The VirtuAle was organized by a small group of people. We’re not all on the same team, or even in the same state. We’ve never worked together on a project this big. Up until a few months ago, we had never even dreamed of doing something like this. It turned out to be really fun.

Meet the organizing team:

Chris Koszalka – Ale Czar, workshop organizer 

Vanessa Van Alstine – Show dances and Mass Stand, video editing and compilation, sessions leaders

Valerie Young – May Jig Festival, schedule, tours, screen-free activities

Andrew Orrison – Trusty Virtual Guide management and training, tech support

Brianna Sullivan – tour planning, registration testing

Roo Case – shirt orders, skit night, tech support

Trenne Fields – skit night, sessions leaders

Spider Vetter – registration, web content, schedule, logistics

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Special thanks to:

Nat Case – shirt artwork

Jonathan Whitall – MWMA Tech Team lead

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We had 28 Trusty Virtual Guides who volunteered to run the Zoom rooms and help keep the event going smoothly. These folks attended special trainings and put a tremendous amount of work into making this event happen.

A total of 14 workshops were offered by 18 workshop leaders or co-leaders. During the May Jig Festival in the weeks leading up to the VirtuAle, an additional 6 people taught jig workshops over Zoom. Another 8 people volunteered to host pickup dancing, singing, and other evening sessions. These folks put a lot of time into preparing material, presentations, and handouts to share their love and lore.

Finally –

We have had an astonishing amount of interest from the broader Morris community. A total of 315 people registered, representing 60 teams. People joined the VirtuAle from 27 U.S. states, 2 Canadian provinces, and a total of 5 countries. This is the 40th Annual Midwest Morris Ale, and it’s the largest registration we’ve ever had (in 2011 we also had 315 registered).

This Ale would not be possible without you — attending and sharing your love for this community. Really. Thank you.