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, admission is $6 for members, $7 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 Saturday contra dances, 7:30-10.30 p.m., $6/$7. 2nd Sunday Elegant English and Zesty Contra Dance, 7:00-9:30 p.m., $6/$7. Locations as noted on calendar.

Santa Fe Dances: 2nd and 4th Saturday contra dances and some 5th Saturday English Country dances, 8:00-11:00 p.m. Odd Fellows Hall, 1125 Cerrillos Road (south of Cordova Drive on the western side of Cerrillos).

Taos Dances: 3rd Saturdays, call for details, 776-1580.

ABQ Megaband: Albuquerque Megaband practice is held at the Blue Dragon Coffee House, 1517 Girard NE, Albuquerque, the Tuesday before the 3rd Saturday dance. All acoustic musicians are welcome. Bruce Thomson, 268-6003, or email Jane Phillips for more info or to be added to the listserv.

Santa Fe Jam Sessions: Santa Fe Community Band practice at the ODD Fellows Hall on ODD (1^st and 3^rd) Wednesdays at 7 p.m. (contact Gary Papenhagen, 242-1104). Slow jam on the 2nd Thursday at 7 p.m. at Katherine Bueler & Gary Schiffmiller's house (995-1125). Beginning and experienced musicians all welcome!

Acoustic Jam: 6:30 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.

2006 Officers/Directors

Ongoing Events

Musician Appreciation by Dancers (MAD) Ideas for FolkMADS Dancers’ Consideration

by Merri Rudd

A very long time ago, a musician told me, "You are one of the few who think the musicians are important. You appreciate us."

"Important?!" I exclaimed, "It is because of you that dance is possible."

As a caller, I have spent a lot of time attending band practices and on stage, thinking about the role musicians have in driving the dance. The music energizes, inspires, and wallops the dancers’ senses, inciting movement, excitement and, with a little luck, magic.

In the early days of FolkMADS dances, the Megaband always provided the music. In 1990 the organization began to pay bands, but those fees don’t amount to much. The reason you see band members on the stage is because they love the music and playing for lively dancers. The best reward for a dance musician is seeing, hearing, and feeling the dancers' excitement, so don’t hold back.

Albuquerque and Santa Fe Megaband musicians have played for dances for more than 20 years free of charge. Their donation of services has allowed FolkMADS to save thousands of dollars to buy complete sound systems for both communities, host special events, and cover losses when some dances have low attendance. So, as dancers, how can we express our appreciation for the rowdy dance music so willingly provided by the bands? How about:

1. Clap enthusiastically after each tune. Seasoned bands deserve your praise; newer bands need your encouragement.
2. LOOK at the musicians on stage. When you progress to the top of the dance line and stand out for 32 seconds until you become active, take this opportunity to admire the musicians on stage. Note which instruments they’re playing. Without distracting them too much, smile or tap your foot or clog or do whatever else will show you appreciate their rhythms and tunes.
3. If a particular tune revs you up, whoop and shout from the dance floor. Bands love the synergy that comes from knowing their tune fit a particular dance so well that the dancers couldn’t help but holler.
4. Bring the musicians homemade treats to help fuel them throughout the evening (no sticky buns or other items that will mess up their strings or fingers). You try maintaining a consistent energy and strong dance tempo for 3 hours without refreshment; they need fuel just like other fine machines.
5. If refreshments are served at a dance, let the musicians have first dibs. They’ve earned the right to ‘eat first.’ Plus, they must be back on stage in just a few minutes.
6. If you see musicians milling about during the break, don’t be timid. Go up to them and thank them for their time and music. If you have especially enjoyed their tunes, let them know! Most musicians don’t bite and are flattered to hear from you.
7. Sometimes less-experienced or shy or quiet Megabanders find themselves in uncomfortable lead musician roles due to competing commitments of other musicians. They may be the only fiddler or guitarist for the first time in their lives with the great responsibility of leading the melody or rhythm for the entire dance. These musicians especially need you. If you observe a new musician face, a fearful face, or a face with visual cues that signal a need for help, give them extra support, encouragement, and appreciation at the end of each tune. (Do this for new dancers too!)
8. Whatever you do to express appreciation, do NOT rush onto the stage. We old-timers will always remember when a caller suggested someone might kiss the fiddler in the middle of a square dance and broke the fiddler’s bow in the process. Respect the musicians’ instruments and space.
9. Some bands have CDs; shell out the $15 to support these artists. Yes, they almost all have day jobs. But their music is a labor of love; they deserve your support.
10. At the end of the night, gather at the edge of the stage and clap prolongedly and fervently. Our dances are homemade fun and we should always remember how special that is. You'd surely thank your grandma for that great homemade pie; don't forget to thank your local musicians for those great homemade tunes! Remember, it is because of these musicians that dancing is possible.

