The CommonWealth Dance Collective
The CommonWealth Dance Collective is a percussive dance ensemble based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
25/09/2024
19/09/2024
Update: canceled due to rain
Weather permitting, on Tuesday, October 1 we're planning to hold our weekly practice outside at the Monument Park gazebo in downtown Dexter. Come by to say hi and check out what we're up to, and enjoy the tunes Nate Jacobson plays for us while we're practicing and rehearsing! We'll be there from approximately 5-6:30pm.
Ann Arbor Rec & Ed registration opens tomorrow for Fall classes! Emily is volunteering again this Fall and will be teaching a Beginning Appalachian Clogging class on Saturdays at 2pm, open to teens and adults. For more details, visit:
25/07/2024
Bring your friends and family to enjoy these performances with us:)
Ann Arbor Morris – Morris Dancing since 1976 Home Once upon a time…there was an annual “Ann Arbor Medieval Festival,” a community event which featured many types of performances including plays, music, combat, and dancing. One year (1976) as the festival came to a close, the members of the Morris dance group said to one another, “We’...
24/07/2024
This Friday, July 26, we'll be performing at Crossroads Village in Flint, MI with Neil Woodward, Suzanne, and Jim. We hope to see you there!
20/07/2024
Another dance we performed last weekend at the Michigan Celtic Festival was a dance that was shared with us by the UK based ensemble Raise the Dust Appalachian Dancers. We love the way modern technology has enabled us to communicate with, share with, and learn from other groups and dancers we have yet to meet in person. No Notes is an a capella Appalachian clogging dance choreographed by Raise the Dust, which we perform with their permission. You'll notice the way the sounds and rhythms of the front and back lines complement each other and the fun, creative footwork throughout the dance:
No Notes @ Michigan Celtic Festival 2024 - Appalachian clogging Members of the CommonWealth Dance Collective perform No Notes at the Saline Celtic Festival 2023. No Notes is an a capella Appalachian clogging dance choreog...
17/07/2024
If you missed our performance this weekend at the Michigan Celtic Festival (our 21st year performing at this annual festival!) -- or if you were too hot to take it all in 🌞 -- we've posted videos from the show on our YouTube channel for your viewing pleasure. Special thanks to Ruby Miller for designing our beautiful backdrop and to her husband Mike for his skills as videographer and rehearsal manager:) And thank you to our musicians for the lovely music to inspire our dancing: Myron Grant, Susie Lorand, Nate Jacobson, and Sam Jacobson.
This was our second time performing Triplicity, a traditional Appalachian clogging dance designed for three dancers. It was created by combining two Appalachian clogging dances together: Triplets, choreographed by Penny Allen, and the last third of the CDC dance SOS, choreographed by Sheila Graziano and Adam Wheeler. The CDC received permission from the UK based group Crooked Moon Appalachian to use Triplets in our repertoire 💕, and we think it pairs perfectly with the 3-person portion of our dance SOS to make Triplicity. We hope you enjoy:
Triplicity @ Michigan Celtic Festival '24 - Appalachian clogging Emma, Sheila, and Emily of the CommonWealth Dance Collective perform Triplicity at the Michigan Celtic Festival 2024. Triplicity was created by combining two...
Issac of the Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic will be joining us for our performance this Saturday at 4pm at the Michigan Celtic Festival. He will be performing the Marley Soft Shoe with Sheila and Emma, which is a historical dance from the Vaudeville era, passed down from Anna Marley to Tony Barrand and Kari Smith to Sheila. Sheila and Adam Wheeler are continuing to preserve these dances through their grant funded Marley Project, as well as teach them to more dancers.
You can read more about the interesting Marley history in the following essay by the late Tony Barrand and Kari Smith:https://midwestmorrisale.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/vol23no3.pdf
For more information about this weekend's Michigan Celtic Festival, visit:
https://www.mi-celtic.org/workshops
Thank you to our musicians Myron Grant, Susie Lorand, Nate Jacobson, and Sam Jacobson!
03/07/2024
Yesterday was our first rehearsal with our musicians as we prepare for the Michigan Celtic Festival. Thanks so much to AACTMAD for allowing us to rehearse in the Concourse Hall!
Our musicians this year are Susie Lorand, Myron Grant, Nate Jacobson, and Sam Jacobson.
As a reminder, the CommonWealth Dance Collective will be performing on Saturday, July 13 at 4pm on the Dublin Stage. We also recommend the Participatory Contra on Friday at 6pm in Building G; the Percussive Step Dance workshop on Saturday at 2pm on the Dublin Stage; and the Sean Nos workshop on Saturday at 3pm on the Dublin Stage -- led by our members Maeve Devlin, Sheila Graziano, and Meagan McGee respectively.
For more information, visit:
https://www.mi-celtic.org/workshops
26/06/2024
Corgis and The CommonWealth Dance Collective -- you really can have it all at the Michigan Celtic Festival.
The CDC will be performing on Saturday, July 13 at 4pm on the Dublin Stage. We also recommend the Participatory Contra on Friday at 6pm in Building G; the Percussive Step Dance workshop on Saturday at 2pm on the Dublin Stage; and the Sean Nos workshop on Saturday at 3pm on the Dublin Stage -- led by our members Maeve Devlin, Sheila Graziano, and Meagan McGee respectively.
