ARCHIVES CENTER DIRECTOR - DICK & JUDY SEVERANCE

One of the pleasures of volunteering at the SDFNE is evaluating and accepting the many offers of gifts to our collection. Individuals and organizations have been giving memorabilia, books, magazines, publications, club histories, photos, scrapbooks, music records, square dance clothing and jewelry and numerous square dance related items. We receive gifted items weekly. Because space is now limited we are using discretion in what we now accept. placing considerable emphasis on criteria such as historical significance, educational value and research value, that primarily tells the square dance story. The motive for anyone to give to our collection is safekeeping and sharing.

To this end we will keep the items safe and make them accessible to the public. For your generous donation in the past to our collection, we thank you for your continued trust and support. The Square Dance Foundation of New England is an independent nonprofit organization. All of the costs to house our collectibles and the program and services we offer are made possible by membership and contributions by people like you.

Our work sessions for 2007 will take place on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month and the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month. If you plan to attend contact us in advance in the event that there may be a last minute scheduling change for various reasons. The sessions take place at the Archive Center located at 250 Commercial Street, Manchester, NH on the 2nd floor of the Waumbec Mill building next to the Mill-A-Round Dance Center. Each session begins at 10am and runs no later than 4pm. Bring your lunch. These are fun times as we sort through and reminisce about our history. Discover treasure after treasure that brings back precious moments.

We need volunteers to complete the organization, listing and cataloging of our square dance collection.

As another year begins we could use all the volunteer help we can get. Our record collection, books, magazines, and convention materials are all catalogued. Many have been organized by subject matter and filed. We have completed the cataloging and storing of our Club Courtesy Banners and have rearranged our administrative area for greater efficiency. As Archive Director, I can tell you that our library associates consisting of myself, Dick and my wife Judy Severance (magazines), Art & Marge Dugas (Convention & Magazines), Anna & Mil Dixon (Clothing), Paul & Pat Channel (caller research), Al & France Rouff (music records), Tammy Dorris (books) continue to do an outstanding job.

We welcome the donation of any dance related collectible item from any source. All such donations are acknowledged in writing. The Library/Museum Committee has full control and authority over the collection. The Committee is responsible for the organization, display, record keeping, disposition, and storage of materials.

July 2008

 

English Country Dancing

England

John Playford

1623-1686

Mr. Isaac, a younger contemporary of Playford, is credited with the introduction of country dancing to the court of Louis XIV. Isaac was closely associated with the English taught Queen Anne as a young princess and after 1702 he became the unofficial royal dance master. In 1706 he published a notation titled Chorographie Fewillet's on dance encouraged by the popularity of English Country dances migrating to France which included French contra dances until the late 18^th century.

The English Dancing Master is regarded as the oldest printed source for contra dancing and several other formations that are direct ancestors to square dancing. It is made up of Longways for eight ( 4 couples), Rounds for eight (4 couples),Rounds for as many as will (any number of couples), For four (two couples facing) and Square Dance.