Measured Obsession

In 1991 Country Dancers of Westchester member Peter Martinez commissioned Fried Herman to write a dance for his wife Carol, for many years a co-teacher at CDW. When Fried presented this masterpiece, it had no name. It was Carol who suggested Measured Obsession, which all agreed captured her own personality to a fare-thee-well.

The dance, in triple time, is set to music of Henry Purcell as adapted by Fried. It is full of emotional contrasts, wonderfully captured in this performance by dancers at the 2014 Lenox Assembly: the intimacy of the opening stars and balance, the gravity of couples advancing with two single steps after the straight poussettes, and the barely hidden flirtation of taking hands with neighbors during the alternating face-en-face and back-to-back figures (not in the instructions and by no means a necessary part of the dance but approved nonetheless by Fried). I especially appreciate that many dancers end each round with a full 6-count turn single right that leads into the star right at the beginning of the next round. The right hands come up with the music, flowing into the star.

Our music for the weekend was provided by the incomparable threesome: Karen Axelrod, keyboard; Doug Creighton, flute and melodeon; and Eric Martin, violin and viola.--Paul Ross