Irish Dance and Lore of Folk & Square Dancing • March 1955
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m& THE MAGAZINE OF FOLK & SQUARE DA• ANCINN G I J IMARCH • \955 • 25c IRISH DANCE AND LORE OF FOLK & SQUARE DANCING • MARCH 1955 Vol. 12 Official Publication of The Folk Dance Federation of PAGE TABLE OF CONTENTS Calif., Inc. PAGE TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Calendar of Events 10 San Francisco Festival 3 President's Message Program CHARLES E. ALEXANDER 3 Host Cities 12 Tell It to Danny 4 Irish Dance and Song 12 Fresnotes 6 The Lepruchans I 3 Siamsa Beirte ANNE ALEXANDER 6 Why Folk Dance of Ireland 14 Beginners' Party are Different—and Difficult 15 The Record Finder AM? The Mr. and Mrs. of Irish 16 In Other States HILDA SACHS Dancing 16 Let's Dance Squares 17 The Promenade The Tara Brooch I 8 Report from Southern REN BACULO Recipes of the Month California Statewide Festival 19 Sacramento Area They'll Do It Every Time I 9 Puget Soundings PEG ALLMOND HENRY L. BLOOM ROBERT H. CHEVALIER PHIL EN6 ED FERRARiO LEE KENNEDY MIRIAM LiDSTER DANNY MCDONALD ELMA McFARLAND PAUL PRITCHARD CARMEN SCHWEERS MARY SPRING DOROTHY TAMBURIN1 President, North-Wm. F. Sorensen, 94 Cas- tro St., San Francisco, UNderhill 1-5402. Recording Secretary, North— Bea Whittier, LEE KENNEDY, 146 Dolores Street, San Francisco 3435 T Street, Sacramento, Calif. President, South-Minne Anstine, 242T/2 ELMA McFARLAND, I 77'A N. Hil! Aye., Pasadena 4 Castillo, Santa Barbara, Calif. Recording Secretary, South— Dorothy Lauters, Toro Canyon road, Federation Festivals Hosts: Silverado Folk Dancers. Carpinteria, Calif. APRIL 23, SATURDAY N1SHT. Westwood Town Auditorium MARCH 12, SATURDAY 8 p.m.-12 .midnight. 4th and Birch streets Municipal Auditorium Hosts: Jacks-N-Jills. Publica.'ion & General Office—Folk Dance Long Beach Federation of California, Tilden Sales Dancing: 8 p.m. to 12 mid. Host: Long Beach Folk Dance Co-op. Building, Room 52], 420 Market Street, APRIL 26, TUESDAY 8-1 I p.m. Long Beach San Francisco: SUtter 1-8334. Margaret Chairman: Oliver Seely. Silverado Park Clubhouse Moore, Secretary. MARCH 20, SUNDAY. San Francisco Hosts: Silverado Folk Dancers. Advertising, Circulation, Subscriptions- State Armory Federation Office above. 14th and Mission streets MAY I, SUNDAY. Placerville Editorial—1504 Highway Road, Burlingame, Chairman: Harlan Beard. Placerville High School California. Diamond 3-6871. Council Meeting: 12:30 p.m. Dancing 1:30- Hosts: Hangtown Twirlers and Junior Hang- Business Manager—Ren Baculo, 630 Valle town Twirlers. Vista, Vallejo, Calif. 5:30 and 7:30-10:30 p.m. APRIL 17, SUNDAY. Pleasanton Dancing: 1:30 to 6 p.m. Amador High School Circulation— Trudi Sorensen, 94 Castro St., Hosts: Kolonial Kut-Ups. San Francisco 14, Calif. Chairman: W. W. McFadyen. Special Events Sam Smoot, Petaluma Council Meeting: 12:30 p.m. Afternoon Clarice and Clarence Carlson, Martinez Bess Redd, Sacramento dancing only 1:30-6:30 p.m. SUNDAY, MARCH 27 1:30-5 p.m. Daphne Upton, Southern California APRIL 24, SUNDAY 1:30-5 p.m. Culver City Institute: Dances from Idyllwild Folk Dance Vi Brawley, Fresno Hosts: Westwood Folk Dance Co-op. Workshop. Frances Williams, Merced Council Meeting: I I a.m. James Berry & Gene Fuller, Peninsula MARCH 26, SATURDAY 8:30 p.m. MAY 15, SUNDAY Santa Rosa Pearl Preston, San Francisco Philharmonic Auditorium Veterans' Memorial Auditorium Los Angeles Council Meeting: 12:30 p.m. Eightri Annual International Folk Dance Dancing: 1:30-5:30 and 7:30-10:30 p.m. Festival. LET'S DANCE is published monthly by the 20 ethnic groups, chorus and narration. Folk Dance Federation of California, Regional Festivals Subscription price: $2.50 per year. For- eign, $3.25 per year, Entered as Second Class Matter at the MARCH 19, SATURDAY NIGHT. Carmel State Wide Festival Post Office at San Francisco, California, Carmel High School under Act of March 3, 1879. Hosts: Monterey Bay Area Council. MAY 27-30. Sacramento Cover and Contents Copyrighted 1955 by the Folk Dance Federation of Califor- MARCH 29, TUESDAY 8-1 I p.m. Long Beach Governor's Hall nia, Inc. Silverado Park Clubhouse General Chairman: John Moore. A MESSAGE FROM THE FEDERATION PRES/DENT ARE BOTH promising and peri- prominent members more intent on being for teaching and reviewing the dances I lous times for the folk dance move- big for the sake of bigness than on being that have proved their stability by con- ment in our area. Many have a feeling of service and considering our future. I . sistent appearance on festival programs that folk dancing is at some critical turn- am convinced that with enthusiasm, co- for many years. This confusion can be ing point