August–October 2006 Volume 26, Issue 3
News www.tifd.org
Inside this Issue: A Few Photography Hints for Folk Dancers by M. Alan Jenkins Photography Hints for Folk Dancers 1 Multi-volume encyclopedias have been written on photography, From the Editor 2 so I must limit myself to just a few hints on how to best capture Deadlines and Schedules 2 images of folk dancing, or else bore you to dust. Lest you think TIFD Board of Directors 3 I’m an expert, I assure you that I approach the subject from the TIFD Board Meeting 3 basis of having made zillions of expensive photographic errors; so I’ll use this opportunity to warn you what mistakes are most Texas Camp is coming! 3 commonly made, having already blazed that trail for you. TIFD Special Survey 3 I’ll assume you’ll be using some of your photos for News from Local Groups 4 publication in newsletters, or just to enjoy or share with others. Travels 5 In Tulsa our faithful TIFD Historian, Mary Lou Walker, has used Firecracker Pie 5 members’ photos for a scrapbook record of our club since its inception in 1969. Some of the scrapbook photos of me dancing Boombox Review 6 are useful for pointing out no-no’s to beginners. Right here I Song Lyrics: Lalica (Bulgaria) 6 should state that if you take an uncomplimentary shot of a fellow Featured Website 6 dancer, or that person considers the photo uncomplimentary, common Artist’s Corner: Where To Now? 7 courtesy dictates that it shouldn’t be kept, despite any extortion value it might have. Safety Tip 7 My major recommendation is to use an auto-focus, auto- Calendar 8 exposure digital camera. There’s nothing to equal the instant feedback, and gratifi cation, of having your photo results instantly available to tweak, improve, or outright delete. Avoiding the cost and time in developing fi lm appeals to my stingy side. Additionally, the high capacity and ability to edit the results on a computer are also valuable features of digital cameras. You can change the ISO speed of your camera without changing fi lm, you can take photos in black and white (which is Clarifi cation of Folk Dance Festival often better for publishing in newsletters), you can crop (trim) Awards reported in May issue: out extraneous backgrounds, such as former spouses, and you Yves Moreau received the National can eliminate red-eye (even hangover induced) after the fact. Dance Award and John Ramage The automatic programs modes, such as portraits, and autofocus received the Texas Dance Award at features of most digitals leave you free to make other errors. My the 48th Annual San Antonio College photography and enthusiasm have been reinvigorated by my Folk Dance Festival. In addition, Dr. digital camera. Janice Mendelson, the founder of the The most common phototaking error: Failure to get close International Folk Culture Center, enough to the subject. Because most folk dancing is done indoors, received the Texas Folklore Award for the ambient light is often insuffi cient to illuminate moving her support and contributions to the dancers so that they aren’t blurred (however, some blurring of preservation and promotion of folk moving dancers to suggest motion can be a nice artistic touch). dance in Texas. If you’re like me, you sometimes feel you’re intruding when submitted by Doug Hall you point a camera at a dancer to get a detailed close-up. A telephoto lens or focal length to get in closer doesn’t help much continued on page 3 Page 2 August-October 2006 TIFD News From the Editor Deadline for the next Does Dancing Make You Smarter? issue of TIFD News is When I was growing up in the 1950’s and 60’s, it seemed the October 18 world was divided into smart kids and dumb kids. But in 1985, Effective immediately, the TIFD educational psychologist Howard Gardner announced a new model Quarterly Newsletter will be of intelligence: he said there were not two (smart and dumb), but printed on the first of the month, seven separate intelligences. This model is subject to argument, but in February, May, August, and it makes more sense than what we had before. November; the eLetter will How many of Gardner’s 7 intelligences can you tie to your be printed on the first of the dance experiences? (descriptions severely abbreviated!): remaining months. Uncertain who to send your news to? • Linguistic intelligence: sensitivity to spoken and written Send to Sally and Ann, both at language; ability to learn languages; capacity to use language [email protected], and we will sort it to express oneself; and more. out from there. • Logical-Mathematical intelligence: capacity to analyze TIFD News is published four problems logically, carry out mathematical operations, detect times a year for the members patterns, and reason deductively. of Texas International Folk Dancers, a non-profit educational • Musical intelligence: performance, composition, and organization. Submissions for appreciation of musical patterns. publication are welcome, yet subject to editing. All opinions • Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence: using one’s body (whole or expressed