Be Square: Old-Time Square Dance Handbook – A Southern Subset
T-Claw
This resource for square dance callers and organizers touches on many aspects of the dance and community, particularly some that are often not mentioned elsewhere, including geography, politics, and patriarchy.
We used this Web Chat to generate lots of ideas for keeping communities safe and engaged during another pandemic winter. Small groups brainstormed further ideas in breakout rooms. Also, public health professor Dr. Kimbi Hagen shared news and perspectives about how the pandemic is progressing.
There is strong interest amongst organizers in hearing news from communities that have already resumed in-person events. This Web Chat provided valuable experiences and suggestions from two dance and song organizers who are already navigating their reentry, as well as perspectives from a public health professional.
For this Web Chat, CDSS hired an attorney to address some of our broader community’s legal questions. Other panelists provided resources and considerations to help organizers chart their group’s course for safely emerging from the pandemic. Ultimately, each group needs to ask their own questions and find answers that are right for their location, type of event, and community. We’re all in this together!
In this third installment of the “Let’s Talk About Reentry” Web Chat series, we featured presentations and discussions about how the pandemic has altered our communities’ needs and how we can best prepare for returning to in-person dancing, singing, and music-making.
Members of the Sacred Harp group FaSoLa Philadelphia (PA) and the Phoenix (AZ) Traditional Music & Dance Society joined us for this conversation. During the Web Chat, they shared their successes with using the computer program Jamulus to enable their groups to sing and play music in real time!
During this down time, there is work we can be doing to ensure a joyful and fulfilling return to the dance floor. We talked about our evolving expectations for reentry, the changes we need to prepare for, and the important role organizers can play in preparing our communities for a bright future.
Many organizers of song groups are finding creative ways to keep your community engaged and connected during the pandemic. In this Web Chat, we heard from organizers about experiences that are working well in their song groups. We featured a few guest speakers and took time for Q&A, open conversation, and breakout rooms.
This Web Chat was hosted by Katy German, CDSS Executive Director. We addressed the BIG questions on organizers’ minds: How can we keep our communities safe in a pandemic? When can we dance and sing in the same place again? What does it mean to be a dance/music/song organizer when we can’t be together?
This exciting Web Chat connected 135 music, dance, and song organizers from far and wide! We launched a new online resource to share many of the creative ideas contributed by these communities.
Thanks to the Massachusetts Cultural Council for their generous support.