of the Wilde Bunch even showed up. I did have a few duties as the outgoing treasurer, but generally, just enjoyed dancing and called only one tip, with Kris.
After Bob talked about Marshall's condition, Larada made an announcement to the dancers that if they left the dance feeling gyped, we'd give a full refund. No one took her up on it.
The round dancing between tips was fun...I haven't done much of it since I first learned in 1987*, but most of it sticks with me. Eva and I got through all the rounds with only minor bobbles, since a few moves have been added to Phase 2 since I started, and the Phase 3 I just watched the dancers in front of me to learn on the fly.
Larada recognized all the dancers with an "if you've been dancing X years, go sit down" elimination, from those dancing 1 year or less to dancing 50+ years. There were at least 10 there who had been dancing since before 1958! Then she recognized all the callers in the room...there were about 18 of us, with experience between 1 month (???) and more than 50 years. I'm right in the middle at 24 years of calling and nearly 25 of dancing.
I'm skipping the morning dance today, another multi-caller trail out dance and am torn about going to the Caller's meeting at 12:30 (I think). I just want a day off!
Danny and I are going to head for the Gay Bowling group's open house tonight at Holiday Bowl. I was an avid bowler between age 10 and 23 or so, but I've only gone bowling maybe 10 times since then. The GB league apparently starts next week. We may give it a go!
* I learned both Phase II Rounds and Advanced dancing in 1987-88 from Dick Siebenforcher, a short never-married, silver-haired, middle-aged man with a military crew cut. He taught out of an addition in his house...while it was caught in a 1966 time warp, it held 4 squares. He had a reputation as being very demanding; even during dance lessons, you had to be in 'acceptable square dance attire'...no T shirts, sneakers or jeans. ONLY back-to-back dosado, and no fluff. In his years on the board with ASDC, he was adamant no signs would be taped to the walls or holes made with nails, and any signage had to be consistent.
Dick moved away maybe 17 or 18 years ago, and now lives in Marysville (?) WA. He was back last night, looking exactly as he did in the last time I saw him, except he was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. To a dance!
I always admired his teaching skills and hope I took away some of that in the way I teach.