are those of the author part) to solve problems; using mental abilities to coordinate exclusively. Material herein may bodily movements. be reproduced with the editor’s permission. • Spatial intelligence: recognition and use of patterns of spaces large and small. CALENDAR LISTINGS: Send email to [email protected] and • Interpersonal intelligence: understanding the intentions, [email protected]. motivations, and desires of other people, allowing people to work effectively with others. ADDRESS CHANGES: For newsletter mailing list or TIFD • Intrapersonal intelligence: understanding oneself, Member Directory, contact TIFD, appreciating one’s feelings, fears, and motivations. PO Box 4516, Austin, TX 78765, Attention: Chuck Roth, 512-453- Did you count all 7 as part of your dance life? You should have! 8936, [email protected]. The idea for this article came from an instructional dance video by Sanna Longden, http://folkstyle.com/ SOUTHWEST FOLK DANCE More about Howard Gardner’s model is at DIRECTORY: Send additions http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm and corrections to Leslie Gompf, [email protected]. Yours for a well-rounded brain, Sally Jenkins GENERAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Email [email protected] or mail to TIFD News, PO Box 4516, Austin, TX 78765 Volume 26, Issue 2 Page 3 TIFD Board of Directors
Chris Broad, President 713-791-1088 [email protected] Rowena Young, Vice President 713-806-3785 [email protected] Lisa Horn, Secretary 713-208-1491 [email protected] Rhonda Beckman 972-716-0716 [email protected] Jane Lorenzen 972-509-0094 [email protected] Bob Madrulli 512-323-2797 [email protected] Chuck Roth 512-453-8936 [email protected] Tom Miller 405-359-0443 [email protected] Misi Tsurikov 512-372-9193 [email protected]
TIFD Treasurer: Georgia Horn 281-242-0598 [email protected] Texas Camp Chair: Jo Soto 512-836-7974 [email protected] TIFD News Editor: Sally Jenkins 918-335-5908 [email protected]
TIFD Board Meeting Photography Hints for Folk Dancers continued from page 1 The next TIFD Board meeting will take place on because either one usually requires more light, Saturday afternoon, August 26, 2006 (note change not less; a flash could be used, but it disturbs some of date) in the Dallas area. TIFD members should dancers. My recommendation is use a high ISO notify Chris Broad ([email protected])if they (800-1600) setting or film, to frame the picture as you want to attend or if they have an issue they would would want it, then cut the camera-to-subject distance like the Board to consider. in half. Mis-framing would be my second most common Texas Camp is coming! photo error. There’s no need to have the details of the ceiling tiles in your photo, or to include the whole room when only a portion of it is being used November is fast approaching, and with it comes by the dancers. Texas Camp! Check your mailbox for your A few other tips I don’t have space to registration form in early September; registration discuss in detail: information will also be available on the TIFD · The delay caused by the red-eye prevention light website at that time. doesn’t let you pick the best moment to snap the Texas Camp 2006 features Lee Otterholt shutter, it’s better to not use it, IF you can teaching Balkan and Richard Powers teaching remove red-eye with your digital software. Vintage American, plus singing teaching by Joane · Lines of dancers look best if you can trim the Rylander and performances from the Homegrown empty space above and below the line. Contra Band and Texas Camp Band. The camp · Beware the Frumious Bandersnatch, aka chef is Laura LaGue. “backlighting.” · Shoot children (photographically speaking), TIFD Special Survey audiences, food, decorations, and other non- dancers to remind you of the other joys of folk A report of the Special Survey that was sent out dancing. last January has been posted to the TIFD website · Include yourself in your photos. (Sally made
Travels Spread filling over cooled crust.
Nick Bratkovich and Jimmy Drury attended Arrange in rings around the edge: Door County Festival in Wisconsin. Jimmy was 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced standing in for Nelda Drury, as Nelda had ½ pint fresh blueberries injured her shoulder, so he presented her part of Make some designs in the center that look like the program. Nick of course played accordion. fireworks/starbursts, using more berries. Jimmy left for Bulgaria at the end of July. Alan and Sally Jenkins went folk Melt in a small saucepan over low heat: dancing in Salt Lake City, UT and Boulder, CO, 1 small jar good apricot or red-currant and attended “traditional dances” (barn dance/ preserves contra dance/and more) in Littleton, CO and Strain out fruit pieces. Return glaze to Westminster, CO. saucepan, and add 1-2 T. kirsch or other fruit Chuck Roth called the Denver contra liqueur (or vanilla extract) dance on July 7. (The Jenkinses missed him by a week!) Heat until it begins to thicken. Brush over fruit, Joan Furstenberg went to Minneapolis reheating if it begins