GREAT DANCE...Some announcements

First of all thanks and congratulations to everyone for making a wonderful dance last night! We ended up having around 22 dancers (a wonderful mix of all ages and stripes), five musicians, and people from many exotic places (France, Belgium, Iran...Uji, Shiga!). What a great way to kick off the new year.

There were many newcomers, and everyone really worked together so nicely it turned out awesome! I was so impressed and happy that the young kids danced with us throughout the night. Thank you all for being so patient with each other and most of all me, my rough japanese, and my sometimes backward teaching. Seeing people go from raw beginners to confident, energetic, and smiling dancers made it was a truly rewarding evening for me. I couldn't have been happier.

Some housekeeping: Some people have reported that for them their anti-virus (Trend Micro) is blocking our website. Thank you for letting me know. This is problem with our "parent" site, not our site. I have contacted Trend Micro and I hope they will be fixing the problem soon. In the meantime, I have every reason to believe the website is safe, and you can remove antivirus blocking on it if you wish, or wait till the problem is fixed. I just got word from Trend Micro, and they have changed the website status to safe. Please let me know if you continue to have a problem with the site.

Secondly, I forgot to give out the door prizes! So, this will have to wait till next time. For the time being we will continue to use the R.S.V.P. system, so if possible please let me know if you are coming. It is OK to show up "unannounced", but an R.S.V.P. is helpful so I can know how many people are coming and notify people of any changes or important information.

I also want to remind/inform people people that we are allowed to wear normal shoes in the hall. So if you want to bring comfortable shoes, like sneakers, to use, that is OK. Otherwise, we have slippers and people seem OK with dancing in those. The same thing goes for clothing...loose, casual, and comfortable for dancing is best.

Lastly, here are upcoming dance events:
Higashiyama Saturday, February 18th from 5 to 9 PM
French Dance Sunday, February 26th from 10 to 3:30
Fushimi Sunday February 26th from 2 to 5 at Tsunagari Cafe
St. Patrick's day Dance March 17th, place and time to be announced.
If you are holding an event, or know of an interesting event, please email me and I will pass it on if appropriate.

MAP for regular events is: http://goo.gl/6mASp
VIDEO for all events is: http://goo.gl/r7NKF
HOMEPAGE: http://contrakyoto.byethost9.com
FACEBOOK http://goo.gl/NjROp
CONTACT for all events is contrakyoto@gmail.com 携帯 070 6475 5855

Reminder

でいびっどが、フレンドリーに、かつちょっと急かしながら、来週土曜日のコントラダンスは事前予約制だということを再度お知らせします！今よりもっと集まりたいところです。

何人かのミュージシャンの方々からは連絡をもらっているので、すばらしい音楽が期待できそうです。あとお楽しみで、プレゼントを用意しています。くじ引きでラッキーなだれがあたるかな？

来てくれるともうメールをくれたみなさん、どうもありがとう。あと10人ほどは開催するために必要です。来てくれる予定の人は、そのことをぜひ早めに教えてね。

でいびっど



This is a friendly but urgent reminder that we still need people to R.S.V.P. for next
saturday night's contra.

I have heard back from few musicians, so we can look forward to some very
good music. Also, as further incentive, I will be bringing a few door
prizes, for "lucky" dancers.

Thank you to the people who have told me they plan to attend. Right now we
still need about 10 more. Please let us know as soon as possible if you
plan to attend.

Sincerely
David

Very Important Message

Dear Contra Dancers Past and Present:

First of all, Happy New Year to one and all. Please read this important email...

It is time to start thinking about the next contra dance (Saturday, January 28th, from 5-9PM at Higashiyama near Sanjo). In order not to disappoint people who may be coming from far away, I have decided to institute an R.S.V.P. system.

I think it takes about a minimum of 16 people to make a dance successful, so if you are planning to attend, you must rsvp me at contrakyoto@gmail.com or by phone 070 6475 5855 beforehand.

