"Cracking Chestnuts" was a column that grew out of an exciting gathering in Syracuse, NY in March of 2004, when a group of interested callers spent a day together looking at some favorite contra chestnuts. The column ran in the CDSS News, newsletter of the Country Dance and Song Society. It first appeared in the July/August 2004 issue with a look at the dance Devil's Dream, and ended with an article about Chorus Jig in the May/June 2007 issue. Here is part of what I wrote to introduce the column:
We live in a time of great choreographic creativity. Many talented authors are creating a near constant stream of new and interesting dance sequences. However, while many of these dances are just wonderful, I am increasingly convinced of the value of much of our older repertoire as well. Chestnuts add variety and interest to a dance program, and also seem particularly well suited to promoting satisfying and excellent dancing.
The column was my attempt to take a fresh look at some of my favorite old dances. The content was meant to be more accessible than scholarly. I tried to present each dance in a way that told the reader something about its character, and sensitized readers to details about dance that were important to me. I also tried to have a bit of fun as I wrote.
Please do not hesitate to send me feedback about any of the columns below. I enjoyed learning more about the chestnuts in the process of writing about them, and would welcome learning even more from you! What is your experience with any of the dances below?
I also wrote the following column near the end of the series:
And related to the series, the News ran these great background pieces by David Millstone:
Finally, you may wish to track down David Millstone's fine article in the May/June 1999 issue of the CDSS News about the one of my favorite chestnuts, Sackett's Harbor.
This page last updated 5-15-07