Seattle Folk Dancing   Contra

Matt Fisher

Music will be by Grey Owl, namely Miche Baker-Harvey on fiddle, Phil Katz on melodeons, and Jay Finkelstein on guitar. Grey Owl emphasizes tunes from the Red River Métis, a live tradition from the U.S. northern plains and Canadian prairies. In our opinion these are some of the hottest and most contra-danceable tunes around, though not well known because they come from remote places. We've been travelling to these places, working with Métis fiddlers, performing, and finding a remarkable number of exciting tunes, well suited to contradance style. If you listen, you may hear the French Canadian and Scottish fiddling, along with Plains Cree and Ojibwa chant sounds, all of which built Métis fiddling into what it has become.

We leaven these recent Métis "finds" with a generous addition of our local and Northeast contradance repertoire. And a fair number of local "standards" have been discovered to come from Métis country as well.

Specifics on the Event:

The May 31 dance, will run from 8:00 - 11:00 pm. The cost is $8.00. As always, a 10% discount will be available to Seattle Folklore Society members who request it.

There will be a newcomers' workshop at 7:30 pm. Bring your friends whom you've been wanting to introduce to contradancing. It is "not rocket science", and by the third dance, anyone looking out over the crowd will likely be unable to tell who just learned that evening! We're proud of the tradition of asking newcomers and visitors to dance, and looking after them on the dance floor.

Please avoid wearing scented products (e.g. perfume, aftershave, cologne, scented hand lotion) to the Fifth Saturday Contra Dance. (Dancing, being aerobic, magnifies their scent, and also the effect of the solvents used therein!) Some dancers are hypersensitive or allergic to such products.

A word about children's attendance: It is fine for older children and teenagers who are comfortable interacting with adults on their own. However, it is not appropriate for small children unless they are on the sidelines supervised by adults at all times.

A caution on parking: The street right across from the hall has been posted as a "residents only" zone, so please don't park there - tickets have been given. There is plenty of parking on adjacent streets, and there are spots behind the church as well.

Contradancing and Métis Music at Northwest Folklife Festival:

• 6:10-7pm Saturday 5/24: Contradance to Beau Métis w/Jennifer Youngman calling, in the Roadhouse. This is really exciting; the kind of synergism fostered by music/dance festivals. In August 2007, Grey Owl was honored to perform at John Arcand's FiddleFest outside Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - one of the principal gatherings for Métis fiddling and dancing. There we met the Lamoureux Family; Patti Lamoureux - three time Grand National Canadian Fiddle Champion; teenage son Alex Lamoureux, already a fiddle champion in his age class; and Joel Lamoureux, a first-rate guitar player (French pronunciation Jo-ell'). They had recently moved to Comox, BC (way up-island from Victoria) and were hoping to be introduced to the U.S. part of west coast fiddling. In addition, with Grey Owl doing not only Métis tunes but some contra tunes in Saskatoon, the Lamoureux folks were curious about contra playing. The time was right for Beau Métis at Folklife; a three-fiddle "frontline" of Patti, Alex, and Grey Owl's Miche, anchored by Phil's 25+ yr of contradance melodeon, and Jay's rocksolid contra backup. Métis tunes, phrased for contras, from both Grey Owl's and Patti's repertoire. Because of the distances involved, there won't be many chances to assemble this band; suggest you not miss it.
  
• 11:21-11:39am Saturday: The Lamoureux Family at the Fiddler's Showcase, in the Intiman Theater. The full family band (w/ Joel on guitar) doing Métis and Canadian Repertoire.
  
• 2-2:50pm Saturday: Workshop: Metis Fiddling from Western Canada w/Alex Lamoureux, in the Shaw Room. Alex, with the rest of the Lamoureux Family, will be teaching/demo'ing some favorite Métis tunes.
  
• 1-2:30pm Sunday 5/25: Métis Jam Session w/Grey Owl & Friends (incl the Lamoureux Family) in the McCaw Promenade (the covered space outside McCaw Hall). Time for all you folks who have been playing some Métis tunes (or who wish they were) to come out and join in.
  
• 11:40-12:10 Mon,5/26: Sweet Potatoes (Miche and Jay from Grey Owl) - "Crooked" Metis Step-Dancing Tunes, on the Bagley Lawn Acoustic Stage. One of the principal types of dancing in Métis communities, historically and up to today, is step-dancing (jigging), which most often is done to a repertoire of uniquely Métis tunes that aren't evenly phrased ("square") as contradance tunes must be. Miche has gotten a taste for these, and has been learning to play them from traditional Métis fiddlers and their recordings. There is a possibility that Miche may have recruited one or two stepdancers to jig. (Phil would have loved to do it had a recent knee problem not ended his jigging career.)
  

Directions to Wells Hall

From Seattle, "Eastside" of Lake Washington, or Des Moines
I-5 south to exit 133 (Tacoma City Center). Then take I-705 and Schuster Parkway exit on the right (still called I-705). Then take the Stadium Way (first) exit from Schuster Pkwy. At end of exit ramp, turn right. The street goes up hill then swings left onto North 1st. You pass Stadium Thriftway and a Chevrolet lot, and then merge into Division at a traffic light. Continue on Division, turn right onto North "K". Wells Hall is the second building on the left. Enter the dance through the church courtyard.

From Olympia
I-5 to Tacoma, exit 132 (the route 16-Gig Harbor exit). As you are entering Route 16, take Sprague Avenue Exit. Follow Sprague about one mile to the end. Be in second lane from the right. Take the soft right onto Division, so that "It’s Greek to Me" (restaurant) is on your right after the turn. Follow Division about ½ mile. You pass Frisko Freeze. At the next corner turn left onto North "K". Wells Hall is the second building on the left. Enter the dance through the church courtyard.

For more information please contact:
Phil Katz - philkatz@ZZZhalcyon.com - 206-722-8228.
(You know what to do with the Z's), OR
Local Organizing Committee Chair, Steve Conway - 360-584-9062.