I don’t recall dancing this with Ted back in the 70’s, but I do remember a dance at the Concord Scout House where I was in a square right in front of the stage. After the walk through we all switched gender roles and danced the entire dance that way. Ted quickly found another square to watch.
Bob
Some of my favorites are ones that have end effects, but they are fun to
dance once people know to expect that. Often they have dancing on the
diagonals and progressions in the middle of the dance. Here are some:
Are You Most Done? by Russell Owen
You Married My Daughter by Jacob Bloom
Bases Loaded by Lydee King, Tom Thoreau and Jim Saxe
Our House by Dean Snipes
Dulcimer Lady by Jim Kitch
Bev Young
Hi Callers,
I'm working on a themed contra workshop called "Role Scramblers," and just realized that all of the dances I've shortlisted are very smooth. I'm looking for dances with elements for each dance role that are more typically danced by the other role (such as Jeff Spero's "Equal Opportunity," which has the ones chain). I have "Roll Away Sue" by Bob Isaacs (a gent's chain), but would love other dances with balances and waves that might fit this theme.
Thanks for your ideas!Lindsey
Here's one of the dances Yoyo listed:
The Digital Divide
Jeremy Korr April 23, 2007
Duple improper
A1: Neighbor balance and swing
A2: Give-and-take to lady's side; partner swing
B1: Long lines forward and back
Gents chain to neighbor (using left hand)
B2: Partner right-hand balance, square through two
Partner right-hand balance, square through two to next neighbor
C1: (New) neighbor balance and swing
C2: Give-and-take to gent's side; partner swing
D1: Long lines forward and back
Ladies chain to neighbor (using right hand)
D2: Partner right-hand balance, square through two
Partner right-hand balance, square through two to next neighbor
Jeremy Korr
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Some that I have that are more balancey (feel free to email me if you need the notes):
>
> The Dancing Frog by Jeff Spero - gents do a right-hand chain
> Chain the Swain by Becky Hill - gents do a right-hand chain
> Coming Home from Toohollie by Janet Shepherd - ladies rollaway partners into a swing; petronella
> The Digital Divide by Jeremy Korr - alternates gents/ladies chain and give-and-take to gents'/ladies' side; balance + square thru
>
> Yoyo Zhou
>
>
>
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>
> "While I am sensitive to cultural issues, until someone comes up with a
> term
> that captures not only the physics of the move, but also the flirtatious
> nature of it, I will probably grimace any time someone uses a different
> term. ...It is more than a figure, it is a figure with an attitude. "
>
THIS. This is why i personally can no longer use the term as the name of a
move. Because doing so the name of an ethnic group to mean "make sultry
eye contact."
Mr. Fuerst's suggestion that the direction of a term's evolution should be
the deciding factor is an interesting one. However, the term's use to refer
to a carefree or nomadic individual is distinct from the associations it
conjures with regard to the dance move. As so many quickly point out,
Romani voices lack consensus on whether the term is offensive. It's not our
community's term to appropriate, until there's a Roma consensus that it
ISN'T offensive we should discontinue it, and why can't we just call the
move something that indicates what it involves. Er, indicates what it
involves without obliquely referencing stereotypes that were well ingrained
in western Europe by Victor Hugo's day and age.
Naivete is forgivable. Trying to shut others down from making a positive
change is not. If you want to keep using the G-word yourself, be my guest.
But don't presume to educate me on the term's meaning IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR
DANCE and how it relates to well-documented stereotypes.
Hello folks,
I have set up a "Community Dance" Facebook Page as a place to share family
friendly community dances with each other. My expectation is that the page
will be a place to swap dances, and to provide information regarding
caller/leader training opportunities.
This page is not intended as a discussion group, nor is it intended for
sharing contra or complicated square dances, but rather for sharing dances
that children can easily succeed in.
Since I am a visual learner, I hope that users will provide both links to
videos, and written descriptions of dances whenever possible.
