Last year (2010) a group of us younger folks (me, Karina and Laurel Wilson, Lauren Lamont, Mia Bertelli, and Zoe Kelly Linkletter) were invited out to a wonderful camp in California. We had an amazing time and this year Karina and I are on staff teaching couples dance!
BACDS American Dance and Music Week, Sunday-Friday, July 3–8, 2011
Waltz and Scandinavian couples dancing workshop
These series of workshops led by Karina Wilson and Erik Erhardt on couples dances that often accompany an evening of contra dance, such as waltz, Scandinavian, polka, and others, will emphasize connecting with your partner and the music, becoming strong on the basic form of each dance, and developing a vocabulary of moves for variety and play. In the waltz series we will work on form and flow, clear (body) communication with a partner, getting in and out of positions, and stringing moves together into vignettes that delight. In the Scandinavian series we will learn dances to accompany music in quadruple and duple meter (4/4 and 2/2) such as schottische, snoa, and polka, and triple meter (3/4 and 6/8) such as hambo, polska, and mazurka. Each workshop will focus one or two dances. For all dances, those who wish to become more “bidancual” (able to dance both gender roles) are very much encouraged to dance the less familiar role when they wish.
Erik Erhardt instructs couples dancing in New Mexico before weekly contra dances and at dance camps. His years of teaching experience, attention to detail, and ability to provide multiple explanations help the learning dancer understand, connect with the dance, and ultimately dance the dance. Erik also calls contra, English, and squares, and helps create opportunities for youth leadership in the folk dance and music community, and is generally a positive leader on and off the floor.
Growing up the daughter of a caller in the Contra and English Country dance community in the heart of New Mexico, Karina Wilson is not lacking in folk dance and couples dance exposure or knowledge. Formally trained in Haitian, West African, Zimbabwean, and Gumboot, she has tried her hand Latin couples dances, Swing, lindy, blues, Flamenco, afro-brazillian, stilt dance, modern, Balinese, Capoera, and samba. She is the co-choreographer for the Santa fe youth based All Species Day stilt troupe, and for Santa Fe DjunDjun dance. She has taught with the Santa Fe late nighters, a Salsa and swing group, and co-teaches a waltz workshop with Erik Erhardt on a weekly basis. She currently dances with Moria Guinean dance troupe. With over 20 years of Classical violin experience and 15 years of playing for Contra and English country dances, she teaches Violin for the Santa Fe youth symphony and the Santa Fe concert association, and plays for English and Contra in her local and neighboring communities.
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