Contra Callers

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

45 participants
4388 discussions

by Don Veino via Callers

Hey folks! I'm evaluating options for posting my dance compositions. I'd like to do so in a way that provides capability for searching on pertinent characteristics and for feedback/comments. I could hack something together (slowly) on my main web site but I currently also use WordPress as a blogging platform, and that already has many of the desired features built in (search, categories, tags, comments, anti-spam tools, etc.). However, the generic WordPress blog post format doesn't provide a suitable taxonomy for presenting a dance. I could just format stuff consistently into the body of the post but I'm wondering if anyone has already done the work of developing a custom post type and taxonomy for dances in WordPress? If not in WordPress, has anyone created a similar approach using another common blogging or Content Management System? Thanks, Don

9 years, 3 months

A balanced view of ECD

by Aahz via Callers

[I'm writing this "to" Kalia because she was calling English at the Queer Contra Dance Camp a couple of weekends ago, but then I figured other people might find it interesting and/or useful] Howdy Kalia, I think I finally figured out part of the reason why I overall dislike English despite its similarity to contra. Part of the figuring out was teaching Postie's Jig at CALLERLAB this year. Basically, I don't have a sense of balance, and something about the way English puts less emphasis on giving weight makes it feel less comfortable for me. (I've got similar issues with certain folk dances, such as Zemjo Makedonska, but that's slow enough and repetitive enough that I can focus on balance.) For anyone not familiar with Postie's Jig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVYYCx7snk4 I noticed that you did some ECD that was different from the usual turn single, slide across, etc, and I enjoyed that a whole lot more. I don't have problems with e.g. heys because there's enough momentum to carry me around. Note that my balance issues are different from most other people's because I literally have no sense of balance (e.g. can't tell when a hammock is swinging) and I rely on visual/kinesthetic mechanisms to balance -- which actually gives me good functional balance when I'm moving, but much less when I'm standing. If you run across other people with balance issues, this analysis may allow you to do a better job of helping them figure out what works for them. Thanks, Aahz -- Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/ <*> <*> <*> Why is this newsgroup different from all other newsgroups?

9 years, 4 months

caller suggestions for beginner handout

by Emily Addison via Callers

Hello shared weight callers :) Knowing that callers do so much to support brand new contra dancers, as a dance organizer, I have a question for you! Ottawa Contra is working on a 1-pg handout to give to first time dancers. The goal of the handout is to provide tidbits that will help convince first timers to come back, that contra's accessible/they can be successful/climb that learning curve, and that contra's a great fit for them. Who knows if the handout will actually work but we want to try as part of our focus on increasing the retention of all the beginners we get. I have a few examples of other handouts but they often focus on explaining the specific moves. We're thinking more along things that speak to the spirit of contra/are inspiring PLLLUS great technical tips (nuggets!) that can make a huge different to their experience as beginners. If you have any ideas, please pass them along. They may be little messages you feel every beginner should know, or even tips you provide in the beginner/intro lesson before the actual dance. With much thanks! Emily Addison in Ottawa ON

9 years, 4 months

Re: [Callers] caller suggestions for beginner handout

by Claire Takemori via Callers

Emily, as a relatively new dancer, I still remember my first dance and what made me want to come back. The music was awesome, Seth Tepfer was the newcomer’s lesson teacher!! We were welcomed and despite it being the Post-American-Week Gala dance, the dancers were kind to new dancers. We only made it to the break and had to get our son to bed, but we all wanted to go back. I don’t think anything written on paper would’ve made a difference if we were shouted at, pushed to get some place on time, or scowled at when we made a mistake. This did happen to me at a recent ECD (not local) and being new to ECD made me very leery of going back. just my 2 cents. Claire Takemori (SF bay area) On Apr 20, 2016, at 1:01 PM, via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2016 13:40:35 -0500 From: Emily Addison via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net <mailto:callers@sharedweight.net>> Subject: [Callers] caller suggestions for beginner handout Message-ID: <CAD7WKUUs4-9AC=2pWHf6MYZDZnEcaNRLkytVS+0vsirtNFZhTQ(a)mail.gmail.com <mailto:CAD7WKUUs4-9AC=2pWHf6MYZDZnEcaNRLkytVS+0vsirtNFZhTQ@mail.gmail.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Hello shared weight callers :) Knowing that callers do so much to support brand new contra dancers, as a dance organizer, I have a question for you! Ottawa Contra is working on a 1-pg handout to give to first time dancers. The goal of the handout is to provide tidbits that will help convince first timers to come back, that contra's accessible/they can be successful/climb that learning curve, and that contra's a great fit for them. Who knows if the handout will actually work but we want to try as part of our focus on increasing the retention of all the beginners we get. I have a few examples of other handouts but they often focus on explaining the specific moves. We're thinking more along things that speak to the spirit of contra/are inspiring PLLLUS great technical tips (nuggets!) that can make a huge different to their experience as beginners. If you have any ideas, please pass them along. They may be little messages you feel every beginner should know, or even tips you provide in the beginner/intro lesson before the actual dance. With much thanks! Emily Addison in Ottawa ON

9 years, 4 months

does this dance exist?

