Dancing SCA
Dancing at Pennsic is not what it was when I fell in love with it.
That's really what it is, I think. Many years ago (4? 5?) I decided that going to parties was dumb becaiuse I didn't drink, dance (bellydance), or drum, and I also didn't really find it entertaining to watch others do these things. So, I started going to the Barn in the evening to dance. There were about two years where that's all I did in the evening: dancing from about 9:00pm to 3 or 4 in the morning, every night. I met some great friends (lordandrei among them) and learned a lot about Renaissance dance as it is done in the SCA. That's where I learned most of the dances I now teach.
Now, mostly since they built the dance floor for the new Dance Tent, I think, a lot of things have changed. A lot of evening dancing happens in the Dance Tent instead of the Barn. The Dance Tent does have a better floor (wood instead of concrete), but it is small, does not have as much seating, and there are three tent pole in the middle of the dance floor that the sets/couples hae to dodge around. OK, so maybe the smaller space is more period, but it's uncomfortable.
On top of the venue change (which changed back (mostly) this year), the people have cycled. The only person who shows up regularly anymore is Paul the Simple, and for some reason we aren't really speaking anymore (not really sure why...). Cadell doesn't dance anymore; he spends his evenings in the Heralds tent. lordandrei doesn't even come to Pennsic anymore (not mad, just miss you...). Gwame (sp? the purple guy...) is still there, but we never really connected, and a lot of the musicians and instructors are still there but they always kind of intimidated me....
I've started meeting more people, and so maybe next year they'll remember me and I'll start dancing again, but it's not so much fun dancing with strangers. I don't know them, I don't know what level of dancing they are comfortable with, and I don't know who's attached to jealous SOs anymore...
On the other hand, dancing late at night with people who don't need complicated dances to be called so I can pay attention to the dancing instead of the teacher is definitely worth while....
That's really what it is, I think. Many years ago (4? 5?) I decided that going to parties was dumb becaiuse I didn't drink, dance (bellydance), or drum, and I also didn't really find it entertaining to watch others do these things. So, I started going to the Barn in the evening to dance. There were about two years where that's all I did in the evening: dancing from about 9:00pm to 3 or 4 in the morning, every night. I met some great friends (lordandrei among them) and learned a lot about Renaissance dance as it is done in the SCA. That's where I learned most of the dances I now teach.
Now, mostly since they built the dance floor for the new Dance Tent, I think, a lot of things have changed. A lot of evening dancing happens in the Dance Tent instead of the Barn. The Dance Tent does have a better floor (wood instead of concrete), but it is small, does not have as much seating, and there are three tent pole in the middle of the dance floor that the sets/couples hae to dodge around. OK, so maybe the smaller space is more period, but it's uncomfortable.
On top of the venue change (which changed back (mostly) this year), the people have cycled. The only person who shows up regularly anymore is Paul the Simple, and for some reason we aren't really speaking anymore (not really sure why...). Cadell doesn't dance anymore; he spends his evenings in the Heralds tent. lordandrei doesn't even come to Pennsic anymore (not mad, just miss you...). Gwame (sp? the purple guy...) is still there, but we never really connected, and a lot of the musicians and instructors are still there but they always kind of intimidated me....
I've started meeting more people, and so maybe next year they'll remember me and I'll start dancing again, but it's not so much fun dancing with strangers. I don't know them, I don't know what level of dancing they are comfortable with, and I don't know who's attached to jealous SOs anymore...
On the other hand, dancing late at night with people who don't need complicated dances to be called so I can pay attention to the dancing instead of the teacher is definitely worth while....