Hello all! I'll be calling a session of challenging contras at a dance
weekend next month, and find myself lacking in the aforementioned
challenging contras. I want to keep the session balanced, with a mix of
dances that are mind-bending or heavily technical as well as some dances
that are a step or so below that but that still have something interesting
or unique. Would any of you be so kind as to share some of your favorite
challenging dances? Thank you in advance!
You might like to try this one!
Pink Pigtails by John Meechan
Longways improper double progression 48 bar jigs (has own tune which I
can send if you would like it)
A1 Circle left (8); swing nbr (8).
A2 Mad Robin men front of women (8); men start half hey passing RSh
while women start the hey but ricochet back to place (8).
B1 Balance and swing ptnr.
B2 Take hands and balance the ring and Petronella a place (8); balance
the ring again and California twirl ptnr to face new nbr (8).
C1 Do si do new nbr once and a bit to form a wave (8); balance the
wave and trade the wave (8).
C2 Balance the wave again and trade the wave (8); balance the wave
again and move on to a new nbr (8).
Trade the wave is a MWSD move. In the wave you are facing the same
direction as your partner. All walk forward to trade places with partner (
women on the inside), i.e a sort of U shape.
Hope this suitable for you. The challenge is not only that it is a 48 bar
dance but has the trade the wave move.
The dance was written for Maureen Knight (my wife) on her 60th birthday.
Graham
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
