"The Wheel" has been a favorite of mine since 1994. Around here some call
it "Wheel of Misfortune" -- hilarious! (i.e. who will the fates deliver
unto you for a swing?)
I could never find it in my Gene Hubert books -- apparently because it was
published in his first collection "Dizzy Dances" (
https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/index/DD1.txt) which I don't have. I
never thought that was a problem, since "Dizzy Dances II" is subtitled
"Featuring the best of Volume 1 plus...". But now I wonder how many other
great dances that Gene didn't consider "the best" are hiding in that book!
I've also long struggled with the "women's arms pulled out of their
sockets" problem, and tried a couple fixes that failed spectacularly. Mac,
your solution looks brilliant and I'm excited to try it!
Rick
Here are a few dances I’ve found can enhance a silly atmosphere!
Carmen’s Contra, which I think is by Lisa Greenleaf
NOTE: Men empty right pockets before dance!!
A
Circle left ¾, pass through – (8) (progression)
Do-si-do next neighbor – (8)
With same neighbor: clap, clap, bump, bump (clap two hands, bump right hips) – (4)
With that neighbor swing – (12)
B
Long lines forward and back – (8)
Women allemande right, 1 1/2 – (8)
Partners balance and swing – (12)
Aw Shucks! by Carol Copp
NOTE: To teach the clapping, have everyone say together “Right, left, both, turn! Right, left both, swing!”
A
Ones sashay down center – (8)
Ones sashay back up stopping between the twos – (8)
Ones face each other, clap one beat each: right, left, both and turn to face neighbors – (4)
Neighbors facing each other clap: right, left – (3)
Neighbors swing – (9) End facing down the set in line of four
B
Down the hall in lines of four holding hands twos in the middle – (8)
Turn as a couple (gents back up while ladies go forward), and come back up, ones in center – (8)
Ones drop hands in middle of line, fall back into long lines (progressed) Ladies chain across – (8)
Ladies chain back – (8) Ones are ready to sashay again, stopping between the NEXT twos.
Casino Polka by Tony Parkes
NOTE: It’s fun if neighbors take a dramatic cheek-to-cheek ballroom position
A
Neighbors, heel, toe, sashay (start with gent’s left foot, lady’s right foot) (4) back in (4)
“Heel and toe and step together, step”
Repeat (8)
Do-si-do neighbor (8)
Swing neighbor (8) (End facing across)
B
Gents allemande left, 1 ½ times around (8)
Partner swing on the side of the set (8)
Circle left 1 ¼ times (8) (end facing down or up)
Pass right shoulders through to next couple (8) (progression)
<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>
Delia Clark
PO Box 45
Taftsville, VT 05073
Office/mobile: +1-802-457-2075
deliaclark8(a)gmail.com <mailto:deliaclark8@gmail.com>
www.deliaclarkconfluence.com <http://www.deliaclarkconfluence.com/>
Dan:
Thanks for sending along Allan's Frankenstein's Monster dance. It reads
really well and I look forward to running it through my head a few times
and calling it.
How does the dance/music phrasing work, in practice, for the allemandes
that span A2-B1? Instinct leads me to prefer having that all contained with
A or within B (as in Chuck the Budgie).
Ken Panton
From: Dan Black <blackjunier(a)yahoo.com>
To: Bill Olson <callbill(a)hotmail.com>, Grant Goodyear
<grant(a)grantgoodyear.org>, Grant Goodyear via Callers
<callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Looking for suggestions
Message-ID: <418803780.588959.1517152720473(a)mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Gang,I usually get so much from this message board, it is time for me to
provide.? See a rock solid dance below.
?Holiday in the Wood
Allan Brozek
Duple improper
Intermediate to advanced
Needs moderate tempo due to large number of 4 count figures
| Note:
This one borrows bits from two of my favorite dances...Slapping the Wood
(Don Flaherty) (A1 & B2) and Hudson Holiday (A2 & B1)...hence the title. |
A1 (8) Do-si-do neighbor couple around couple(8) Swing neighbor A2 (8) Men
allemande left 1 & 1/2 to a wave across(4) Balance(4) Turn partner by right
3/4 to a wave along the line B1 (4) Balance(4) Allemande left with
shadow(8) Swing partner B2 (8) Circle four 3/4(4) Balance in the circle(4)
California twirl
I have another sound equipment question. My natural voice comes out muffled and bassy at the back of the hall unless I make a concerted effort to raise my pitch and project from the diaphragm. I am also paying more attention to my mic position. All these are good things to do anyway, but it migh help in the few situations where the sound equipment is limited to bring my own inline equalizer or mic preamp. The idea would be to preprocess my mic before feeding the signal to the powered speaker or mixer the hall is using.
So far all I can find are $99 mixer units with only a high and low band. Actual mic preamps cost more. Is there anything under $100 to clarify my tone?
Does anyone else do this?
\Bob Peterson
Billerica, MA
Thank you for all your suggestions. I used Chuck the Budge, a dance I
had in my box but for some reason had never called in the USA before.
Michael Barraclough
http://michaelbarraclough.com
Anyone have a dance that they would like to share which has both short
wavy lines (across) and long wavy lines (along)?
--
Photo of Michael Barraclough
Michael Barraclough
http://michaelbarraclough.com
My go-to waves dance is Snake Oil Reel by Roger Diggle (Duple Improper)
A1: Ladies in to center for long wave, Balance
While Ladies back out, Men in to center for long wave, Balance
A2: Men Allemande Left 3/4, give right to neighbor and Balance short wave across the set
All Allemande Right 1/2, Balance short wave with Ladies in the center
B1: Ladies pull by Left
Swing Partner
B2: Circle ALL the way
Ladies Chain to Neighbor
Use momentum from chain to send ladies in to center
While it does not have waves at the sides, it has them in the middle so you can use it
when the hall is too short for everyone to be in the same long waves at the sides.
