Category Archives: Uncategorized

March 19 – “I SUPPORT CDSS” Dance & Fundraiser

Dear Friends of Dance,

I am writing you today to be sure you know about a fun event coming on the horizon in the Triangle area.  Triangle Country Dancers and Sun Assembly English Dancers are joining forces to sponsor an evening of dance “I Support CDSS.”

This event will be March 19, 2020, at the Old Murphey School, 3717 Murphey School Road, Durham, NC 27705 (location website is:  http://sharedvisions.org), from 7:30 until 10:30 pm.  For this evening we will be presenting some of the top callers and representatives from the Country Dance and Song Society.

This night is dedicated to supporting the great work of CDSS in a variety of ways:

–This will be an event of mixed styles and will feature some of the top national and local callers.

–Gaye Fifer, President of CDSS, Dianne Silver, a Board Member, Katy German, Executive Director of CDSS, Gail Lacy, Former President of Sun Assembly, and Pat Petersen, former Board member will be calling.

–Musicians will be Julie Gorka, Dean Herington, Joey O’Donnell, and Mara Shea.

Admission is $10.  This is structured such that all of your admission fee will be donated to CDSS.

Community members are joining together as well to raise additional funds to benefit the organization.  We welcome your kind matching donation of $50, $100, or $200.  Our goal for this evening is $3,000.

CDSS provides a broad array of services and programs to music and dance communities all across North America.  We are pleased in the Triangle to sponsor this program to benefit many
dances and communities, by helping CDSS conduct its important programs and services.

Please join us!

Donald Hughes
Governing Board Member
Country Dance and Song Society

Dance in the New Year with Sun Assembly

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Join Sun Assembly as we welcome in 2020.
Date:     Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019
Time:     8:30 p.m. – midnight+
Venue:  Old Murphey School (Shared Visions Retreat Center)
3717 Murphy School Road
Durham, NC  27705

We’ll enjoy favorite dances (old and new), beautiful music by Hey Fever (Julie, Walt and Joey),
yummy food and good friends!

Everyone is welcome!
No partner or experience is necessary.
All dances will be taught and called.

For more information:  919-286-2202 or [email protected].

March 14: Come Out and Support CDSS!

Event:  I Support CDSS!
Thursday, March 14, 2019
7:30-10 p.m.
The Reality Center, 916 Lamond St., Durham, N.C. 27701
Flyer to share:  link

Sun Assembly is teaming up with Triangle Country Dancers (link) to present “I Support CDSS!,” a fundraiser focused on the common threads that bind the two organizations together.  The suggested donation is $10 at the door.  All door admissions will be donated to CDSS from the Triangle dance communities.

The event will feature live music and a mix of dance styles:  English, contra and squares.
Guests:           Gaye Fifer, CDSS President
Katy German, CDSS Executive Director
Bruce Hamilton, CDSS Past President
Callers:           Pat Petersen
Gail Lacy
Gaye Fifer
Valerie Helbert
Musicians:     Julie Gorka
Joey O’Donnell
Dean Herington
Pete Campbell

Please consider what CDSS means to you and plan to support this great event. 

The sponsoring organizations are sharing expenses and responsibilities so that all funds raised go directly to CDSS.   Sun Assembly is providing the dance space and musicians, and Triangle Country Dancers is setting up the space and providing the sound system and desk volunteers.

Spring DanceFest 2019!

Be sure to make plans for DanceFest 2019!

The dates are March 16-17, the St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

Our guest caller is the splendid, famed, Bruce Hamilton, from California.

Also, dance musician Becky Ross, from the D.C. area, will be joining Julie Gorka, Walt Robinson, Dean Herington and Joey O’Donnell, providing inspiring music.

We will again be at the beautiful Murphey School.

This event is not to be missed!  We will also need volunteers for set up, take down, refreshments, etc.  So be there!

March 2018 Update

We’re dancing at The Reality Center from March 29 through May 17.  Join us on Thursday nights,
7:30-9:30 p.m., 916 Lamond Ave., Durham, NC 27701.

This Thursday (March 29), we will celebrate contemporary choreographers — those who have taken inspiration from the old dances to create new forms and new figures. Starting with dances of Maggot Pie from the 1930s, we will sample as many recent choreographers as we can fit into an evening’s dance:  Beer, Callens, Goosen, Herman, Hume, Pimentel, Roodman, Shaw, Simpson, Skowronski and maybe even Petersen.

Spring DanceFest 2018!

Dear Dancers,
Spring DanceFest, featuring caller Kalia Kliban, is upon us–THIS WEEKEND, March 10-11, 2018!
Due to the size of the Murphey School hall, and the high number of registrations we have received this year, we have declared the Saturday evening dance party SOLD OUT, meaning we will not be able to accommodate walk-ins at the door. If you had planned to attend but didn’t register, please e-mail [email protected] to be added to the wait list, and we will notify you if space becomes available. We cannot guarantee admission, however.
On the plus side, there are still other opportunities to dance with Kalia throughout the weekend, including:
At The Reality Center (Durham):
 
–Thursday, March 8 English dance: Gail Lacy will be teaching English country dances from 7:30-9:30pm. This is Sun Assembly’s regular weekly dance. Kalia may be dancing with us, if she feels rested from her travels. (Suggested donation $7)
At The Century Center (Carrboro):
–Friday, March 9 contra dance. Kalia will be calling the contra dance, from 8-11pm. Music will be provided by Ricochet. This dance is sponsored by the Triangle Country Dancers. Cost is $8 TCD Members; $10 non-members. For complete details, visit http://www.tcdancers.org/
At The Shared Visions Retreat Center / old “Murphey School” (Durham):
–Saturday, March 10 morning English workshop. Kalia will be leading a morning workshop on 17th/18th century “Dance Reconstructions of Andrew Shaw,” from 10-12. (Suggested donation $20)
–Saturday, March 10 afternoon English workshops. Kalia will lead a workshop on “How to be a Better Dance Partner,” from 2-3:15. Pat Petersen will lead a dance workshop on early John Playford dances (1651), from 3:30-4:45. Also, during the second session, Donald Hughes will present on Cecil Sharp’s ballad-collecting Appalachian travels (1916-1918). (Suggested donation $20 both sessions; or $10 each)
–Sunday, March 11 morning English dance. Kalia will be calling English country dances from 11am-1:30pm.
Regarding the March 10-11 ECD events, while we will accept walk-ins for the Saturday ECD workshops and Sunday morning dance, you may also RSVP by e-mailing saspringdance@gmail.com.
Thank you. We look forward to dancing with you this weekend!