March 15, 2020

Dear Single Trees and Friends of Single Trees,
The consensus of the Single Trees Executive Board is to go ahead and cancel our upcoming Single Trees dance on March 27th.
We'll take another look at the April schedule at the first of the month.
Larry Reetz
President
Single Trees Square Dance Club

March 12, 2020

Dear Fellow Dancers,
I am sorry to announce that tomorrow night's dance, our Luck of the Irish Dance, has been canceled along with the 2nd and 3rd Saturdays Whirl-A-Ways dances.  This is due to increased fear of the coronavirus which spreading throughout our state with confirmed cases in Polk, Linn, and Douglas Counties.
The lesson committee has decided to cancel all lessons for the rest of the spring but they will give the first six to 8 weeks to those members of the new class that return next fall.

Larry Reetz and I made an executive decision about tomorrow's dance as time was essential to get the word out but the board will decide about the 4th Friday dance.

Stay well and hunker down.  Enjoy the spring.  No reason to stay indoors; in fact, I've heard sunshine can kill the virus.  Let neighbors, family, and friends know if you need help.in any way.

Gaynor Hintz
Vice President
Single Trees Square Dance Club

Christina Corelli's Round Dance classes Monday nights also has been cancelled for March.
Some great photos of Eugene Opera rehearsing in our hall!


Meet Damien Geter

Portland-based bass-baritone Damien Geter makes his Eugene Opera debut in Tosca
Why do you think Tosca has been so popular for so long? What about it do you think stands the test of time?
There are certain elements in opera that make them timeless and relatable. Even though the stories are sometimes outrageous, audiences connect with the visceral emotion of the characters, the drama, and of course, the music. To put it plainly, Puccini knew how to write a melody.

Describe the show in 3 words?
Passion, murder, obsession.
What is your favorite moment to perform from the show? Why?

Well, I only sing in the beginning, but someday I hope to sing Scarpia. As for Angelotti, everyone remembers him since he sings first and has some good moments of real singing. Even though the part is small, it showcases the singer in a nice way.

What’s the most rewarding part of being in this show?
I've never been in Tosca, so I'm looking forward to getting to know it more.

What made you want to pursue a career in opera?
I sang as a child. I never thought I'd be an opera singer until my professor in college encouraged me. I really love opera. It's so vulnerable for all involved and is a wonderful conglomeration of all the arts.

What was the first opera you ever saw? Do you remember how the experience made you feel?
The first thing that was close to an opera that I saw was The Mikado. I don't remember much from it except I thought it was very colorful. The first REAL opera that I saw was Elektra believe it or not. That's when I thought… hm.. this is really something special.
Sunday night, the entire cast and chorus had their "room run" rehearsal. The room run is the final rehearsal before the show moves to the Hult Center for tech, costumes and full dress. 
March 13 and 15, 2020, Eugene Opera presents Giacomo Puccini's Tosca, a masterwork of the romantic Italian repertoire, at Silva Hall. The opera will transport you to 1940's Italy, where political unrest is brewing. The soaring melodies and rich orchestra scoring evoke the lengths to which one woman will go to save the man she loves.

March 10, 2020

This coming Friday March 13 we will hold our annual Luck of the Irish Dance and Potato Bar Dance.  Because we have changed our format we will have the potato bar before the dance from 7 to 7:30PM.  Then at 7:30 we will have plus with mainstream from 8-10PM. 

Jim Hattrick will be calling and Jackie Gale cueing so a fun night of dancing for all is in store.  Do be sure to wear a bit of green!

Members, it is election time so please be sure to vote on your slate of officers and the issues being presented which will have an effect on the future of our club. 
Also please don't forget to bring finger food to share with our guests.  A good idea was just brought to my attention:  an added measure to protect ourselves might be to individually wrap food at our dances so people can be assured they are not eating food someone might have inadvertently coughed or sneezed over.  We always have hand sanitizer available and all should be encouraged to use it if they haven't just washed their hands thoroughly.

Happy dancing everyone!  And stay well.