It's fun to see the creative ideas for dances with odd numbers.
In my experience, awkwardly small groups often occur at the beginning
or end of a regular evening (or at the mid-afternoon contra session
on a hot summer day).
In such circumstances, it's nice to have material that requires
minimal teaching, and gets people moving to music quickly. Bonus
points if it can accommodate dancers showing up late and adding-in.
Consistently successful for me is Steve Zakon-Anderson's well-known
contra 3-33-33. The opening is a continuous loop that works just fine
with 4 couples [you're never "out" -- just treat partner as next
neighbor and keep rolling-- get a rest in the Bs]. It's also workable
with 3 couples, or 5 (really,any number). In these circumstances, I
replace the final do-si-do with a chain --- a much more reliable transition ...
https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=3259
We discovered the felicity of this dance about 20 years ago -- in a
hot afternoon class at Buffalo Gap. Dancers liked it so much they
requested repeats at subsequent sessions. In the intervening years, I
have turned to it whenever it feels 'right' for a small, but fairly
experienced group. Feedback has been consistently positive.
My hunch is that more than a few familiar contras can be pleasing in
a very short line -- especially when there is lively action outside
the minor set. The advantage of minimal teaching is significant when
people are tired, overheated, or feeling discouraged that there are
not more dancers. A brisk transition to music and movement gets good
endorphins flowing !
As with any suggestions, your mileage may vary. I know some people
who love to collect novelty dances -- and enjoy the
excuse/opportunity to teach unusual figures and formations. That's
not what floats my boat, but our Diversity is a Strength.
Happy Dancing !
Scott
I often get requests for dances in different formations, or when numbers are
low. Here are a couple to look at. Lots more at
https://contrafusion.co.uk/Formations.html
Quintilinear - a popular dance with a Double Dolphin Hey:
https://youtu.be/lDIy_Cyp6aU
Doubled Five - a new dance with a Doubled Up Hey (some pairs with arms
around each other acting as a single person):
https://youtu.be/kXHzjhUvNLI
Full instructions are in the links below the videos.
I hope you enjoy them!
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802
940 574
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
Hi All,
Related to Domino 5 is Half Hazy Dots for a bit of a challenge.
Videos and info for this and other dances for small numbers on
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFp1up9ZoGxhevcz7leTScc1XfgpjOF2Q&si=EJN…
Also the triplets here:
http://christchurch.contradance.nz/dances/listing.html
Cheers, Bill
> I like the Scottish dances Domino 5 by Derek Haynes (5 people in a diamond with one in the center), and Three's The Charm by Martha Morrison Veranth (3 dancers in a line facing the top of the hall). Triplets from contra, English or Scottish dances are good if you have 6 dancers.
>
> Jonathan
Hello, I'm presenting a conference paper soon with the topic of dancing in museum spaces. I've interviewed a NPS ranger and a few MWSD callers. Having developed a niche as a caller for reenactments, I've called in 20+ museums and historic sites over the past 30+ years, so I'll be sharing a lot of my own experience and thoughts.
I would love to incorporate comments from any callers who have also performed in museum spaces.
If you have thoughts on the following topics, I'd love to hear from you: the museum where you called, sound system issues and acoustics, dancer skill level, band considerations, costuming, floor surface, room obstacles, outdoor spaces, insurance, capacity, spectators, weather, historical accuracy, cultural sensitivities, fees, audience expectations, etc.
Again, I'm focusing solely on museums and not other private gigs, but I would love to hear your thoughts. You are welcome to post here or email me directly.
Thanks!--Deborah HylandFort Scott, KS
Thanks very much everyone for all the dance suggestions. I look forward to
trying them out!
And thanks to John Sweeney for suggesting the Forearm Swing
<https://contrafusion.co.uk/SwingWorkshop.html#Linked>, we'll give it a
shot.
Rick
On Thu, Sep 26, 2024 at 9:33 AM Rick Mohr <rickmohr2(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Here in Philly we're restarting our Teen Barn Dance
> <https://teenbarndance.net/>, which had a great four-year run before the
> pandemic. (Here's the story <https://rickmohr.net/Contra/TeenDance/Story/>
> if you're interested.)
>
> I love calling for the teens, and have been surprised to find that the
> best dances for them don't overlap much with either my contra repertoire or
> my barn dance repertoire. I've written up some of our favorite dances
> <https://rickmohr.net/Contra/TeenDance/Dances/>, and I'm looking for
> more! Specifically:
>
> 1) Barn dances that are slightly harder / more interesting than a typical
> barn dance crowd can handle
>
> 2) Contra dances that are partner-role-free, and have no swing or just a
> neighbor swing.
