Toronto English Country Dance Assembly
Dance Experiences
Summer Assembly 2015
June 27, 2015
By Maxine Louie
On Saturday, June 27, Toronto English Country Dance Assembly sponsored the first multi
English Country Dance get together in southern Ontario. Altogether there were 9 callers
who came, from Spencerville in the east to Guelph in the west. The original invitation
extended to London, Owen Sound and parts further south, a 2 hr driving radius from
Toronto.
Despite horrendously unsummer–like weather, we had a good turnout of dancers and
callers. Those who came were treated to a delicious refreshment of strawberry
shortcake, using Ontario strawberries in their prime, real whipped cream, and home
made biscuits.
The idea of the Assembly came out of seeing the international folk dancers getting
together a few times a year, with several clubs getting together for a meal and dance. I
had also been to dances in Rochester where several local and out of country (ie
Canada) callers each called a dance.
This project stemmed from my project concocted at Puttin’on the Dance in March, 2015 in
Ottawa.
Marianne’s Dance
April 17, 2015
Maxine Louie
Toronto English Country Dance Assembly (TECDA) has been dancing Friday nights over
the last 3-4 years, gradually growing into a vibrant community of enthusiastic dancers.
In the winter of 2014, Marianne van Ooijen, one of our dancers who is a retired but very
active professional costumer, said she wanted to celebrate her 55 years in Canada with a
Regency dance, and that she would sew 10 new dresses and some vests, for dancers
who did not have Jane Austen style dance outfit. We thought this exceedingly generous
on her part, and came up with a plan to have the recipients of the outfits to donate
towards the dress up dance, as well as charging a nominal fee to cover costs.
Over the next 6 months, she sewed 12 dresses and 8 vests, all individually fitted and
none the same.
On April 17, Marianne’s Dance was held at our dance hall at Ralph Thornton Centre, a
neo classical building designed in 1913 as a post office and now a City of Toronto
community centre.
Marianne’s guests included family, dancers from other dance organizations who
Marianne befriended prior to joining TECDA, as well as our own group. Cathy Campbell
called. Live music provided by Kevin Budd and Daev Clysdale. Marianne’s ally in
costumes, Sarah Boutillier, offered her photography services, Peggy W. organized the
dining experience, and many other volunteers helped make the evening run smoothly.
We hope to make this an annual event. If you happen to be in Toronto on a Friday night,
please come dance with us.
A Tropical English Country Dance Vacation
Maxine Louie
For those who are just getting into the swing of English country dancing, there are
weekend dances, and there are week long dances where one can dance ECD every day
7 days in a row.
On Jan. 27, 2015 I flew the very early American Airline flight to Miami, and from there to
St. Croix, US Virgin Islands for a tropical dance vacation, located at Sugar Beach, just
outside of Christiansted. George Marshall organizes these vacations, with contra
dancing every year, and ECD every other year. About 80 dancers, mostly from the US,
with me from Toronto, Mirzda from Hamilton, and Gary and Heather from London,
Ontario, along with 15 support staff, attended this year. These dances started about 24
years ago, according to our roommates from the Philidelphia area , and they have come
to almost all of them. I attended the ECD week 4 years ago, and was astonished to find
that over 70% of dancers are repeat attendees.
At Sugar Beach, a huge outdoor pavilion, with very danceable sprung wood flooring,
topped with a huge blue awning . open on the sides to allow the ocean breezes to waft
though, is set up by the staff a week before the dance starts.
This year the callers were Bruce Hamilton and Brad Foster, with music by Bare
Necessities. Daily morning ECD classes from 9 to 10:15 with lots of tips on fine tuning
the dances, start the day.
There are many activities to fill the rest of the day, including snorkeling at the nearby tire
reef, reading on the beach or airy balconies, walking the beach and over to the Princess
Estates, a visit to town to shop (and where the dancers go wild over the cool dance
dresses, skirts and shirts at Island Tribe and other stores). One can also choose to visit
Buck Island Underwater National Park on a snorkelling trip (with equipment and lessons),
a guided bike tour on the other side of the island (not too hot as the ocean breezes make
one very comfortable), guided island tours, visits to the aviary rehab centre, and even
gourmet Crucan cooking lessons. There are guided kayak tours along Salt River, the site
of Columbus landing in the New World in the 1490’s, as well as night time bioluminescent
water tours (when not too windy).
This photo is from our bike tour, at the site of a sea turtle nesting beach.
There are numerous snorkelling sites on the island, Cane Bay being one that I visited this
year, athough the tire reef near Sugar Beach has a great assortment of fishes, manta
rays, barracudas and octopus.
Dinners are included nightly, with excellent food from local restaurants, and with amazing
post dance snacks (both healthy, sweet, savory and sinful). Evening dances are from
7:30 to 10:30, and never a repeated dance. It is lovely to walk up to the pavilion, lit up in
the dark field. The dance culture is that partners are changed after every dance, so
ample opportunity to dance with almost everyone.
The vision as one walks up to the pavilion. The night skies, the temperature are all
wonderful, considering the frigid temperatures and snows back home.
Beginning of the evening dance.
Brad Foster with Bare Necessities.
There are also extracurricular activities: yoga every morning, 2 sessions of 8 couple
squares, gospel sing on Sunday morning, and I led a daily Qigong (Chinese exercise
routine) session .
My Qigong class in assorted poses.
Our accommodations were beach side, and it was very relaxing to fall asleep with the
ocean sounds and breezes, and to have coffee with the palm trees just beyond the patio.
My view with my morning coffee. And yes, that is a hammock just outside.
All in all, a great vacation, with a good variety of activities , great dances, great dancers,
great music and great calling.
Regarding the dances we did, I think we will receive a list in the near future, but we did
do The Introduction, Terpsichorante, Juice of Barley, Newcastle, and many more.
In 2016, there will be an ECD week in Hawaii, March 8-15, and then a repeat year in
2017 with first an ECD week, followed by a contra week.
About 27 of the dancers stayed for both weeks this year.
Toronto English Country Dance Assembly
In the Media
Articles about TECDA in the CDSS News
(Country Dance & Song Society):
Fall 2017: News from Canada: ECD Sea
to Sea
Fall 2015: News from Canada: From the
Dining Room to a Summer Assembly
Our History
In November 2011, I went with Cathy
Campbell to Rochester for Thanksgiving
Contra Dance. On Sunday, we attended the
Rochester ECD, which we thoroughly
enjoyed. On the way back, we all lamented
the fact that really, one only danced once a
month in Toronto, and that we didn’t dance
the level of ECD that we found elsewhere.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had a weekly
dance, where we could build on our dance
skills.
Cathy Campbell offered to do the calling,
but we didn’t have a hall to dance in.
Eventually, I offered my living and dining
room on Friday nights starting in March
2012. Hence, our first name was Toronto
Friday Night English Country Dance. It was
fun having a house party, but it was not
spacious enough. We danced outdoors in
the summer at Withrow Park mostly, but it
was always iffy weather wise.
In October 2012, Bob Tarjan found and
secured us a spot at Ralph Thornton
Centre, where we have grown from groups
of 8-10 to 20-30. We have been very
fortunate to have this lovely space year
round.
-- Maxine