Email me at abogada AT aol DOT com with other ideas about how to express appreciation for our musicians, and we’ll include them in a future issue. Thanks to Albuquerque musician Jane Phillips and Santa Fe musician Will McDonald for helping me with this article.
© 2006 Merri Rudd, All Rights Reserved

FIDDLE 'N' FEET from Bloomington Indiana perform and teach traditional music and dance from North America and the Celtic countries. Some folks would describe that as the music and dance of America's pioneers. But for us, it's so much more! Our music and songs range from Irish to Old Time to French Canadian. In performance, we showcase a variety of stepdance styles, from American clogging to English wooden shoe clogging to French Canadian reels and waltzes. While some of our material dates back to the 1800s, much of it is composed or choreographed in the last decade! Rhythm is an important component of our work, whether drumming with feet or with our hands against our bodies. Most of all, we find joy in musical expression and strive to give relevance to these traditions in today's world!

Tamara Loewenthal has been performing and teaching various styles of American and Celtic step dance for over 20 years. Growing up in the Appalachian foothills of southwestern Pennsylvania, Tamara fell in love with clogging as a young adult and has been flatfooting ever since. A founding member of the nationally acclaimed dance company Rhythm in Shoes, she has toured across the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Japan. She has won awards for her clogging, including a blue ribbon at the Mt. Airy, NC, Fiddler's Convention. Tamara is also an accomplished French Canadian step dancer and, in 1999, received a prestigious Arts Council of Indianapolis Creative Renewal Fellowship to study with masters in this field. Tamara is much in demand for her work with children of all ages and works extensively with Young Audiences of Indiana, the Ohio Arts Council's Arts Learning program, and the Kentucky Arts Council. She has produced a CD and booklet, Dance Together Children!, of long-playing dance tunes and play party games. She regularly calls square and contra dances for groups around the country and teaches step dance classes in Bloomington, and workshops wherever she goes. Tamara is also a 2003 and 2005 recipient of an Individual Artist Grant from the Indiana Arts Commission. Her most recent passion is Old Time fiddling, which she pursues with various bands around Bloomington.

Jamie Gans came to Indiana from St. Paul, Minnesota, where he had established himself as one of the foremost fiddlers in the Northern Midwest. Adept at a variety of fiddle styles, Jamie has performed with some of the great players in Irish, Canadian, and Old Time music. In the 1980s, as a Canadian resident, he was a founding member of the Ontario-based group, Six Mile Bridge. The late, great Leo Browne, of Ottawa, was his fiddling mentor and introduced Jamie to the music of eastern Canada and Leo's native Irish County, Tyrone. Jamie worked for five years as a historical interpreter for the Minnesota Historical Society. In 1993, he was named a Master Artist by the Minnesota State Arts Board and Historical Society for the Folk Arts Apprenticeship program. In 1995, Jamie joined forces with Tamara, exploring traditional music, song, and dance in depth. His love of history, combined with his soulful playing, bring the music alive in every setting. Jamie has fiddled for the legendary Northern Star Ceili Band, Milltown nGael, the nationally acclaimed Rhythm in Shoes and has performed throughout Europe and North America. He has at least four recordings to his credit and another project in the works. Jamie was named a 2001 Arts Council of Indianapolis Fellow!

Here is a schedule of their activities while in New Mexico:

December 1, Friday - Las Cruces Contra Dance
December 2, Saturday - Albuquerque FolkMADS dance (Heights Community Center), 7:30 p.m.
December 5, Tuesday - Performance on KUNM's Home of Happy Feet radio show, 8:00 p.m.
December 7, Thursday - House Concert, 7:30 p.m. (Taylor/Thomson residence)
December 9, Saturday - Santa Fe fiddle & stepdance workshops, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.
December 9, Saturday - Santa Fe FolkMADS dance (Odd Fellows Hall), 7:30 p.m.

Jamie & Tamara have been to NM many times and are very popular with the music and dance folks here.
Please join them for their dances, workshops, and concert.

For information contact Bruce Thomson.

If you would like to help the organization but don’t want to serve on the board, there are many other volunteer opportunities available, including newsletter preparation, newsletter mailing, scheduling, general publicity, etc. If you want to help (in a large or small way), let the board know! (board AT folkmads DOT org)