La Grande English Country Dance Class and Ball: 2020

Class
Ball
Register
Scholarships
EOU Credit
Times/Places
Program
Resources
Contact Us
What is ECD?

English Country Dance Class

Art Center East, 6001 Penn Avenue, La Grande

*** Due to coronavirus all remaining class sessions and the ball are posponed indefinitely, pending rescheduling. ***

Starting this January, Art Center East and Traditional-Live! will once again offer an opportunity to learn this centuries old, forgotten, then revived folk dance style.  The English Country Dance: Grand Ball Practice class at Art Center East begins on Wednesday, January 8th and culminates in a grand ball on Saturday, March 28th.  The 10 class sessions gives students enough time to absorb the essential movements and figures of the dance form and then get comfortable with the specifics of the dozen or so dances that will be done at the ball  This also allows for the inevitability of missing at least some class sessions, whether because of illness or other personal priorities. 

The class is appropriate for those with no dance experience, 12 years and older, and is structured to proceed methodically, gradually building skills and adding to knowledge of figures and formations.  The payoff is the ball, where you and your classmates will join with other English Country dancers from around the Pacific Northwest for a gala evening of dancing to live music and enjoying sociability and delectable treats. 

The class meets from 6:30 to 8:00 pm mostly...

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La Grande English Country Class and Ball Co-sponsored by Traditional-Live! and Art Center East.

La Grande English Country Ball

*** Due to coronavirus all remaining class sessions and the ball are posponed indefinitely, pending rescheduling. ***

Saturday, March 28, 2020
Our Lady of the Valley Parish Hall, 1002 L Avenue, La Grande
For the second year in a row George Penk and Heather Pinney of Portland will be the featured musicians at our English Country ball in La Grande.  The ball is the culminating event of a 10 session Art Center East/Traditional-Live! English Country Dance class held in La Grande this winter; a final exam of sorts.  We welcome having other experienced English Country dancers come celebrate with us.  The program of dances will be a dozen or so easy to moderate dances, chosen for their outstanding music, and to facilitate stress-free dancing for the novice dancers present.  The list of dances will be made available on the Program tab above.

As is customary at ball events like this, there will be an early afternoon review session that all participants will want to be sure to attend. This will give us the opportunity to refresh our memory of the dances on the ball program, so that we all can enjoy the evening's dancing in a more relaxed way.  That evening, at the ball, besides enjoying dancing to George and Heather's wonderful music, we will have ample time to socialize at a dessert potluck midway through the evening...

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Class Registration

*** Due to coronavirus all remaining class sessions and the ball are posponed indefinitely, pending rescheduling. ***

Because of space limitations, class size is limited to 45 participants.  You are urged to preregister to ensure yourself a space.  Registration fee includes all 10 class sessions and ball attendance.

    $65 for general public.
    $45 for ACE or Traditional-Live! members.

Scholarships may be available for those 24 years and under.  See "Scholarships" tab for details.

Register for English Country Dance Grand Ball Practice Sessions
    Online - artcentereast.org
    Email - info@artcentereast.org
    Phone - 541-624-2800.

If space remains available, registrations will also be accepted at the initial class sessions.

Scholarships

To encourage the participation of youth and young adults in the English Country Dance class and ball, we are offering scholarships to those 24 years and under.  Scholarships will cover 50% of the class fee and are available by application.  The number of scholarships available are limited, and depend on the amount of money that can be raised for the scholarship fund.

To apply:
Email Darcy at darcy@artcentereast.org asking for a scholarship for "English Country Dance: Grand Ball Practice" and providing your name, age, and contact information.  If and when your application is approved and funds are available, you will be provided with special registation instructions with a code for the scholarship.  Scholarships are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, so take action soon.

Donate to Our Fund:
Those with the means are encouraged to donate to our scholarship fund.  For additional information on supporting the fund, please email us at scholarship@neofs.us.

EOU Credit Available

Course PES 180-003, 1 credit
crn# 66075
Inst.: Jill Gibian
No additional fee required besides tuition.

Attendance at class sessions required for credit; ball participation is optional.
Questions?  Contact Jill Gibian at 541-962-3742 or jgibian@eou.edu

Dates, Times & Locations

*** Due to coronavirus all remaining class sessions and the ball are posponed indefinitely, pending rescheduling. ***

English Country Dance Class Sessions
Art Center East
1006 Penn Avenue, La Grande, Oregon
Class meets 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm on dates listed below.
January: Wednesday 1/8, Friday 1/17, Wednesday 1/22, Wednesday 1/29
February: Wednesday 2/5, Friday 2/14 (Valentine's Day!), Wednesday 2/26
March: Wednesday 3/4, Wednesday 3/11, Thursday 3/19
Note: Class will not have a regular session the week of February 16-22 (but bonus session available; see below), and there will be no class session the week of the ball, March 22-27.
 
