21^st Annual
Newport Vintage Dance Week
August 11-17, 2008
Portsmouth and Newport, RI

ABOUT THE NEWPORT VINTAGE DANCE WEEK

Join us at the 2008 Newport Vintage Dance Week, a summer dance holiday held in the playground of the Gilded Age. 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 Portsmouth Abbey School in Portsmouth, RI, will once again be our home away from home.

CLASSES

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.

CURRICULUM Instruction during three classes 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). At all 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 designed as tracks built around related material; continuity from day to day fosters cumulative benefit through the week.

SPECIAL EVENTS

EVENING EVENTS Balls are at the heart of any vintage dance week, and Newport Vintage Dance Week continues its tradition of offering balls in some of America´s most elegant and splendid ballrooms.

FORMAL BALLS In 2007, our 1890s ball will be held at the Astors´ Beechwood mansion. Other events include the mid-19th century ball at Newport´s Rotunda Ballroom, at Easton's Beach, and the ragtime era (early 20th century) dinner dance at Glen Manor House. Our costume ball will be held on the Portsmouth Abbey campus. The costume ball theme will be Egyptomania.

NON-DANCING ACTIVITIES Non-dancing activities include an optional group tour of one of the Gilded Age Newport mansions. Afternoon teas, a formal dinner, a New England lobster fest, outings, lawn games, informal lectures on period topics, and a vintage clothing exchange return as features of this special week. Saturday afternoon we depart campus by train. After an elegant dining car luncheon, we arrive in Newport, where we board the Harbor Queen for a tour of Newport Harbor.

LIESURE TIME Time has been allowed each afternoon for strolling down to the school´s beach, visiting mansions, playing croquet on the school´s spacious lawns, walking Newport´s Cliff Walk or just relaxing. Tea will be served most days in the late afternoon.

VOLUNTEERS

Newport Vintage Dance Week has always depended upon the assistance volunteered by its participants. The week simply could not be what it has been, and what we want it to be, without this generous help. Each participant is asked to sign up to do two "chores" during the week. These include such tasks as ball set-up or clean-up, serving refreshments at an event or decorating. Tasks are designed to take a minimal amount of time and most do not require any special skill.

NEWPORT VINTAGE DANCE WEEK STAFF

Hannah Roberts Artuso, Conference Coordinator, is Co-Director for The Commonwealth Vintage Dancers.

Marc Casslar founder of the Vintage Dance Society (CT) and the performing troupe, Polite Society, has been involved in historic dance since 1977. He has taught locally in Connecticut, as well as at dance weeks and workshops throughout the U.S. and Japan. He researches period dances, performs, and choreographs for stage and screen. Marc will teach a ragtime class.

Idy Codington has taught dance in the Boston area for over 25 years. A former professional dancer with the Ohio Ballet, Idy now teaches dance atTheir school show. Idy performs with CVD.

Antonia Pugliese made her debut as a 19th century dance instructor at Newport in 2007. She is a member of The Commonwealth Vintage Dancers and calls dances for Civil War and science fiction events.

Barbara M. Pugliese has researched 19th & 20th century dances and assisted her late husband, Patri, at workshops and dance weeks throughout the U.S. and Europe. Barbara lectures on a variety of topics including clothing and etiquette of the 19th century. She is co-director of The Commonwealth Vintage Dancers. She will teach 19th century dance with Antonia and the quadrille class.

Yvonne Vart, of France, has been a collector, researcher and performer of 18th and 19th century ballroom dances for over 20 years. A member of the European Assoc. of Dance Historians and the International Dance Council of UNESCO, she has been responsible for the dance components in Reverences (Lyon) and Carnet de Bals (Paris), as well as others throughout Europe. Yvonne has taught in Tokyo, Prague and Venice and choreographed for film and theater.

Joan Walton has taught classes in 19th century, Ragtime, 1920's, and 1930's dance at workshops across the U.S., in Australia and the Czech Republic. Joan was Assistant Director and a dancer with the Flying Cloud Vintage Dance Troupe of Cincinnati for ten years. She has held several visiting professorships of dance. Joan is a dance teacher and choreographer in the San Francisco area. Joan will teach ragtime.

THE CAMPUS AND HOW TO REACH IT

CAMPUS

Portsmouth Abbey School is located on 500 idyllic acres at the edge of Narragansett Bay, just north of Newport. Many of our activities will be on the "lower campus," centered around the original 1864 Manor House. All campus buildings are within walking distance of each other.

ACCOMODATIONS We will be staying in attractive dormitories. Each house has a lounge and modern amenities such as laundry facilities. Most rooms are doubles. A very few rooms are singles. Bathrooms are shared. All linens and blankets are provided. Participants should bring their own beach towels.

This year, we are able to offer limited pre-conference accommodations for Sunday, August 10, for an additional fee. Those wanting to spend Monday sightseeing in Newport may want to consider this option.

MEALS

All meals from Monday dinner through Sunday breakfast are included in the registration fee. They will be served by the school´ food service. Vegetarian options are available. Arrangements can be made for those who live nearby and wish to purchase lunches only.

TRAVEL Participants should plan to arrive on Monday afternoon. Registration will open at 4:00 p.m. Some rides are available with dancers driving to Newport. For those flying to the workshop, T.F. Green Airport in Providence is the closest airport. Registrants will receive more detailed information about the schedule and travel arrangements.

RESERVATIONS

Reservations Reservations must be accompanied by a $100 deposit per person, fully refundable until July 1st. The balance must be paid at registration. Please make all checks payable to Commonwealth Vintage Dancers. Reservations will be acknowledged after April 26. Contact Hannah Artuso at the e-mail address or phone number below regarding assistance.

Every effort is being made to balance the sexes. Registration Partners (meaning a man and a woman who indicate each other on the registration form) who have not already had their registration confirmed will be entered in a lottery to be held April 26. Please state clearly whether you wish to room together or not. Applying as partners places you under no specific obligation to the other person during the dance week but provides enough partners for everyone at all dances.

Singles: A lottery will be held April 26 for all applicants not applying with a partner. After April 26, anyone not yet confirmed will be placed on a waiting list. Singles will be accepted only when an opposite-sex single applies. Historically, we have had more women apply than men.

For further information Contact Hannah Artuso using the information below.

2008 RESERVATION FORM

Please use the above link to display (and print) a registration form for the 2008 Newport Vintage Dance Week.

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)