Borrowdale Exchange can be found here:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/greenery/BarnDances/WholeSet.html
It's fun, especially when called to fast-tempo old-time southern Appalachian tunes.
This one has you moving all over the floor.
You'll find a video of a similar three-couple mixer called by Phil Jamison:
http://squaredancehistory.vidcaster.com/44TM/pull-the-lady-thru-mixer/
In this one, though you mix up partners, you stay with the same threesome.
I've had a lot of fun recently with this mixer figures from the southern Appalachian
tradition:
http://squaredancehistory.vidcaster.com/DbJm/harlem-rosette-big-set-square-…
You'll see that at the start of the video, people are staying with their partner
but partway through the caller changes the pattern slightly. (You'll see the change
around 1:25 into the video.)
Here's a fun dance from caller/musician Brian DeMarcus, now living in Anchorage
but with a long time in North Carolina:
3x3 Bow Knot Mixer (Brian DeMarcus)
Lines of 3 like Spokes of a Wheel Facing ccw
A1 Lines of 3 Walk Forward (8)
RH High, LH Low, Reverse Direction of Line (8)
A2 Lines of 3 Walk Forward (8)
RH High, LH Low, Reverse Direction of Line (8)
B1 LH High, Rt person duck under to center of set (8)
and Circle Left with others. Two that made arch swing on
the outside of set. (8)
B2 Outside Two Promenade, while insides Circle Rt
Inside join up with any Twosome to reform Lines of 3
The transition from A2 to B1 is a continuous motion.
There are a gazillion circle mixers. Here's one from a Danish choreographer that
will work if the circle can fit nicely onto the floor and if your dancers are
familiar with box the gnat / swat the flea:
Disturbed by Insects (Inga Morton)
mixer
Formation: circle of couples, all facing counterclockwise
A1 Promenade (with inside hands joined)
California twirl
Promenade back
California twirl (then join both hands)
A2 Ladies, push your partner to the center
Gents, push your partner back
Ladies, push your partner to the center
Ladies, go back
B1 With your partner box the gnat
With your opposite to the left swat the flea
With your opposite to the right box the gnat
With your opposite to the left swat the flea
B2 With your opposite to the right balance and swing
Note: After each of the movements in B1, move a little away from the other person.
You can find lots more on the syllabi from the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend:
http://www.library.unh.edu/special/index.php/ralph-page-dance-legacy-weekend
Download the Master Index-- it's a spreadsheet in Excel format-- and then go to
the particular year for instructions to the dances you want. You'll find some
under scatter prom, circ mixer, Sicilian mixer, and then there's always one of
several versions of Ninepin, a square with an extra person in the middle.
You can find one version of Ninepin here:
http://squaredancehistory.vidcaster.com/FmJ4d/the-ninepin/
In this version, when the call "all the Ninepins to the center" comes, the Ninepin
is joined by all the others of the same sex as the Ninepin.
David Millstone
Oh dear me. And I thought it was supposed to be 'young people these days' who have no manners with technology...
I wonder what his partner thought of it.
And at least there were no fatal accidents.
C
This video also contains a good example of why using your smart phone while
contra dancing is a bad idea.
Cheers
Elmo
I was calling for the Rochester (NY) English dancers last night, and included a rendition of Hull's Victory with English styling. I did an old version with very nice symmetry (and no partner swing) that I got from Northern Junket. See <http://www.izaak.unh.edu/dlp/NorthernJunket/pages/NJv01/NJv01-11/NJv.01.11.…>.
Excellent, jaunty music was provided by Laurel Sharp and Barb Seppeler. The dance was well received.
David Smukler
Syracuse, NY
My understanding is that the move used to be called only "slice" then
some callers started explaining what is what by telling people that they
should yearn to dance with the people on their left (normally) diagonal
- that was just to emphasise what a slice is all about.
The term became popular and some people started using the word "yearn"
for the move. So slice and yearn are identical.
They are both single progressions, you yearn (or slice) towards someone
on the diagonal and then fall back opposite them. If you want a double
progression then it is a double slice - I have never heard that called a
double yearn - it wouldn't make sense as yearning is all about moving
towards someone that you want to dance with.
Double slices are usually in long lines.
In a single yearn people often work as a couple so that they have a free
hand to press up against their new opposite's hand before falling back.
Again, it emphasises who your new neighbours are.
But there is no rule as to whether a yearn/slice is as a couple or in a
long line.
And undoubtedly there are other interpretations somewhere and somewhen
in the dance world :-)
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
I'd appreciate some clarification about several relatively new terms in the contra
dance world.
