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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 2019)
6 Friday, December 27, 2019 GO! magazine — A&E in Northeast Oregon FROM THE COVER an inside look at northeast oregon’s arts and entertainment scene A winter dance tradition returns ■ Traditional-Live! and Art Center East offer English Country Dance series LA GRANDE — Art Center East and Traditional-Live! will offer an English Country Dance class begin- ning Jan. 8 at ACE, 1006 Penn Ave., La Grande. The 10-week series meets Wednesdays from 6:30-8 p.m. There will be some Friday classes and one Thursday class. The series culminates in a grand ball on March 28. The 10 sessions give students time to absorb the essential move- ments and fi gures of the dance form and then get comfortable with the specifi cs of the dozen or so dances that will be done at the ball. No dance experience is necessary, and the series is open to age 12 and older. Registration fee includes all 10 class sessions and ball attendance. Cost is $65 for the general public, $45 for ACE or Traditional-Live! members. Register online at www.neofs.us/ englishball. (Traditional-Live! was formerly known as the Northeast Oregon Folklore Society.) For questions or additional information, contact Mark Lewis at 541-962-9355 or at info@neofs.us. IF YOU CAN WALK, YOU CAN DANCE Lewis encourages everyone to give this style of dancing a try. “Believe what they tell you: If you can walk ,you can dance,” he said. Another common adage, “Dance like nobody’s watching,” also rings true, Lewis said. “It turns out it’s pretty easy to let go and have fun, and we can prove it.” A couple times a month, Grande Ronde Valley residents gather to enjoy dances that incorporate walking (to music) and interacting with the other dancers. Lewis said the focus is on the enjoyment of movement using traditional dance forms — some hundreds of years old — in a modern, friendly com- munity where you don’t have to sit out if you don’t want to. The dances are cooperative with everyone present working together to create the series of interactions and formations choreographed into each. “In short, it’s a whole-person health routine packed into a box of fun,” Lewis said. The group hosts occasional week- end evening dances, always with live music, that are open to all. “Even the most beginning dancer can enjoy the fun – as the dances are always taught and the danc- ers are guaranteed to be helpful,” Lewis said. Two styles of dance are currently done locally. Contra is typically higher energy, danced to consistently faster tem- pos and with lots of opportunities for twirling and spinning. English Country dance encom- passes a wider variety of tempos and moods, stately to sprightly, and a larger portfolio of moves and formations, Lewis said, making it an elegant mental workout, with far less spinning. Both styles have a lot in com- mon — the “long lines” formations, the way partners progress through the dance while dancing with other couples, and ultimately with the entire set of dancers in the room. “Locally, the dancing is supported and sustained by a large network of mostly amateur musicians, often dancers themselves, who not only play the old fi ddle standards but mix in popular modern tunes and add to the repertoire with their own newly composed pieces,” Lewis said. The Country Dance Orchestra, an amateur music group (with musicians at all levels), meets two Tuesday evenings of the month to play dance music together, follow- ing which folks collect to dance. They welcome musicians. “So, throw off the winter dol- drums and start moving. If you walk you can dance, and it’s easy to dance like nobody’s watching — especially if they’re all dancing too.” Freeze the precious moments... ‘If you can walk, you can dance’ — Throw off the winter doldrums with traditional music and dancing Art Center East and Traditional-Live! sponsor numerous opportunities to dance and make music in the winter and throughout the year. The following ongoing events, held at Art Center East, are open to drop-ins and there is no charge: •CountryDanceOrchestra:firstandthirdTuesdays,6p.m. •CommunityContraDancing:firstTuesdays,7p.m. •CommunityEnglishCountryDancing:thirdTuesdays,7p.m. For full details about free community dancing, classes and other Traditional-Live! opportunities, go to www.neofs.us. More information is also available at www.artcentereast.org or by calling541-624-2800. A proud sponsor of ALL Eastern Oregon Sports! PRESERVE YOUR WEDDING GOWN. • Your wedding gown will become your family heirloom. Keep it for the next generation of daughters. • Wedding gowns kept in plastic bags are exposed to cheimicals in the long run that effect the gown’s fibers and color. C & H Cleaning Industries and Dry Cleaning 208 Chestnut, La Grande • 541 963-9210 Open Tues-Thurs 11am-4:30pm Fri 11am-5:30pm, Sat 11am-2pm Family owned & operated • Owners Mike & Jayne Skidgel OPEN 10 am tO 6 Pm • Monday - Saturday www.bakerkicks.com • 541-523-SHOE(7463) • 1801 Main St, Baker City
