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Capital Carousels Welcomes JL and Linda Pelton

Originally posted by Donna Stewart May/14/2016 01:38 PM

Although our dance season ended on the 4th and 5th, Capital Carousels continued dancing this week with a very special dance event featuring JL and Linda Pelton from Dallas, Texas! Combined with a vacation to our Nation’s Capital, JL and Linda added a stop to Capital Carousels on both Wednesday night and Thursday morning, teaching “Jumptown Jive” on Wednesday night and “Island Rumba” on Thursday morning. Both of these dances are choreographies of the Peltons. “Jumptown Jive” was actually originally taught at ICBDA in Greensboro last summer and “Island Rumba” was their first choreographed dance! Along with the teaches, Pat also put together a great dance program for both days which Donna cued, giving JL and Linda a chance to enjoy themselves a bit and dance. Also something special for this event was our potluck lunch after Thursday’s dance! What a wonderful bunch of cooks we have in our midst here at Capital Carousels! Thanks for your contributions gang! If you left the hall hungry, I’ll never understand it! Special thanks to Ziggy and Jenny, Brian and Ann for handling the refreshments over the couple of days and working the kitchen for the potluck. Also to those who pitched in helping with the food and tables. Thanks for the Welcome sign, Pat and Jill! Nice touch!
I have heard many positive comments from you all about the dances taught, the Pelton’s teaching style and how much fun they put into it. They also really enjoyed meeting everyone and getting to know some of you if only for a little while. They will remember the “hoss” vs “horse” story for a LONG TIME, that is for sure!!
These newly taught dances will definitely be in our dancing future! They will be on this coming Wednesday night at our Black and White Ball, Donna’s Summer Dances and in our dance seasons to come. A full compliment of pictures from both days will be added to our Photo Gallery section of our website here when I have received the pictures from our hard working paparazzi-Ziggy, Patrick and Charlie. You guys were the greatest! Thanks for the teaches and memories JL and Linda! We have sure enjoyed having you here!

Thanks For The Interest….4-6 Interest Group!

Originally posted by Donna Stewart May/14/2016 12:46 PM

For 5 weeks this spring, some of our dancers with a common interest to learn more dances being done internationally at the phase 4-6 level got together to learn dances via the Hurd’s Instructional Library. We learned the phase 4 rumba of the Shibata’s called “Something Stupid” and the Armstrong’s phase 5 foxtrot called “Capone”. With many of us in the common place of learning unfamiliar figures, with a collaborative effort, we helped each other along and learned something new to boot! We also had a dance program where we danced to dances we don’t do very often as well as a few new ones! Everyone seemed to enjoy the concept of learning from video and watching the Hurd’s demonstrate the figures although we did have some difficulty with the audio. We all seemed to help each other out though and we saw more and more participation and interaction of our dancers as the weeks went on which is what we were striving for.
We danced at a new dance facility for many of us, the Greenboro Community Centre in the east end. It is a nice facility with ample parking. Our room has a wall mounted TV which everyone had no problem watching and also had air conditioning on those days when it got a bit warm. A small kitchenette area for refreshments as well. Special thanks to Ziggy and Jenny for covering refreshments for this venture.
The momentum for this new approach to learning seemed to grow week to week! I appreciate the support which our loyal band of followers provided to me with everything from encouragement of what was being done, to helping with setup and cleanup of the hall. Thank you so much gang!
As you know, a decision as to whether to continue with this group will be made by the Capital Carousels Executive Board this summer. As I had mentioned before to our group, if you enjoyed this and would like to keep it going, mention it to one or more board members! Having a united voice may just tip things in our favour! I will certainly let you know the results of the meeting.
In any event, I would like to thank those dancers who came every week, those who came when they could and also to those who came to at least give it a try. I am glad you have had a chance to experience dance instruction in a new way and hopefully, we can continue to do so as a new level club for Capital Carousels for our 2016-2017 dance season!

