FolkMADS sponsors Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos contra dances, concerts, camps, and other special events. "Contra" dances include contras, squares, mixers, and couple dances. Unless noted on the calendar otherwise, admission is $5 for members, $6 for nonmembers. You need not come with a partner. Free instruction for beginners starts at 7:30 p.m. Dances begin at 8 p.m. and are smoke-free and alcohol-free. Children and teens are encouraged to participate if supervised by an adult.

Albuquerque Dances 1st and 3rd Saturdays. Location as noted on calendar.

Santa Fe Dances 2nd and 4th Saturday contra dances and 5th Saturday English Country dances. Odd Fellows Hall, 1125 Cerrillos Road (south of Cordova Drive on the western side of Cerrillos).

Taos Dances 3rd Saturdays, Holy Trinity Parish Hall, Arroyo Seco.

Megaband Practices All musicians welcome.

ABQ Megaband Albuquerque Megaband practice is held at the Blue Dragon Coffee House, 1517 Girard NE,Albuquerque, the Tuesday before the 3rd Saturday dance. Bruce Thomson, 268-6003, or email Jane Phillips jphill@NOSPAMunm.edu (remove "NOSPAM" when emailing) for more info or to be added to the listserv.

Acoustic Jam 7 p.m. before the Albuquerque dances. All acoustic musicians are welcome and all types of music are played. Call Jay Cutts for more information, 281-0684.

2005 Officers/Directors

Ongoing Events

Second Sunday Series Keeps on Dancing
by Merri Rudd

Note changes in time and place

Albuquerque's Second Sunday dance has a new name, a new sponsor, new organizers, and a new location. The new name is Second Sunday Elegant English and Zesty Contra Dance. The new sponsor is FolkMADS. The new organizers are Noralyn Parsons and Merri Rudd.

The January and February dances will be held at the Lloyd Shaw Dance Center, 5506 Coal SE (2 blocks south of Central, 1.5 blocks east of San Mateo). The time is one half hour different, starting promptly at 7:30 p.m. and ending at 10:00 p.m. On January 9th Merri and Noralyn will be calling to the fine tunes of Hey! . On February 13th Donna Howell will be calling to the tunes of the original Homemade Jam (Robin and Della). We may explore a different venue after that.

Based on the responses to the surveys about whether to continue the series and our desire to increase participation, we have decided to drop the "experienced" requirement. We invite all dancers to attend the Second Sunday dances. Be aware that heys and contra corners will be included and that we can all learn to dance more gracefully and skillfully if we help each other.

Most of those surveyed like the English and contra dance mix, and this year we may throw in a few fun squares too.

Our goals for 2005 are:

FTo have fun;

F To build attendance;

F To dance beautifully.

To increase attendance, we are starting a Second Sunday "frequent dancer card." Pay for four admissions and get in the fifth dance for free. Also, people who attend the Second Sunday dance for the first time ever get in half-price at the next month's dance.

To help cover our costs, the price of admission will rise $1 to $6 for members, and $7 for nonmembers. Expect quick walk-throughs and high energy dances for your extra dollar!

Thanks go to all of you who responded to the survey about whether to continue the series. Thanks also go to the FolkMADS Board, who agreed to sponsor the dance after William and Gemma DeRagon's twelve years of excellent sponsorship. The biggest thanks go to William and Gemma, who gave so much time and energy to bring their dance vision to life.

