You won't believe how much fun contra dancing can be--until you try it!
REGISTRATION OPEN – Cultural Equity Workshop – May 5, 2021, 7:00p EDT
The Gainesville Oldtime Dance Society and the Outreach Fund of the Country Dance and Song Society are proud to present:
“Creating Inclusive Dance Communities with Jacob Hoffman and Kafari “.
In this interactive workshop we will ask ourselves, What does an inclusive dance look like? How do we show up to the dance? Who shows up for the first time, and do they return?
Kafari and Jacob provide tailored workshops investigating cultural appropriation, decolonization of American folkways, and antiracism in community arts. Kafari plays rhythm bones and piano, and Jacob plays banjo, guitar and sings. They first made music together in 2012 at an improvised kitchen square dance in a little house in Maine. Their ever-transforming collaboration as teaching artists includes performances, residencies and community conversations with schools, community arts orgs, festivals, libraries, and other educational entities. Kafari and Jacob’s workshops include unearthing and discussing difficult histories of American music, exploring their personal intersections with cultural appropriation, and envisioning healing paths forward.
This event is open to all dancers/musicians/sound techs/callers/organizers in CDSS communities in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.
The event is free, but registration is required.
The workshop will be online using Zoom.
When: May 5, 2021 7:00 PM Eastern Time/6:00 PM Central time
Register in advance for this meeting:
REGISTRATION: https://rebrand.ly/gods-workshop_2021-05-05
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
This event is supported in part by the Outreach Fund of the Country Dance and Song Society.
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G.O.D.S. Online Dances/Socials
Please Join Us for a Virtual (online) Dance & Social!
Put the DATES on your calendars. Online dances/socials are currently scheduled thru Sep 2021, or until we dance in person again:
• 1st Sundays of every month (except Jul 4, 2021)
• 3rd Saturdays of every month
• 5th Sundays of the month when then occur (11/29/20, 1/31/21, 5/30/21, 8/29/21)
TIMES:
• start at 4:00pm on Sundays
• start at 7:00pm on Saturdays
Schedule to be announced during the week of the event.
The online meeting link will be announced during the week of the event.
Check back here on the Events page of our website; also, check our Facebook page, and look for email announcements from our Google Group.
Clear out a space in your house for dancing.
Charge your devices, and enjoy some music and dance (or watching your friends dance).
Get some exercise.
Or, simply come & enjoy chatting & socializing with your friends!
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G.O.D.S. In-person Dances Cancelled Indefinitely
April 20, 2020
Dear Dance Community,
With heavy hearts and leaden feet, we regretfully announce that all in-person events of the Gainesville Oldtime Dance Society (G.O.D.S.) are cancelled indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At this time, we do not know when we will be able to resume our dances. We will follow health and scientific guidance from local, state, and federal sources in scheduling any event. Additionally, we must await the re-opening of Gainesville city buildings for larger events, with no physical distancing requirements, prior to resuming G.O.D.S. dances.
In the meantime, please continue to check our website, our Facebook page, and our Google group (email list) for announcements of virtual events and the eventual resumption of our dances.
We also encourage all members of our community to join the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) in alternative events that will bring us together through song and dance, even if not in person. Please check the CDSS’s calendar for a variety of activities that are accessible to the whole family!
We hope to see y’all on the dance floor again soon!
Regards,
Christine Bruels
[Sent on behalf of the G.O.D.S. Board of Directors]
2020-2021 Board:
Deni Breckenridge, Aerin Brown, Christine Bruels, Cayley Buckner, Mary McClead, Judy McKendrick, Mike Randall, Diane Schulbach, and Pete Turner
Come experience old-time dancing with the G.O.D.S. — the Gainesville Oldtime Dance Society! Contra dancing is aerobic social dancing to live music. There is no need to bring a partner — everyone is encouraged to find a new partner for each dance. Our inclusive group of experienced dancers always aim to be good hosts. Check out our calendar for when & where we are having our upcoming dances. We would love to see you there!
OUR NEXT IN-PERSON DANCE EVENT:
• TBA
UPCOMING:
• TBA
About contra dancing and our dances:
• Contra dancing is energetic, social dancing that’s fun for everyone (all ages are welcome) and no partner is necessary.
• No experience is necessary. Contra dances are taught, walked through, & called. If you are new, please come to the beginner lesson (workshop) that begins about 15 minutes before the dance.
• The music is live.
• No special dress is required. Wear comfortable, casual attire & clean, soft-soled shoes.
• Fragrance-free space. As a favor to dancers who are sensitive or allergic, we ask that you refrain from wearing cologne, perfume, or scented products, or clothes smelling of cigarettes or incense.
• Snacks at the break are provided by dancers. If you snack, please bring something to share. Please bring a refillable water bottle to help our planet. Water is provided. Paper cups are also available.
• Parking is in the lot across the street from the Boltin Center and in marked spaces on adjacent streets.
Please check our FAQ page.
G.O.D.S. is a Group Affiliate of CDSS (the Country Dance & Song Society)
Dance, Music, & Song Camps
April 13, 2021 update
Dear friends,
We hope you’re keeping well and enjoying a dose of springtime!
We wanted to give you an update from our message of last month, let you know where things stand with this year’s CDSS Camp programs, and ask for your input as we consider what camps might look like this summer.
What do we know now?
The current status of all our camp sessions is still To Be Determined. Registration is not open.
We are continuing to monitor local, state, and federal guidelines, vaccination roll-outs, and infection rates as schools and businesses reopen. We are in communication with our four camp facilities and discussing constraints, including possible date changes for some camp sessions. We remain hopeful, but cautious as we weigh all of these factors.
When will we know more?
If we can hold some or all of our camp sessions, we’ll open registration no later than June 1. We’ll be in touch before then with another camp update.
But I want to go to camp!
So do we! But even if we can hold our camp sessions, they may need to be different from what you might have experienced previously at a CDSS camp. While nothing has been decided, we’d love to capture your feedback via this short survey on a few potential aspects of life at pandemic-era camps.
Thank you for your continued patience and support as we work through these challenging times. We can’t wait to see ALL of you this summer—at camp, at an online program, or both!
Katy German
Steve Howe
Joanna Reiner Wilkinson
Crispin Youngberg
