Museum Tours, Nature Walks, Movie Nights, Folk Dances, Sightseeing and MORE for Singles, Couples and Families - all in Glen Cove and all on a budget! The Gregarians is a social club open to everyone.
As the name implies, The Gregarians are a "gregarious" group of individuals. Membership is open to the public and participants represent a diverse group of individuals from the Glen Cove area. For more information on the Gregarians and their upcoming events visit www.TheGregarians.org or call First Presbyterian Church at (516) 671-0258
Second Sunday Events
On the second Sunday of each month The Gregarians sponsor a social event. This may include museum visits, nature walks or film screenings. In May our field trip was to Shu Swamp!
Nassau County Museum of Art January 2012
A group of ten Gregarians showed up at the Nassau County Museum of Art. We joined the docent tour that described the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany which is on display currently at the museum. The exhibit included enough of his work to show the diversity in his technique. None of us seemed too familiar with his paintings, so we were pleasantly surprised by the collection of his oil and watercolor images which were painted on canvas, wood and, believe it or not, wrapping paper. Of course, the collection included the more familiar and beautifully displayed Tiffany lamps and stained glass windows. During the tour, we stopped in the Contemporary Art room where they had a few pieces by Lego artist, Nathan Sawaya. In this room are five sculptures that are constructed out of tens of thousands of Lego blocks. Whether you like contemporary art or not, you have to admit, these pieces are incredible. Five out of the ten people on this trip were aged 16 and under. I’ll give you one guess as to which part of the tour they liked best.
A recent Gregarian event was a guided tour of Coe Hall at the Planting Fields Arboretum led by Sue Cheney. For details on other events contact the church office at (516) 671-0258.
Upcoming Events!
Sunday February 12th - "Rafting the Grand Canyon" presentation given by Lance, Max and Beau Cheney. Preceded by Southwestern luncheon prepared by Beau and Sue Cheney.
Takes place in the fellowship room immediately following the morning service.
Sunday March 11th - Game Afternoon at Evelyn's house. Details and times TBD.
If you have questions on any of our events or would like to suggest an event, please contact Sue Cheney via scheney@optonline.net.
English Country Dance and Potluck!
The Gregarians periodically sponsor English Country Dances. Please check back in the future for possible dates and times. There are no dances currently planned for this winter or spring.
What is Traditional English Country Dance? English Country Dance is the dance form that was popular in England and America in the 1600's, 1700's and early 1800's. It is one of the dance forms from which moderncontra and square dance are descended. If you've seen any of the recent Jane Austen movies then you've seen this sort of dance.
Click on dance images below to view video clips of English Country dancing!
All ages join in on the fun!
Right Hands Across
History of English Country Dance
English Country Dancing is believed to be the oldest form of folk dance still being danced in the world. Its origins can be traced back at least as far as 1480, or many years before Columbus sailed to America (the date of the tune of “Sellenger’s Round,” a circular or maypole dance that uses a variation on the hymn tune “All glory, laud and honor to thee redeemer King”). Many names of English Country Dances appear in sixteenth and early seventeenth century literature (including in Shakespeare), and many of their tunes appear in manuscript and published sources of the period, but the earliest surviving set of dance instructions appears on a 1648 manuscript, and the earliest published source is John Playford’s The English Dancing Master of 1650-1.
The earliest dances seem to have been in the form of large circles, suitable for dancing outdoors. Related to them were circles intended for three couples and four couples (the latter being the ancestors of modern square dances), and petty-squares for two couples. Early dancers also danced nonprogressive longways dances for three or four couples, and progressive longways dances for as many couples as were interested. English great houses of 1560 to 1650 developed long picture galleries to accommodate these longways dances.
From the scant surviving information, most of the folk dances of Europe were so simple as to be boring. By contrast, the dances danced at court were so difficult that only the leisure classes could afford the time to learn them. English Country Dance stands in the middle between those extremes. It is simple enough that most people have little trouble learning enough to enjoy themselves, and yet challenging enough to hold the dancers’ interest. As a result, English Country Dance spread rapidly throughout Europe and the European colonies around the world, displacing the indigenous folk dances. For example, a 1770 manuscript from Mexico City, discovered in the late twentieth century, gives both tunes and instructions for many well known English dances.
Special thanks to contributing photographers Michael Ach and Robert McNally.
Welcome to the Gregarians! 
On the second Sunday of each month The Gregarians sponsor a social event. This may include museum visits, nature walks or film screenings. In May our field trip was to Shu Swamp! 
A recent Gregarian event was a guided tour of Coe Hall at the Planting Fields Arboretum led by Sue Cheney. For details on other events contact the church office at 
