On the third weekend in August each year Birmingham FOOTMAD puts on
its annual Old-Time Music and Dance Weekend at Camp Riverview in the
resort town of Mentone, Alabama. Riverview has a beautiful open-sided,
wooden-floored dance hall and a waterfront on the Little River, whose
chilly
waters feel great in August.
For the past 22 years the weekend has featured great old-time bands and
musicians such as James Bryan and Norman Blake, Lotus Dickey, Ralph Blizzard and
the New Southern Ramblers, the Freight Hoppers, the Red Hots, Big Hoedown,
Red Mountain White Trash, the Monks and many more. The core activity of the
weekend is dancing, but also on the schedule are jams (slow and regular), a
concert by the featured band, a late-night swing or Cajun dance, Sunday morning
gospel singing, a clogging workshop, swimming, and a wacky waterfront drama or
pageant. The Kate and Gus Show*, a special program for children ages
5-12, keeps them busy and happy while their parents dance.
Campers stay
in cabins or bring their own tents. Some also stay in bed-and-breakfasts and or
rent chalets in the area. FOOTMAD furnishes two breakfasts and campers are asked to
bring a contribution to the Saturday night potluck and any other food or
beverages they need. Everyone at the camp is expected to volunteer for a
congenial bit of cooking or cleaning during the weekend, which helps FOOTMAD keep
costs low.
The Old-Time Music and Dance Weekend is extremely popular and usually fills
up within a week after the flyers go out early in June. Registration is limited
to 280 persons on a first-come-first served basis, with gender-balance taken
into consideration. Those who would like to attend should request to be placed
on the mailing list by writing FOOTMAD, 1452 Milner Crescent, Birmingham, AL 35205
or ptfoster@bellsouth.net. If you request a
flyer, be warned that it may come as a brochure for a bird-watching retreat, a
Y2K seminar, a religious tract, a publishers-clearing-house-type drawing or an
advertisement for a miracle dance diet. Don’t throw it in the recycling bin if
it says FOOTMAD on the return address.
FOOTMAD sends confirmation
letters to those whose registrations arrive in time and returns the checks of
those that come in too late. No drop-ins for portions of the weekend or
unregistered guests are admitted. Once past the hurdle of registration, you’ll
find the Old-Time Music and Dance weekend an incredibly fun and friendly affair.
*The Kate and Gus show: Arts, crafts, nature hikes, storytelling, music. Schedule: Friday 8:00 p.m.-dance intermission; Saturday: Entire a.m. dance; 8 p.m.-dance intermission; Entire Sunday dance.
Mentone 2007 Photos by David Pokorney:
> http://picasaweb.google.com/wd4jvc/2007LittleRiverCruise
If anyone would like the higher resolution
copy of any of the
images just send Dave an email (dp@ufl.edu)
and the image number. He can even remove wrinkles, if you request him to
do so!.
Mentone 2007 Photos by Chris Cantwell:
http://picasaweb.google.com/cjc1103/MentoneContradanceWeekend2007
Mentone 2007 Photos by Donna Spradley:
http://picasaweb.google.com/DanceWeekend2007/
