The Ghillies Gazette - Winter 2004
St. Andrews Ball 2003
The 2003 St. Andrew's Ball was a success for its 27th annual occurrence in Austin, Texas. The ball was held
on Saturday December 6, 2003 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Austin; and started promptly at 8:00 p.m.
Dancers from all over joined in the traditional Scottish dancing lead by the legendary Music Makars from
Pennsylvania. The band provided music for a total of 21 dances throughout the night. It was followed on the
next day by a brunch social held at the home of Torf and Sarah. We would like to thank everyone who helped
make the 2003 St. Andrew’s Ball possible.
Amanda
The President's Pen
Mid October - first of all, congratulations to Cynde Jennings and Roger LaPrelle on their marriage October 10.
We wish them many years of happiness-on and off the dance floor!
A number of dancers from Austin attended the workshop in Houston recently. Bill Zobel taught excellent
classes, and Muriel Johnstone and Alastair Fraser were really hot at the ball on Saturday night. The music,
and consequently the dancing, was out of sight! If you weren't there, you should have been!
For the evening social this month we had two sets with a good combination of teens and adults. The program
was a little more difficult than some times, but everyone danced almost every dance and had a wonderful time.
Early November - thanks to everyone who danced at the Celtic festival. It was great to have a set of
teens for a Saturday performance and a set of adults for a Sunday performance. Everybody looked great, and I
hope had a good time. This is the seventh time we've danced or been ready to dance (some festivals were
rained out), and it's the very first time we've been paid. It's a glorious day!
Had an impromptu set for one dance Saturday afternoon at Salado. As I was walking back from the car, Cindy,
Nathan, Michael and Amy Margason and Jennifer and David Harris were just arriving, and Hugh Morrison was
playing a set on the entertainment stage in the clan tent area. He agreed to play while we danced Flowers of
Edinburgh. It was great fun to just find the people, hear the music and do a dance. Jane and Mike Downer
were the only other dancers I saw there on Saturday.
Mid December - We've had good news and bad news. The good news is ASCDS Vice-President (and ball
co-chairman) Nathan Margason has taken a great new job. The bad news is the job is in Houston. Nathan has
been one of our regulars on both Tuesday and Thursday, and we'll miss him.
Without question the ball was a success this year-thank you Nathan and Amanda for organizing it and to
everyone else for getting all the jobs done. The Music Makars really outdid themselves with the music.
We had no fewer than 9 sets for any dance and as many as 13 sets for one or two dances. Decorations were
lovely and the food was tasty and very abundant. While there seemed to be fewer at the brunch, the food
was delicious and everyone enjoyed watching videos of the ball, thanks to Torf and Gordon Starrett.
Now to the serious business of running ASCDS. Bill Galloway (Chairman), Sharon Breen and Shelley Aggeler
have agreed to serve as a nominating committee because it's time to elect officers at our AGM in February.
If you are asked to serve in some capacity, I hope you will seriously think about saying "yes." ASCDS can
continue to function (and hopefully prosper) only so long as its members are willing to take responsibility
for its well being. There! I've said my piece and now it's your turn.
Sarah
Dancing at the Austin Celtic Festival
The demo team presented a program of familiar dances and a major production medley created for the event by
Sarah (appropriately named “Big Medley I”). The cloudy day was a bit warm to be truly Scottish, but not
unpleasant. Fortunately, the stage, which listed in just about every direction of the compass, was
subjected to a serious job of leveling by some folks who really knew what they were doing. That, and a good
coat of Duck Tape on all the seams produced a stage that was quite passable. We were delayed starting by
these repairs, fortuitously, as our scheduled start at 12:30 would have been sparse as far as an audience.
However, by the time we began a good crowd had gathered.
Dancers included Wade, Diane, Bill, Jamie, Nathan, Rosemary, Jorgen, Jane, and Sarah. Country dance sets
were spaced by two Highland dances by Mike Downer and by performance pieces danced by Sarah, Nathan, and
Jamie. A special lilt of the kilt to Nathan and Jamie, who mastered some tricky highland moves and
presented them flawlessly on their first public viewing. Torf, as usual, selected the music and produced
a CD to keep the group on its toes.
Then the rains came.
Bill Galloway
Demo Team News
We experienced the best dancing yet at an ACA festival this year. We danced under a tent and on a real stage!
On Saturday when the teens danced, the stage had not been leveled or taped so the girls had a bit of a
problem staying in one place. That having been said, they did a wonderful job of dancing their program
which included a fiddle solo by Elizabeth Doyle. Besides Elizabeth, Amanda, Anne and Mercy Barney, Christina
Hannum, Amanda and Christina Davis and Jamie Boyd danced on Saturday. Nathan Margason joined Jamie and me to
dance the Shepherd's Crook and Amanda, Jamie, Nathan and I danced Sweet Sassie M'Lassie.
By Sunday's performance the stage had been leveled and taped so the adults had a little easier time dancing.
Wade Harper, Diane Nousanen, Bill and Rosemary Galloway, Jamie Boyd, Jorgen Harmse, Jane Downer, Nathan
Margason and I danced on Sunday. Mike Downer, accompanied by Ken Liechti, danced a couple of highland dances
as part of our performance. We finished dancing just before the big rains came, which was fortunate because
there was a hole in the tent just above the stage.
In mid December the Friday night family class danced for the International Holiday Traditions at Dell. They
did a great job even though no one in the class has danced longer than 2-1/2 months and some had danced even
less. They're already looking forward to going back next year.
