[MusicFriends] Dance Flurry Feb 17,18,19

[Howard Blumenthal]

19th Annual DANCE FLURRY FESTIVAL
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- FEBRUARY 17 - 19, 2006
www.danceflurry.org
WHAT: The Dance Flurry is a festival that celebrates music and dance  
from America and around the world -- Swing, Contra & Square, Tango,  
Waltz, Ballroom, African, Balkan, Celtic, Scandinavian and Salsa to  
name a few. Participants come to dance, watch, listen, or participate  
in a variety of workshops and jam sessions. The Flurry is a major  
economic contributor to the City of Saratoga Springs, which has  
embraced the Flurry since 1994.

WHERE: The Flurry takes place in several locations in downtown  
Saratoga Springs. Event headquarters is the City Center and The  
Saratoga hotel. Other locations are Canfield Casino, Saratoga Music  
Hall, the National Museum of Dance, Saratoga Springs Public Library,  
The Parting Glass and Temple Sinai. Free shuttle buses circulate  
around the event venues.

WHEN: President's Day Weekend (three-day extravaganza)
Friday, February 17 -- 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Saturday, February 18 -- 9 a.m. till 2 a.m.
Sunday, February 19 -- 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

ADMISSION PRICES: 2006 PRICES http://www.danceflurry.org/festival2006/ 
Ticketatdoor.html

EVENT SIZE -- ATTENDANCE :

We expect roughly 4,000 attendees, 300 volunteers, and 700 performers  
(which include musicians, dance teachers, callers, and some  
performance dancers).
There are over 200 separate sessions over the course of the weekend  
(most happening on Saturday). These include dance parties, dance and  
music workshops, concerts, dance performances and participatory  
singing & jamming. There are 16 dance parties on Saturday night alone.
FOR WHOM:
Everyone! Attendees come primarily from the Capital District area,  
but many come from the northeastern US and Canada, and even from Europe.
While most people come to dance, many Flurry attendees come to sing,  
play music, listen to music and watch dancing.
Events are geared to all levels, from beginner to experienced. There  
are many workshops for novices (“dance 101” classes) offered all day  
Saturday and Sunday.
Singles and couples enjoy attending the Flurry. This is a community  
dance event where people often switch partners after each dance. Many  
people have met their spouses at the Dance Flurry Festival.
There are events geared toward adults, teens, families and elders.
-- Sessions for families include storytelling, puppet shows,  
concerts, singing, family dances, juggling, and others. -- Sessions  
that teens might enjoy include hip-hop, improv, belly dance, swing,  
African, beatboxing, Irish step, drumming and new games.
Musician workshops and demos for all ability levels: fiddle, vocals,  
wind instruments, banjo, ukulele, piano, guitar, drums and more.
WHAT KIND OF DANCING:

A wide variety of dance forms is offered: Contras, squares, swing,  
tango, waltz, hip-hop, clogging, Salsa, zydeco, belly dance, yoga,  
improv, rock n’ roll, Victorian and more.
Dances from many different cultures: African, Scandinavian, Scottish,  
Celtic/Irish, Israeli, Balkan, English, Cajun, Native American,  
Middle Eastern, French and more.
The Flurry is not about “competitive” ballroom-type dancing; it’s  
about having fun with plenty of opportunities to learn new dances.  
Dress is casual and comfortable. Soft-soled, clean shoes (shoes not  
worn outdoors) are required on dance floors.
After all these years, contra dancing remains the most popular dance  
form. Contra dancing is very easy to learn. If you can walk, count to  
eight, and you know your left from your right, you can learn to  
contra dance.
HIGHLIGHTS:

Some of our 2006 performers:

Airdance -- contra band
Lindy Hop Heaven -- swing dance band
Clayfoot Strutters -- old-time dance band
Adirondack singers and storytellers -- Bill Smith, John Kirk & Trish  
Miller, Joe Bruchac
Genticorum -- sensational French-Canadian trio
Sensemaya -- Latin dance band
Favorite children’s performers -- The Storycrafters, Roger the Jester
Interesting sessions:

To Be Announced
Over the course of the weekend, Dance Flurry participants actively  
embrace and celebrate a variety of cultures from around the world.  
Engaging in other peoples’ cultures while creating one’s own  
community helps us understand and appreciate people who are different  
from us, rather than feeling threatened by them.
The Dance Flurry Festival is sponsored by the Hudson-Mohawk  
Traditional Dances, Inc, a non-profit arts and educational  
organization dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional  
participatory dance and music from the United States and around the  
world.

Contact info:

Doug Haller, Administrative Director
518-581-0171
admindirector at danceflurry.org

Peter Davis, Flurry Program Director
programdirector at danceflurry.org

Chris Eckardt, Publicity
Saul Rigberg, Publicity
518-475-1067
publicity at danceflurry.org