I think it is time to write a dance celebrating the victory of the Shannon
over the Chesapeake, for the Canadian and British dancers. There is a fine
song about it with a jig tune, so that would work, musically. I'll try to
work up some choreography because the anniversary of that is coming up,
too: June 1.
Maura
Ottawa, Ontario
>
Last year the 200th anniversary of Hull's Victory had a lot of callers
featuring that fine chestnut.
Today marks the 200th for the battle of Sacket's Harbor (second of 2
anyway) so consider adding it to your program in the next week. I
called it last weekend to an enthused crowd.
Sackets Harbor
Formation: Contra, triple minor proper
Jigs: Steamboat Quickstep/I Lost My Love
A1-
Forward six and back
Circle left, 3/4 round (six hands,) gents face up and the ladies face down
A2-
Actives “down” the center, turn alone
Return, cast off
B1-
Turn contra corners and fall back into your own line
B2-
Forward six and back
Circle right, 3/4 round ( six hands)
In A2 the actives are actually moving across the hall as the minor
sets are rotated. If the stage is north, they move
west to east.
In response to various posts:
Having your arms slightly out from your body DOES help with balance, by
increasing your moment of inertia. That's why tightrope walkers have
their arms out - not that I am recommending you put them that far out!
Having them folded DOES make it harder to balance! Yes, most people can
still spin, but why make it harder for yourself!
Using your arms effectively can help you spin more easily - you bring
them out a little before the spin then bring them in closer as you spin
- I take my right arm out slightly to the side as I start a
counter-clockwise spin in a right-shoulder dosido and wrap it in front
of me as I spin (I am used to doing this as I teach a number of other
dance styles which have spinning in and it is a key part of getting good
spins). I usually do three spins in a dosido, catching my partner's
eyes three times, so my arm moves out and in three times. For me it is
a reflex action. It is not a big movement, but it helps make the spins
easier and smoother.
You will see ice skaters doing the same thing to get multiple spins.
If you are interested in the science see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angular_momentum
I definitely don't get in the way of people's pleasure - I just
tactfully let those who are learning a dosido for the first time know
that they don't need to fold their arms, but that they can if they want
to. We call our sessions "Dancing for Fun" so I make sure every one is
smiling! :-)
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
Perry brings up a couple things which are often on my mind. As i write
this, i'm thinking there are a few folks out there rolling their eyes or
gritting their teeth at the recent flood of progressive dialogue on this
thread. Bear with me, please...
I consider myself a trans-role dancer (as opposed to cis-gendered; i fully
identify as male, but my gender identity has no bearing on which role i
dance). When i first encountered contradance, it was with callers who
emphasized that "gent/lady" are merely titles of traditional roles which
anyone can play regardless of their gender identity. That idea stuck. At
those dances in rural Maine, there was often a surfeit of female dancers,
and the callers brought along a briefcase full of neckties to help folks
denote roles. (That practice suffers the same limitations that physical
armbands do, if dancers plan on "flipping the ship" mid-dance.)
I'm going to focus this next bit on "same gender neighboring" versus
partnering, so as to include heteropartner-pairs who have swapped roles,
and speak from my experience as a trans-role male (a slightly different
topic than trans-role female partner/neighbor issues, i recognize). The
interpersonal dynamics of same-gender neighbor swings (particularly those
following from a gypsy!) are never far from my mind. It seems that no
matter where i dance, from Maine to Massachusetts to North Carolina, the
sample composition is the same: most men are comfortable with limited
same-gender neighboring; many are energized by the apparent physical
opportunity to swing or flourish more vigorously; some are merely
disoriented by it; and a few are downright uncomfortable.
A friend of mine, a male in his 60s, describes his initial discomfort at
same-gender dance floor encounters giving way to an appreciation for the
inclusivity of the community. He still prefers to partner
heteronormatively, but he recognizes the value of making the dance
community as inclusive as it is, and on occasion actively supports that
value by partnering same-gender. I think that position describes where a
lot of dancers are. Whatever a person's experience of the folkdance
meta-community is, i believe we can agree that one thing which sets it
apart from other social spheres is its inclusivity.
In a few locations i've danced, most recently Bangor, Maine, i've noted a
phenomenon where multiple sets forming seemed to segregate into cisgendered
dancers versus trans-role dancers. I foresee a potentially vehement tangent
in response to this observation. Yes, having sets segregate by some set of
partnering preferences, be it age or role-flexibility (the two often
co-occur) does begin to fragment the community - but it is a patch solution
which minimizes the discomfort to some dancers, offering a choice of
expressions and comfort levels in communities where a strictly gender-free
dance outlet is unavailable.
Will we ever move contradancing to a completely gender-free system? I hope
not. Good or bad, the genderedness of the form is an intrinsic aspect of
the tradition, more so even than in couple dancing; without it, where would
the "proper" dance formation be? Gender-free dance can be a "safe space",
or a playground for more adventurous dancers - offering an experiential
contrast to traditionally gendered dance we would be unable to enjoy or
appreciate if the distinction were erased.
But... terminology, gender, dance roles, partnering issues (broadening to
include other characteristics like age, physical characteristics, dance
skill...). In a discussion thread elsewhere, Scott Higgs described
partnering issues as an "elephant in the room" that can be a major factor
determining whether individuals' experience of the dance is positive or
negative. I agree wholeheartedly, and hope that we as a community can be
more attentive to these issues, following on opportunities like the session
he and Lisa Greenleaf led at NEFFA 2012 to discuss partnering choices and
behavior patterns in a judgment-free zone.
The thing that's really on my mind right now, and seems to be on others',
is that contradance is a unique form, and terms which accurately describe
other dance forms don't really fit here. Can we as a community find a
system of our own, one that innovates while honoring the tradition,
transcending yet including our historical antecedents?