to gel. MN the last weekend of July for a work training session, but also to see former HIFD Ka-Pow! And Guten Appetit! member Susan Knutson and her family. Jim Boockholdt just returned from Germany and Greece, where he was ensconced for several weeks. Page 6 August-October 2006 TIFD News Boombox Review Song Lyrics: Lalica (Bulgaria) by Carol Barry Lyrics and translation provided by If you are looking for a good quality boombox Maya Batinkova of Oklahoma City, OK with lots of desirable features for dance teaching or performing I have a recommendation for Naučila se Lalica, Lale, Lale, you. Over the years, I’ve used several typical Kâsno v gorata da hodi, pile, Lale boomboxes—able to play CD’s and tapes, dub Kâsno v gorata da hodi, Lale, Lale from tape to tape or CD to tape, a bit bulky for Večerni bilki da bere, pile, Lale toting around—in other words, sort of adequate. If you need more features than that, I recommend Večerni bilki da bere, Lale, Lale the CALIFONE Performer Plus 2455AV-02 Večerni ta pa razdelni, Lale, Lale Boombox. In addition to CD and tape playback Večerni ta pa razdelni, Lale, Lale and dubbing, features included that have been Ta da razdeli Nikola, Lale, Lale most useful to me are: Ta da razdeli Nikola, Lale, Lale • Ability to slow down or speed up either Ot pusta gjuzel Marijka, pile, Lale a CD or Tape with minimal loss of quality Vâv gorata pile pee, Lale, Lale – a feature I use frequently during teaching Pile pee i govori, Lale, Lale • A Mic jack so you can plug in a microphone and play it directly through Idi si, Lale, vârni sa, Lale, Lale the boombox instead of carrying additional Če svatba sviri vâv selo, pile, Lale equipment Nikola prašta svatove, Lale, Lale • Ability to program tracks to play in the U vazi, Lale, za tebe, pile, Lale order that meets your needs • The volume provided has been satisfactory Lalica has learned, Lale, Lale for all my uses so far but if you need more To go in the woods late at night, bird, Lale volume, extension speaker jacks are Late herbs to collect, bird, Lale provided. Califone sells “Blaster Buddies” Late herbs that divide people, Lale, Lale extension speakers or you can use other speakers. So she can divide Nikola, Lale, Lale • The boombox weighs a pound less than my From pretty Mariika, Lale, Lale previous equipment and is 2-3” smaller in In the woods a bird is singing, Lale, Lale width and height – quite compact. A bird is singing and saying, Lale, Lale • A remote is included. “Go back home (turn around), Lale, The CALIFONE is designed for teachers. It get back home, Lale, Lale was recommended to me by a dance teacher and So you can hear the wedding music right after I purchased it, I noticed 2 other dance in the village, bird, Lale teachers using the same model. Nikola is sending people that ask I purchased it online. Shop around – when for the bride, Lale, Lale I was shopping, the price varied from one website At your home to ask for you, bird, Lale” to another. Froogle.com came up with prices from $200-$300. Featured Website
www.evansvillefolkdancers.com/index.html Information on countries our dances originate in, along with their flags, maps, and other pictures; lyrics, music, and notes to many dozens of dances. Humorous glossary. Dance quotes at the bottom of most pages. Editor’s pick: “If you’re not dancing, you’re wasting your feet!” Volume 26, Issue 2 Page 7 Artist’s Corner: Where To Now? Folk to record the CD. Music from Many European Lands Kruno Spisic sings and plays brac (another stringed instrument), Where to now? is a question often posed, and one and Vjekoslav Dimter very relevant to Shirley Johnson, TIFD member plays rhythm on several and musician/singer. Last year Shirley recorded songs. Both men are her 2nd CD, Where to Now? Folk Music from Many natives of Croatia. On European Lands, an eclectic compilation of fourteen both recording trips to songs from ten European countries. Not only does Philadelphia, Shirley Where to Now? refer to the next song’s place of stayed with her brother origin, but is also a question that refers to Shirley’s and sister-in-law, but she folk music career. also was able to visit her The CD also reflects Shirley’s Croatian- parents in Pittsburgh, American heritage. She grew up in Pittsburgh, PA attend a Jr. Tamburitza concert, perform with playing the prim (a stringed instrument similar Melinda Hunt at Zlatne Uste’s Golden Fest in NYC, to a mandolin), singing and dancing Yugoslavian and attend a godchild’s wedding. folk music in various Junior Tamburitza groups. At present, Shirley performs every weekend. Shirley’s grandmother used to sing “Kude Ovo She strolls at Treehouse Italian Grill and the Žarko Sunce Sja.” Other songs on the new CD European Bistro. She also plays occasionally at It’s Shirley learned at East European Folklife Center a Grind Coffeehouse and Ararat Middle Eastern camps. At EEFC camps she also met some of the Restaurant, as well as for private parties and other musicians who accompany her on the CD: festivals. In July she performed for the Sunday Kruno Spisic, Kalman