In her description of Fruit Punch, Joy wrote:
A1 With couple on L diagonal, Yearn to new Neighbors and fall straight back (8)
My understanding was that "yearn" means moving on the left diagonal toward one
set of dancers, and then back from there on the left diagonal so that a couple
has moved two places. If I understand Fruit Punch, the couple has only moved one
place, forward on the left diagonal and then straight back. I've heard Bob Isaacs
and others refer to that move as "slice" left but I don't know if that's common
usage.
"Yearn" was created by Seattle choreographer George Walker in his dance "A Quarter
More/"
http://www.quiteapair.us/calling/acdol/dance/acd_121.html
David Millstone
Lebanon, NH
I have Bob Isaacs’s dance Redbeard Reel, that I must have written down after hearing it called. I tried to find the dance via a web search and also to contact Bob via Facebook. Now I’m turning to this helpful and knowledgeable group for help.
Here’s the dance as I have it; my question is about B1. I’m pretty sure there’s a balance once the dancers are in an ocean wave, and would like to have that confirmed. If I made any (other) errors, please let me know!
Becket formation
A1 Long lines forward and back; Gents allmd Left 1 1/2
A2 Neighbor gypsy & swing
B1 Pass the ocean wave (Balance?) Pass thru along the set; with the next Mad Robin while facing partner across
B2 Women pass Left; Partner swing.
Thanks,
Bree Kalb
Carrboro NC
On introducing triplets David Smuckler wrote:
> Just do. Trust a good dance to "speak to" the dancers about why it is
> good. Anything unfamiliar requires a bit of a leap, but if we never take
> that leap our dances will feel more and more the same, and what fun is that?
>
Well, the fun in that is precisely that "sameness." Uncommon formations
and figures appeal to many dance enthusiasts. When calling an open, public
contra dance, however, it is good to keep a few things in mind:
- Our public contra dances are not merely a "gathering of dance
enthusiasts." They are an offering from our dancer communities to the
larger community--including new dancers and many non-enthusiasts. As such
we invite first-time dancers and first-time contra dancers to
participate--without any prior instruction or preparation. This is the
heart and soul of contra dancing and it's greatest strength is the dance
form's ability to "sweep in" new dancers without lessons.
- At open public dances the real fun comes from meeting and sharing your
passion for dance with many new, charming, and interesting partners. If
you offer too much that is "different" or "interesting" you run the risk of
undermining that core purpose of the event.
- There are many forms of social and expressive dance available in our
world today. If we attempt to compete by offering "interesting" or
"challenging" dances at our open, public events we will lose that race.
The purpose of open, public contra dances is to be a fun, community social
event. Too much teaching can easily undermine that purpose.
- The fun of an open, public social dance with joyful and spirited music,
is something all of us can share. This is true no matter how experienced
or sophisticated the dancer is. It is the caller's job to make this event
"work." If the caller dominates the evening with lots of verbal
instruction and lecturing then they are not making this open, public social
event "work."
- The fun at open, public contra dances comes from the variety of people we
interact with and the spirited and varied music played by the live
orchestra. Being "challenged" by new material is not appealing to many who
attend these events. Why alienate a third of your audience?
- Everyone can enjoy the more simple dances that are accessible to
everyone. Experienced dancers can be "challenged" to lead the newcomers
quickly through the dance and to get everyone dancing with little or no
walk-through. The "challenge" at these dances is to be an effective host
and to work closely with the caller to make the event "work" well. The
caller's job is to make this process fun for everyone.
- Triplets and other unusual formations certainly have their place. Before
introducing such material at an open, public contra dance, however, the
caller should carefully consider how it will affect the social purpose of
the event and make sure that they can make the dance "work" for everyone
with little or no verbal "teaching-from-the-mike."
Enough for now.
- Greg McKenzie
Hi all
I just encountered a triplet in the wild for the first time (they don't
get called much around here, and I've been out of the dancing loop for a
bit) at our Santa Rosa (CA) contra last Friday. It was Ted's Triplet
#24. Apparently wild cheering is traditional when one of Ted Triplets
is announced?
As an English dancer, I found it to be a pretty simple and
straightforward dance and a nice break from loads o' longways, but the
contra dancers all around me were falling to bits, apparently completely
flummoxed by the small sets.
How often do triplets show up in programs where you dance? How often,
and in what sorts of settings, do you call them? What do you do
differently to teach them, to help contra dancers with the unusual
formation? They seem like useful dances, both for a change of pace and
for those dreaded dinky crowds, but as I mentioned, this was my first
time encountering one in years of dancing. Are they more common on the
East Coast?
Kalia
We've had this programming discussion before on SharedWeight, and I doubt anyone's really going to change their personal/individual position dramatically. Some like variety, some like repetition, some like a little of both. We all have good reasons for our personal and/or professional preferences.