This is very important, because if by the day before the dance (friday the 27th) it looks like we will not have enough people definitely coming, I will, sadly and reluctantly cancel the dance (despite the cost). If I do cancel it, I will send out an email and post on facebook, by saturday morning 10 am. If you are planning to come, please check for this email, especially if you are coming from far away. (If email/fb does not work for you, let me know and I will make special arrangements.)

I know this may cause some inconvenience for some, but it will also save a great deal of inconvenience for all.

I really hope we will be able to have a wonderful dance. Many, if not most of you, dancers have told me how fantastically fun contra has been for you. But for various reasons, attendance has been very irregular. Please bear with me as I say a few words about this.

Like many worthwhile things in life, contra dancing has a learning curve, so it is normal to occasionally feel that it is difficult, or that you may not understand it, or are good enough, or have seen enough to decide it is not for you. If this has happened to you, I ask you hang on and keep trying. Given the uncertainties of transplanting the seeds of contra culture into the japanese soil, it may take a little longer for people to feel adjusted to it, and I ask your patience.

While the contra steps are nominally easy, I know that fully absorbing and putting them together takes a little time. It's unfortunately true that when we don't understand something right away that we risk underestimating or failing to realize how deep and rewarding the experience will be once we get past the first stages. This leads to discouragement. That's why sticking with it is so vital to appreciating all contra has to offer.

It has been one of the difficult things for me to inspire people to have faith in the fact that I know from my own and countless other people's experiences that if one perseveres, one's enjoyment and understanding of contra can grow over time into something immensely satisfying and beyond expectation. This it the experience I really want to share with people, that is to say YOU! If I wasn't so certain of it, I wouldn't have kept working for so many years to overcome the difficulties of teaching it!

And I know, from watching several of our longstanding members, "ordinary" people with no "skill" or "experience" with dance, become smooth, elegant, and graceful dancers, who struggled and doubted and sweated and were confused and overcame it, that it can happen here and to anyone, in japan, too. Why were they different? Because they refused to believe they couldn't. They refused to believe they weren't smart, talented, young, healthy, or "good" enough. They refused to accept any excuses for not believing contra is for everyone.

It can be confusing perhaps that each event can be quite different. The particular chemistry between people at each event creates its own unique energy. There is something unpredictable, but exciting about it. There is a part of the wonder and magic of contra that can only be felt by letting yourself experience it often with different groups and on different evenings.

So don't think one dance, or even a few dances is enough. Don't let bad dances discourage you. If one dance didn't meet your expectations, please consider giving it another shot. I assure you the next will be different. Some people find their groove quickly, almost immediately, but for other people it takes a little longer. I hope people know that I will be as patient with them as they need, if they give me their patience in return.

There is only one thing that I cannot overcome. There is a human tendency to think, "I can and want to go, but if I don't come this time, it will be alright because others will come in my place". I want to encourage people to resist that tendency, because if enough people believe this, contra will not be able to continue. The opportunity you don't take is the opportunity that is being lost now, and in the future. The more people take it now, the richer that opportunity will be now and in the future.

In sum, we can provide the music, the setting, the instruction, and more; we are here at your service and request; but it is up to you to invest your time and energy into giving contra your best shot and faith and building it into a wonderful and unique community that is truly self-sustaining and life-enriching.

I joyfully look forward to being together with you all soon....

Best Regards....David

いままでのすべてのコントラダンサーのみなさまへ

まず何より、あけましておめでとうございます！これはとっても大切なメールなので、ぜひ読んでくださいね。

そろそろ次のコントラダンスについて考えるころです。（東山にて１月２８日土曜日５－９時）
遠方から来てくれるひとたちをがっかりさせないようにするために、来れるひとは前もって連絡してもらう方式にすることにしました。

ダンスを楽しめるようにするには、最低16人は必要です。
もし来れそうなら、前日までに連絡をお願いします。
メールcontrakyoto@gmail.com　電話070 6475 5855

