|
The following is a guide to the events we have planned for 2008. The famous Newport mansions, with
their breathtaking opulence and some of America´s finest ballrooms, as well as the area´s dramatic natural beauty and
other diverse attractions will provide the venues for several Dance Week events and offer many charming options to occupy
dancers´ free time. The lovely, peaceful, seaside campus of Portsmouth Abbey
School in Portsmouth, RI, will once again be our home away from home.
Waltzing at
The Astors´ Beechwood Mansion
|
STARTING OFF THE WEEK
Monday's Schedule
Registration, Costume Workshop, Orientation, and Newport Cotillion
|
Registration
The week starts on Monday with Registration opening at 3pm in the Winter Garden and
will remain open until 5:30pm when it closes for dinner. Registration will also be open, for latecomers, during the evening
Cotillion. We also want to remind you that if you are arriving Sunday, dinner is served from 5:30-6:30 pm. If you are arriving
later than 6:30pm, you are advised to get dinner on the road, as there is nothing available on campus.
Note: We need your Reply Form(pdf) by August 1 this year! Also, please have your $20 key deposit
check in a self addressed envelope ready when you arrive for registration to help speed up the registration process (this will be
returned to you when you return your key), you will also need to write a separate check for your remaining registration
fees at this time.
|
|
|
T-shirt, tote bag and CD Sales
Dance Week T-shirts and tote bags, as well as CDs of this year´s quadrille will also be
available for sale during registration, at the Vintage Swap & Sell and Sunday morning (if there is anything left). If you miss us
at these times please contact Ben or Katy Bishop with your request. This year we have Tote bags, smaller canvas bags (great for
carrying your dance class necessities), and CDs of the Quadrille.
|
|
Orientation
At 4:30pm, in the same location, there will be an Orientation session led by Barbara
& Antonia Pugliese. This is an informal, optional, open discussion to introduce newcomers to various aspects of the Dance Week
and to answer questions. First timers to the dance week are encouraged to drop by for a few minutes (or longer) to hear about
the events and customs of the week. Experienced participants are welcome to come by and hear about the new events for this year
and to offer insights to first timers.
|
Newport Cotillion
This year Monday ends with the Newport Cotillion. Usually known as the Welcome Dance, it is
an informal dance to kick off the week. We are excited that this year the event will be an informal New England Cotillion
enlivened with live music and a guest caller. Tony Parkes will be our caller for
the evening and live music will be provided by Spare Parts, one of CVDs
favorite musical groups (as heard on our Quadrille CDs). This is a time to greet old friends, meet new people and be introduced
to this year´s instructors and staff, and perhaps get a head start on this year´s quadrille!
|
|
THE CAMPUS AND ACCOMODATIONS
|
|
The Campus
The Portsmouth Abbey School´s 500-acre campus
is situated on the edge of Narragansett Bay, 7 miles from downtown Newport. It's beautifully landscaped campus offers many lovely
views of the bay and surrounding countryside. Note: adjacent to the exit of the Winter Garden is a lovely manicured lawn outside
the chapel, this is the Holy Lawn and must not be walked on under any circumstances. During the week cars must not be
parked at the dormitories except for brief periods while picking up or dropping off people or goods. After unloading upon
arrival, all cars must be parked in the lot adjacent to the hockey rink or the lot near the fine arts building. The Campus is
small enough that everything is within easy walking distance.
|
Accommodations
We will be housed in dormitories on the lower campus. Most rooms are doubles with twin beds, some
dorms have been fitted with bunk beds. Linens and bath towels will be provided. Each participant has a closet. In most rooms,
full length closet space is approximately 18" wide. Most rooms have two half-length closet areas next to the full-length section.
No rooms have private baths or air- conditioning. A window fan is recommended. Mattresses are covered with plastic. Some participants have found that the
plastic covered mattresses need some extra padding, and prefer to bring their own sheets and mattress covers for added comfort.