Happy Mother’s Day Etc…

Originally posted by Donna Stewart May/07/2016 07:41 AM

Our 2015-2016 dance season has concluded……well…..almost!! We have 2 more weeks of dancing with Capital Carousels this spring. This coming week is our long anticipated week with JL and Linda Pelton! JL and Linda are cuer/instructors from Dallas, Texas and in conjunction with a vacation they have been planning to our area, they will also be spending part of it with us at our dance club! We are fortunate to have them teach a couple of dances for us, and we will also remember they are in “vacation mode” and allow them a chance to dance as well. Donna will cue the regular dance program both days. We invite both our Wednesday and Thursday dancers to attend both days (Wed-7-9:30PM and Thurs 10-12PM) for the low cost of $5/person for both days! Please remember after Thursday’s session, we will have a wonderful spring potluck at the church! We will all look forward to some scrumptious potluck dishes from our infamous cooks at Capital Carousels and also a chance to socialize after our two days of dancing. I can’t wait! Please remember to wear your name badges to our Wednesday and Thursday sessions. I realize we all know each other, but it’ll be helpful to JL and Linda as they are new in town. It should be a great couple of days on the dance floor this week!
The following week will be our final dance, “The Black and White Ball”. Please come dressed in something black, white or both. It will be all dancing and no teaches with, I believe, all of the dances we have learned this year including a couple of others. We will also be having a short annual meeting including the election of some new officers for the upcoming year. We need you! Please consider putting your hat in the ring for those positions which will be “up for grabs” this year. To finish off the night, Capital Carousels will be providing the refreshments. Cost will be $5/person or $10/couple. Sounds like a fun night! The paparazzi will be out the next couple of weeks, so please smile for the cameras and sign autographs as needed! Ha! Ha!
It’s been a great season gang!! Thanks for supporting Capital Carousels throughout the year! We couldn’t do it without your loyalty and support! As a thank you from Capital Carousels, we are providing these “windup” events at a reduced price with a lot of bang for your buck! We look forward to seeing you in the next few weeks yet!
And lastly…….Happy Mother’s Day to all of our Moms out there! You are a treasure to us all!

Last Week of Our Regular Season

Originally posted by Donna Stewart April/29/2016 08:26 PM
Our 2015-2016 dance season is almost over! We have one more week of regular sessions at both our Wednesday and Thursday clubs. On Wednesday, we will be finishing with “Pink Panther”, a foxtrot/jive combo choreographed by our own John Mowle. On Thursday, Donna will be continuing her bolero clinic with continued emphasis on rise and fall and a new figure for a new dance which should be a “cue and do” for our Thursday crew.
Beyond this week, we will still have 2 more weeks of dancing with JL and Linda Pelton, cuer/instructors from Dallas, Texas coming in on May 11 and 12 for teaches on both days! The teaches have been chosen as something which can be done at both clubs. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend both days. At $5/person for both days, what is not to like! Remember, after Thursdays session, we will be having a group potluck lunch. Sign up to bring your special potluck creation. What a great way to end out those two days! We look forward to JL and Linda’s arrival to our beautiful city and also to join us at our club. This type of opportunity is a rarity, so please take advantage of it!
Our Black and White Ball will be on Wednesday, May 18 which is the official last dance of our dance season. All dancing and no teaches. Come and mark the occasion in your top hat and tails men, or your little black dress ladies. Something black and white at any rate. We will dance, socialize, enjoy refreshments and have a very short business meeting to clear up year end loose ends.
There is still more dancing in the works for these next 3 weeks. We hope you can make it out!

Black and White Ball is Coming!!

Originally posted by Donna Stewart April/21/2016 08:18 PM

With only 3 weeks left in our dance season, plans are underway for a special dance event for Wednesday, May 18th! We shall close our season with a splash with a “Black and White Ball”. Come dressed in something black, something white, or a combination of both! Celebrate our 2015-2016 dance season with this regal event! It will be an all dance night and no teaches. Time for dancing, time for socializing. A perfect combination for a memorable evening! Cost for this special evening will be just $5 per person! Can’t beat that!
About half way through our evening, we will take a short intermission for our club’s Annual General Meeting and our election of next year’s officers. Ziggy has recently sent out an email which shows what positions are open and their job descriptions. Please consider putting your “hat in the ring” for one of these positions. Not only is your help needed, but some fresh ideas will help to keep our club innovative and allow us to continue to grow. We look forward to having you on board!