It is an excellent dance for incorporating a large group of beginners, because
you hardly ever are without someone else in your hand, and the storyline is very nice.
Bob
bobfab(a)aol.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Olson via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
To: callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Fri, Jan 26, 2018 8:23 am
Subject: Re: [Callers] Looking for suggestions
You Can't Get There From Here by Carol Ormand (Improper, 10 June 1994)
A1 Balance; allemande Right 3/4 (to long waves, Women facing in); Balance; allemande Right 3/4 (to waves of four, Men in the middle)
A2 Balance; Neighbors swing
B1 Circle Left 3/4; Partners swing
B2 Circle Left 3/4; Neighbors dos a dos 1.5 (to wave of four with the next)
Notes: It begins in a wave of four, with the women in the middle. Title suggestion by John Kraniak.
bill
From: Callers <callers-bounces(a)lists.sharedweight.net> on behalf of Michael Barraclough via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Friday, January 26, 2018 6:43 AM
To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Subject: [Callers] Looking for suggestions
Anyone have a dance that they would like to share which has both short wavy lines (across) and long wavy lines (along)?
--
Michael Barraclough
http://michaelbarraclough.com
_______________________________________________
List Name: Callers mailing list
List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
Dearest Hive,
Is anyone available to call a dance this Sat, 7-10 PM, in Wareham MA,
just before the Bourne Bridge?
I've been down w/ the flu for 6 days and it hasn't let go yet. No
voice, just a whisper.
Contact me off-list for details. It is a small dance, typically 20-30.
Thanks everyone,
Paul
PS If accommodations are needed, that can probably be arranged (don't
worry, NOT w/ me this time).
Dear Shared Weight callers,
Please forward the below info to any organizers you know in the Northeast
(or beyond)
Cheers,
POTD3 team
We're thrilled to announce that the Puttin' On the Dance (POTD)
<http://www.puttinonthedance.org>conference returns this year.
*Save the Dates for POTD3!*
*November 30 – December 2, 2018*
*Puttin’ On the Dance 3 : A Conference for Northeast Dance Organizers*
Join us for POTD3 in Portland, Maine.
Learn, connect, dance, and more!
POTD is especially for organizers in Eastern Canada and the Northeastern
United States who produce dance events in the North American and English
social dance traditions (e.g., Cape Breton, community, contra, English
country, family, gender free, Quebecois, and square). Space permitting,
others interested in dance organizing, whether from other regions or those
not currently organizing dances, are also welcome to attend.
POTD is all about:
- Providing resources and opportunities for learning, sharing, renewal
and fun!
- Strengthening our network of dance organizers
- Practicing traditions together
- Did we mention having fun?
Lead sponsors include DownEast Friends of the Folk Arts (DEFFA
<http://www.deffa.org>) and Portland Intown Contra Dance (PICD
<http://www.portlandintowncontradance.com>).
*Be in touch!*
Let us know you’re excited, want to help make it happen, and/or anything
else.
Email puttinonthedance(a)gmail.com or connect with us on Facebook at
facebook.com/PuttinOnTheDance
With excitement and anticipation,
POTD 3 Core Organizers
Dela Murphy
Chrissy Fowler
Coral Breuer
*P.S. The Back Story:*
In November 2011, Puttin' On the Dance convened nearly 80 dance organizers
in White River Junction, VT. In March 2015, Puttin' On the Dance 2
convened over 80 dance organizers in Ottawa, ON.
Both POTD1 and POTD2 were packed with workshops, discussions, dancing and
more. Dance communities throughout the region benefited from the weekend
conference in significant ways, and Conference Archives from POTD1
<http://www.puttinonthedance.org/potd1archive/> and POTD2
<http://www.puttinonthedance.org/potd2-conference-notes/> continue to
support dance organizers. Participants made it clear an event like this
should happen every few years. (See testimonials
<http://www.puttinonthedance.org/testimonials/>.) It’s time for POTD3!
--
puttinonthedance.orgfacebook.com/PuttinOnTheDance
*You're on the POTD email list because we think you're interested in
conferences for dance organizers. Do let us know if you want your address
removed,.and feel free to forward our news to others. Thanks!*
I have a good mixer, two large speakers & stands, lots of wires -- and they
all weigh a lot, but they work great for large rooms full of people and
outdoor venues. However...
I occasionally have smaller events in smaller rooms with fewer people where
the band is acoustic and so am I. I find myself straining my voice to be
heard by the dancers and I'm tired of screaming.
I used to have a karaoke system, but found it inadequate (and I couldn't
plug my wireless headset into it). Are there smaller, less heavy, less
cumbersome systems you carry around? I want to be able to plug my computer
into it when I have an event that's not live music or just to use it to
amplify my voice over acoustic music (7-8 musicians) -- a couple of small
but lightweight speakers.
Help!
--
*Looking forward,Linda S. Mrosko*
*102 Mitchell Drive*
*Temple, Texas 76501*
*(903) 292-3713 (Cell)*
*(903) 603-9955 (Skype)*
*contradancetx.com <http://www.contradancetx.com>*
*www.zazzle.com/fuzzycozy* <http://www.zazzle.com/fuzzycozy*> (Dance
buttons, t-shirts, & more)*
