Newsletter of the

North Alabama Country Dance Society

Established 1982 A Member of the Country Dance & Song Society ***************************************************************************

February 1998 Amanda Kay, editor: akay9@aol.com or 883-7453

NACDS home page: http://www.pobox.com/~bwalls/NACDS.html

This Saturday's "Blue Moon" Dance: Another Chance for Learning & Fun!

Come to Faith Presbyterian this Saturday night, January 31st, for our next fifth-Saturday open-mike dance. They're always fun and surprising, and offer great learning opportunities if you've been nursing a secret desire to play or call at one of our dances. Our "stringer" band this time will be our own spicy, invigorating, inventive & irrepressible Anon (Katrina Coupland, Steve Nix, & Chuck Weber). If you're interested in calling or in playing, please call Harry (772-0820) or Chuck (536-1397), respectively.

Wintry Month of Love Brings Two Lovely Dances to Faith

Our February 7th dance brings back ever-delightful Nashville caller Chrissy Davis-Camp and a marvelous combo, Ed Baggott, Elsie Peterson, Karen Falkowski & Edwin Wilson, for what should be a great dance.

Two weeks later, February 21st will bring the wonderful music of Bob & Cathy White and Curt Lewis and the fine calling of Harry Delugach back to Faith. Hurrah! These are all fine local talents, so mark your calendars!

Weather Alert! In case of snow &/or ice storms, listen to WLRH (89.3 FM), or call Harry Delugach (772-0820) or Bryan Walls (837-0656) to hear whether a dance will be held or not.

We generally dance the first, third, and fifth Saturdays of each month, in the pleasant, spacious gym of Faith Presbyterian Church, located at the southeast corner of Whitesburg Drive and Airport Road, in southeast Huntsville. Each evening begins with a short workshop at 7:00 p.m. for newcomers and anyone wishing to brush up skills; the actual dance commences at 7:30 and ends around 10:30 or so. A donation is requested, to help pay for the hall, bands, & callers, but it's quite a bargain for an evening of good clean fun: $5; or $4 if you're an NACDS member (or related to one), or a member of any out-of-town contra-dance group &/or CDSS, the Country Dance & Song Society; or only $3 if you're 12-18 years old; kids under 12 get in for free. Please bring a drinking cup; soft-soled, non-marking shoes which are clean and grit-free for dancing; and a name button, if you have one!

We are pleased to announce that plans for our big end-of-May DANCE WEEKEND are shaping up. It will be held at the University Center, on the UAH campus, May 29-31, and will feature Robert Cromartie and The String Beings (a fantastic, nationally known North Carolina caller and band) as well as wonderful Nashville caller Chrissy Davis-Camp (who's calling at our Feb. 7 dance) and the acclaimed young Alabama band Vulcan's Britches, who powered our fun Jan. 3rd dance.

It's great to see so many folks pitching in to help out with this big project, and we certainly need lots of hands on deck to make it a success. If you'd like to help, please call Carol Mebane at 883-7016.

Mary Lea Palo, who is coordinating off-campus housing for out-of-towers for the weekend, has the following important message: "If any NACDS members 1) live within 1/2 hour of UAH, and 2) can give good directions to their house, and 3) would be willing to put up out-of-town dancers during the Dance Weekend (bed or sleepingbag space), we want to hear from you!!!" Contact Mary Lea at 881- 9968 or mlpalo@ro.com.

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Recently new & renewing members are Angela Martincak, John B. Stokes, Steve & Joan Cox,

Debbie Clotfelter, Dorothy Best, Mike Dickerson, and Guy Dumas. We're glad you're with us!

Directory additions:

John B. Stokes Angela Martincak Mike Dickerson Guy Dumas

7915-B Charlotte Dr. 6 Curtis Road 1617 Cullom St. 1053 Babe Wright

Huntsville, AL 35802 Fayetteville, AL 37334 Birmingham, AL 35205 Grant, AL 35747

882-2360 (615)732-4154 (205)933-8900 (205)728-7913 MPDISME@aol.com

If this newsletter arrived at your correct address, you have Chuck Weber (along with the p.o.) to thank: Chuck, who is NACDS President, maintains our membership database and updates the mailing label list each month, printing it up for me so that a newsletter has YOUR name on it; thanks, Chuck.

LOST: If you found a camera and/or its pouch, please call Natasha: 880-8740 or NBK4@aol.com.

LET ME KNOW, please, about anything you'd like to see in this newsletter (including corrections)!

You can usually dance English & early American every Monday night in Nashville, at the Cohn Adult Learning Center Library (4805 Park Ave.). It's great practice for the Playford Ball, a lovely, gracious dance tradition (& a great way to expand your fantasy life, especially if you're a Jane Austen fan!). Call John at (615) 385-1493 to confirm, or for details.

ALSO... Atlanta's Chattahoochee Country Dancers have dances every week, if you're over that way. For details,

consult their web page (www.mindspring.com/~thxnc/dance.html) or call Janet Shepherd: (404)636-1207.

Be sure to check the array of fliers at our dances for information, especially on events further afield.

Join us -- or renew your membership (check your mailing label's date) -- by sending $8 (payable to me, please!) to the address below. You'll receive this monthly newsletter, and you and each of your family members will receive a one-dollar discount on admission to each of our regular dances.

More Info About Some Other Groups and Their Dances...

The Birmingham Country Dance Society (BCDS) has fine monthly dances, which they now hold in the Fellowship Hall of South Highland Presbyterian Church, located at the corner of 21st St. S. & Highland Ave., near B'ham's Five Points South. Contact newsletter editor Joyce Cauthen (jcauthen@waonline.com) or president Kathy Hinkle (205-591-1730) for more info.

The Cajun/Zydeco Connection of Huntsville hosts a dance each second & fourth Wednesday downtown at Gorin's Cafe (101 Washington St.), 7-9 p.m., with good taped music. C/ZC brings various fun dancing, concerts, and workshops to town, as well as serving as a liaison for events all over the region. Get on their mailing list by calling Rebecca Zurn at 882-2627.