2014-07-08 IAGSDC Convention recap

The 2014 IAGSDC square dance convention, "Squeeze the Hive" in Salt Lake City, has come and gone. This year I went early to go to caller school, and Charlene generously heavily supported me (and our friend Charley) through the process.

We arrived at the Grand America Hotel at around midnight on the evening of June 29th. The place is spectacular, marble, wood paneling, and unlike places like the Las Vegas Bellagio, isn't just masonite with marbling once you get off of eye level. Walked around to burn off some energy, ran into (although we didn't know their names yet), Karla and Cynthia, who looked familiar (it turns out from last year's intro to calling session).

     

   

  Caller school was... intense. I've got a lot of feelings, and it'll take me weeks to assimilate what I've learned. I can feel my brain being stretched in various ways, really love the new friends I made, and am grateful to Tom Miller and Michael Levy for their tremendous expertise.

On Thursday we had the caller school dance, my singing call was "I Don't Feel Like Sunshine". There was a rumor that there might be an opportunity to call an interstitial/pee-break sort of tip later in the week. I'd been meaning to get a CALLERLAB membership and get my BMI/ASCAP license situation sorted, so I instantly got on the phone to them and got signed up.

Thursday evening had the Gay Caller's Association meeting, which I am now a member of because of going to caller school, and several of us students ended up with 10 minute interstitial gigs. Mine was 10:30 on Saturday morning.

Friday had the Fun Badge tour, with stops at:

  Library Square

  Heritage Park   more Heritage Park   Olympic Stadium   The Capitol

  the Gateway mall/old depot

  Charlene helped me get up the nerve to plan on calling "I Don't Feel Like Dancing", but we knew that the calls would be difficult, so in the evening in the Plus hall I asked a few folks if they'd stick around, and Dane Bragg, a caller from Philadelphia was hanging around. He helped me rework the call a bit to be simpler, and I owe him and the rest of the folks who stayed to work with me lunch, at the very least.

Broke one square on the call, kinda bummed about that, but, hey, my first time out.

Missed the Moonshine Tip, kinda bummed about that, sounded like fun, but Charlene and I were both tired.

  "sides face, ..."   Sunday we mostly hung out at the pool. I helped with tear down in the evening (with the amazing Will, who pretty much wrangles the floor tear down by himself), and on Monday morning we flew home.

Special call out to Roula and her son Nectarios at Roula's Cafe, the joint I got coffee at during the week.

And last night I woke up in the middle of the night to pee, completely disoriented, because the house is configured nothing like the hotel room.

Totally jazzed about next year, calling at Redwood Rainbows tonight.

Status Updates From Convention

Dan Lyke2014-06-29 23:00:42+0000

Checked in to the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. Squeeze The Hive is going to be a very comfortable week of square dancing.

Dan Lyke2014-06-29 23:04:53+0000

  Charlene may revise our decorating plans for the bathroom renovation


Dan Lyke2014-06-29 23:07:34+0000

  Home for the next week


Dan Lyke2014-06-30 11:13:26+0000

  Usually, my hotel room ends up overlooking air conditioners and maintenance shafts...


Dan Lyke2014-07-01 15:41:12+0000

Square dance caller school is stretching my brain in heretofore undiscovered dimensions.

Dan Lyke2014-07-02 07:08:59+0000

Coffee at Roula's Cafe, where that is indeed Roula chopping chicken behind the counter, and son running the register. Love places like this.

Dan Lyke2014-07-02 16:10:41+0000

When we arrived Sunday night,I felt kinda out of place in this hotel, but now our tribe is starting to arrive!

Dan Lyke2014-07-02 17:00:21+0000

If anyone coming to the caller school dance wanted to wear distinctive gendered outfits and dance as #1 & #4 couples in a front square, none of us would complain...

Dan Lyke2014-07-02 20:51:46+0000

  The GCA 2014 square dance caller school attendees


Dan Lyke2014-07-03 11:59:49+0000

The caller school square dance this morning had convention energy. Totally remember why we trekked here. Next three days will be amazing!

Dan Lyke2014-07-03 14:10:33+0000

And I am now an official Callerlab member, with BMI and ASCAP licenses and everything! Woohoo! I'm legal!

Charlene Marie2014-07-03 14:48:14+0000

  Staying at the Grand America hotel in Salt Lake, Utah for the IAGSDC square dance convention. Here are pictures of the room and view.


Charlene Marie2014-07-03 20:57:13+0000

  The view from our window at Grand America hotel in Salt Lake Utah


Dan Lyke2014-07-04 14:09:54+0000

  First fun badge tour stop at library square


Dan Lyke2014-07-04 14:52:28+0000

  Second stop at Heritage Park


Dan Lyke2014-07-04 15:00:00+0000

Dan Lyke2014-07-04 15:23:23+0000

  Third fun badge tour stop is the big Mitt Romney boondoggle


Dan Lyke2014-07-04 16:52:24+0000

Looking Dow the canyon from the Utah state capital building

Dan Lyke2014-07-04 16:54:17+0000

  Looking down the canyon from the Utah state capital building


Dan Lyke2014-07-04 17:11:30+0000

  After dancing at the capital


Dan Lyke2014-07-04 17:32:16+0000

  Gathering to dance at the old depot, now the gateway mall


Dan Lyke2014-07-04 18:00:56+0000

And, appropriate to hanging out in Salt Lake City with a bunch of... uhhh... http://slightlywarped.com/crapfactory/curiosities/2010/mormon_porn.htm

Dan Lyke2014-07-04 21:26:19+0000

Standing on the hotel balcony watching fireworks around the city

Dan Lyke2014-07-05 07:04:32+0000

Special shout-out to Dane from Philadelphia for his help reworking my choreography last night, and the square of volunteers who let me practice!

Dan Lyke2014-07-05 14:55:59+0000

  Convention non-staff caller schedule, with my 10:30 tip on it


Dan Lyke2014-07-05 15:01:37+0000

Public transit is great in theory, but this is the second time UTA TRAX real time arrival data has been bizarrely wrong.

Dan Lyke2014-07-05 15:07:44+0000

Gotta say, per minute of walking, I have been directly panhandled more often in Salt Lake City than San Francisco

Dan Lyke2014-07-05 15:14:49+0000

Request: Android calendar app that gets time zones right and syncs to Google or (preferred) self-hosted shared calendars.

Dan Lyke2014-07-06 13:52:16+0000

  Square dancers see this and think "sides face"


Dan Lyke2014-07-06 14:11:27+0000

  Hanging at the pool...


Category: Dan Lyke life Category: Square Dancing