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The Texas Renaissance Festival
Drum Circle History
The Drum Circle
Outline:
intro: why the need for this essay?
1. what is a Drum Circle?
a. where does it occur?
b. when does it occur?
2. who attends a Drum Circle?
a. age ranges and various professions
b. what do they wear?
c. what do they do there?
1) Drummers
2) Dancers
3) Fire performers
4. An Aside: Children at a Drum Circle?
a. Some personal observations
b. pros of children attending
c. cons of children attending
5. Summary: what can one expect to gain from attendance?
Tips and Unspoken Rules:
1. For Spectators
2. For Dancers
3. For Drummers
Only a few, short years ago, I was introduced to a long-standing
tradition that had been going on without my knowledge for far too long.
And my life will never be the same.
To begin with, I am a Rennie. I attend Renaissance-themed
festivals whenever I can.
In fact, it can be argued that my annual trips to a local Faire
where I live is the central focus of the rest of my year.
Yes, I have a life, but only for a few weekends out of the year.
Now, before you begin to feel too much pity for my pathetic existence,
let me explain what it is I learned so recently in my life and why my life
as a Rennie has suddenly been taken to a much more profound level.
I am speaking of that little studied but easily understood phenomenon:
The Drum Circle.
After a brief and futile search on the Internet for information
describing this tradition, I came to the conclusion that it was up to me
to attempt to articulate to the unenlightened masses what they may be missing
out on.
What is a Drum Circle?
It is noise, it is harmony. It is a seizure, it is a dance.
It is the glow of a fire shining though a pall of smoke and the gleam from
that fire reflecting in the sweat on bare flesh. At times erotic
or just delightfully immature, it is an assembly of more or less grown-up
people congregating in the woods to celebrate life through dance, pounding
drums and more-than-a-little alcohol.
Night has fallen. A group of campers sit around a crackling
fire, enjoying each others company.
Softly, from somewhere in the night, a lone drummer begins to play
a lively dance beat.
Soon, another joins in and sits or kneels next to the first, keeping
time perfectly. More join the group from other adjacent camps, the
drummers have arranged themselves in a semi-circle facing inward to better
watch each others movements and predict changes in tempo. Before
long one or more of the women in the group get up to dance, swaying and
stepping in time to the rhythm. As the tempo increases, a few men
join them. The dancers seem to instinctively know to move in an arc
away from the drummers, thus completing a Circle with drummers making up
one side, dancers on the other and a few of the bolder individuals dancing
in the center stage area.
Some play drums, some dance, others may simply stand around the
perimeter and watch.
But in some greater or lesser way, everyone is involved. Spontaneity
is the name of the game.
The drummers may try to keep a certain beat and maintain a semblance
of order, but it should be remembered:
Circles are not so much planned as they are simply allowed to occur.
Where does it occur?
The best places to find Drum Circles are at campgrounds adjoining
a Renaissance type Faire. I won't waste time explaining what a Faire
is, if you've discovered this article, you should already have the gist
of it by now.
Circles can, however, occur in any place where a group of Rennies
feel they can dance and play drums loudly without fear of legal repercussions.
This is key to their existence, of course:
Circles usually take place after dusk when it is time to light campfires
and the booze is starting to flow.
A Circle simply cannot gain any momentum if the local Authorities
are trying to arrest the participants for disturbing the peace. Any clear
area of sufficient size to accommodate the participants will do.
Some space between tents, a meadow, a cattle field or a parking
area all work well.
When does it occur?
At the end of a day filled with merriment and games is when a Circle usually occurs. This is why Faires are such a likely place to find them. After the regular tourists have left to go back to their mundane lives, the dedicated Rennies retire to the campsite to rest in preparation for the next day. Most mundane tourists (or 'danes, as they are known to Rennies) would simply not understand the propriety of a bunch of perceived weirdoes dancing in various stages of undress to the beat of a troupe of intoxicated drummers. For this reason, Circles generally do not form until the danes have left the Fairgrounds, typically after nightfall. To find one, either start drumming with some talent and hope to draw some Rennies to you like moths to the flame; or simply follow your ears to where another Circle is already forming elsewhere in the campgrounds.
Who attends a Drum Circle?
Rennies, naturally. This means anyone who regularly attends
Renaissance Faires.