Only one set of towels will be provided at the start of the week. Please bring your own beach towels.
|
|
|
A hallmark of the Newport Vintage Dance Week is its combination of an excellent
program of dance instruction with a relaxed environment. Classes are carefully designed to cover material ranging
from basic steps and technique to more challenging choreographies and improvisation. Our teaching staff is gathered
from around the world to provide a wide range of experience, research and expertise; the staff changes from year to
year to provide variety.
|
Curriculum
Instruction during four classes periods each day will focus on the popular ballroom dances of the
mid- and late- 19th Century (including waltz, polka, mazurka, galop, schottische, and quadrille) and of the ragtime era (tango,
one-step and others). Some years the range is expanded to include dances of the early 19th century and 1920's. At all skill
levels, emphasis is placed on dances that will be featured during the evening balls, so that dancers may immediately experience
the joy and satisfaction of applying what they learn in the context of an exquisite social event. Most classes are 1 hour and 10
minutes long and are designed as tracks built around related material; continuity from day to day fosters cumulative benefit
through the week.
|
|
|
Daily Schedule
The daily schedule offers four class periods per day, at beginner/intermediate and
intermediate/advanced skill levels, with 2 choices during each period (Afternoon class will not take place Tuesday to allow more
time for the group tour, that class will take place Saturday morning). Those experiencing vintage dance for the first time,
including people with other types of dance experience, are encouraged to take the “beginner” classes, as are those
with only a little vintage dance experience. This will help you learn or review the basic vintage dance steps. Dancers familiar
with basic vintage dance steps may want to try the more advanced classes. Dancers of any level may attend either afternoon
specialty class. A warm-up class is presented each morning; we urge everyone to take the responsibility to be properly warmed up
before classes.
|
Instructors
Marc Casslar will teach the 20th century specialty class, looking at the dances from
Vernon and Irene Castle´s film The Whirl of Life.
Idy Codington will be leading warm-ups.
Barbara Pugliese and her daughter, Antonia Pugliese, will teach the beginning/intermediate 19th century dance class,
featuring popular couple dances of the era. Barbara will also teach the Quadrille Class.
Yvonne Vart will teach intermediate/advanced 19th century dances. She will also teach the 19th century specialty class, focusing
largely on the Quadrille Russe.
Joan Walton will teach popular ragtime couple dances in the beginning /intermediate ragtime dance class and more challenging
ragtime dances in the intermediate/advanced ragtime class.
|
|
|
Quadrille Class and Specialty Classes
The mid-morning Quadrille class, taught by Barbara Pugliese, is provided for everyone,
experienced dancers and newcomers alike, to learn this year´s quadrille: The Prince Imperial. Attendance is encouraged
for all as this dance will be performed without calls at the Friday evening ball (though instructions will be printed
almost legibly on the dance card).
The afternoon specialty classes offer a chance to expand one´s repertoire beyond the basics with a more specialized type of dance.
The choices for 2008 a 19th century class taught by Yvonne Vart focusing largely on the Quadrille Russe. Marc Casslar will teach the
20th century specialty class, looking at the dances from Vernon and Irene Castle´s film The Whirl of Life.
These classes are designed to be accessible to all skill levels.
|
Balls are at the heart of any vintage dance week, and 2008 Newport Vintage Dance Week continues its
tradition of offering balls in some of the America´s most elegant and splendid ballrooms. This year there are formal balls
set in three periods: the mid-nineteenth century (1860´s), late-nineteenth century (1890´s) and ragtime era
(1910´s). There is also a Turn-of-the-Century Fancy Dress Ball, and a Formal Dinner. We will also be holding the Lobster
Dinner and Vintage Swap & Sell on Tuesday evening, which will be followed by informal dancing.
|
|
|
Lobster Fest
New England Lobster Dinner will be served on Tuesday Evening at 6:30pm. in the Dining Hall. What would
summer in New England be without a lobster feast? Alternative fare will be available for non-crustacean eaters. Menu selections must
be returned by August 1. You may choose Lobster, chicken or vegetarian on your
Reply Form(pdf). You may also email us your selections to save time.
Please contact:
|
Swap & Sell, Tuesday Evening
This is a very informal event as shopping is the main focus this evening. You might come straight
from dinner, shop for an item to complete an ensemble for later in the week, or make the deal of a lifetime and lighten your
luggage for the trip home. The Swap & Sell is a perfect time to complete and outfit, plan an entire wardrobe, or divest yourself
of excess baggage. Please let us know ahead of time if possible if you will need table space at this event. The Swap will be
followed by informal dancing to recorded music.
|
|
|
1890´s Soirée, Wednesday Evening
Our 1890s ball will be held at the Astors´
Beechwood mansion on Wednesday evening. This mansion, built in 1851, was purchased by William Backhouse Astor, Jr.
