Danebod

I just got back from a week at 'Danebod Family Camp', in Tyler, MN. This is something we've been going to since 1996 - it's always a lot of fun, but is a bit hard to explain - the Danebod web site has a brief description: http://danebod.org/aboutus.html

This year, I was in charge of the folk band - there were four days of 'rehearsals' plus playing for dances. Most of the key people don't actually rehearse, since we do mostly the same dance tunes every year. However, a number of people who hadn't played with the folk band before showed up and I tried to go over tunes that we might play in a dance that day or evening. During the dances, Dave (who is the 'founder' of the band and a dance caller), did most of the work setting tempos and determining when we cut off, etc. For the most part I'm playing mandolin or banjo in the middle of it all, so it doesn't really work to 'conduct'.

The family dance on Wednesday at 8:00 pm was the 'official' time for the 'family' band to play and I think most people who showed up at rehearsal were on stage at one time or another. Lynn said she counted 15 at one point. (Usually 6 or 7 is sufficient). Our band name that night was 'Bob and his extremely large orchestra'.

I also conducted some extra rehearsal for the 'advanced' band which played for the Wednesday late night dance (about 10:15-11:30 pm). The dances Wednesday were called by Robin, a caller that we've worked with at Tapestry and other venues. She calls mostly contra dances, so we were using tunes from the Danebodium repertoire. Ken, Lynn, Daniel and I (the official members of Danebodium) were all there - plus Peter played guitar on most pieces and Neal played guitar on a few others. Paul played bodhran and Valerie played on a couple of the sets. I received many positive comments on the music and dances for that night and it sure looked like everyone dancing was having a good time.

I'll probably be leader of the band for a couple of more years. I'm thinking of reviving the practice of sending out 'family band' music ahead of time, probably starting with 'classics' rather than new music. It would be nice to do some coordination ahead of time with whomever is doing the family or barn dance on Wednesday. The idea is that newbies would be invited to play on the 'classics' tunes, but should plan to dance on other tunes. Yes, Virginia, there are times when newbies play on tunes that they are not quite up to speed on (both this year and previous). Of course, with an all-volunteer band, you can't really 'enforce' these kinds of rules, but you can offer 'suggestions'.

A big deal for me this year was actually dancing (when the band wasn't playing). For the last two years I've been nursing a pulled leg muscle and although I still limp a bit ( I officially have arthritis in my right hip), I was able to dance for pretty much as long as I cared to. Shira taught 'Turkish Kiss' the first night at late-late night dancing. This is an Israeli line dance that has become a camp classic. Shira's dances are complicated: usually with 3 major sections each of which contain several elements - (for both your arms and legs). Since she did a step-by-step set of instructions I was sort of able to get it. This encouraged me enough to attend her dance workshop on Tuesday morning where I sort of learned two of her new dances. Of course I couldn't do this independently nor did I do all the steps and arm movements perfectly, but I did dance these dances whenever they came up and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The key of course, is to watch Shira or one of the young folk (usually a young woman) and do what they do. In addition from going from 0 to 3 Shira dances, I also learned the 'Salsa' (which was taught last year) and a new dance by Dave (officially called Broken Horse or some such, but we called it the counting dance - you keep switching partners by counting up to 4).

It was Lynn's turn to 'play hurt' - she's been in physical therapy for her shoulder (too much piano playing this winter) -then the Friday before we left she developed a 'floater' in her eye (she called the opthamologist on call on Saturday who assured it was part of the normal aging process ). Then on Sunday, as we were packing, she stubbed her toe - when the swelling subsided on Wednesday, she also was pretty she had broken it (and stopped dancing on it!). Still, like a few other things, an imperfect week at Danebod sure beats the hell out of not going.

She did comment that I looked to be thoroughly enjoying myself. I do believe that part of it was that we were so busy performing prior to going, that I had didn't have any time to set up any expectations. There are some people who anticipate events like these and set themselves up for disappointment - often, they expect some mystical, magical, transcendent experience that reality can never match. (I am usually but not always immune from this type of behavior.) This year, my focus was on several 'big' bob-i-lynn performances culminating in the MBOTMA homegrown kickoff at the beginning of June and a performance at the Stonearch festival the day prior to leaving for camp. I thus had zero time to think about the ideal Danebod experience before we were on the road on Sunday. Not sure if I can manage it every year, but its a good wapproach to take. I also think that my emerging 2nd (or is it 3rd) career as a working musician means that more of my everyday life is Danebod-like and I'm not looking at it as a point of salvation for an otherwise crappy life (lets hope I can keep that attitude as well).

In any event, by the last dayI was ready to go home and sleep in my own bed (with only a few feet to the bathroom).