Medleys. When playing for dances or performances it's common for bands to string tunes together in a medley.  While on-stage with the MegaBand we often have a tendency to just pick a couple of tunes in the same key, there really should be more to a good medley.  Here are two criteria I try to use.  First, if you're playing for dancers pick tunes that work well at the tempo of the dance.  If it's a square dance, callers usually want faster tunes, but they sometimes don't have to be limited to 32 measures.  If it's a flowing contra dance, perhaps a slower, prettier, and notier set of tunes might work.  My second criteria is that I try to pick tunes that are dramatically different.  If you're not constrained by key (i.e. you don't have a banjo player wanging away), change keys.  I think that stepping up one key (going from a G tune to an A tune) turbocharges a dance.  Switching from a minor to major key is also pretty effective.  Sometimes the banjo player will allow you to switch keys to the 5 chord.  For instance start off in C then switch to G.  But they're generally a pretty cantankerous lot and have a heavy blunt weapon at hand, so you don't want to piss 'em off too much.  Similar effects (i.e. kicking a dance into high gear while irritating the banjoists) can be obtained by switching from a jig (6/8 time with 6 eighth notes per measure) to a reel (4/4 or cut time with 8 eighth notes per measure).  A third musical strategy that isn't used much by the old-time music crowd but is used a lot by the good Celtic bands is to change the instrumentation each time you switch tunes. For example, the first tune might be played sparingly by just the guitar and mandolin, the second tune played by the fiddle and banjo, then the whole band jumps in for the last tune.  This has a layering effect that is pretty powerful.

Above all, don't fall to the temptation of playing tunes back-to-back that are too similar.  The dancers won't notice, but even worse, the band is liable to fall back into the original tune.  Wes Muir's Tune, brought to the Megaband by Marj Mullany, is a pretty bouncy C tune, but starts off with nearly identical notes & phrasing as Captain George.  They would make a pretty lousy medley.

ABC Notation

X:39

T:Wes Muir's Tune

R:Reel

M:4/4

L:1/8

N:Transcribed by Bruce Thomson from the

N:playing of Marj Mullany

K:C

z2E2F2^F2|:"C"G2e2e3d|eged cBAB|c2cB AGEG|cdcB AGE2|

"G"D2d2d3^c|dedc BGAB|"C"c2cB AGE2|[1C2E2F2^F2:|[2C2c2d2e2||

|:"F"[f3c3][fc][f2c2]|[f4c4]fgag|"C"e2c2G2c2|e2ef gfe2|"G"d2B2G2B2|

d^cde fed2|"C"[1cGAB cBcd|e2c2d2e2:|"C"[2c2cB AGE2|[C3E3][CE][C4E4]||

ANNOUNCING KLEZMERQUERQUE 2005:

A Southwestern celebration of Klezmer music and dance into the 21st century: a weekend of concerts, dance parties, and classes featuring the music and dance of the Eastern European Jewish People.

FEBRUARY 18th through FEBRUARY 20th, 2005 (President's day weekend).

Presented by Congregation Nahalat Shalom (Inheritance of Peace congregation) - a non-profit, tax-exempt organization in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

This year's featured performers/teachers:

MARGOT LEVERETT, world-renown virtuoso Klezmer clarinetist, saxophonist, and bandleader is one of the foremost of the new generation of klezmer clarinetists. Studied with the famed klezmer clarinetist Sid Beckerman and classically trained at Indiana University School of Music, Margot was involved in avant-garde music when she first heard klezmer, the dynamic East European music traditionally played at Jewish weddings. Leverett was a founding member of the Klezmatics in 1985 and Mikveh in 1999. She started her own band "Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys" in 2001. Her solo CD, "The Art of Klezmer Clarinet," was released in 2001 on the Traditional Crossroads label to glowing reviews. Margot tours around the world, performing and teaching traditional and original klezmer music at festivals and workshops. Because of her popularity at last year's event, we are excited to have Margot return to Klezmerquerque this year.

SULIM (SHULIM ZALTMAN), choreographer, dancing master, Born in 1938 in Belz, Moldova and now residing in Fulda, Germany. At the age of nine, Sulim Zaltman was a member of the "Folkstantz"- ensemble of Belz. At 17 he became the leader of the folklore dancing chorus "Bukuria," participating in countless festivals all over the former Soviet Union. Under Mr. Zaltman's leadership, the dancing chorus won many national and international competitions in the field of "Folklore Dancing". Specializing in Moldavian, Ukrainian, Russian, Rumanian, Bulgarian and Jewish dances, Sulim's mastery of Eastern-European folk dances is sought after throughout Europe and the former Soviet Union. He has taught at many festivals in Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Odessa and Chishinau. His many decorations, diplomas and medals show the quality of his artistic oeuvre; In 1977 Sulim and his ensemble won the first prize at the "Festival of Folk-Art of Nations". Before he emigrated to Germany in 1997 he spent many years as a choreographer and dancer at the Belz Jewish Theatre, directed by the famous writer Michael Felsenbaum. Since 1997, Sulim has been teaching Jewish folk dances in the Jewish community of Fulda, Germany and at various Jewish festivals throughout Germany. This is Sulim's first visit to the U.S., and he speaks Yiddish, Russian and German fluently. Please come to welcome and honor him &endash; and most of all &endash; to dance with him.

