Hi Everyone,
In preparation for calling my first family dance on March 6, I’d like to find some family-friendly dances that are for very small groups, like 3-9 people.
Ideally NOT proper triplets, or 3x3s (already have a few of those) and NO gender roles.
I’ve got a good collection of simple dances for 10++ people, circles, lines, etc.
I’m preparing for a crowd of up to 100 but if it dwindles down to 1-2 families or starts slow, I’d like something for small groups too.
Thanks!
Claire Takemori
OK, sorry for this much delayed report back on the gig. First, I really
appreciate all the dance suggestions and helpful tips shared both on and
off-list (many). A reminder of just how wonderful this list can be!
At first, it was looking like my worries were founded - with just 5 minutes
to go there were maybe 8 people from the set up crew in the hall, clustered
around the refreshments table... and then the posse of t(w)een girls
paraded out of the powder room where they were all making ready, just in
time for the start. And then the families appeared, etc. By the end of the
early circle -> spiral dance we'd coaxed most out of their chairs and were
close to 70 people on the dance floor. :)
I used a number of the suggested material, plus a bunch of my existing
family dance collection. Modified some dances to suit the theme -- for
instance, there's a "Grumpy March" longways in the NEDM "Sashay the Donut"
book. I asked the dancers "how does a cowboy walk?" and got a bunch of
folks immediately sticking their thumbs in belts and doing a bowlegged
strut, just what I wanted! So we did the A1 of that dance with a Cowboy
Strut instead of the Grump Across in the original, plus some simplification
of the A2/B1.
Virginia (no)Reel type stuff, Sasha, two singing squares, bunch of simple
longways with a lot of shashays. Taught a basic and rotary waltz - I'd
announced a waltz to start the break and then noticed a whole bunch of
folks watching my partner and I intently, trying to follow along as we
danced, so I stopped the band - gracefully - and then we started it up
again after a 5 minute basic lesson (everyone in long lines, leads on one
side - partner across, show hold and basic steps then get into formation
around the hall). Stopped once more and showed the rotary turn, then we did
a second tune. They picked it up pretty darn quickly - last one of the
night they did a great job all on their own.
Big smiles all around and almost everyone danced most of the night. I don't
think more than a few left before the very end (and two tweens begged for
one more dance after the last waltz). The fiddler (Paul Lizotte) and
pianist (Deborah Gerstein) were wonderful and the live music/flexibility
made my job much easier - but I was sure exhausted by the end!
Thanks again,
Don
On Thu, Jan 28, 2016 at 12:07 AM, Don Veino <sharedweight_net(a)veino.com>
wrote:
> Thanks for all the great input! I've now got quite a few options for the
> tiny crowd scenario offered.
>
> Much appreciated!
> -Don
>
> ps: I've had a chance to meet with the sponsors and see some of the
> all-out decorations they've got going for the hall - including hay bales,
> old time milk cans, saddles on sawhorses, etc. - may need to pull together
> some themed outfit for myself after all. :)
>
Over the last 100 years the English Folk Dance & Song Society has published
many great dances in its magazine "English Dance & Song" and its predecessor
"E.F.D.S. News".
Having been given a pile of old magazines by Chris Turner, John Sweeney has
started a project to make these wonderful dances available to everyone via
the Internet at http://www.contrafusion.co.uk/Dances.html#eds.
There are over 60 dances presented so far, covering all genres. They are
mostly contemporary compositions, but there are also articles about
traditional dances and interpretations of much older dances.
If you can provide any more information about any of these dances, their
composers, their style, their tempo or their history, then please contact
John Sweeney at info(a)contrafusion.co.uk so that he can add that information
to the Web pages.
For each dance John provides both the original page from the magazine and
his own interpretation of the dance. Words such as "Balance", "Allemande"
and "Swing" have been used by different dancing masters to mean many
different things. Styles, tempos and nomenclature vary depending on the
century, the country, the dance genre and countless other factors. John has
tried to put the dances into words that he uses when he is calling today,
and to provide other hints where possible, often using other sources. Of
course you are welcome to interpret the dances any way you wish. John hopes
you have fun calling and dancing some of these great old dances.
The original pages from the magazines are reproduced with kind permission of
the English Folk Dance & Song Society. The dances were submitted to the
magazine so as to reach as wide an audience as possible. Publishing them in
this way will help to further that aim.
= = = = =
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
Hi All,
I made up another dance last night. Is it new?