and as president of the Federa- operation and unity we can make the alleviated and the cause of unity strength- tion I consider it my obligation to develop present crossroads a turning point for the ened by a program of first teaching the the opportunities and minimize the perils better. folk dances compiled by the Federation which face us. I believe that the varied international in volumes for that purpose. I think that The only way I can accomplish this is •program offered here in California is sec- 12 new dances a year should make the by providing leadership that deserves and ond to none in the world. However, the "eager beavers" happy, and surely the receives full support of the membership. present trend in some quarters of intro- rank and file of our members cannot be Progress will be obstructed if constructive ducing more and more new dances is ideas and actions draw criticism from causing confusion. It leaves little room Continued on Page 14 San Francisco Your Host Long Beach City by Golden Gate Puts Out Southern City to Host Spring Welcome Mat for March 20 Cities Festival March 12 T'S TIME AGAIN for San Francisco's folk dancers to put out HE LONG BEACH FOLK DANCE CO-OP will be host at the I their welcome mat and say "Hi, come on to our Festival." T Federation Early Spring Folk Dance Festival in Long The Federation Folk Dance Festival will be held Sunday, Beach Municipal Auditorium on Sat. night, March 12. March 20, at the National Guard Armory, 14th and Mission Beginning at 6 p.m. with a Federation council meeting, the streets, with dancing from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. and from 7:30 to evening will continue with dancing from 7:30 until midnight, 10:30 pan. to be interrupted only by several exhibitions by favorite dance groups. Reams have been written on San Francisco's charms. From Since the turn of the century Long Beach has been known Bret Harte to Herb Caen and Stanton Delaplane, men have tried for its leisurely, happy living. Since World War II, the city to capture the city's moods on paper. San Francisco is a tour- has seen phenomenal growth until it is no longer the seaside ist's paradise with many facets to its personality and make up. resort of yesterday, but now is a thriving metropolis. One would hardly call it a quaint city, yet there is a delightful Since the first producing well in 1921, oil has played an im- quaintness about the cable cars, the narrow, crowded streets of portant role in the city's development. Black gold is being pro- Chinatown, the colorful homes on Telegraph Hill. There's a duced by the millions of gallons, and the city's treasury is sophistication too, in the streamlined stores and sleek sky- strongly supported by oil reserves. scrapers. And there is cultural leadership in the many schools The aircraft industry also has done much to make the city's and colleges, the churches of many faiths, and the libraries, mu- Continued on Page 14 seums and concert halls. And San Francisco has its whims in weather. It will pick up a brisk breeze one day, then bask in the sunshine the next. And then the city will pull in fog so thick one can almost taste it. Cover for San Francisco is world-famous for its restaurants and hotels, its colorful parks and sea-scented fisherman's wharf. March As host to the Festival, the San Francisco Folk Dance Council is working hard for the folk dancers' pleasure. Balanced after- March is the month of the noon and evening programs of dancing have been planned and Irish so LET'S DANCE puts on a leading exhibition groups will perform. An innovation in square green face for a change and Art Director Hilda Sachs creates dance calling will be presented by Randy Randolph, square a Shamrock, a pair of dancing dance chairman, to keep the squares moving at a faster pace. Colleens and a bit of an Irish air. San Francisco will present in all 16 of its local callers. —Bill Powers. MARCH, 1955 Irish Dance and Song A Story of Surufual MCCARTHY HcDONOUGH The crests . Cherished steps and tunes, other valuables. The shortest declaration of war in history is said to have been used on one of preserved for centuries, these occasions. O'Neill sent a message to his neighbor O'Donnell, It said "Leave my territory— come to the New World or". O'Donnell sent back a message: "I will not leave your territory-—-and if—•". After the chief, the most important person By SEAN AND in the kingdom was the Ollav or judge, who in- terpreted the law. After him came the bard, or UNA O'FARRELL poet and musician. In peace time he acted as chronicler of ail events in the land and he re- counted them to the court in long epic poems to the accompanient of the harp.