Contra Callers

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

45 participants
4388 discussions

Local styles vs. consensus (Was: Another vote for "jets" and "rubies")

by Tony Parkes via Callers

Chet Gray wrote: <<In regards to the present variety in role terminology, I may be fairly alone in this opinion, but I hope we never intentionally arrive at a grand consensus. I love that different terms for roles have sprung up in different communities, just as I love that so many wonderful terms have sprung up for eye-turn/shoulder-turn/spiral. I love hearing "allemande", "hand turn", and "hand 'round" in different communities. I love that "dosado" means drastically different things in different long-lived community ("square") dances. I love that some communities default to hands-across stars while others default to wrist-hold stars. I love that there are at least three different promenade positions, and each is default in different communities. As much as my engineer brain would enjoy it, I hope we never have a CALLERLAB to strictly define terminology and steps for contra dances.>> Amen! One of the things I’ve long lamented about the modern square dance movement is the disappearance of regional variations. If square dancing is viewed as a hobby, it makes sense (given the mobility of people in industrialized countries) to standardize the meaning of calls, hand and arm positions, and other rules and customs. But if it’s viewed as a folk art, it’s a crying shame to lose the variations. To me, standardizing a folk dance form is like saying there’s only one right way to cook chicken. (Given how far MSD has strayed away from tradition and toward homogenization, it feels to me as if they’re saying KFC is the only right way to cook chicken.) The contra dance world has never had an entity like Callerlab with the clout to convince local groups to standardize, and I don’t think it needs one. Two of the big attractions of contra dancing (IMO) are its lack of regimentation and the small number of terms a newcomer must learn. That small number (again IMO) means that adjusting from one village to another is not difficult: Typically only 3 or 4 terms out of 15 or 20 are understood differently. A big question in my mind is whether there’s anything approaching a consensus among contra callers (and interested organizers and dancers) on any points beyond the obvious: that dancing should be enjoyable and a dance venue should be a safe space. I would strongly caution folks against thinking there’s a consensus when only a small percentage of callers and leaders has been heard from. I’m thinking here, not specifically about the gender-free vs. gendered issue or which gender-free terms to adopt, but about the big picture – which includes those issues, but also includes standardization vs. local styles, “gypsy” vs. a new term (and again, which one to adopt), and which, if any, of the many new movements to expect dancers to memorize. This last issue is much on my mind, as the contra vocabulary has more than tripled since I started dancing. Do we really want to go down that road? Getting back to the issue of gender-free terms (though I’ve changed the subject line to allow more general discussion), I hope that here, as elsewhere, we can feel free to experiment and not feel constrained by what other people and groups are doing. Tony Parkes Billerica, Mass. www.hands4.com<http://www.hands4.com> New book: Square Dance Calling (ready Summer 2017)

8 years, 6 months

Folk Dance Books Available

by Jerome Grisanti via Callers

Recently, the university where my wife works got rid of their dance department, and my wife brought home to me multiple copies of a bunch of folk dance books, including: Folk Dances of the British Isles (Anne Schley Duggan, Jeanette Schlottmann, Abbie Rutledge -- at least three copies) Folk Dances of European Countries (Anne Schley Duggan, Jeanette Schlottmann, Abbie Rutledge -- at least three copies) Folk Dances of the United States and Mexico (Anne Schley Duggan, Jeanette Schlottmann, Abbie Rutledge -- at least three copies) Folk Dances of Scandinavia (Anne Schley Duggan, Jeanette Schlottmann, Abbie Rutledge -- at least three copies) The Teaching of Folk Dance Teaching of Ethnic Dance (Joukowsky) American Indian and Other Folk Dances (Shafter) Caller/Teacher Manual for the Extended Basics Program for American Square Dancing (Ruff) (Two books: Levels 1-3 and Beyond Level 3) Folk Dancing in High School and College (Grace I. Fox) Folk Dance Progressions (Lidster and Tamburini) AND, she wants me to clean up my dance library. Any help you can offer to move them to new homes (come and get them, I'll send them to you, etc.) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! --Jerome Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com "Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

8 years, 6 months

Dance title, author and choreography

by QuiAnn2 via Callers

Hi, Saw this dance on-line (it’s the video that is on the GoFundMe page for the Dayton, VA dance) and I like the dance. Does anyone know the title, author and author's choreography of the dance? I can work out the choreography but would like to see how the author describes the B1 and B2 of the dance. Thanks! https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=51&v=fs1nS2NCKyc <https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=51&v=fs1nS2NCKyc> Jacqui

