2024 Spring Workshop – March 15-16, 2024
The Atlanta Branch RSCDS is pleased to once again host our annual Spring Workshop March 15-16, 2024! Located this year in easily accessible and vibrant Cartersville, GA, we are truly excited to offer a packed weekend of dancing on a wooden floor with two evening dance programs, a full day of classes on Saturday, and an extra helping of southern charm!
The workshop package includes the Friday night Welcome Dance, Saturday classes, and Saturday Evening Ball. A continental breakfast and a box lunch on Saturday are included, plus a delightful Sunday post-workshop brunch (dinner Saturday is on your own). Below find info about our teachers and live musicians, accommodations (hotel registration is separate).
2024 Spring Workshop Teacher & Musicians
James Kutzner first started Scottish Country Dancing as a postgraduate student at the University of St. Andrews and went back to pass his Preliminary and Full Certificates at St. Andrews in 1990 & 1992. James and his Scottish wife, Alma, live in Melbourne, Florida, where he regularly teaches classes in Melbourne and Titusville, Florida. James has taught at workshops in Florida, Georgia (both Unicoi and Dillard House), North Carolina (Thistle School), Ontario and Saskatchewan and directs the Space Coast Scottish Fling with his wife. He leads the Brevard Scottish Country Dancers demonstration team and has also danced on the St. Andrews RSCDS Summer School demonstration team.
James thinks of Scottish Country Dancing as excellent “food for the brain” and helps his students work together as a team. His background in database programming helps him understand the complexity and subtleties of Scottish Country Dancing. James organizes kayaking trips to rivers and springs in central Florida and loves to spend time on the water when he is not dancing or working. Some of his fellow kayakers have started Scottish Dancing to increase their paddling stamina.
Elke Baker (http://elkebaker.com/), a U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion, has played all over North America and in places as far flung as Japan, West Africa, and Scotland. Elke is a faculty member at the Washington Conservatory of Music where she teaches history and performance of Celtic music, Artist-in-Residence at Montgomery College, and Arts Panelist at Harvard University. She has recorded several SCD albums and a good number of listening albums. Elke has played with Alasdair Fraser, Muriel Johnstone, and Terry Traub among others. She brings a scholar’s depth of knowledge and an extremely engaging manner to her performances, as well as an intimate knowledge of just what makes people want to dance.
Liz Donaldson (http://www.lizdonaldson.com/) plays piano and accordion. She is known for her innovative back-up style incorporating exciting rhythms, textures, and harmony lines in her music. In addition to playing for Scottish, English, and American contra dances, Liz teaches all these styles, and dances, too! She is a member of Terpsichore, Waverley Station, and The New Hip Trio. Her recordings include: Caledonian Muse, Terpsichore, Waverley Station: First Stop! Memories of Scottish Weekend (’98) and More Memories of Scottish Weekend(’02). She has taught and played at numerous dance weekends and led music workshops including at Scottish Weekend, Pinewoods, and Asilomar and has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Liz is a 2017 recipient of the Royal Scottish Country Dance’s Scroll of Honor for her contributions to the dance and music of Scotland.
Sponsorships for the 2024 Spring Workshop
The Atlanta Branch would like to extend an invitation to anyone who is interested in helping us continue providing excellence in music and instruction at our Spring Workshop to become a sponsor. We sincerely appreciate all the sponsorships previously received and with your help will continue to provide quality music and instruction. Due to the pandemic, we need your support now more than ever.
Sponsors will be recognized during the workshop:
~~ Bluebell level – $10-$49
~~ Heather level – $50-$99
~~ Thistle level – $100+
Workshop Schedule, Location, & Hotel Details
Workshop Schedule & Location
Friday, 3/15
3:00pm – 6:00pm | Registration at the hotel; late comers can register at the door of the dance
8:00pm – ? | Welcome Dance Cribs Dance List
After the dance | Informal “Afters” Party at hotel
Saturday, 3/16
8:00am – 9:00am* | Continental Breakfast at Workshop
9:15am – 12:00pm | Morning Session
12:00pm – 1:00pm* | Box Lunch
1:15pm – 3:00pm | Afternoon Session
3:15pm – 4:15pm | Ball Walk-Through
6:00pm | Dinner (on your own)
7:30pm – ? | Grand March & Ball Cribs Dance List
After the dance | “Afters” Party at the Craig/Shire home
Sunday, 3/19
9:00am – 12:00pm | Brunch at the Tumlin Home
The workshop, including both dances and the Saturday classes, are to be held in the Stiles Auditorium, Olin Tatum Building, 320 W. Cherokee Avenue, Cartersville, Georgia.
*Continental Breakfast and Box Lunch are included in Workshop Package.
Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn, Cartersville, GA
24 Liberty Drive, Cartersville, GA 30121 Standard King – $124 per night plus tax Standard Double Queen – $134 per night plus tax. The room block will be held until February 23, 2024. Make hotel reservations directly with the Hilton Garden Inn at their dedicated link, below (no additional promo code needed).
https://group.hiltongardeninn.com/fuys8o
The hotel is located just off I-75 and one mile from downtown Cartersville. There is an on-site restaurant as well as many restaurants between the hotel and downtown Cartersville. Along with the usual amenities, the rooms have a microwave and a mini refrigerator. Cancellation of room required by 11:59 pm 3/14/24.
About Cartersville
Cartersville, a vacation destination with the charm of a small city, is located between Atlanta and Chattanooga off I-75 and is home to the Booth Western Art Museum, the Tellus Science Museum, and The Savoy Automobile Museum, all affiliated with the Smithsonian Institute. Downtown Cartersville is a great destination for the town’s best restaurants, and a variety of eclectic places to shop. Two performing arts theatres anchor the historic square where the city’s 20,000+ residents gather throughout the year for festivals, farmer’s markets and more. For more information, visit https://visitcartersvillega.org/.
Workshop Registration
Cancellation Policy: We hope you won’t have to cancel but if you must, you will receive a 75% refund if you let us know by February 23, 2024.