What's New

• 5/5/08: The CDSS Board Meeting is coming up. I'll be presenting to the Board about this new position, and fielding their questions about my work.
• 4/26/08: I attended NEFFA where I danced with people I haven't seen in years, hung out at the CDSS booth and participated in Julia and Brian's "Contra Dance: The Next Generation" discussion. Brian and Julia have many useful ideas about promoting dance events on college campuses and making dances accessible to young people. I'll post some of their notes soon...
• 4/19/08: I attended the Dandelion Romp at Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH. This incredible festival is organized by the Oberlin Contra Club, a group of students with strong ties to CDSS and Pinewoods. I facilitated a discussion about young people in contra dance, and recruited some eager volunteers to help develop Starter Kits for college contras and Morris teams.

Projects

Ethan is working on a number of projects, including:

• Starter Kits: Let's say you want to start a brand new contra dance on your college campus, or a Rapper team at your high school. We want to provide you with everything you need to do it, and do it well. A Starter Kit from CDSS will be a package of materials, resources, contacts, and supplies that will take you through the whole process. If you have experience organizing events or groups and want to be involved in creating Starter Kits, get in touch.
• Youth Talent Database: So you got that college dance started, but how will you find a talented, charismatic young caller to lead the next dance? Now that your Rapper team has a few dances under its belt, why not look for a real live teacher to instruct you on a more complex figure? Consult the CDSS youth talent database! We're developing a listing of young people with exceptional talent, those doing important work, people with relevant expertise, and mentors of all ages who are eager to help. If you or someone you know would like to be included in the database, let me know.
• Wandering Youth Guru: As Youth Projects Intern (and in my other life as dance fiddler) I'll be traveling around the US and Canada to dance and music events, looking to make connections with people in different communities, learn about success stories, and offer assistance where possible. If you think I should make an appearance where you live, drop me a line.