8 years, 7 months

Re: [Callers] Contras which feature a "Dublin Bay" figure

by Ron Blechner via Callers

I'd love to see more Dublin Bay dances that aren't all glossary moves surrounding the down-hall move. I like the concept of Erik's dance, but share the courtesy turn concern. Personally, I find Dublin Bay in a contra dance an exercise of "why aren't we just going down the hall?" It just feels gimmicky to me. But I enjoy the dance Dublin Bay - so it's not a criticism on the figure, but its use. So I like that Erik incorporated it into a means of achieving a new choreography - the transition to a swing. That to me is cool. So. What else we got? :) Ron Blechner On Jan 22, 2017 4:27 PM, "K Panton via Callers" < callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: How does this dance feel in practice, Erik? I like the notion of incorporating lesser-used figures. I like both the chain the line - to progress the lady early and setup for a satisfying reunion later - and the Dublin Bay. I am troubled by two things here though. First the courtesy turn duration will vary depending on which side of the set you are on (1/4 or 1+1/4 for the overachiever on one side, 3/4 for the other couple). Second is the transition you mentioned to B2. How to get rid of chain to line of 4? The Dublin Bay to P b&sw "might" be smoothed by the following: on the return, after 4 steps forward, do not turn and backup. Instead, do a funky whatever-we're-calling-a-gypsy just 1/2. I.e. all drop hands. Insides walk around outside person 1/2 way to face P in next 4-some. Outsides kind mad robin around the inside person 1/2 way to face P. Meh. On 1/19/2017 11:49 PM, Erik Hoffman via Callers wrote: I find, when dancing the one or two dances I?ve danced that try to steal the Dublin Bay figure, they have a line backing up bending into a circle. I found this transition not to my taste. So I took a stab at a different transition. I think it works, but it?s a bit tricky: Happy Birthday, Susan Erik Hoffman Becket A1 Wm ?Chain the line? (Wm Al R ?, then to next Wm, Al L ? to meet Nb on R diag ? across from Shadow); Neighbor Swing A2 LLF&B; Wm Chain to Shadow B1 Dublin Bay DH4inL ends loop back, centers step forward to B2 Pt B&S Given to Susan Petrick on her birthday, while on tour with the OpporTunists in 2010 (I think). The Dublin Bay DH4inL: Down for 4, turn alone backing up for 4, up for 4, turn alone, backing up for 4. From the ECD dance Dublin Bay. Others have used the Dublin Bay move, but ended it with a ?fold into a circle. That backing up, then circling has never felt good to me. This is my attempt to come up with a segue I like. Note, even though it?s a Becket dance, there is a difference in roles in this dance between the ?ones? and ?twos?. ~Erik Hoffman Oakland, CA _______________________________________________ , Be _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

8 years, 7 months

What dance series are using what gender-free terms?

by Jeff Kaufman via Callers

I know several dance series use gender-free terms: Jets/Rubies: Portland ME Lead/Follow: Hampshire College, Contradelphia [defunct?] Bands/Bare-arms: JP, Western MA Larks/ Ravens: Circle Left, South Bay Does anyone know of other dances that are gender free, and what terms they use? Jeff

8 years, 7 months

Re: [Callers] Contras which feature a "Dublin Bay" figure ("Pivot the Line", yay)

by Roger Hayes via Callers

"Pivot the Line" is a good dance; I called it at our regular Madison dance tonight, it went well. I enjoyed seeing the dancers figure out how to dance the unfamiliar figures -- nothing was too hard, the beginners got through it fine, and people enjoyed refining the timing for the Dublin Bay figure. I taught it without being very precise on the timing, to give people the joy of discovery. It was interesting to me that practically none of the dancers pre-bent the line for the A2. I think the 2's were enjoying the swoop across the set to start the (figure formerly known as a) gypsy; it's more dramatic than the usual oh-you're-here-already start of that figure. - Roger H On Wed, Jan 18, 2017 at 9:28 PM, QuiAnn2 via Callers < callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > I’ve also written a dance with this down the hall figure in it. I like to > call it early in the evening since it’s very connected and has “rest” time > for each couple. I haven’t run it through the Shared Weight gauntlet to see > if anyone else has written it. Please let me know if it’s already out there. > > *Pivot the Line* > by Jacqui Grennan, 5/1/2016 > Contra/Improper/Easy > > A1 ----------- > Four steps down the hall, turn alone, rejoin hands in lines of 4 > Four more steps down the hall, walking backwards > Four steps up the hall, turn alone, rejoin hands in lines of 4 > Four more steps up the hall, walking backwards. Bend the line > A2 ----------- > (16) 2’s gypsy RIGHT/swing, face up to same N’s > B1 ----------- > (16) Same N B&Sw > B2 ----------- > (8) 1’s DSD across set > (8) 1’s P Sw (2’s get ready for DTH, 1’s end the swing facing down between > new neighbors). > > > >