by Andy Shore via Callers

(Sent this to Chris Page a week ago and no answer!.. so I'm asking the hive mind.) Using the G-word until there's a widely accepted substitute that doesn't need a footnote to explain. from a dance-writing session led by Jeff Spero at a recent dance camp... This Was Your Idea by John Kelley, John Bartlett, Sandy Gabucan, Andy Shore Contra/ Duple Improper A1 ----------- (8) Gypsy Neighbor1 Right 1.5 (8) Gypsy Neighbor2 Left 1.5 A2 -----------. (8) Gypsy Neighbor3 Right 1x come back ... (8) Neighbor2 swing B1 ----------- (4) Give & Take to Lady's Side (12) Partner swing B2 ----------- (8) Right and left through (8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella) to face N2 Note that the progression happens in A2. The Petronella into a (right shoulder) Gypsy seems unusual. I don't have any dances in my collection that do that. Dancing it with a test group seemed to be fine. Thoughts? -- /Andy Shore http://site.andyshore.com/ best email - andyshore(a)gmail.com

9 years, 4 months

New (?) dance, with hey and no neighbor swing

by Luke Donforth via Callers

Hello all, I was flying home after some fun gigs in DC, and wrote out a dance sequence that I didn't recognize. It's fairly straightforward, so I wanted to see if it was already out there: Improper A1 (8) Neighbor Do-si-do 1x (8) Women allemande Left 1.5x A2 (16) Partner pass by Right for whole Hey for 4 B1 (16) Partner ____ & swing B2 (8) Ladies chain (8) Left hand star 1x The B1 could be a balance and swing, a do-si-do & swing, a walk-around & swing, etc. In the one I wrote, I went with a walk-around by right shoulder; but if someone had already written this with a Ptr B&S or such in the the B1; I wouldn't consider this a new dance. I house-called it for a small test group, and it went reasonably. The DSD only 1x in (8) and the overall flow means there can be a smidge of extra time by the end of the hey; hence going with a walk-around instead of a balance. Could also just be done to a slightly faster tune (I had music-in-a-box, instead of the easier to adjust tempo of live musicians). Looking forward to finding out if I've re-written someone else's dance again. I've unintentionally done it more times than I can count. Take care, -- Luke Donforth Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>

9 years, 4 months

A2 progressions (WAS: does this dance exist?)

by Ric Goldman - Letsdance via Callers

On a completely different subject, I’ve recently heard term “mid-life crisis” used to describe dance that progress in the middle like this one. Has anyone else come across the term? Curious, Ric Goldman From: Callers [mailto:callers-bounces@lists.sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Andy Shore via Callers Sent: Monday, April 18, 2016 12:53 PM To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net> Subject: [Callers] does this dance exist? (Sent this to Chris Page a week ago and no answer!.. so I'm asking the hive mind.) Using the G-word until there's a widely accepted substitute that doesn't need a footnote to explain. from a dance-writing session led by Jeff Spero at a recent dance camp... This Was Your Idea by John Kelley, John Bartlett, Sandy Gabucan, Andy Shore Contra/ Duple Improper A1 ----------- (8) Gypsy Neighbor1 Right 1.5 (8) Gypsy Neighbor2 Left 1.5 A2 -----------. (8) Gypsy Neighbor3 Right 1x come back ... (8) Neighbor2 swing B1 ----------- (4) Give & Take to Lady's Side (12) Partner swing B2 ----------- (8) Right and left through (8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella) to face N2 Note that the progression happens in A2. The Petronella into a (right shoulder) Gypsy seems unusual. I don't have any dances in my collection that do that. Dancing it with a test group seemed to be fine. Thoughts? -- /Andy Shore http://site.andyshore.com/ best email - andyshore(a)gmail.com <mailto:andyshore@gmail.com>

9 years, 4 months

medley

by Laur via Callers

I'm debating if 6 or 8 times thru the dances during a medley make more sense. I've gone back and forth on this for years. Thoughts? If it matters this time I have 8 dances, in the past it's been 5. So either way it's still the same question. Laurie West 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~ ~

9 years, 4 months

Re: [Callers] medley

by Aahz Maruch via Callers

[the message I'm responding to was sent privately, I got permission to respond publicly] On Sun, Apr 17, 2016, Rod and Chris Krehbiel wrote: > On Sunday, April 17, 2016 10:12 AM, Aahz Maruch via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: >> On Sun, Apr 17, 2016, Laur via Callers wrote: >>> >>> I'm debating if 6 or 8 times thru the dances during a medley make more >>> sense. I've gone back and forth on this for years. Thoughts? >> >> That depends on your goal. I'm hearing-impaired, I dislike medleys in >> the first place, they combine the worst of contra and square dancing. >> For me, more times through is better, gives me more chance to dance >> trance. > > Since I have a goal of combining the BEST of contra and square dance, > I'm intrigued by your comment that medleys combine the worst of contra > and square dance. Could you expand and explain? The short version is that contra dance callers on average enunciate less clearly than square dance callers, contra calling in general assumes that they're calling under the music rather than over the music the way square dance callers do (or calling when no music is playing -- the walkthrough), sound engineering in contra halls emphasizes the music, contra dancers have much less training in responding to live calling, and contra vocabulary/grammar has less structure than square dance. Therefore -- and particularly for hearing-impaired people -- contra medleys represent a challenge that almost always combines the worst of square dance (live calling) with the worst of contra (poor ability to hear the calling). Obviously, it would be possible to combine the best of contra and square dance, but WRT hearing impairments, it would pretty much need to be approached from the square dance side (i.e. focusing on the voice and then working to get the dancers to follow the musical phrasing the way contra dancers do). -- Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/ <*> <*> <*> Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html

9 years, 4 months

Medleys

by Rod and Chris Krehbiel via Callers

I am assuming that a 'medley' in contra dancing means that the band will play a series of different songs--usually 3--in immediate succession with no noticeable break between them, but that the dancers will continue to dance the same figure that they began with the walk-thru. And that once the dancers have 'mastered' that figure, they eventually will not need any further verbal cues from the caller, even though the music changes. Is that correct, or do some have a different definition of "medley"?

9 years, 4 months

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