Contra Callers

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4407 discussions

Re: [Callers] Calling for Absolute Beginners?

by John Sweeney

Hi Maia, Use simple dances with great music and build the move repertoire slowly. I use Circle Mixers to teach basic moves, then contra dances like Jefferson & Liberty, Family Contra, Flirtation Reel and New Age Petronella - these are great examples of dances which have a easy progressions. Use great music at 120bpm so that there is lots of energy. See http://www.contrafusion.co.uk/Contra.html#swinging for an article on how to teach swinging. Here is a simple circle mixer that is mainly for practice at swinging and ending with the man on the left, lady on the right: The Exchange Swing (by John Sweeney) Circle Mixer A1: Into the Middle & Back; Neighbour Swing (= New Partner) A2: Circle Left; Circle Right B1: Partner Allemande Right; Partner Allemande Left B2: Partner Gypsy Meltdown Another easy one for first-timers: Virginia Reel Circle Mixer #24 Circle, Men on inside facing out A1: Partner Allemande Right Partner Allemande Left A2: Partner Dosido Partner Seesaw (Left Shoulder Dosido) B1: Partner Gypsy Meltdown (Right Shoulder Gypsy into a Swing) B2: Promenade around the circle Men move on then face new partner Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent

13 years, 2 months

Re: [Callers] Callers Digest, Vol 97, Issue 3

by Chrissy Fowler

(I used to be annoyed by the Petronella clap, but given that I now rarely hear the whole hall hit a balance at the same time, I'm happy to hear everybody in the room synched precisely up on *something*, ...) -- Alan Did anyone else snort with laughter at this? Is it a math deficiency? Are people too busy using their smartphones? Is it anarchy? Whatever it is, thanks Alan - you gave me a good chuckle. Chrissy Fowler Belfast ME

13 years, 2 months

Lines of 4/Long lines, and overuse thereof

by Kalia Kliban

I was calling for the Bay Area Queer Contra series last night, at their season-opener dance in Oakland, and they are both blessed and challenged by having a huge group of beginners at almost every dance. They're enthusiastic and ready to have a good time, but need a lot of guidance and fairly simple material. I was noticing last night (and I'm a newish caller with a small stock of dances still, but working on fixing that) that a large percentage of the easier dances all feature either long lines forward and back, or lines of 4 down the hall, or both. This makes it a challenge to keep variety in the program. When you're calling for an inexperienced group, do you still try to limit the number of LL F&B and 4-in-line dances, or do you not worry about it so much? There are just enough experienced dancers in this particular community that I was trying to keep the program varied for them, while still trying to keep it really accessible to the new dancers. Had it been a completely brand-new crowd I would have felt fine with a lot more repetition of figures from dance to dance, to increase the comfort and familiarity of the material. But as it was, I was stuck in that middle place, trying to satisfy a wide range of experience levels. The eternal challenge... Kalia

13 years, 2 months

Unruly Reunion/Monterey Detour

by Kalia Kliban

I just noticed that these two dances, Unruly Reunion by Robert Cromartie and Monterey Detour by Bob Dalsemer, are identical. I don't know if I've picked up modified versions, or if they're simply examples of parallel evolution. There must be other known cases of identical dances with different names. Anyone know a few? It happens in English occasionally as well (Take a Dance and Ore Boggy being the most well-known). Kalia

13 years, 2 months

Shifting dance sequences

by Don Veino

I'm still gaining basic experience calling and have been noodling for a few minutes on this - thought I'd seek others' expertise and experience... I'm looking at my program candidates for an upcoming dance and in reviewing the dance *Seagull* by Erik Weberg (which can be found at http://www.kluberg.com/eriksdances.html#Seagull) I started thinking it would be easier to start the teaching at some other point than the A1, due to having to set up the initial short waves (which otherwise naturally form out of the B2). And noticing that the dance ends with a G Allem. Lt. 1+1/2, I started thinking it might be best to start with the B1, which is a very conventional Cir. Lt. 3/4 and Pass Thru..., which would leave the dance ending at the existing A2, finishing with a more satisfying P Swing. Ok, so this has two implications I see right away: 1. the band's music selection may change 2. the progression moves from the B1 original to the A1 as reshuffled. Are there any untoward consequences I'm missing? Why would this not be the default sequence? Thanks, Don

13 years, 2 months

Re: [Callers] Unruly Reunion/Monterey Detour

by Rickey Holt

Hi Luke, It is years since I have done any science but I remember tree diagrams like you are referring to that grouped things by degrees of similarity. What I remember is that it was possible to do so without specifying grouping criteria in advance. It was a challenge to determine what these axes meant however. The idea that this could become the basis for classifying or grouping dances could certainely be an interesting aid to programing. I no longer remember how to do this or have software that would work under modern operating systems. Do you? Rickey -----Original Message----- From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Luke Donforth Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2012 8:33 AM To: Caller's discussion list Subject: Re: [Callers] Unruly Reunion/Monterey Detour Old Time Elixer #2 by Linda Leslie and Tica Tica Timing by Dean Snipes are darn close, the difference being a right and left through versus a promenade across. (They're both fabulously fun petronella dances). As for choreographers slipping up and writing their own dance twice, it wouldn't surprise me, but it also may be that they changed the name when they found something that suited better. I personally find naming dances harder than writing them. I know I've re-created dances that already existed; although it can be hard to say if I'm writing them myself, or pulling them out of my dance memory, It'd be fun to see a cladistic taxonomy of contra dances (and related forms), showing the similarities and differences; be they regional, composer, historic, or otherwise. I don't remember which caller, but someone broke contra dances in to primarily 1 swing and 2 swing dances (with some others), and then branches 2 swing dances into dances where the swings are in adjacent phrases (ex A2 & B1) or non-adjacent. That type of tree system could be the basis for basis for classifying dances and keeping track of how close your dances are to others (you'd still need a database of existing dances to compare to). On Sat, Sep 1, 2012 at 2:59 AM, Chris Page <chriscpage(a)gmail.com> wrote: > On Fri, Aug 31, 2012 at 7:04 PM, Linda Leslie > <laleslierjg(a)comcast.net> > wrote: > > > Tenth Year in Tommerup (Linda Leslie). Same dance by Greg Frock > > called Hopping Tiger, Baby Squirrel. I have not had the opportunity > > to talk with Greg about who might have written the dance at an earlier date. > > > > I know I have run across a few others, but have not kept tract of them. > > Linda > > > > And they're both idential to "Practice Petronella" by Tom Lehmann. > > I've written several dances that other people have written or wrote later. > > There's numerous duplication if you look close. I've even run across a > few cases of callers accidentally duplicating their own dance, > publishing two different names with the exact same moves. > > -Chris Page > San Diego > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers(a)sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > -- Luke Donforth Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com> www.lukedonev.com _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

13 years, 2 months

Re: [Callers] mixers for regular dancers not ons

by David.Millstone＠valley.net

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

13 years, 2 months

Re: [Callers] Hull's Victory

by Chrissy Fowler

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

13 years, 2 months

Re: [Callers] Hull's Victory

by David Smukler

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

13 years, 2 months

Re: [Callers] Yearn / Slice?

by John Sweeney

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

13 years, 2 months

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Contra Callers