They come from all walks of life: bankers, computer programmers,
burger flippers, teachers and salespeople.
One is just as likely to encounter a zit faced teenager on one side
as a middle aged mother of four on the other.
Going to a Faire is a form of escapism for these people and performing
in a Circle is an ultimate expression of the joy of not being just some
person in the mundane world.
Those attending a Circle may be wearing the same clothing they wore
that day in the Faire grounds.
Others may choose to wear something more comfortable to dance about
more easily in.
Others still may wear next to nothing to better experience the feeling
of unbridled freedom within the Circle.
In short, it is the purest form of "come as you are". What a person
does at the Circle is entirely up to the individual, remember, this is
spontaneous! If someone has a period type drum like a doumbek, tambourine,
darabuka, bodrhan, bongo or djembe and a modicum of talent, they are welcome
to join in with the music. Strings and woodwind instruments as well
as more modern drums like snare and large bass drums are generally frowned
upon by Circle attendees. They just don't fit the mood. The
choice of music played by the musicians will typically be a heavy, rhythmic
dance beat reminiscent of middle eastern belly dance music. This
is quite deliberate, as it is usually the hope of the musicians that some
scantily clad women will come gyrate directly in front of them.
Both women and men are encouraged to dance to the music. They
may sway, stamp their feet, gyrate seductively or simply bounce while chanting
in time with the beat. The less shy may dance in the center of the
Circle and thus give a show to those around them, others may simply hang
back on the perimeter and clap their hands while watching the show.
Occasionally, a true belly dancer with real talent may come forward to
perform. These wonderful people are usually given a wide berth to
allow them a full range of movement as well as to provide an unobstructed
view for the other participants. Another welcome participant is the fire
performer.
He or she specializes in stunts like fire eating or blowing flame.
Fire spinners are another pyro-dancer that may twirl flaming balls attached
at length to their hands via metal chains. At high speeds, these
fireballs become a glowing blur that whirls around the performer in various
formations and patterns in time to the tempo. Some fire spinners
also use special flaming staves or batons to twirl about in a graceful
martial-artform. For obvious reasons, all fire performers are also
given a wide berth within the Circle.
An Aside: Children at the Drum Circle
At this point, I would like to broach what may be a controversial
subject. It is true that many people like to attend Faire's with
their families, after all, kids love em'! These same people may also
wish to camp with all the other Rennies and enjoy the unique hospitality
that pervades these temporary villages that spring up overnight in those
campgrounds. However, it has happened on a few occasions that an
unsuspecting parent was dismayed to find Junior standing on the outskirts
of a Circle gawking at the less than fully clothed dancers that inevitably
wind up at many such events. It also should be pointed out that many
participants will be in various stages of intoxication at the Circle.
Therefore, it is strongly recommended that parents police their children
closely if they feel uncomfortable with the debauchery the little tyke
will undoubtedly witness.
On the other hand, some of the best drummers and fire spinners I
have personally witnessed were not yet old enough to shave and put on a
spectacular show. These little virtuosos quickly earn a kind of hero
worship from the older participants who regard them with a respect rarely
given to children by adults. I cannot help but believe this is a
good thing to the child's self-esteem to be so encouraged to perform before
a large group of strangers who genuinely appreciate their efforts to add
to the fun. In short, bring your child if they can contribute in
a constructive way, it will be a wonderful lesson for them. Otherwise,
leave the kid with someone else for the weekend. You don't want to
spoil your fun that night worrying about leaving them in the tent alone
while you go off to the Circle.
Summary: What can you hope to gain from a Drum Circle?
A hangover. Okay, seriously, it will be much more than just drinking and dancing. Personally, my first experience with a Drum Circle was incredible. I observed an aspect of my beloved bride I had only hoped she had up to that point. For most of the year, I believe, we all tend to live cocoons in an artificial facade of social behavior. When someone goes to a Circle and has the courage to get out in the center and dance without a care in their heart that dozens of people are watching, it is a feeling of freedom unlike anything we can expect to experience in the mundane world of paychecks and bills. The people around you at a Circle are a special sort of friend. Most of them will never see you again and those that do will likely not remember your face anyway. But they accept you at that moment for what you are, whatever you wish to be that night. So who cares if you're a half naked idiot with a tambourine who got a bit too friendly with the other idiot next to you? Have fun. Live for the moment. Do it again the next year. And the one after that. But try to follow a few, heretofore unwritten rules and tips:
For the Spectators:
1. Keep your hands to yourself. While Drum Circle participants
are not known for their prudishness, neither are they welcoming of just
any stranger groping them without at least a proper introduction.
