2024 Oregon MidWinter Festival

REGISTRATION

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Types of Dance at the Festival

Square Dancing

There are two major types of square dancing; traditional & modern, both are a dance for four couples (eight dancers) arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, facing the middle of the square. A caller will lead the dancers through a variety of dance patterns to the beat of music. Square dances were first documented in 17th-century England but were also quite common in France and throughout Europe. Square Dance came to North America with the European settlers and has undergone considerable development. In some countries and regions, through preservation and repetition, square dances have attained the status of a folk dance (traditional). The Western American square dance (modern), which we dance at the Mid-Winter Festival, may be the most widely known form worldwide, possibly due to its association in the 20th century with the romanticized image of the American cowboy. Square dancing is strongly associated with the United States of America. Nineteen US states have designated it as their official state dance. For a history of square dance, visit: http://squaredancehistory.org

Round Dancing

Round dancing is best described as choreographed, cued ballroom dancing. Round dancing most closely resembles Ballroom Dancing in that it is a couple’s dance danced to a variety of rhythms including Waltz, Foxtrot, Rumba, and many other rhythms. Round dancing differs from free-style ballroom dancing in that each round dance has been fully choreographed ahead of time, and a “cuer” or leader at the front of the ballroom tells the dancers, as they dance, what steps to do as the music plays, and just ahead of the beat, so the dancers have time to respond, the cuer names each dance figure in the choreography. As a consequence, all the dancers on the floor are dancing the same steps at the same time. For more information about round dancing, visit: http://www.rounddancing.net/dance

Clogging

Clogging is a truly American dance form that began in the Appalachian Mountains and now enjoys widespread popularity throughout the United States and around the world. Clogging is a dance that is done in time with the music – to the downbeat usually with the heel keeping rhythm to a sequence of steps to accompany phrases of a popular tune. These steps are performed to a particular song, with step cues prompting the dancers through each section. The cloggers wear shoes that have metal taps or occasionally wooden soles; to enhance the sound of the rhythm. For more information about and a brief history ofClogging, visit: http://websites.iclog.us/What_is_Clogging.html

VENUE

Oregon 2024 Mid-Winter Festival

Committee Members

No Festival can happen without the hard work of many people. This year we had an amazing group that made our job as chairs very easy. They all worked super hard to bring you dancers an amazing festival. Please take a moment if you see one of them around to extend a huge thank you for everything that they have done over the last year! They continue to make this festival a huge success year after year.

Chairman: Connie Seamans
Co-Chair: Julia Buchheit
Advisors: Lisa Kious, Bill & Lisa Coen

OFSRDC 1st Vice President: Karyn (Mathew) Buchheit
Secretary: Linda Neuschwander
Treasurer: Chuck (Sandy) Eddings
Advertising Chairman: Sandy (Chuck) Eddings
Caller Host, Jet Robers: Cheryl (Tim) Hagey
Caller Host, Scott Bennett: Brooke Davison
Ceremonies: Brooke Davison
Clogging program: Rick and Lauri Weidenhaft
Cuer Host: Diane Pratt
Decorations Chair: Terry McCarty
Facebook: Marilyn (Ron) Schmit
Facilities Chairman: Roy (Wendy) Houtz & Frank (Cathy) Dietz
Facilities Co-Chair: Bill Coen
Historian: Gail Jackson
Hospitality: Wendy Houtz, Kim Rynda
Insurance: Ilana Widders
Media Arts: Aaron & Linda Gibbens
Photographer: Blake Smith
Program Book Chairman: Zola Jones, Aaron (Linda) Gibbens
Publicity Chairman: Richard Pluff
Raffle Table Chairman: Celinda Gourley & Terry McCarty
Registration Chairman: Linda Putlzer
Resale Clothing: Sheila Machado
Round Dance Program: Tim Keck & Tami Helms
Sound Chairman: Anthony Egan & Ian Craig
Split the Pot Chairman: Lois and Carl Muck
Square Dance Program: Erin & Darrell Kalmbach
Ticket Booth Chairman: Lin Bowman
Vendor Chairman: Tim (Cheryl) Hagey
Webmaster: Ferrous (Karen) Steinka
Youth Chairman: Karyn (Mathew) Buchheit

Central Oregon Visitation Chair: Lonnie and Marilyn Waak
Emerald Empire Visitation Chair: Connie Seamans
Mid Willamette Visitation Chairman: Marilyn (Ron) Schmit
Portland/ TVC Visitation Chairman: Erin & Darrell Kalmbach
Rogue Sis Q/ Umpqua Visitation Chairman: Carl & Lois Muck
South Coast Visitation Chairman: Patrick & Cherie Cox

Related Websites - Mid-Winter Festival

Mid Winter Square Dance Festival on Facebook
OFSRDC  - Oregon Federation of Square and Round Dance Clubs
Callerlab  - International organization of Callers
Roundalab  - World wide organization for Round Dancers
USDA  - United Square Dancers of America, or USDA, a world-wide group of square dance organizations that provides our liability insurance
ORDTA  - Oregon Round Dance Teachers Association
Ceder.net  - A collection of square dance links
Square Dance Map Links  - Maps to virtually every square dance hall in Oregon and SW Washington
NSDCA  - National Square Dance Camper Association
Square Dance Sewing  - Information about sewing for square dancers