Magyar, Matt Moran, and party at Village IFD’s Israeli Workshop. This past Melinda Hunt. March she presented a workshop on the basics of In 1979 Shirley learned “Tota Hel’pa” Balkan accordion music, and she will present it (“Horehronsky Czardas”) when she accompanied again this September in Wilmington, Delaware. the Pittsburgh Area Slovaks during their performances at festivals in Detva and Senec in To purchase Where to Now? Folk Music from Czechoslovakia. Many European Lands visit Shirley’s website, www. In 1995, while living in North Carolina, she Vjeverica.com or cdbaby.com/cd/shirleyjohnson, recorded her first CD (Blood Red Rose, Transcending which has sound clips of many of the songs. The Boundaries: Songs of the Heart from Bosnia, Croatia, CD is also available at Borders (Arboretum area) and Serbia) and gave birth to her second child. and Waterloo Records in Austin. Of course, you Shirley was an active member of the Chapel Hill can get one wherever Shirley performs. International Folk Dance Club. She also directed the women’s folk group “Djevojke” and played Safety Tip with other folk dance bands. One year later she moved to Austin, Texas. Wear flat or low shoes. For several years after moving to Austin she was involved in her family and young children’s activities and did not have much time to pursue her musical interest. She occasionally attended AIFD and Texas Camp, especially when there was an opportunity to play with other musicians for live music events. In 2003 she co-chaired Texas Camp with Donna Ellis and Holly Plotner, and directed the camp band. “Korobushka,” one of the songs on her CD, is a favorite at Texas Camp. Before arriving in Austin, Shirley knew two verses of song. Misi Tsurikov persuaded her to learn all the lyrics. Shirley returned to Pennsylvania twice Please leave your stilts at home. Page 8 August-October 2006 TIFD News Calendar August 12 - September 4 Mainewoods Dance January 30, 2007 in Lufkin, TX & January 31, Camp. Four weekly sessions of international folk 2007 in Houston, TX performance by Hungarian dancing. Info: www.mainewoodsdancecamp.org or State Folk Ensemble. Troupe info at http://www. email [email protected] ticket.info/hu/folklor/hungarian%20_state_folk/ hungarian_state.htm; details on local performances August 24-27 balkanalia! At Camp Angelos, OR. in next issue of this newsletter. www.balkanalia.org March 9-11, 2007 San Antonio Folk Dance Festival. August 26-September 2 Pinewoods American Daniela Ivanova and Angel Nazlamov, Daniel Dance & Music Week & Contra Dance Callers Course. Sandu, George Fogg, Anthony Shay. For more [email protected] for info. information, contact Nelda Drury, (210) 342-2905 [email protected]. http://safdf.org September 1-3 Westfest at the West, TX, Fairgrounds. Six polka bands on Saturday and April 28, 2007 The 49th Annual San Antonio six on Sunday. Cultural entertainment both days College Folk Dance Festival. The workshops, hosted including the Csardas Hungarian Dancers. Info and by the San Antonio Dance Umbrella, will focus schedule: www.westfest.com on the dances and folklore of Spain. More details next issue; for more information contact Doug September 9 Swamp Stomp, Houston Area Hall, Festival Director, at [email protected], Traditional Dance Society. Double dance and pot- George Ann Simpson, Faculty Representative luck dinner. www.hatds.org/html_pages_special_ at [email protected] , or Suzanne Dunmire, events/swampstomp.html Workshop Coordinator, at [email protected].
September 21-24 Detroit Tamburitza Extravaganza Other Dance Events The International Dance 2006. www.dtaax.com Council (CID) is the official umbrella organization for all forms of dance in all countries of the world. October 6-8 Autumn Leaves, Nashville, TN. Lee It is a non-profit non-governmental organization Otterholt. www.nifddance.com/index.htm founded in 1973 within the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. It is a worldwide forum bringing together October 14-27 Jim Gold Folk Tour to Greece & international, national and local organizations Greek Islands. www.jimgold.com as well as select individuals active in dance. It represents the art of dance in general and advises October 20-22 OKCIFD’s Old Country Weekend, the UNESCO, national and local government Cross Point Camp on Lake Texoma. Joe Graziosi agencies, international organizations and will be teaching Greek dances, and fliers will be institutions. Find festivals, competitions, teachers, distributed soon.The cost is $100. www.onenet. job openings, conferences, and more, all in the net/~home/okcifd/okcifd.htm world of dance, listed at www.cid-unesco.org
October 27-29 Fire Ant Frolic. Austin Contra Dancers annual event of contra dancing featuring Sue Rosen and Rick Mohr with the bands Crowfoot and Phantom Power. Go to www.fireantfrolic.com for more information.
November 10-12 Jim Gold Woodstock Weekend. www.jimgold.com
November 23-26 Texas Camp, Greene Family Camp, Bruceville, TX. Lee Otterholt, Balkan; Richard Powers, Vintage; Joane Rylander, singing. Info at www.tifd.org.