Becket
A1 Petronella Ring Balance; Neighbor Swing
A2 Big Oval Promenade--Clockwise (women towards center)--turn as a
couple (men now towards center); Return
B1 (looking for man with partner) Men Allemande Left 1-1/2; Partner Swing
B2 Long Lines Forward & Back; Star Right Half, Single File Prom (men
leading partner) to next Couple to form a Ring
If it is new, and not out of some misplaced memory, then it's called A
Valentine Surprise.
~erik hoffman
oakland, ca
I'm looking for some zesty Proper dances to add to my collection.
Suggestions?
aTdHvAaNnKcSe (thanks in advance)
/Andy Shore
http://andyshore.com/
best email - andyshore(a)gmail.com
Thanks Jack. The last 8 counts of Pecan Pie should have couple 2 swing in
the center, ending the swing facing up to new neighbors.
Jim
On Mon, Feb 8, 2016 at 10:28 AM, Jack Mitchell <jmitchell.nc(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
> Jim--
>
> Looks like the B2 of Pecan Pie is missing 8 beats....does someone do a 1/2
> figure 8 at the end?
>
> J
>
>
> On Fri, Feb 5, 2016 at 8:50 AM Jim Hemphill via Callers <
> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> I love proper dances with zest. Here are a few of my favorites.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>
>>
>> *Pecan Pie *Proper By Jim Hemphill
>>
>> A1 Neighbor do si do to a short wave
>> Balance right and left, Neighbor allemande right 3/4 to a long wave
>> A2 Balance right and back, box circulate
>> Partner swing
>> B1 Circle left 3
>> Neighbor swing
>> B2 Partner right hand balance and box the gnat
>>
>>
>> *Proper Zest* Proper by Jim Hemphill
>>
>> A1 1st corners start a full ricochet hey (clockwise)
>> A2 1st corners cross, partner gypsy & swing
>> B1 Circle left 3
>> Neighbor swing
>> B2 Partner Left hand balance, couple 1 swat the flea
>> Left hand star once around Couple 2 swing in the center, end facing
>> up, 1's face down
>>
>>
>>
>> *Proper Swingfest II* Proper by Jim Hemphill
>>
>> A1 Neighbor do si do 1 1/2
>> Next neighbor allemande left 1 1/4 to an ocean wave
>> A2 Balance right and left, centers slide right
>> Partner swing
>> B1 Circle left 3
>> Neighbor swing
>> B2 Long lines forward & back\
>> 2's swing in the center, end facing up
>> *La Poussette Peculiar* Proper by Jim Hemphill
>> A1 1/2 Poussette (clockwise)
>> 2nd corners swing in the center
>> A2 Down the hall in lines of 4
>> Turn as couples (with partner) and come back
>> B1 Invert the line and swing your partner (1's arch as they bend the
>> line, lady 2 leads the end of the line thru the arch as they cross the set)
>> B2 Long lines forward, 2's roll away with 1/2 sashay
>> Circle right 3
>>
>> The progression, as you complete the circle right 3 in B2, drop hands
>> with current neighbors, take 2 hands with partner and start the clockwise
>> poussette with next neighbors.
>>
>> On Thu, Feb 4, 2016 at 9:11 PM, Andy Shore via Callers <
>> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>
>>> I'm looking for some zesty Proper dances to add to my collection.
>>>
>>> Suggestions?
>>>
>>> aTdHvAaNnKcSe (thanks in advance)
>>> /Andy Shore
>>> http://andyshore.com/
>>>
>>> best email - andyshore(a)gmail.com
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> 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
>>
> --
> Jack Mitchell
> Durham, NC
>
I've had a request for a dance for a flash mob that has petronellas, Long
lines, and if possible, a do si do. Most of the people learning it are
folk dancers but not contra dancers.
Does such dance exist?
Thanks in advance!
Alex
I just had a thought for another possible substitute if we need to
replace the term "gypsy". This would be "vis-a-vis" (face to face). I
like this since it is in some sense similar to dos-a-dos (back to back)
and makes them complimentary figures. I think it suggests the
importance of facing the person you are dancing with, making eye
contact, though not necessarily staring, during the figure. Since many
of the figure names in country dance come from French words, sometimes
corrupted by time and the folk process, it seems reasonable to borrow
another French term. I'm not aware of this term already being used for
some other dance figure, let me know if it is. Even though it has 3
syllables instead of 2 I kind of like the sound of "vis-a-vis and swing!"
Just putting it out there for your consideration.
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!