For more information, visit:
https://www.mi-celtic.org/
Online registration is now open for the beginning Appalachian Clogging course offered this summer through Ann Arbor Rec & Ed. You can enroll online here:
13/05/2024
Emily is volunteering this summer for Ann Arbor Rec & Ed to teach a beginning Appalachian clogging class! If you know someone in the area who is interested in learning to clog, registration begins May 21:
https://www.aarecedonline.com/
Brad Phillips, Saline Fiddler alumnus (and local treasure!) will be presenting a talk / demo about some of the different styles of traditional fiddle music: Bluegrass, American old-time, Irish, Quebecois, Scottish, Cape Breton, Cajun, and more.
When embarking on a journey to learn / play traditional tunes, it can be difficult to discern one style from another. Brad will help us understand the different genres by discussing the nuances of tunes from different parts of our country and beyond.
The workshop is open to anyone who would like to learn how to recognize and delineate these oft-confusing styles of music. Not just for those who play fiddle, the workshop is to help inform any interested musician, and anyone else who is simply curious. Dancers will glean plenty of useful information from this as well.
Brad is a faculty member of the U/M Music, Theater and Dance program, a sound designer / performer for the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea (MI), has a thriving performance life, is a first-pick accompanist for actor / musician Jeff Daniels, and is fresh off a tour with theater legend Patti LuPone, which took him to the stage of Carnegie Hall (!), and many other sold-out shows. He’s as comfortable with Celtic music as he is with jazz; what a fun afternoon this will be, as he takes us on a tour of the many ways to be involved in fiddling!
Date/time: Sunday, May 5th / 2 p.m. / Saline, MI
DM Sheila Graziano for location information.
There’s no set admission for this, pay what you can, if you can, and if things are tight, come anyway! Sponsored by The Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic; we want you to come, learn, and enjoy!
18/03/2024
😆 Thanks for sharing McCartney Irish Dance -- "it's funny because it's true" lol.
😆
28/02/2024
The CommonWealth Dance Collective is offering a 12-week Appalachian clogging workshop session starting Thursday, March 14. (If there is interest among students in continuing beyond one course, we will continue to offer more sessions in the future.)
The beginner course is designed for anyone interested in learning Appalachian clogging. It will be held on Thursdays from 6-7pm at Gretchen's House Oak Valley (2340 Oak Valley Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48103).
The cost is $120 for the 12-week course. We believe strongly in equal access to dance education, so please let us know if you need help with a payment plan, sliding scale, or scholarship.
(We will also be offering a 12-week Continuing course on Thursdays from 7:15-8:15pm for students currently completing the beginner course or who have relevant percussive dance experience.)
Enroll virtually at: paypal.me/tradstepper
Questions? Email: [email protected]
https://cwdcollective.wixsite.com/cwdc
📸: Meaghan Blanchard Photography
23/02/2024
Thank you, Nate Jacobson, who played for us at a recent showcase we had at the AACTMAD Second Saturday NexGen Contra Dance. 👏
PUG @ Concourse 'Tweener, Feb. '24 - Appalachian clogging - CommonWealth Dance Collective Four members of the CommonWealth Dance Collective, accompanied by Nate Jacobson on fiddle, perform PUG at the AACTMAD Concourse Hall 'Tweener, February 2024....
Are you interested in a beginner or a continuing Applachian clogging class in Ann Arbor? We are looking ahead toward March and want to hear from you if so.
26/01/2024
All sorts of interesting things to do in the Ann Arbor Observer. Save the date: February 10!
17/01/2024
Calling aspiring Fiddlers!
Pre-audition workshop this Sunday, January 21st, 3 pm at The 109 Cultural Exchange!
13/01/2024
On Tuesday, Meaghan of Meaghan Blanchard Photography came to our rehearsal and really captured the energy, spirit, and joy of our group.
You can view more of Meaghan's beautiful portfolio on her website:
https://mblanchardphotos.com/
11/01/2024
Behind the curtain
10/01/2024
Please share: All teens, grades 8-11, who enjoy playing music, want to see new places, and would like to be part of a 30-year legacy, are encouraged to audition for the Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic! Currently looking to fill positions for Violin, Viola, Cello, Guitar, Mandolin, Percussion, and Electric Bass.
Students from outside Saline are welcome.
Auditions will be held Sunday, January 28, 2024 at The 109 Cultural Exchange in Saline.
2024 Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic Call for Auditions Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic's Call for Auditions - January 2024!For more info or to sign up for an audition, go to: https://salinefiddlers.com/auditions/
The CommonWealth Dance Collective
The CommonWealth Dance Collective is an ensemble of Michigan dancers who perform many styles of percussive dances including Irish, Appalachian, English, Canadian, American tap, historic routines and original choreography. The members of the group delight in capturing the spirits of the past and the present with equal enthusiasm and sharing the collective joy of many cultures through dance. Dancers include Adam Wheeler, Alina Soltis, Katie Vaujin, Emily Evans and Sheila Graziano, members of the Saline Fiddlers and other community dancers. The group will be joined by musicians Brad Battey and Myron Grant.
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