Contra Callers

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

15 participants
4372 discussions

Contra Friendly Squares -- people left over.

by Richard Hopkins via Callers

Over the past several years, we have had several ‘extra’ dances here in Tallahassee that are advertised to the contra dance listserv and elsewhere as old-time or square dances, or old time square dances, with live music. We have had anywhere from 8 to 30 dancers come. One of the things we heard from dancers was that they did not like being left out — wanting to dance but not enough dancers for a full square. We decided on a policy of leaving no-one sitting who wants to dance. That means that we don’t decide what dance to call (at least not for sure) until we see how many couples stand up to dance; and it means that I have dances ready to go for 4, 5, 6 or 7 couples. With 6 or 7 it can be a longways set, a contra, a circle mixer, or a big circle square-dance. With 8 or 12 it’s a 4-couple square. Folks seem to appreciate the concern for their enjoyment, and there are plenty of good dances to choose from for any number of couples. (Although I could wish for more good five-couple dances, the vast repertory of circle mixers comes in handy.) I have also used a couple of 6- or 9-couple dances I learned from Phil Jamieson. Others have recently dealt with the situation where you have only three or even two couples. Richard `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Richard Hopkins 850-544-7614 hopkinsrs(a)comcast.net

8 years, 8 months

Re: [Callers] Ralph Page Style

by Neal Schlein via Callers

Richard, I also recall reading that comment about Page's opinion on Chorus Jig--I think it was in A Time to Dance, but might have been in Shadrack's Delight. I find a ball room swing that ends facing up and casting down the outside > (one’s own side) a lot of fun - but perhaps you mean if you end the swing > facing down - that certainly doesn’t flow as well. > Martha > > I was particularly thinking of an improper cast, yes, but the other depends on the specific choreography, partner, music, speed, and line spacing. Sometimes it works just fine, as you say, but the floor pattern isn't as elegant and the relative speed can be all wrong for the dance narrative. If you are swinging to improper and then are supposed to cast down, however, that's simply not possible from a standard ballroom swing; the best you can do is end the swing facing down and step apart to go down the outside. Then the dance loses its visual structure because there's no actual cast. It also doesn't work well if you are supposed to cross and cast--the timing changes because you are already close together, plus you need to disentangle. I may have a somewhat unusual way of enjoying and assessing the flow of dances, because I always envision them from above as I dance. I'll tolerate somewhat non-flowing choreography so long as the visual pattern created is crisp and elegant. On the other hand, dances that don't create a distinctive and pretty floor pattern irk me greatly if the sequence isn't 100% natural. (This includes just about every dance that needs the phrase "ooze" or "shift" to describe the progression. Circling to a slide, or promenading, or similar things are fine; "oozing" makes me think of radioactive sludge!) Neal

8 years, 8 months

Is Pony Fun Unique?

by Don Veino via Callers

Last night at bedtime my 5 year old daughter and I had the following interaction: Raeden: "Daddy. I want to write a new dance, Pony Fun." Me: "OK, how does it go?" R: "Star, Star, Swing. Swing, Courtesy Turn, Circle 3 places, Pass Through, repeat." A little bit of back and forth figuring out the glue resulted in the following. Has someone else written it first? Thanks, Don Pony Fun - DI - Raeden Veino 20161012 A1 Star Left Neighbor Allemande Left 1x Gents start Hands-Across Star Right (1/4x) A2 Ladies join Star behind N, all Star Right 3/4x Partner Swing B1 Give & Take to Gents Side, N Swing B2 Ladies Chain Circle Left 3/4, Pass Through BTW, in case you may call this, Raeden's name is pronounced "RAY-den VEE-no"

8 years, 8 months

Re: [Callers] Ralph Page Style

by via Callers

Hi Neal, Just a note: Many of the "chestnuts" have been modified from their original form (By Ralph Page, Ted Senela and others) to be more reflective of the modern era. Chorus Jig, Rory-O- More, Hulls Victory, did not feature swings, as originally written, and they (actually) dance with their original tunes, much better than they do today. Gale Wood

8 years, 8 months

Contra friendly squares

by Ron Blechner via Callers

Hi all, I'm looking to expand the number of contra-friendly Squares in my box. 1. Keepers preferred unless it's a really good mixer. 2. Not too gimmicky. 3. Not really interested currently in Southern style visiting couple squares (heads and sides fine, but not one couple at a time). (Got Kimmswick Express, First Night Quadrille, a couple others) Thanks, Ron

8 years, 8 months

Re: [Callers] Ralph Page Style

by John Sweeney via Callers

Hi Neal, Thanks. But I don't understand what Ralph's smoother style was. To me, modern contra dancing is beautifully smooth. Larry Jennings defines the style in Zesty Contras as "zesty, purposeful, extroverted, smooth, meticulously phrased, strongly connected, vigorous, New England, contra dancing" and goes on to define "Smooth: Refers both to the way the dancers carry their bodies and to the flow from one figure into another." If anything I would say that modern choreography has made much smoother dances; many of the Chestnuts have disjointed flows. Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent Neal Schlein said: This might shed some light on the subject - https://www.library.unh.edu/find/archives/collections/ralph-page-dance-legac y-weekend Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend The Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend (RPDLW) is held every January at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. It takes its name from the man who was perhaps the single most important figure in the preservation of traditional dance in New England and was conceived to keep his legacy alive. Begun in 1988, the RPDLW celebrates the music and dance of New England: contras, squares, and more. From the beginning, the emphasis has been on preserving the smoother style of dancing that Ralph Page favored.