in 1881, and was the destination of New York society and the famous four hundred during the Gilded Age. Richard Morris
Hunt renovated the home to the Astors´ specifications. Mrs. Astor spent eight weeks here each year, and hosted lavish
events including her annual Summer Ball, the high point of the summer season. The magnificent formal ballroom is splendidly
decorated with elaborate woodwork, marble fireplaces, and a herringbone patterned wood floor that is meant to evoke the waves of
the nearby ocean. As a modern convenience this hall is air-conditioned. Music is provided by the New River Dance Orchestra
.
|
Ragtime Dinner Dance, Thursday Evening
On Thursday we celebrate the early twentieth century at the Ragtime Dinner Dance at Glen Manor House which is a short 10 minute drive from the campus. The Manor is in a
bucolic landscape, with lawns that slope down to the shore, and a lovely formal garden, perfect for strolling and visiting with
friends. The evening opens with a cocktail hour at 6pm during which one can relax, stroll through the gardens and visit with
friends.
|
|
|
The evening continues with an exquisite formal dinner. The dinner will be served buffet style and
will include salmon, prime rib and a vegetarian pasta selection. There will be too many delectable choices with which to fill
your plate.
|
After dinner, the rooms are cleared for dancing, our music will once again be provided by the
incomparable New River Dance Orchestra. Glen Manor House has three lovely rooms for dancing, with large French
doors opening on the verandahs which let in evening breezes. During the intermission a dessert buffet will be available, and
dancers can stroll in the moonlight. The view of the rising moon is spectacular, and it will be nearly full at this year´s
event.
|
|
|
Mid Nineteenth Century Ball, Friday Evening
One of the most special events of the week is the mid-19th century ball, which will
be held at Newport´s Rotunda Ballroom on Friday evening. It is a lovely air-conditioned hall
near the shore. Refreshments are served on the verandah under the stars where one can enjoy soothing sea breezes.
|
During the intermission the adjacent carousel is open for rides. This ball is one of the most
formal of the week, with dance cards and live music by the New River Dance Orchestra.
|
|
|
The quadrille will be danced at this ball
without calls. Instructions will be printed on the back of the dance card for those with good eyesight.
|
|
Fancy Dress Ball, Saturday Evening
The final evening of the week is celebrated with our traditional fancy dress ball which is held
on the Portsmouth Abbey School campus. The theme for this year´s ball is EGYPTOMANIA. The ball is designed to a
a Turn- of the Century style Fancy-Dress Ball. During this ball costumes are amazingly creative from the simplest of masks to
period style outfits. Recorded music from all the periods covered during the week is played at the event, there is also a
chance to perform steps and choreographies from your classes one more time.
|
|
|
|
Tuesday´s Mansion Tour, Cliff Walk, and Tea
On Tuesday afternoon we will venture into Newport for some sightseeing. Those wanting to take in some
of the sea air will meet for a stroll along Newport´s famed Cliff Walk. Those wanting to visit one of the mansions may sign up for a
tour of The Breakers. After our outings, we will meet for tea at Wakehurst on the campus of Salve Regina. A stroll in the garden is a
picture perfect moment!
|
Newport´s Famed Cliff Walk
On Tuesday afternoon we will venture into Newport for some sightseeing. Those wanting to take in some of the sea air will meet
for a stroll along Newport´s famed Cliff Walk. In recent years the Cliff Walk has
been restored. In 1975 the Cliff Walk was designated as a National Recreation Trail, and it runs for about 3.5 miles along the
rocky Newport coast past mansions and beautifully manicured lawns and gardens. It is a public access walking path over private
property. Please watch out for poison ivy along the route while you marvel at the stunning scenery and perilous cliffs leading
down to the sea! Parasols, sturdy shoes and walking sticks are recommended for this outing.
|
|
|
Tour of The Breakers
Located at 44 Ochre Point Ave. in Newport, The Breakers is the grandest of Newport's summer "cottages" and a
symbol of the Vanderbilt family's social and financial preeminence in turn of the century America. Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt
(1794-1877) established the family fortune in steamships and later in the New York Central Railroad. In 1893, he commissioned
architect Richard Morris Hunt to design a villa to replace the earlier wood-framed house which was destroyed by fire the previous
year. Hunt directed an international team of craftsmen and artisans to create a 70 room Italian Renaissance-style palazzo inspired
by the 16th century palaces of Genoa and Turin. Sign up for the tour on your Reply Form. (Tour
fee is $10.)
|
After The tour, we will retire to Wakehurst Mansion, on the grounds of Salve Regina University, for
and English Garden Tea. During the first decade of Newport Vintage Dance Weeks Tea would be served at Wakehurst Mansion. The
gardens are splendid, perfect for a leisurely afternoon stroll.
