2015 has been an eventful year for me. After many (fourteen) years of research and writing, Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics was finally published in July, and coinciding with being on sabbatical this fall, I have been busy with book events, workshops, dances, and concerts around the country: in West Virginia, New York, Maryland, California, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, North and South Carolina, and as far away as Alberta, Canada, where I went for a weeklong residency at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton. It has been gratifying to finally share my ideas and many years’ work with others, and I am pleased to report that my book has been well received. Here are a few lines from two recent reviews. The complete reviews can be read online.
"Jamison demonstrates how the history of dance is the story of America: immigration, race, trade, culture, identity, fashion, social stratification, and innovation. The closer you look, the more fascinating it all becomes. . . . This book is about dance, true, but it also provides an analogue for so many other things, reminding us, once again, that few forms of art. . . are ever quite what they seem." -- Sing Out!
"No praise is too high for this book. . . . The book is essential for anyone interested in American dance history or southern Appalachian culture." -- Country Dance and Song Society News
While on sabbatical this fall, I have also been working on a video project, editing videos of elderly buckdancers, flatfoot dancers, and Charleston dancers from western North Carolina. I interviewed and filmed these dancers over twenty years ago, and most of them are now deceased. These short videos will soon be posted on YouTube, and they will also be available on this website.
Hope to see you in 2016!