Schedule of Events:

Friday, February 18th, 6:30 pm:

Freylekhe Shabbes featuring a 'danced' Kabbalat Shabbat service followed by a potluck vegetarian dinner (7:00) and a short concert (7:30) by our featured guest artist Margot Leverett accompanied by ABQ's favorite Klezband The Rebbe's Orkestra, concert segues into dancing led by Sulim Zaltman & Nahalat Shalom's Yiddish dance troupe Rikud ($10.00- suggested donation).

Saturday, February 19th Events:

10-11am: Yiddish and Eastern European dance class with Sulim Zaltman ($18).

11:15am-12:15pm: Klezmer music class with Margot Leverett ($18).

12:30-1:30pm: Saturday afternoon lunch 'n lecture - presenter TBA ($5-10 donation).

2:00-3:30pm: Music class - Margot ($18) OR Dance class - Sulim ($18) choose one.

7:00pm: Concert/dance party with Margot Leverett accompanied by the 18-plus piece intergenerational Nahalat Shalom Community Klezmer Band and Saturday students. Dances lead by Sulim Zaltman, Rikud and student dancers ($10 &endash; or free for Saturday students).

Sunday, February 22nd, 12:00-1:30pm: Music class - Margot ($18) OR dance class - Sulim ($18).

Event price: $60 for 2 parties, lunch/presentation, & 4 classes payed BEFORE Friday eve. Feb. 20th.

Individual classes and events can be payed for at time of class/event.

Discounts for students, seniors, and fixed/low income &endash; inquire.

Lodging: Hotels and B&B's within 1/2 to 2miles - call/e-mail coordinator for info.

Close to Historic Old Town, museums and Rio Grande Nature Center and trails.

World-class ski areas: Santa Fe (1.5 hours); Taos, Angelfire & Red River (2.5-3.5 hours); Sandia Peak (40 mins. ABQ)

All events held at Nahalat Shalom, 3606 Rio Grande Blvd. NW (between Candelaria & Griegos), ABQ, NM 87107

Phone: (505) 343-8227, E-mail: nahalatshalom@NOSPAMearthlink.net  WEB: www.nahalatshalom.org --- Klick on "Klezmer"

Event coordinator: Beth Cohen, E-mail: cohenedmunds@NOSPAMnetzero.net, Ph: (505) 243-6276

BAYOU SECO FIDDLE WORKSHOP

Ken Keppeler and Jeanie McLerie will be hosting 2 fiddle workshops on the double fiddle styles of Louisiana (mostly Dennis McGee and Canray Fontenot), and of the Tohono O'odham (Elliott Johnson) of Arizona.

The first workshop will take place at 1 PM on Mar 5 at Chris and Christina Carlson's house in Albuquerque, 7405 Euclid Ave. NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87110. 505-232-2425.

The second workshop is on Mar 12 at 2:30 PM at the IOOF hall in Santa Fe.

The workshops will be 2 and 1/2 hours long and will include a packet of some tune transcriptions and a CD of the music as played by Ken and Jeanie and some of their mentors. Cost $25.00. Limit 12 persons. Mandolin and guitar players are welcome to attend, but the main thrust of the workshop is the fiddle. For reservations call 505-534-0298 or email bayouseco@NOSPAMaol.com

Bayou Seco - Ken Keppeler & Jeanie McLerie
Traditional Music of the Southwest and
Fine hand made violin family instruments
PO Box 1393
Silver City, NM 88062
(505)534-0298
www.cantos.org/bayouseco/