Bill Donaldson

Biography:    Bill Donaldson has been active in vintage dance since 1984 when he performed as guitarist for the Fourth Artillery Quadrille Ensemble.  Since then he has performed on the hammered dulcimer and guitar and directed the bands Company Q and the Shadow Mountain String Band.  He appears on three albums of vintage dance music playing dulcimer, guitar, bass, and banjo.  Bill has retired from performing to devote all his energy to researching and teaching vintage dance.  He and Barbara Warnell also enjoy ballroom dance and are the Chairs of the Broadmoor Waltz Club and members of the Garden of the Gods Dance Club.  Bill composed the music for the Broadmoor Waltz and, with Barbara, helped to choreograph the dance.  He has an MS in Computer Information Systems and lives in Colorado Springs.  He serves as webmaster for this and five other non-profit web sites.

Duties:     The Dancemaster is generally responsible for planning and managing all dance-related activities in the organization.  The Dancemaster serves at the will of the Board of Directors as a “committee” under Article 8 of the By-Laws.  The position of Dancemaster is not a Director or Officer but may be held by a Director or Officer.

 The duties of the Dancemaster are:

  1. Research and document historical dances, steps, and music
  2. Ensure, to the best of his/her ability, that dances are true to the flavor of the Victorian Era
  3. Advise the Board of Directors on dance-related issues
  4. Coordinate dance activities with the event chairperson
  5. Plan the order of dance and coordinate printing of dance cards as required
  6. Plan and conduct monthly lessons throughout the dance season
  7. Solicit and manage floor managers as needed
  8. Provide instruction on dance steps
  9. Cue dances
  10. Serve as Master of Ceremonies at dances as necessary
  11. Arrange for music (live or recorded) for events including:

·        Document the order of dances
·        Ensure the musicians have appropriate music
·        Negotiate and execute contracts with musicians
 ·        See that contract commitments (payment, venue preparation, etc.) are met.
 ·        Ensure an adequate sound system is available for music, cueing, and announcements