もし1月27日（金）までに十分来れる人がいないようだったら、とてもざんねんですが、ダンスをキャンセルしようと思います。
当日の朝10時までには、開催できるかどうかの連絡をします。

これでは具合が悪いという人もいるかもしれませんが、多くの人にとっていいことだと思います。

すばらしいダンスを開催できることを本当に願っています。今までたくさんの人達が、コントラダンスがどれだけ楽しかったか、僕に伝えてくれました。しかし、いろいろな理由から、参加人数は多かったり少なかったりします。このことについて、あまり愉快ではないかもしれませんが、聞いてほしいことがあります。

ほかのことと同じように、コントラダンスを学ぶときのラーニング・カーブというのがあると思います。だから、難しいとか、わからないとか、これは私向きじゃないなと感じるのは自然なことです。もしそう思ったなら、ぜひあきらめないで続けてください。日本の土地にコントラ文化の種を撒くのは。。。。　時間がもう少しかかりそうなので、気長にいることをお願いしたいです。

コントラのステップはたいていかんたんですが、自由に動き回れるようになるにはすこしは時間がかかります。
あいにく、私たちはすぐにぴんとこないことに関しては、その後どれだけ深い体験になる可能性があっても、最初の第一段階を突破しないまま辞めてしまうことがたくさんあります。だから、続けることは、コントラによって味わえる体験を十分に楽しむためには、かかせません。

私自身、そして数え切れないほどたくさんの人達の経験から言えるのは、コントラダンスの楽しさや理解は、時間とともに巨大な満足感と予想もできなかった何かに成長するんだということです。そのことを伝えたくて、今までやってきました。今これを読んでくれているあなたと、その気持ちを共有したいのです。もしこのことに少しでも疑いがあったら、私自身こんなに何年間も、教えるという難しいことにチャレンジし続けられません！

そして、何人かのずっと来てくれている人達を見ていて思うのですが、彼らはきっとダンスに関してなんの「経験も」「技術も」ない「ふつうの」人達でした。彼らも、疑ったり、うまくできなかったり、汗をかいたり、困惑したりしていたと思います。それが今は滑らかに、エレガントに踊っているのです。日本でも、誰にでも、これは起こりうることなんだと思うのです。それを乗り越えた人達は、できないとか、わからないとか、若くないからとか、十分に「よく」ない、と思うことを拒否したのです。きっとできる、と、思ったのです。

毎回、集まっている人達のエネルギーによって、場の雰囲気はかなり異なりますよね。それをマイナスにとらえるのでなく、それがコントラの不思議な魅力でもあると思って、その場に身をゆだねたら、いいんじゃないかと思います。

ですので、もしあるダンスがあなたにとっては楽しめるようなものでなかったとしても、それでおしまいにしてしまわないでください。次は全然違うかもしれないんですから。すぐに動ける人もいるし、もっと時間をかけて動くようになる人もいます。みなさんが我慢強く気長に取り組んでくれる分だけ、私もあきらめずに取り組み続けたいのです。

でも、これを変えることなしに、どうしようもできないことがあります。それは、「特に予定もないし、行きたい気持ちもあるけど、でも今回わたしが行かなくても、きっとほかの人が来てわたしのいない分埋めてくれるだろうから、いいや。」と思いがちなわたしたちの心です。もしたくさんのひとがこう思っていたら、コントラダンスを続けることは、できません。もしたくさんの人がいまコントラダンスをする、と選んでくれたら、今の経験も、未来の経験も、ずっと豊かなものになるでしょう。

わたしたちは音楽も、環境も、指示も、たくさんのものに恵まれています。
わたしたちは、あなたのために、ここにいます。あなたがじぶんの時間やエネルギーをコントラに投資するかどうかは、あなたが決めることです。すばらしいユニークなコミュニティで、人生を豊かにするために。

喜びをもって、みなさんとご一緒するのを楽しみにしています。

デイビッド