8 years, 8 months

Re: [Callers] Ralph Page Style

by via Callers

This might shed some light on the subject - https://www.library.unh.edu/find/archives/collections/ralph-page-dance-lega… Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend The Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend (RPDLW) is held every January at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. It takes its name from the man who was perhaps the single most important figure in the preservation of traditional dance in New England and was conceived to keep his legacy alive. Begun in 1988, the RPDLW celebrates the music and dance of New England: contras, squares, and more. From the beginning, the emphasis has been on preserving the smoother style of dancing that Ralph Page favored. A significant portion of the program celebrates the tradition's roots and includes traditional contras and quadrilles, triple minor dances, singing squares, and couple dances as part of the program. The program also includes a retrospective focusing on a particular caller or musician's contribution to the tradition. The approach is not only one of preservation; there is a deliberate attempt to connect the past with the future of traditional dance. It also features some of the best new choreography and newly-composed tunes. Over the years the event has become noted for its cultivation of community, for being a gathering of "the ones who have played the music, called the figures, and danced the dances in crowded, joyful halls for decades," and for being a weekend of outstanding dancing. Ben ---- Neal Schlein via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > I would agree--giving a place to smoother, calmer, and inequal dances that > give people time to interact, chat, make eye contact, etc, instead of > forcing a rapidity of constant interaction. It's not so much a matter of > music speed as choreographic selection. > > He was also known to occasionally use patter when calling contras and > quadrilles. Apparently the tradition historically existed in New England, > but was much less pronounced than elsewhere and has since virtually > vanished. > > I forget the source from which I got that tidbit, but it very possibly was > Time to Dance by Richard Neville. Or it could have been a letter in the > Lloyd Shaw Foundation Archive collection. Not sure. > > Neal > > Neal Schlein > Youth Services Librarian, Mahomet Public Library > > > Currently reading: *The Different Girl* by Gordon Dahlquist > Currently learning: How to set up an automated email system. > > On Tue, Oct 11, 2016 at 10:11 AM, Jeff Kaufman via Callers < > callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > > > I think they're trying to refer to the style of dancing that was > > popular before Larry Jennings-style "zesty contra". > > > > On Mon, Oct 10, 2016 at 4:21 AM, John Sweeney via Callers > > <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > > > Hi all, > > > I was at a workshop recently where someone asked me if I liked > > "the > > > Ralph Page style" of contra dance. They claimed that they had been told > > > that he wanted dances to be slower and calmer. > > > > > > Is there a "Ralph Page style"? If so what is it? > > > > > > If he wanted the music slower, what speed did he want? Did he > > want > > > it slower than the 130+bpm that square dancers used to use? Or slower > > than > > > the 120bmp that is common now in contra? > > > > > > Thanks. > > > > > > Happy dancing, > > > John > > > > > > John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 > > > http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Callers mailing list > > > Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net > > > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net > > _______________________________________________ > > Callers mailing list > > Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net > > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net > >

8 years, 8 months

Wrist-Lock Stars

by John Sweeney via Callers

Hi all, I have been to contra dances and festivals all over America and everywhere I have danced everyone automatically uses a wrist-lock star (unless the caller has specified hands-across because of the subsequent choreography). But I am constantly challenged in England by people claiming that wrist-lock stars are not the standard in America. When I go to somewhere like The Flurry and see 600 people from all over the country all doing wrist-locks it seems to me that it must be the standard way of doing things. And obviously it has been common in America for a long time; this video is from 1964 in Northern Vermont and shows wrist-lock stars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZubTju7g_s So, are there still significant communities that don't use wrist-locks? Is the wrist-lock the de facto standard? Thanks. Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent

8 years, 8 months

Good dances for beginners to safely leave/return to minor set.

by K Panton via Callers

3-33-33 is not a good choice for introducing beginners to extra-4some expeditions. I've also found that a diagonal chain followed by a straight-across figure causes confusion. The Young Adult Rose,and others, have a pass-through to shadow allemande which is doable. Does anyone have some reliable key to unlock this mystery for new dancers, thereby opening up a whole new world! Thanks Ken

8 years, 8 months

Mark Widmer's email address is changing

by via Callers

Please change your address book to use Mark Widmer's new email address: widmermt98(a)gmail.com The old email address (mark(a)harbormist.com) will be going away soon.

8 years, 8 months

Jump to page:

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Contra Callers