Remember that many Rennies have a fascination with swords, daggers and
other sharp objects, so make sure the attention you're giving is actually
wanted.
2. Leave the camera in the tent. I can't recall the
number of rolls of film I or some of my friends have confiscated and destroyed
from E-perverts hoping to post their latest photos of topless Dancers on
the Internet. Be reminded that unauthorized publication of such pictures
is illegal without the consent of the model and, yes, many of us do watch
out for them on-line. Just show a little courtesy and ask before
snapping away, you might be surprised how many ladies won't mind.
Otherwise, you will be escorted away by someone bigger than you.
3. Maintain the Circle. By that I mean the shape of
a circle!
Crowding in close to the Dancers restricts their movement and obstructs
the view of others.
4. No weapons. I mentioned earlier the Rennies' love
of cutlery. No one is going to pick a fight at most Circles and those
that do are quickly subdued and led away so you won't need that hand-and-a-half
broadsword.
Moreover, the close proximity shared by participants is an invitation
for accidents where sharp objects may be at hand. Just leave it in
the car.
5. Share your booze. Drumming and Dancing is thirsty
work, please show your appreciation by passing the bottle. Otherwise,
we have to take longer breaks to keep the performers happy and use up valuable
Circle time.
6. Watch your step. The ropes that keep the tension on
tent poles aren't called "drunk snares" for nothing. If a tent, vehicle,
tiki torch or canopy is inconveniently in your way, you've likely blundered
into someone's camp.
Back up and go around.
7. The Big One: Pick up the fu**ing trash! Notice I
didn't specify your own trash. That pathetic excuse of "well that
isn't my trash" won't cut it with a true Rennie. I've spent many
a morning after with rake in hand scraping together the piles of cans and
bottles strewn across the site of a Circle. Forgive me if I sound
really bitchy about this, but I can't stress this enough: If you
drop your garbage on the ground at any kind of campsite, you are a Dane.
That's right. A dane. One of those ridiculous souls who should
have already left Faire and gone home before the first beat was sounded.
We don't like you. You don't get it. Go home.
For Dancers:
1. Go topless at your own risk. I've mentioned several
times that nudity is somewhat the norm at many Circles but it is not a
requirement. It is also usually illegal at many Faire campsites.
More than a few ladies have been ticketed or escorted off the campground
by security when they failed to get their clothes back on in time.
We, the Participants, truly appreciate you, but please be careful.
2. Don't go alone. Have someone big and hairy (unless
you are big and hairy) to escort you from the Circle back to your camp.
You may have attracted the attention of a drunk who will selectively not
hear the word "No" from you.
3. Dance, dammit!
If you've entered the center of the Circle, you have volunteered
to put on a show for the rest of us.
Either start moving or step back to the edge.
4. Dance closer to the Drummers. Please? It make
us play better, really!
For Drummers:
1. Be a Drummer. Not a Flutist, not a Bagpiper, not a Kazoo-player.
If it is not a period percussion instrument, you will not be welcome
to play. Now go away.
2. Practice. Every large Drum Circle seems to attract
two or three wannabes who just bought their first drum less than a week
ago and now want to play along.
Or worse, they've owned it for a while but still seem to believe
that "Loud equals Good".
It doesn't take a lot of talent to play in a Circle, but it does
mean maintaining the same rhythm as the other players. Please don't
ruin it for the rest of us.
If the other Drummers are giving you dirty looks, try Dancing instead.
3. Use a tunable drum or a synthetic head. Oh, boy,
did I learn that lesson the hard way. My first season Drumming at
a Faire I played a bodhran with a goat-skin head. At night the humidity
(This was near Houston, where we teach our children to chew their air thoroughly
before breathing) would condense on the head and cause it to swell something
awful. After just a few minutes it sounded like I was beating on
wet cardboard. Drying it over a fire was not only risky, but time
consuming. If your drum has a tacked head, shell out a few more bucks
for a tunable version or have the head replaced with a synthetic one.
Written by
Beau Loving
1-2002
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