As we move into 2013, i hope we can continue to decloak this elephantine
polylogue, finding ways to both honor individuals' comfort level and
enhance the inclusivity of the community... and get rid of that damn
"lead/follow" thing...
happy new year, btw!
------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2013 08:12:42 -0800 (PST)
> From: Perry Shafran <pshaf(a)yahoo.com>
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] gender
> Message-ID:
> <1357143162.59466.YahooMailNeo(a)web120701.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> There are several issues here.? One is the terminology that is used to
> differentiate the two dance roles and second, whether we will ever move
> contra dancing to a completely gender-free system.
>
> I think that
> we all have to understand that everyone has their own comfort zone.?
> Some people do NOT want to dance with a same-gendered person no matter
> how much you prod them, shame them, or even force them to do so.?? Some
> are willing to try it from time to time, others enjoy it a lot, and others
> want to make all
> contra dances completely gender free regardless of whether or not it
> will chase some members from the community.?
>
> It is a strong
> uphill battle to at least move from a heteronormative way of thinking.?
> Just recently it was suggested that the way to get someone to contra
> dance (a man) was to tell him that a
> new woman will be thrown into his arms every 30 seconds.? Reason being
> that most people are heterosexual and might be drawn to dance thinking
> he's going to dance with women.? I suggested that this was a bad idea
> due to the fact that in most dances you'll see men dancing with men,
> women dancing with women, and people switching roles.?
>
> I think
> that the best compromise is to continue with the gents/ladies
> terminology, but emphasize that these are merely titles of traditional
> roles, but anyone can play them regardless of physical gender.? That is
> what I say in my workshops, and it's usually generally understood.? Any
> new terminology that you use will force people to translate which means
> "man" and which means "woman".?? However, I do understand the baggage
> that these gender-loaded terms do bring.??
>
>
> Perry
>
>
Hey all,
This is a little bit of an unusual request for the list and I hope
it's w/in bounds.
If you are not headed to The Dance in memory of Nat Hewitt in Falmouth
ME , June 1 and are free & willing, please consider:
Sat, June 1, 7:30-10:30 pm: a benefit contra dance for CDSS &
NEFFA at Christ Episcopal Church, 14 School St, Medway MA. Paul
Wilde & members of the PJammers invite ALL dancers, including
musicians and callers (who are welcome to dance as well as call or play).
Contact Paul at zenyente(a)gmail.com for further info. Please
come and make the final spin around this beautiful floor a success.
Is there a musician's list that parallels the shared wt. caller's
list, and how might I post/join it (if the above request seems
appropriate)? Thanks.
warmest regards,
Paul
I was walking Bill Olson's "The Hussy Bride" with my wife when she said it
would be better if, after the the "Long Lines Forward and Back" in the A1,
the ladies did an allemande left, not an allemande right as written. They
are on their way to a long wavy line with their partner in their left, women
facing out. If they do an allemande right as written they need to avoid
bumping into each other, since their paths tend to cross. The Allemande
Left does feel better.
Your thoughts.
The dance as written by Bill Olson is below:
The Hussy Bride - Bill Olson
duple improper
(A1)
Long lines foward and back
Ladies Allemande Right to a long wavy line on the other side of the set,
women facing out.
(A2)
Balance the Long Wave
With your neighbor Allemande Right, 3 places to a short wavy line across the
set
Balance the short wave
Walk foward to a new wave
(B1)
Balance that short wave
Partner Swing
(B2)
Circle Left 3 places
Neighbor Swing
Polly said, "Here is a formation I used only once, I don't know if it
has a name... anyone familiar with it? Triplet: From proper line up:
Ones cross over improper, (face down or across as needed). Twos cross
over improper. Twos and Threes circle right 1/4 to Becket."
Umm... Isn't that just three couples in a circle? There are countless
dances in that formation.
A nice contra in that formation is Alamo Triad by Bob Marr (it is in
"Give-and-Take"). Circles of three couples all the way down the hall,
with all the ones facing down; ones progress down the hall; twos and
threes progress up the hall. Just make sure everyone is listening when
you tell them that when twos and threes reach the top they have to
decide who will be the next ones - if they both try to be new ones at
the same time it gets messy :-)
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
As usual, before the contra dance there is a half-hour session before the
starting time of the main dance. It is advertised, and beginners are encouraged
to come early. Depending on number of attendees and time left, rudimentary
basics are presented and 'lightly' practiced.
I would like this panel's recommendations for dealing with this situation:
the beginners session was offered and attended. The main dance had started
exactly on time when - ca. 20 minutes into the evening - a large group of
absolute newbies appeared and joined right in.
In light of this development the beginners session could have been repeated and
somewhat extended, even in an additional available hall in the same building.
Alas, no further help was offered except for the advice 'try to find an
experienced partner'.
Fortunately, the band for the evening was an absolute delight...
Hanny Budnick
Arms folded in dosidos? I DO "correct" it for three reasons:
1) If you implicitly condone it by saying nothing, then others will copy
it and it will spread even more.
2) If these people then ever go to a contra dance they are going to look
decidedly uncool, perhaps to their embarrassment.
3) If they ever want to add spins to their dosidos, then it is MUCH
easier without arms folded - your arms help you balance and can aid your
spinning.
In fact as well as using lines like, "only teachers do it", I show them
a spinning dosido and tell them that they need their arms for balance so
folding them is not a good idea. They love spinning in dosidos and soon
stop folding their arms.
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
I was talking with an older member of our dance community and he said it had been "a thousand years" since
he danced a dance that had Contra Corners where the actives visited 4 corners. He could not remember the name.
I promised him I would ask.
bobfab(a)aol.com