8 years, 7 months

Re: [Callers] Contras which feature a "Dublin Bay" figure

by K Panton via Callers

How does this dance feel in practice, Erik? I like the notion of incorporating lesser-used figures. I like both the chain the line - to progress the lady early and setup for a satisfying reunion later - and the Dublin Bay. I am troubled by two things here though. First the courtesy turn duration will vary depending on which side of the set you are on (1/4 or 1+1/4 for the overachiever on one side, 3/4 for the other couple). Second is the transition you mentioned to B2. How to get rid of chain to line of 4? The Dublin Bay to P b&sw "might" be smoothed by the following: on the return, after 4 steps forward, do not turn and backup. Instead, do a funky whatever-we're-calling-a-gypsy just 1/2. I.e. all drop hands. Insides walk around outside person 1/2 way to face P in next 4-some. Outsides kind mad robin around the inside person 1/2 way to face P. Meh. On 1/19/2017 11:49 PM, Erik Hoffman via Callers wrote: I find, when dancing the one or two dances I?ve danced that try to steal the Dublin Bay figure, they have a line backing up bending into a circle. I found this transition not to my taste. So I took a stab at a different transition. I think it works, but it?s a bit tricky: Happy Birthday, Susan Erik Hoffman Becket A1 Wm ?Chain the line? (Wm Al R ?, then to next Wm, Al L ? to meet Nb on R diag ? across from Shadow); Neighbor Swing A2 LLF&B; Wm Chain to Shadow B1 Dublin Bay DH4inL ends loop back, centers step forward to B2 Pt B&S Given to Susan Petrick on her birthday, while on tour with the OpporTunists in 2010 (I think). The Dublin Bay DH4inL: Down for 4, turn alone backing up for 4, up for 4, turn alone, backing up for 4. From the ECD dance Dublin Bay. Others have used the Dublin Bay move, but ended it with a ?fold into a circle. That backing up, then circling has never felt good to me. This is my attempt to come up with a segue I like. Note, even though it?s a Becket dance, there is a difference in roles in this dance between the ?ones? and ?twos?. ~Erik Hoffman Oakland, CA _______________________________________________ , Be

8 years, 7 months

Caller needed for Toronto

by Elizabeth Szekeres via Callers

Due to a cancellation, we are looking for a caller who can call both Contra and English dances for a weekend in Toronto on July 16/17. Please contact me directly for more info. Thanks Elizabeth Szekeres Talent(a)tcdance.org Sent from my iPhone

8 years, 7 months

Re: [Callers] Contras which feature a "Dublin Bay" figure

by Erik Hoffman via Callers

I find, when dancing the one or two dances I've danced that try to steal the Dublin Bay figure, they have a line backing up bending into a circle. I found this transition not to my taste. So I took a stab at a different transition. I think it works, but it's a bit tricky: Happy Birthday, Susan Erik Hoffman Becket A1 Wm "Chain the line" (Wm Al R ¾, then to next Wm, Al L ¾ to meet Nb on R diag - across from Shadow); Neighbor Swing A2 LLF&B; Wm Chain to Shadow B1 Dublin Bay DH4inL ends loop back, centers step forward to B2 Pt B&S Given to Susan Petrick on her birthday, while on tour with the OpporTunists in 2010 (I think). The Dublin Bay DH4inL: Down for 4, turn alone backing up for 4, up for 4, turn alone, backing up for 4. From the ECD dance Dublin Bay. Others have used the Dublin Bay move, but ended it with a "fold into a circle. That backing up, then circling has never felt good to me. This is my attempt to come up with a segue I like. Note, even though it's a Becket dance, there is a difference in roles in this dance between the "ones" and "twos". ~Erik Hoffman Oakland, CA

8 years, 7 months

Re: [Callers] Contras which feature a "Dublin Bay" figure

by Jerome Grisanti via Callers

Kalia, In my mind's eye, lines in B1 are facing the stage at beat 12, outsides turn to face down, insides walk forward to meet partners in beats 13-16. That's what I picture. Erik, is that correct? --Jerome Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com "Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe On Fri, Jan 20, 2017 at 3:20 PM, Kalia Kliban <kalia.kliban(a)gmail.com> wrote: > On 1/20/2017 1:14 PM, Jerome Grisanti wrote: > >> Kalia, >> >> In Erik's dance, it appears partners are in adjacent lines of four >> (whether women or men are in front depends on which side of the set >> you're on, also which way the lines are turned. It also appears that the >> first 12 beats of the Dublin Bay figure are as usual, but the last 4 >> beats are replaced by outsides turning down and insides walking up to >> meet their partners. >> > > So the line of 4 is moving forward, up toward the stage, but before they > do the Dublin Bay flip to move backward up toward the stage > the ends cast down? > > Kalia >

8 years, 7 months

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