Celebrating Birthdays

Originally posted by Donna Stewart April/14/2016 03:05 PM
What a change this week! Beautiful weather and many of our traveling family have returned! Great to see everyone back in the nest. Thursday we had two birthday boys in our midst!! Al’s birthday was today and Walt’s birthday will be next week. We enjoyed some birthday cake and the boys enjoyed their legcrawls from all the Thursday morning ladies! What fun and good for a few laughs!
This past Monday we started our 4-6 Interest Group and had a nice turnout of 16 people attending! There are some bugs to iron out but overall the response was positive. This week we will continue work on the rumba, Something Stupid as well as the dance program. Thanks for the support and patience everyone!
This week both Wednesday and Thursdays groups finished their respective cha-chas as we move into the remaining 3 weeks of our regular season. Wednesday’s group will be working on Foxtrot where Thursday’s group will be working on Bolero. Remember as well, the Peltons will be here May 11+12. The signup sheet for our potluck lunch will be on Gavin’s desk. Please remember to sign up with your favourite dish!
As the weather improves, you might remember that Swing Into Spring will be held Apr 29-May 1 in Prescott. You can enjoy both squares and rounds and David Goss and Ulla Figwer, will be the round dance leaders again this year. Enjoy some time down along the St. Lawrence and learn some new dances and technique! It’ll be here before you know it!
Time is winding down in our season but we will be going off with fireworks! Fun times ahead!

4-6 Interest Group Starts This Monday!

Originally posted by Donna Stewart April/08/2016 06:52 PM

This Monday we will be starting our Phase 4-6 Interest Group using the Hurd’s Instructional Library for instruction! I have setup a new section of the website devoted just to this group where you can find the latest programs, cuesheets of dances taught and a location map for Greenboro Community Centre. We will have a dance program, a 40-45 minute set for instruction and a coffee break. Please bring your own coffee/tea cups as we continue our efforts to reduce waste and safe the environment. When you arrive at Greenboro there is an ample parking lot so you should not have issues with parking. Please enter the main entrance and turn left walking down that corridor. You will walk past a reception desk and we will be located in the last room at the end of that corridor on the left side.
As I have mentioned several times, we will be running this on a 5 week trial to see just what interest this type of format may generate. At this point we will definitely be focused more on phases 5 and 4. My general rule here is that if you feel quite comfortable with your phase 4 figures and are looking to increase your exposure to phase 5, this will probably be a good fit for you. Our first teach will be a phase 4+2 rumba to guide us in gently! If you are curious and wonder what we are about, come out and check us out for a week. Capital Carousels understands this is a new concept for our dancers here, but these teaches available through this online service are helping dance clubs who have lost their cuer/instructor and they want to keep current. Dancers are also utilizing this service as well to keep up their skills and keep current if their clubs have closed up. We really aren’t doing anything new here.
Capital Carousels is looking forward to seeing where this may take us! Please join us this Monday! We will see you at 2PM!