Bonus Insruction Sessions are available for covering missed dances, getting extra practice, or the mere joy of dancing.
All bonus sessions meet from 6:30 - 8:00 pm at the location specified.
January: Sunday 1/26 (at Lewis home)
February: Sunday 2/2 (at Lewis home), Sunday 2/9 (at Adventist School), Sunday 2/16 (at Adventist School), Wednesday 2/19 (at EOU, Hoke 339)
March: Sunday 3/1 (at Adventist School), Sunday 3/15 (at Adventist School), Sunday 3/22 (location TBA)
Lewis Home - 62139 Fruitdale Lane, La Grande, Adventist School - 2702 Adams Ave., La Grande, EOU Hoke 339 - 3rd Floor, Hoke Union Building on EOU Campus
 
La Grande English Country Ball
Our Lady of the Valley Parish Hall
1002 L Avenue, La Grande, Oregon
Ball entrance at corner of 5th Street and K Avenue
Saturday, March 28
Dance Review Session 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm (doors open at 12:45 pm)
La Grande English Country Ball 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm)
Sunday, March 29
Post-ball Gathering (light snacks) 10:00 am - 12:30 pm
Lewis Residence, 62139 Fruitdale Lane, La Grande, OR

Ball Program

(in alphabetical order)
All dance instructions available to registered ball participants.
Anna Maria; 1695; pub. Playford, interpreted by Frank Van Cleef; link to video
Barbarini's Tambourine; 1747; pub. Walsh, interpreted by Jacqueline Schwab; link to video
The Busie Body; 1710; pub. Essex, interpreted by Philippe CallensNo video available.
The Fine Companion; 1651; pub. Playford, interpreted by Cecil Sharp; link to video
Fourpence Half-Penny Farthing (or The Jockey); 1709; pub. Playford, interpreted by Cecil Sharp; link to video
Gotham Jubilee; 2006; Loretta Holz; link to video
Highland Farewell; 2013; Pat Petersen; link to video
Jacque Latin; 1755; pub. Willsim, interpreted by Chip Hendrickson; link to video
Leah's Waltz; 1995; Fried de Metz Herman; link to video
Orange Nan; 1712; pub. Walsh, interpreted by Andrew Shaw; link to video
Sadler's Wells; 1726; pub. Playford, interpreted by Bernard Bentley; link to video
The Two Cousins; 1993; Wil van den BergNo video available.
Which Way is Forward and Who is My Partner?; 2019; Dianne LewisNo video available.
Yellow Stockings; 1726; pub. Neal, interpreted by George Fogg and Rich Jackson; link to video


Bonus Dance - extra credit, significanly more challenging than the remainder of the ball dances and to be done at the very end of the evening.

The Best of Company; 2012; Jenna SimpsonNo video available.   *Optional Bonus Dance

Class Resources

    Common English Country Dance Terms (PDF)

    Common English Country Dance Figures (PDF)

Contact Us

For information on class registation and facilities: Art Center East
  Phone: 541-624-2800
  Email: info@artcentereast.org

For information on English Country Dancing and class/ball content: Mark Lewis
  Phone: 541-962-9355
  Text: 541-805-1308
  Email: info@neofs.us

La Grande English Country Class and Ball Co-sponsored by Traditional-Live! and Art Center East.

What is English Country Dance Class (ECD)?

Originating in traditional village dances of Elizabethan (and earlier) England, English Country Dance has had an astonishing arc of development through the last nearly 500 years.  It’s been the favored entertainment of the royal courts of Europe, an essential social grace of a developing middle class, spread widely throughout the world and influenced folk traditions in locations as disparate as Russia and the Caribbean islands.  After virtually dying out in the 1800's, it was rediscovered in the last century and has attracted a thriving community of musicians and dancers who are adding to the tradition with new compositions of music and dance.

What is it's attraction? 
For many, it's the music - from hauntingly beautiful tunes that can make the heart swell to lively folk melodies that make your feet want to fly.  This gives the music tremendous variety; sometimes sweet and melodic, sometimes melancholy, but also sometimes driven with a pulsating beat.  Each dance has its own tune, many originally taken from old ballads and classical music sources, but now often composed specifically for that dance.  ECD is also...

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