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DanceFlurry News & Calendar
March, 2023
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As many have already heard, the Winter Roots festival on Feb 25-27 provided a joyous and successful return to large-scale community dancing, while at the same time much lower than expected at-the-door ticket sales caused a large financial loss, contributing to the need to cancel the Spring Bloom festival planned for June.
The Festival is undertaking a $100,000 fundraising campaign to rebuild for 2024, and is requesting contributions through their website, GoFundMe page, or by check made out to DanceFlurry Organization and sent to P.O. Box 448, Latham, NY 12110. We are immensely grateful to the hundreds of donors who have already pitched it at whatever level was possible (over $60,000 raised or pledged so far!) and are confident that with your continued support we will be able to ensure the return of the festival in 2024.
You can read more about the decision to cancel Spring Bloom, find links to festival photos and videos, and see preliminary reporting on Covid cases after the festival (spoiler: not many!) on our Q&A page.
Special thanks to the Festival Committee and the hundreds of other volunteers who oversaw or contributed to the smooth festival operations, and all those who went above and beyond in this difficult year to make Winter Roots a reality!
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Join the DanceFlurry Board! | |
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From the Nominations Chair:
I have served on the DFO board since May 2019. I was invited to join after participating for several years in Family dances, Community/Barn dances, Modern Western Square dancing, International Folk dancing, and English Country Dancing.
Dancing, particularly to live music, is one of my all time favorite things. This is my first time taking on the role of Nominations Chair.
There has been a variety of committees that I have been a part of which have led to meaningful explorations that all boil down to 1 thing: we Love dancing, how can we spread the word to show how much Fun dancing is? Well, folks participating in the DFO board is a concrete way to do so! Are you ready? Come and join us!
Juliana Post-Good (she/her/they)
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With 10 local events, outreach and grant programs, the Flurry Festival, and Adirondack Dance Weekend, DanceFlurry has a lot of balls to juggle! Our Board members, both local and remote, keep it all in the air by working with other volunteers to initiate, promote, and oversee all these programs, and we're proud of their work!
There's room for more on our team, and we can benefit from your skills and insights! Learn about the DFO Board and how you can join us at https://www.danceflurry.org/get-on-the-board/, or click on the image above to view and download the nomination materials. Applications due April 1 for the cycle beginning June 2023.
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Board Spotlight: Lauren Keeley, Community Culture and Media Chair | |
I joined the DFO Board in 2012 primarily to serve as a point of contact for the Albany Lindy & Blues event that had just had its first successful run in 2011. I remember meeting in person for several years and always enjoyed the potluck dinners provided beforehand. As the ALB events became pretty routine, I took on other roles on the Board such as establishing the first grant program called DF-YO! which provided funding up to $500 for youth events in the area. It was later expanded to include Adults with Disabilities and we even provided some youth/Adult with disabilities scholarships to Flurry Festival a few times.
I've stayed on the Board for over 10 years because I feel it's important to have an active role in the hobbies/interests you participate in. I've felt a great sense of satisfaction in being able to participate in meetings and taking on new challenges, most recently as the head of Media Management and the Community Culture Committee which strives to create an inclusive environment for all of our participants through our Culture of Consent policies. The DFO is such a valuable and important non-profit for the larger music and dance community and participating in meetings and email correspondence seems like the least I can do to keep these valuable arts programs alive.
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I'd encourage others to join the Board or get involved in the various committees (some of which are open to members/the public) because you can make a real difference and help shape the direction that things go in. It's one thing to make a comment at our local events or on social media, but another to be truly active in creating meaningful changes, and I think everyone has something to contribute to our mission. | | | |
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Safer Spaces Ambassadors
The Safer Spaces Ambassadors program is up and running for our local events, but we need more volunteers to serve in this important capacity! The ambassador's role is to welcome new dancers, facilitate the comfort and participation of all involved, and uphold our Culture of Consent policies. If you're a regular at a DFO event and are interested in volunteering as an Ambassador, please fill out this form and we'll get in touch with next steps and training.
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Join the Contra or Swing Carpooling Groups
If you attend/want to attend the local Albany Contradance or 1st Friday Swing
dance, you can now join a Google email group to arrange carpools!
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You'll be able to send messages to all group members, requesting or offering rides. Group members are responsible for arranging their own rides and assessing the comfort and safety of their carpool arrangements. Email carpool@danceflurry.org to be added directly if you don't have a google account or are having trouble joining a group. | | |
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(Click event title
for details)
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Connect Online Join a Facebook group to chat about local dances, arrange carpools, and share your photos and videos:
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Have an idea for an event? Receive a stipend of up to $500 to help fund a new event that brings traditional music or dance to the community. We offer grants for community events for the general public and for events geared toward families. We can also assist with start-up suggestions, or help find a band/instructor. Click for details. | |
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Please renew or begin your DFO Membership! The membership year runs from January through December.
Benefits include:
- discounted admission to dances
- opportunity to attend board meetings and serve on committees
- reduced-price tickets to the Flurry Festival
- the joy of supporting your local dance community and supporting our grants programs!
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Choose your level of support, or make a donation.
Thank you!
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Follow us on Facebook for event updates, media, and to connect with other dancers | | | | |
