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The Red Thistle Dancers Memory Book
Strathspey Through The Years
SCROLL DOWN BELOW THIS YEAR SELECTION FOR PAGE CONTENT! Or Pick a year to view programs, photos, cast & crew lists, videos and other ephemera - or use the menu below for other items of interest. Note: some years and collections are sparse. If you have items, please contact us to help fill out this online album.
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Jonathan Lovell
Leave a message or note for this Red Thistle!
Year Joined:
1999
Years Active:
1999-2016
How I Joined the Red Thistles:
Paula Jacobson and Alan Twhigg had had enough of me in their respective Soquel and Mt View classes, so they suggested that Jennifer might have better luck. The jury is still out on that one.
Scottish Connection?:
My maternal grandfather was a Robertson and non-biological uncle was a Lindsay. But I’ll soon be getting my DNA “saliva” results from 23andme, and who knows what that will reveal.
Roles I've Had in The Red Thistle Dancers:
Dancer, Incipient Grant Writer
Favorite Dances:
The Unraveling medley is the one I’m most anxious to get right before I decline entirely into my dotage. The Double Dose/ Finnan Haddies/ Georgie's Jig medley has my vote as one of my present favorites. It’s a medley only Jennifer could have devised, not least because all three of the dances are non-sequential in their “standard” progressions.
Real Life:
When not dancing, I can be found observing beginning teachers of English in various San Jose area middle and high school classrooms, and directing a professional development program for K-college teachers called the San Jose Area Writing Project.
Tartans:
My preferences are my heavy weight military kilt (Black Watch) and my dress kilt (Lindsay)
Special Memories:
Dancing at the deYoung Museum under that orange-red cresent moon sculpture, with the colors alernating on the wall behind us, has to be the top of my fond memories at present.
"Most Likely To ...":
Annoy Jennifer by slipping back into a 2 beat pas de basque as we are learning a new dance.
Costume Favorites & Least Favorites :
I favor our corduroy vest costume with our Red Thistle white shirts. I think this costume will look even better with our our new “peasant” shirts for the men. I’m not partial to the enlarged sporrans favored in some of our Victorian get-ups. A bit too much advertising for my taste.
Performance Hiccups or Extraordinary Moment!
I went completely blank, at the deYoung (!), in the final 24 bars of The Unraveling. Hence my response to “Favorite Dances/Medleys” above. But also see photo below!