>
> Role-free dances are great because people can line up anywhere, there's
> less anxiety about partnering, and there are no role terms to choose or
> explain. And swings don't seem to have the same draw for teens as they do
> for adult contra dancers -- they're intimate, and awkward to master. This
> time around we're trying cross-hand rather than ballroom swings. These
> goals rule out many contras (no chains for example), but contras have such
> a rich figure palette that I think there's room for plenty of good ones.
>
> Do you know any good dances in those categories? If so I'd love to see
> them, and I hope you like ours.
>
> Rick
>
> PS - I'd also encourage you to consider starting a teen dance! Ours has
> been fantastic fun, and some of the teens from the first time around are
> now pillars of our adult dance community. Happy to talk with anybody who's
> interested.
>
>
Hi all-- Here's the latest update on Bob, dance writer and caller, injured
badly in a car accident a month ago., from his daughter Sarah...
Update on Bob Green. So, today marks 4 weeks from the scary message that my
sister received from Dad's iPhone saying that it had detected a car
accident. While the orthopedic injuries are healing, the damage and then
subsequent complications to his lungs are going to take a very long time
(read months and months) to recover from. Dad was able to be discharged
from the ICU to a long term acute care hospital that specializes in the
specific type of care and rehab that dad needs. While this is a big step
for him, he still has a lot of healing to do. I am grateful for all of the
care he got at Mercy ICU. I am also very blessed to have the ability to use
paid time off to continue to be with him. He is still not ready for in
person visits but he loves when I read messages posted here.
... "here" refers to the Facebook page, St. Louis Contra Dancers, which you
can subscribe to if you'd like to message him... I'll still continue to
post any updates here.
Keith Tuxhorn
Springfield IL
I’ll second those two.
And add Two Birthdays and an Anniversary by Rhodri Davies.
This is a Becket dance with a swing with your shadow. The end effects can confuse if neutral couples change sides too soon. Stand improper at the top, proper at the bottom, for A1 &2. Change sides after the Shadow swing and join in the second Petronella
I called in Putney, VT this past Saturday, for 25-30 dancers, including
small children and many new dancers. I intentionally programmed the
evening so I never had to teach roles at all. I was pleasantly surprised
at how nice it was to skip a bunch of talking about who is on the Left
and who is on the Right.
I recognize that if those new dancers go to Greenfield MA, they will
have to learn one more thing. But I think they'll be well prepared
because they have already experienced dancing to music, progression, and
having fun with other humans.
Here's my program. Family dance for the first hour, Teens and adults for
the second hour.
1. White Mountain Reel
2. Chimes of Dunkirk
3. Anything Goes
4. Kingston Flyer
5. Beaumont Boom
6. Haste to the Wedding
Break
7. Redwing Square
8. Family Contra
9. Dog Branch Reel
10. On the Ball
11. Star Trek Phraser
Lisa Sieverts
Nelson, NH
Hi all,
Here in Philly we're restarting our Teen Barn Dance
<https://teenbarndance.net/>, which had a great four-year run before the
pandemic. (Here's the story <https://rickmohr.net/Contra/TeenDance/Story/>
if you're interested.)
I love calling for the teens, and have been surprised to find that the best
dances for them don't overlap much with either my contra repertoire or my
barn dance repertoire. I've written up some of our favorite dances
<https://rickmohr.net/Contra/TeenDance/Dances/>, and I'm looking for more!
Specifically:
1) Barn dances that are slightly harder / more interesting than a typical
barn dance crowd can handle
2) Contra dances that are partner-role-free, and have no swing or just a
neighbor swing.
Role-free dances are great because people can line up anywhere, there's
less anxiety about partnering, and there are no role terms to choose or
explain. And swings don't seem to have the same draw for teens as they do
for adult contra dancers -- they're intimate, and awkward to master. This
time around we're trying cross-hand rather than ballroom swings. These
goals rule out many contras (no chains for example), but contras have such
a rich figure palette that I think there's room for plenty of good ones.
Do you know any good dances in those categories? If so I'd love to see
them, and I hope you like ours.
Rick
PS - I'd also encourage you to consider starting a teen dance! Ours has
been fantastic fun, and some of the teens from the first time around are
now pillars of our adult dance community. Happy to talk with anybody who's
interested.