Tea at Wakehurst,
Newport 1994
|
|
|
Afternoon Teas
The afternoon teas, which take place most afternoons later in the week, are an opportunity for
dancers to relax, meet and chat with others, and perhaps play a game of croquet. There is no set era or dress code for any of the
teas, so vintage dress of any period is acceptable at any of them as well as modern dress, or even a period bathing costume if you
wish to cool off at the Campus Beach.
Well hit Miss Crumb!
|
Wednesday's´s Summer Garden Tea
Wednesday´s Tea will be served in the Summer Garden, under the trees near the Manor House Gazebo.
Come relax or chat with other Dance Week participants. Casual dress, modern or vintage, is appropriate.
|
|
|
Thursday´s Sports & Pastimes Tea
Thursday´s Tea will be served in the Summer Garden, under the trees near the Manor House Gazebo.
Come sit and chat with other Dance Week participants, play a game of croquet, enjoy a bathe, or visit the lovely stony beach adjacent to
the field where tea is served. Casual dress, modern or vintage, or period sporting dress, is appropriate.
|
Friday´s Formal Tea
You may wish to save your most elegant or elaborate period outfit for the Formal Tea
at the Summer Garden, to be held on Friday. This event is the most formal tea of the week (hence its name). Summer
day wear of any period is welcome. Hats, parasols, and fans are especially useful for keeping cool while enjoying
tea and games on the lawn. In case of rain, tea will be moved indoors.
|
|
|
Saturday´s Outing
|
Rail & Sail Newport
All aboard! Step back to a time when dining aboard a luxury train was a statement of elegance and
privilege. Enjoy an elegant luncheon on board vintage rail cars that quietly recall the ambiance and aura of the
golden age of railroading. We are picked up on campus and travel on a journey along scenic Narragansett Bay. The train will
depart at noon sharp from the Campus "Station" on the lower campus by the path to the Campus beach.
|
|
| We will be served an elegant lunch as we wind our way to Newport. The interior of each
dining car is meticulously restored to recall a by-gone era. Plush velvet draperies, fine china, linens and
crystal surround us as wait-staff in black-tie attend to your every need. Lunch entrée selection
must be indicated on the conference reply form by August 1st!
Links to menu and reply form pdfs:
Reply Form pdf
Special train luncheon and cruise description, pdf
|
Once in town, it is a short walk to Bowen´s Wharf where we board the elegant 85 ft. yacht,
Harbor Queen, and discover the beauty of the Narragansett Bay from
the water. We will take an elegant cruise around Rhode Island´s jewel: Narragansett Bay and the Newport waterfront,
aboard the Harbor Queen. The boat offers a fine wood paneled interior, brass appointments, comfortable seating, full galley
and bar. The vessel is fully air-conditioned inside and also has an outside deck. The cruise leaves from Bowen´s Ferry
Landing in downtown Newport. Afterward, we return to campus on a touring train.
|
|
|
Visiting Other Newport Mansions and Additional Sightseeing
If you would like to tour additional mansions, you might consider arriving on Sunday or early Monday to
view a mansion or two before check-in. Ten mansions are owned by the Newport Preservation Society and discounts can be obtained by
purchasing multiple tickets at the first mansion you visit. The
Green Animals Topiary Gardens are on the Brayton Estate adjacent to the
Portsmouth Abbey School Campus.
|
We also highly recommend a tour of the Astors´ Beechwood (not one of the Preservation Society mansions).
The tour is led by members of the Astor family and their staff. We will be holding our 1890´s ball there Wednesday evening
but will not have a tour then. From past experience we have found that it is wise to plan to see no more than two mansions in an
afternoon. For further Newport information visit
Newport Preservation Society Website or the
Astors´ Beechwood Website or call the Newport Information Center in Newport at: (800) 976-5122.
|
|
|
For more information about the Newport Vintage Dance Week, please contact
Hannah Roberts Artuso at:
E-mail:
Phone: (781) 662-8344 (before 10pm eastern time, please)
|
|