Just Around The Corner

Originally posted by Donna Stewart April/02/2016 12:25 PM

Yes, we have a few events which are just around the corner indeed! Coming up first will occur a week from this coming Monday in fact-Monday, April 11! Our 4-6 Interest Group learning some popular international dances being done worldwide through the Hurd’s Instructional Library! We will be learning a dance via video instruction with George and Pam Hurd. This will be shown via a large wall mounted TV in a room large enough for dancing. We will start with some warmup rounds and then run the video, starting and stopping it as we go to practice. The Hurd’s will be demonstrating the entire dance and walking us through the dance in sections as well with good demonstration of the figures. We will also have a break time and some dancing to finish off the program. We will be starting with a 4+2 Rumba which I think you will enjoy. It is a new concept for us, but we will not know how it will work if we don’t try it out! If you feel fairly comfortable dancing at our Wednesday club this might be something you might like to try out! We hope to see you there. Check out our Coming Events section on our website here for the flyer.
Come the end of April, Swing Into Spring will be on the agenda in Prescott! Square and round dancing will be featured with separate halls for both. David Goss and Ulla Figwer will be back with some more excellent dances to teach us! Get your registration in and specify your dance levels you would prefer. All that’ll be left is the dancing! Check out our Coming Events section for the registration form if you still need it!
Our Spring Session is just 4 weeks in length this spring. It will run from the week of Apr 13+14 to May 4+5. On May 11+12 we have a special treat with JL and Linda Pelton, cuer/instructor couple from Dallas, Texas coming to spend a couple of days with us at our clubs. They will be teaching a dance on both days and both of these dances will be able to danced at both clubs. We encourage our dancers to come out to both days, meet JL and Linda and learn some new dances! We will also be having a potluck lunch on Thursday immediately after our dance day at Parkdale. Please bring your favourite potluck dish and let’s enjoy a lovely lunch together! Best news is, although this is not a part of our regular session, it is actually cheaper! We ask for $5 per person for both days! What’s not to like!
And lastly, our 2015-2016 Dance Season closes on Wednesday, May 18 with our final dance of the season-open to both our Wednesday and Thursday club members. All dancing and a short meeting in between. More talk of this dance to come!
As you can see, we have lots still to come in our season. Please check the front stage area for flyers of upcoming events. We have lots that will be happening after our dance season ends even. Keep your dance shoes handy! You will be needing them!

Tags: Hurds Instructional Library, 4-6 Interest Group, Swing Into Spring 2016, JL and Linda Pelton

Snowbird Returning!

Originally posted by Donna Stewart April/02/2016 11:52 AM

Yes, it is that time of year again when we expect our snowbirds to return to the roost. Some have been gone all winter and some have taken a few weeks here and there, but we expect all will be coming back to roost very soon. We look forward to seeing our friends again! Finding out what wonderful adventures they have been on and also finding out about any dancing they have been doing. We will all have some news to swap in any case!
For those of you returning this week, our workshops on both days will be brand new dances and both chas! Pat will have returned from sunny California and will be refreshed so she and John can begin their teach on this new and very popular cha on Wednesday! It is a very nice dance and certainly has been on my list of dances I have wanted to learn! Donna and John will be starting a cha as well on Thursday and we will also be reviewing some basic concepts about dancing cha and incorporating that into our teach over the next couple of weeks. We have been so pleased to be getting such positive feedback on “reviewing the basics” recently and will keep on the bandwagon with that throughout this teach.
According to the almanac, we can probably expect one more blast of cold before the warm weather and spring take hold for good. Nothing like a cha cha to get all those good endorphins flowing and positive energy spread about on the dance floor! Look forward to seeing the whole gang back in the coming weeks!

Take Note!

Originally posted by Donna Stewart March/24/2016 09:15 PM

We all seemed to have come through St. Patrick’s Day unscathed and this week it was back to business and continued work on our workshops on both days. On Wednesday, we continued work on the phase 4 quickstep called “The Truth About Love” and began learning the chasse weave. For the first night of learning that figure, Donna and John were very impressed at how well everyone did! You walked the figure very well and this coming week we will dance it even more to music than this past week. To keep the momentum going and as promised, here are a few notes on the chasse weave:
It is a 4 measure figure which begins in closed position diagonal line and centre, with our lead feet free. To make it easier we have broken it up into 2 parts—First part-turn left and chasse to banjo and step back. Second part-step back-turn left and chasse to banjo and step forward. The figure will end in banjo facing diagonal line and wall-lead feet free. The timing for the figure is S-QQS-S-S-QQS-S. Remember-TRAIN THE BRAIN. Remember the sequence and it’ll take you far. Again, check out the videos of either Boogie Bumper or Almost Like Being In Love for reference. Next week, we will take about 5-10 minutes prior to coffee break to review and dance to music for the chasse weave. That worked well this past week for the running back locks so John and I have decided to try that approach again this week. Great work gang!
We also had a good session on Thursday working on rise and fall in waltz! It was great to see the wave action throughout the dance floor of our dancers putting rise and fall into practice while dancing. You really had some extra sparkle this week gang! Great job! We will continue to work on rise and fall this coming week as we work on Part B and the Ending of “The Girl With The Sun In Her Hair”. The cue sheet is now posted on the website if you would like to download it.
Looking forward to a great week next week everyone! Have a great Easter wherever you may be celebrating!