I have reposted a link from a caller gathering this past weekend led by
Patricia Campbell as the first dance to share.
I am practically computer illiterate, so if any of you gurus want to help
make the page useful and attractive. please reach out.
Thanks,
Rich Sbardella
Stafford, CT
I have yet to call a dance with a cloverleaf in it because I am not
comfortable with teaching the walk thru. The Connectrix by Rick Mohr has
such a cloverleaf.
Any suggestions on good teaching language, and any other dances with such a
cloverleaf would be welcomed.
Thanks,
Rich Sbardella
CT
Tom asked about combinations of Chassee and Heel & Toe in old English
dances.
Well first of all, these days in England we usually say Gallop rather than
Chassee.
It depends on what you mean by old. I have these in my box:
Pat-a-Cake Polka
The Swedish Masquerade (thought that is a polka rather than a gallop)
Ping
Wee Willie
Redwing Mixer (1950s I think)
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
Laurie,
Jim makes good points. Think of the "pass through, circle left,
pass through" as one extended 16 beat figure rather than trying to break
it into 2 8 beat figures with the circle crossing the middle of the
phrase. When I'm calling this dance the 2nd half of the dance goes
something like this (as best I can recall sitting at my computer).
(starting on the last 2 beats of the previous phrase)
pass through, (pause for a beat), turn alone, circle left, (pause for a
few beats), pass through, (pause for a beat or so), balance and swing
The "turn alone, circle left" goes very quickly, taking maybe only 2
beats. The rest tends to be slower, one word per beat. Writing this
out may not be the best way to convey my meaning, but hopefully it gives
you some idea.
Jonathan
-----
Jonathan Sivier
Caller of Contra, Square, English and Early American Dances
jsivier AT illinois DOT edu
Dance Page: http://www.sivier.me/dance_leader.html
-----
Q: How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
A: It depends on what dance you call!
On 3/31/2016 12:34 AM, James Saxe via Callers wrote:
> On Mar 30, 2016, at 9:35 PM, Laur via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> I am not comfortable with the timing in Boomerang. Am I off or .. is there something I'm missing???
>>
>> I've tried (with my imaginary friends) several theories but - always the timing isn't quite there.
>>
>> Laurie
>> West MI
>
> Laurie,
>
> You don't say what part of the dance you're uncomfortable with, but
> I'm going to guess that it's the B1 part. The timing as given by
> Gene Hubert in _Dizzy Dances, Volume II_ is:
>
> Pass thru ACROSS the set and turn alone(4).
> Circle left, go all the way around(8).
> Pass thru ALONG the set to meet your partner(4).
>
> The timing is a bit unusual in that the circle crosses the middle
> of the phrase, but I don't think there's anything wrong with it.
> Dancers who aren't used to circling all the way around in 8 beats
> can make up time on the pass thru (or pull thru) along and on the
> forward part of the subsequent balance. On the other hand, if the
> dancers can easily circle once in 8 beats and if they think that 4
> beats for pass thru along is a bit leisurely, they can try rearing
> back at the end of the circle, or even add a spin during the pass
> thru.
>
> You can see a video of _Boomerang_ here:
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj49YHAMGnk
>
> (Thanks to Chris Page for supplying the title in a comment, so that
> the video was easy to find.) If you study the video, you'll see
> many examples of dancers managing to meet their partners just in
> time for the balance at the start of the B2 music--and also a few
> examples of dancers being either early or late. Beware that there
> are a number of places where the video cuts to a different camera
> angle and the new cut doesn't pick up at the same place in the tune
> as the previous cut ended.
>
> I hope some of this is helpful.
>
> Cheers,
> --Jim
I am not comfortable with the timing in Boomerang. Am I off or .. is there something I'm missing???
I've tried (with my imaginary friends) several theories but - always the timing isn't quite there.
LaurieWest MI ~ When I dance, I cannot judge, I cannot hate, I cannot separate myself from life. I can only be joyful and whole, that is why I dance. ~Hans Bos~ ~