On rather short notice we were asked to participate in the Celtic Christmas on December 13. The dance space
was fairly small, but so was the number of available dancers so it all worked out. My sincere thanks to
Marty Livingston, Jorgen Harmse and Kate Walker for helping me put together a short program for which Heather
Gilmer provided accompaniment. This was the first time we had worked with Heather, and it was great fun.
Sadly we didn't find out about dancing at Pioneer Farm until we already had another commitment. Maybe next
year their schedule will be available far enough in advance we'll be able to dance there again.
Our last outing for 2003 is the Trail of Lights. Last year was unseasonably warm, but this year was much more
normal-upper 40s, but no wind. We followed about a gazillion little kids who put on a great show (and nearly
froze to death doing it!) and who had about a gazillion parents in the audience. While the audience thinned
considerably, there were a few stalwarts left, some of whom we even knew! Weathering the cold feet and icy
fingers (at least we were wearing wool!) were Shelley Aggeler, Rosemary Galloway, Jane Downer, Diane Nousanen,
Jamie Boyd, Anne Marshall, Jorgen Harmse, Wade Harper, Bill Galloway, and Marty Livingston. Thanks also to
Mike Downer and fellow highland dancer Stephanie who joined us to dance a couple of numbers.
My sincere thanks to all of you who worked so hard to make these programs look good. While you tend to give
me near-heart-failure in rehearsal, you always get it together at the right time, i.e., don't peak too early,
and our performances look good. Our next project will be working toward a performance for a Burns Supper on
January 24.
Announcements
Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting will be held February 10, 2004 at the Quicksilver Dance Center
8711 Burnet Rd. (#H-100) at east end of Polaris Ave. Austin, Texas, 7:00 pm.
As always, bring your shoes for a dance afterwards.
Dance Socials
ASCDS Dance Socials are listed in the Calendar
as information is received. Check back often for updates.
In Class Socials
In Class Socials are the last Tuesday of each month
7:00-9:30
The Thursday class is invited to attend
Class members will prepare the programs.
Volunteers are:
January 27 - None yet
February 24 - None yet
March 30 - None yet
Months with no volunteer will be class as usual
Here are some guidelines to use in preparing a social program:
- Program should be about 12 dances long with a balance of jigs, reels and strathspeys
- Include the dance(s) of the month
- Repeat about 1/3 (or more) of the dances from last month
- Have program available for publication on the web page by the first of the month
Here are some suggestions for finding suitable dances:
- Friday night social programs
- Upcoming socials and balls in other cities
- Texas 100
- Torf has a list of dances danced in class and will help with the music
Dances of the Month
News from Around the State and Country
San Antonio
Several of our dancers attended Austin's 27th Annual St. Andrews Ball at St. Paul's Lutheran Church Fellowship
Hall and want to thank the Austin RSCDS for a wonderful night.
Our next performance will be for Burns' Nicht on January 24th. We also plan to dance at the San Antonio
College Folk Dance Festival in March, the San Antonio Highland Games in April and May Day in Sequin on May
1st.
The Seventh Annual Bluebonnet Ball
is scheduled for the same weekend as the Highland Games in Helotes, April 3, 2004 and will feature Chris
Peterson for a return visit to play fiddle for us. Our ball will be held at Our Lady of the Lake University
as are the classes from 3:00 - 6:00 pm. every Sunday.
Please contact John Roby about the Ball at roby@uthscsa.edu or 210-737-0239 and Pam Keith at 830-980-7913
for dance classes.
Houston
Scottish Country Dancing and More - Houston Texas
We dance Wednesdays, 7 to 10 p.m.
New Dancers Welcome - No Partners Needed - No Prior Experience Needed
Families welcome (children must be accompanied by parent/guardian).
$5 for those 14 and over; $2.50 those under 14; $15 maximum per family.
Location: Oddfellows Hall, 115 E. 14th St. (Heights), Houston, Texas
website: home.att.net/~diannashipman
Dianna Shipman 713 522 1212
and to subscribe to the email newsletter: diannashipman@att.net.
Events
Current and upcoming events are listed in the ASCDS Calendar.
If you have events you want publicized, send them in an e-mail to Roger LaPrelle.
The Austin SCD E-mail Group
If you want to send an announcement to the AustinSCD eGroup, email the
message to AustinSCD@yahoogroups.com
as if you are addressing the entire group. The message will be sent, exactly
as it appears, to everyone in the eGroup, if it is approved by the moderator
(Tim Harrison). Most messages are approved.
You can join the eGroup to receive email message announcements of interest to
SCDers in the Austin area by sending an email message to
AustinSCD-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
from the email address at which you want to receive announcements.
The Ghillies Gazette
Copyright ©2003 Austin Scottish Country Dance Society.
All rights reserved.
All submissions are subject to editing for length and
content.
Permission is granted for other nonprofit organizations to reprint articles
appearing in this newsletter with credit to the appropriate author(s) and
The Ghillies Gazette, Austin Scottish Country Dance Society (ASCDS), Austin,
Texas, USA.
The Ghillies Gazette is e-mailed to students enrolled in ASCDS sponsored dance
classed, SCD teachers, SCD organization contacts in Texas, and newsletter
editors of nonprofit organizations that provide a reciprocal newsletter. If
you fall into one of these categories and are not receiving the newsletter,
please contact Roger LaPrelle.