rm | Sep. 14th, 2009

Dance class went much better than I could have expected yesterday, considering I'd not been in longer than I'd care to say. Muscle memory is a funny thing. So is sunlight and exercise. I am doing okay.

Coming out of dance class, crossing the street, a car honked at me. It was a fellow from fencing and the maestri. Um....? AWKWARD. I hollered and waved. What was I going to do, run over and lean inside and have a chat?

Speaking of dance class:
The Elegant Arts Society's seventh
annual Regency Assembly
to be held in New Haven, Connecticut
on
October 17 & 18, 2009.

The English Regency technically lasted from
1811-1820; we draw our dances from a slightly wider time period,
roughly 1800-1825, the time during which the Prince Regent was
socially ascendant.

Saturday will be devoted to dancing, with an afternoon workshop
(as such, there is no previous dance experience required) and
then a formal evening ball, with live music by the
wonderful musicians of Spare Parts in the evening.
Scrumptious period refreshments including syllabub, rout cakes, Naples biscuits,
and salamagundy will be served at the breaks during the ball.

The dancing at the ball will be a mix of country dances (in standard
triple minor form plus a few of the variant forms of the late 1810's
and early 1820's), quadrilles, Scotch reels, and waltzes, including
the lively 2/4 time sauteuse waltz.

Period costume is admired and encouraged but not required; this is,
however, a dress-up event for which even people not in costume should
still dress formally.

Sunday will be for more sedate pastimes as we gather for an afternoon
of Regency-era gaming, including whist, picquet, spillikins, and other
fine period pastimes. Tea and still more period refreshments (our
food researcher threatens buttered orange juice and flummery) will be
served during the gaming. Weather permitting, we will also gather
beforehand for a park stroll and outdoor photo session.

We strongly suggest advance registration, as our hall only holds 50-60
dancers. Admission at the door only if space permits. Previous
Assemblies have drawn people from New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts,
Maryland, Virginia, Michigan, and Ontario.

Please email info@elegantarts.org for registration information, cost,
and other logistical questions.

(I actually forget how much it is this year, but it's usually about $30 for the ball and workshop together and about $10 for the Sunday games day)

A realization about Dragon*Con buried in comments yesterday: female guests receive, I suspect, fewer advances than female con-goers out of "respect." Male guests receive, I suspect, more advances than male con-goers thanks to the status factor. It's like that awful theory that men don't like smart women... just, about pro-status or something. ETA: or as I said in comments, much more clearly than I initially said above: "And it's funny to me how in a community that's so other in so many ways (queer, poly, kinky) the dynamic of important man and admiring woman is so strongly present and enforced in geek culture." Human nature, always disturbing. Thinky thoughts? For those that haven't been following along, I got hit on at Dragon*Con until people noticed my guest ribbon, then they apologized and backed off. Mention of my partner, with whom I'm monogamous? Less successful in recalibrating conversations. What is up with that?

reannon hosts a can of discussion (like worms! only different!) on this over at her journal.

Related: I watched Entourage last night, mainly because it was one while I was writing, and I was reminded of why I don't watch it. Guess which scene made me go "gaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" the most.

Speaking of Dragon*Con, despite some totally cool reporting from CNN, a local station offered some very offensive coverage, going up to con-goers and saying "does your father know you dress like that?" and accusing con-goers of being responsible for the stench coming from a sewer problem near one of the hotels. There's a petition of complaint about this -- if you live in the Atlanta area or attended the con, you might want to take a look.

I am not wearing a waistcoat because I work for you, I'm wearing a waistcoat because I'm better dressed than you, you drunk bastard.

Why is Everything in the World planned for the weekend of September 26th and 27th? It's making scheduling difficult.

New celiac horror: unexpected malt flavoring in chocolate ice cream at a restaurant. Faily.

DWNY tonight.

I Will Not Read Your Fucking Script.

via

gairid: Film about evolution too controversial for American audiences. Are you ashamed? I'm ashamed.