One thing that occurs to me is that programming expectations for a given dance series may be considered the purview of the dance organizers (individual/committee/whoever does the job). Personally, I find it helpful to have input from a committee. They know their series better than I as a caller, and they have much more invested in its continued success.
We give extensive input to the visiting callers at our monthly series, which is known for being extremely well-attended and energetic, with many happy newcomers and regulars of all ages at every dance. I've copied the latest version of that info below.
Perhaps the proof is in the pudding. If your dance series is thriving with a positive outlook for future good health, then it doesn't matter what any outside experts say.
Cheers,
Chrissy Fowler
Belfast, ME
** CALLERS **
- Our series welcomes new dancers. Expect relative novices and rank
beginners of all ages to join the contradance.
- Experienced Maine dancers at our series range in age from seven to seventy,
and are friendly, enthusiastic, and used to the core contra figures, although
our overall style has been described as evincing our lumberjack/fisherman/back-to-the-lander
roots.
- Our committee appreciates judiciously sprinkled tips and reminders of ways to
make dancing fun and safe for everyone. A few of these style tips,
whether simply described from the stage or demonstrated on the floor, and
especially those issued with good cheer or humor, would benefit our
dancers.
- Directly teach the swing at some
point in the first half.
- We prefer reasonably interesting dances with logical flow (enabling us to
enjoy the music and each other) over complex choreography that requires intense
concentration (hampering our enjoyment).
- Most dancers will expect a program that is primarily modern contras.
However, the committee strongly encourages inclusion of a few other dances, in
part to broaden our community's horizons. ("Other" could be a
different formation, such as a circle, square, four-face-four, Sicilian circle,
or triplet; or another type, such as chestnuts or mixers.)
- As you look out from the stage, the set furthest to your
left is the one most likely to fall apart. Newcomers congregate
there. Also, the floor slopes toward the stage on that side of the hall,
so with four or five sets, the left-most 2 sets will squash toward the
stage. Remind those sets to leave space at the top, and to resist the urge
to slide toward the stage.
- The hall is often extremely crowded, with a very high
percentage of newcomers. The mood is generally one of elation and good
cheer, but the combination of unskilled dancing, rowdy enthusiasm, and very
little elbow room makes for a dance experience that some might consider
unpleasant, perhaps even unsafe. Keep this in mind when programming,
teaching and calling. (Space and safety considerations trump any
committee expectations of varied formations such as squares or circles.)
- We have an archive book listing past programs,
which you may refer to before/during the dance.
Please record your actual program there – name of dance,
composer/author, etc.
- Check in with us before your dance is scheduled, to see if
things have changed, and to see what other insights we might offer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
dance calling: chrissyfowler.com
monthly dance series: belfastflyingshoes.org
Triplets don't have to be longways, they can also be in circles. This
one usually goes down well:
Gypsy A Trois (by John Sweeney)
Three Couples in a Circle
A1: Circle Left One Place; Balance the Ring
Three Men DosiAll
A2: Circle Left One Place; Balance the Ring
Three Ladies DosiAll
B1: Partner Allemande Left to
Three Ladies' Gypsy in the middle WHILE Men Single File
Promenade CCW outside
B2: Meet your Partner (second time, at home): Partner Allemande
Left (full Allemande to the person who started opposite you)
This Neighbour Swing - this is your new Partner
x3 should take you home (at least to your original partner, if not the
exact spot on the dance-floor!).
Details of exactly what a DosiAll is, and how to teach it, are below,
with this standard contra dance that uses it.
DosiAll (by John Sweeney)
Contra; Becket
A1: Circle Right Half Way; Balance the Ring
DosiAll
A2: Circle Left Half Way; Balance the Ring
DosiAll
B1: Partner Balance & Swing
B2: On the Left Diagonal: Half Hey - Ladies lead by Right Shoulder
Half Promenade back across to your own side and flow into
the Circle Right
The DosiAll is a Dosido for all four people simultaneously.
Teaching: First you get the two men to Dosido. Then you get the two
ladies to Dosido. Then you get all four to do a four-person Gypsy. Then
you say "OK, now I want you all to do the Dosido simultaneously. You
are going to follow the track you walked in the Gypsy, but you are doing
a Dosido. Go slightly to your left as you start forwards so that you
don't crash." Once they get the basic idea you can get them spinning
counterclockwise in the Dosidos - it is even better if all four spin.
Warn them to check the speed of the person in front and adjust so they
don't catch up.
The Balance the Ring is to synchronise the start of the DosiAll. It
means all four people start forwards at the same time.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
