top of page

Panel and Roundtable Discussion:

Bridging the Lead-Follow Gap in Blues Dance

6:00pm EDT to 8:00pm EDT on Saturday, October 10, 2020
!DSC03271.JPG

What is the Lead-Follow Gap?

​

The lead-follow gap is the idea that dance leads do not have to be as technically good to reach high levels in their dancing, because there are fewer leads and thus less competition. On the other hand, there are more follows, and to stand out a primary follow must be truly exceptional.

 

Join us as we address the validity of this definition, and discuss how our understanding of the history of Blues dance, Black culture, and gender norms play into how we relate to our dance roles. We will start with a panel of 4 of our well-known scene members, and then break into two dance role groups to have a roundtable discussion on some of the nuances in each role.

Moderator: Caroline Leitschuh

A medical writer by day, Caroline (she/her pronouns) spends her nights and weekends working as the Organizer Liaison for the Ujima Blues Foundation. She got the taste for organizing in college, and started organizing for the Blues Dance community in 2012 with RDU Blues. Her 14 years of dance organizing experience include forming, maintaining, and managing dance organizing bodies; scheduling and running events of all sizes from local weekly dances to yearly events; and mentoring and training other organizers. She is known for her thoughtful approach to community building and her ability to set and achieve goals. As a part of the Ujima Blues Foundation, she hopes to help organizers define their roles and become more confident in their skills so that they can better strengthen their communities.  She is currently based in Philadelphia, and when she isn’t organizing or dancing likes to read, drink tea, bake, and cuddle with her partner, dog, and cat.

Anchor 1
!DSC03266.JPG

Panelists and Roundtable Participants TBA

Panelists: Dan Legenthal, Ruth Evelyn, Grey Armstrong, and Katrina Rogers

Leader Roundtable Participants: Dan Legenthal, Ruth Evelyn, Kenneth Shipp, and Kerian Pearson

Follower Roundtable Participants: Grey Armstrong, Katrina Rogers, Dan Repsch, and Jill Grant

Panel Discussion and Wrap Up

Moderator: Caroline Leitschuh
Participants: Ruth Evelyn, Dan Legenthal, Katrina Rogers, and Grey Armstrong
6:00pm to 6:35pm EDT
Zoom Meeting ID: 868 8194 9893
Zoom Password: 435636
The lead-follow gap refers to the idea that dance leads do not have to be as technically skilled to reach high levels in their dancing, because there are fewer leads and thus less competition. On the other hand, with more follows, a primary follow must be truly exceptional to stand out. Join us as we address the validity of this definition, and discuss how our understanding of the history of Blues dance, Black culture, and gender norms play into how we relate to our dance roles. We will start with a panel of 4 of our well-known scene members, and then break into two dance role groups to have a roundtable discussion on some of the nuances in each role.
Zoom Link

Follower Roundtable

Moderator: Caroline Leitschuh
Participants: Katrina Rogers, Grey Armstrong, Jill Grant, Dan Repsch
6:45pm to 7:30pm EDT
Zoom Meeting ID: 868 8194 9893
Zoom Password: 435636
The lead-follow gap refers to the idea that dance leads do not have to be as technically skilled to reach high levels in their dancing, because there are fewer leads and thus less competition. On the other hand, with more follows, a primary follow must be truly exceptional to stand out. Join us as we address the validity of this definition, and discuss how our understanding of the history of Blues dance, Black culture, and gender norms play into how we relate to our dance roles. We will start with a panel of 4 of our well-known scene members, and then break into two dance role groups to have a roundtable discussion on some of the nuances in each role.
Zoom Link

Leader Roundtable

Moderator: Genevieve Senechal
Participants: Ruth Evelyn, Dan Legenthal, Kenneth Shipp, Kerian Pearson
6:45pm to 7:30pm EDT
Zoom Meeting ID: 864 9691 5835
Zoom Password: LeadersUp
The lead-follow gap refers to the idea that dance leads do not have to be as technically skilled to reach high levels in their dancing, because there are fewer leads and thus less competition. On the other hand, with more follows, a primary follow must be truly exceptional to stand out. Join us as we address the validity of this definition, and discuss how our understanding of the history of Blues dance, Black culture, and gender norms play into how we relate to our dance roles. We will start with a panel of 4 of our well-known scene members, and then break into two dance role groups to have a roundtable discussion on some of the nuances in each role.
Zoom Link
bottom of page