SAVE THE DATE: June 23 at 7 pm David Millstone

If you miss square dancing, plan to immerse yourself in an informative talk by David Millstone about the history of this traditional dance in North America.  It will take place on Wednesday, June 23 at 7 pm, presented by Catskills Folk Connection's series "Catskills Folk Lyceum."  The talk is free and the link will be announced here on Catskills Folk Connection's blog after June 5.  

David Millstone                             Photo by Paul Ross

In Millstone's presentation, "Square Dance: An American Medley," the dance caller and historian will talk about the European sources of square dance's traditional form and figures, regional variations in North America, and the 20th century revival of square dancing,  Using historic movie footage, audio clips, and photographs in this engaging hour-long presentation he will explore the complex history of this dance form that is a vital part of American culture. 

An author and video documentarian, David Millstone has called dances in New England for over 40 years, coordinates The Square Dance History Project, and is a past president of the Country Dance and Song Society.  

Watch here on Catskills Folk Connection's blog to obtain a link to the free presentation, which will be posted after June 5.

Pinkster Resources from WIOX Radio Program May 25, 2021

 I'm happy that so many of you listened to my radio program, Catskills Folk, about the African American festival of Pinkster on WIOX Tuesday night.  Everyone I talked to enjoyed the African drumming and the tradition of "hambone." They wondered where to hear more.  Here are all the resources I offered to share, including the link to the African drumming group you heard on Catskills Folk.  --Ginny Scheer, Folklorist, Catskills Folk Connection.

The Pinkster Festival:

Pulse of the Planet     www.pulseplanet.com

Listen to the series of short podcasts on Pulse of the Planet, a nationally distributed program about the natural and cultural environments.  Under "Daily Programs" look for 2021 and choose the free podcasts for May 13 "Pinkster", May 14 "Hambone", and May 17 "The Slave King".  These were the transcripts I read with the quotes from the SUNY New Palz professor Albert James Williams Myers, and from Keith Johnston and Ron McBee, musicians with Children of Dahomey.

Jalikunda   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZHfmgIb4mc

The group is shown playing at the Monserrat African Music Festival 2013.  I chose this video to represent African drumming because it sounded the most like the drumming on Pulse of the Planet's podcasts.

"Patting Juba"   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BCzIjY-taY&t=307s

A video from the 2009 ACTA Apprenticeship featuring  Danny "Slap Jazz" Barber demonstrates Hambone  for apprentice Sekani Thomas.  His demonstration includes basic rhythmic patterns as well as the song "Juba," which had special meaning among slaves.

Pinkster at Philipsburg Manor  www.hudsonvalley.org

The Pinkster festival is re-enacted every spring at Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, NY.  The virtual presentation from 2020 includes five short videos which show the festival, its history and its cultural context.  You can watch these directly on the website or find them and more on YouTube.

    A History of Pinkster

    Embracing Tradition

    Music, Dance & Celebration

    [Food:]  Make Your Own Akara Black-eyed Pea Fritters 

            Recipe: download from video.

    [Textiles:] Make Your Own Adinkra Stamps  

            Instructions: download from video.

Dyckman Farm Pinkster Festival   https://dyckmanfarmhouse.org/events/ 

A re-enactment of Pinkster in New York City at 4881 Broadway at 204th Street, Manhattan. It takes place live in-person on May 27 from 6 to 7 pm.  It is free.  Bring your own blankets.

Announcements on Catskills Folk:

Canal Street String Band   www.canalstreetstringband.com

The Grant Rogers Project and the Ogden Library in Walton, NY, are co-sponsoring a virtual concert on Saturday, June 5, at 7 pm featuring the Canal Street String Band with Dave Ruch, Phil Banaszak, and Jim Whitford. They will present a program of Grant Rogers songs and tunes, plus music from Delaware County NY and American favorites.

Catskill Folk Lyceum: The History of Square Dancing   www.catskillsfolkconnection.blogspot.com

The history of square dancing in the northeastern U.S. will be the subject of a virtual talk on June 23, 7 pm, by David Millstone, noted expert on traditional music and dance.  For more information about the link to the virtual talk, consult Catskills Folk Connection's blog after June 5.  

 

 

 

Tonight, 7 pm Tuesday May 25 on WIOX: An African-American Festival

Annual Pinkster Festival at Philipsburg Manor, Sleepy Hollow, NY no on-line.

On tonight's edition of Catskills Folk on WIOX 91.3 FM or www.wioxradio.org, host Ginny Scheer will share information about Pinkster, an important African-American festival held in the Hudson Valley as far north as Albany and as far south as New York City, from the 17th century through the early 19th century.  These days it is re-enacted every year at Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, NY.

Join Ginny as she explores the history, traditions, and folk art associated with Pinkster, explains its unusual name, and tells where you might find a Pinkster Festival this spring.         

 

The Tulsa Race Massacre this Thursday on WIOX

 On May 27, at 7 p.m., Ginny Scheer will join Harry Anifantakis on his WIOX program, Wingin' It, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, one of the most destructive and deadly white riots in the U.S. and one of the least known historical events of the 20th century.  This is the first of a two part program.   On Thursday the hosts will discuss the events of the massacre on May 31 - June 1 one hundred years ago when white gangs stormed the prosperous Black neighborhood of Greenwood, burned it to the ground, killed many residents, and herded others into detention camps. Why did it happen?  In pursuit of this question Harry has researched and will describe the "culture of massacres," a string of white riots in the years that led up to the Tulsa massacre, especially the year of 1919 called "The Red Summer."  

The second part of the program at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8, concerns the aftermath of the massacre and the cover up.  Harry will join Ginny on Catskills Folk to examine the events that followed the so-called riot in Tulsa. the suppression of news and written records about it, Greenwood residents' attempts to re-build and where things stand today in the community.  

Please join us for both parts of the program, May 27 and June 8 at 7 p.m.  It will be broadcast live on WIOX 91.3 FM and streamed live at www.wioxradio.org.  

David Millstone Will Speak on June 23

For an on-line presentation of Catskills Folk Lyceum, David Millstone will talk about the history of traditional dance in the northeastern U.S., especially square dancing.  He is the founder of the square dance history project and is also a contra dance caller in New Hampshire.  The talk will take place on Wednesday June 23 at 7 p.m. on Zoom, and the link will be available by registering at gscheer.mcs@gmail.com.  Watch for more in this space.