Yeah Beth! I couldn't agree more... the courtesy turn is so underestimated
in how much coordination dancers must have to do it gracefully, and the
regional variation in R&L through can be befuddling... but heys are so
wonderfully innocuous, provided the ratio of experience levels is
appropriate.
It's interesting how organizers' and dancers' experience with the
overcomplicated ways some callers teach specific moves biases them against
the move rather than against a caller's overcomplicated teaching method :
/ As a developing caller i'm finding that the best way to learn is
listening to dancers talk about what teaching methods they've seen work
well versus badly. Listening to dancers has radically improved my teaching
all around.
When it comes to dances with good "flow", i'm learning they (can) be a
double edged sword. I love how Bob put it that in Flirtation Reel "the body
WANTS to go in the right direction, and the soul follows". However, a
fellow caller pointed out to me recently that some dances which "flow"
beautifully also have high piece count. In his opinion, sometimes dances
which have a moment to pause between moves (eg. ladies' chain to circle L)
are good because they give newbies a moment to think/digest the motion.
Still figuring out how i feel about that idea on a dance-by-dance basis.
Either way, it strikes me how often we humans can take a good rule-of-thumb
and make it a terrible ironclad principle.
> On Feb 18, 2012, at 2:43 PM, beth(a)hands4.com wrote:
>
> > LOL, I once had a caller berate me for using Flirtation Reel as a
> > dance to teach beginners (this was a beginner's workshop at NEFFA,
> > they really were beginning something.) He rather emphatically said
> > "how could you use a non-standard hey as a teaching tool?" Until
> > then I hadn't realized there was a standard vs. a non-standard hey.
> > Actually I still don't think there is.
> >
> > I don't remember who the caller was, but I do remember the comment
> > <G>.
> >
> > I also once had a dance organizer inform me "Do not teach a hey in
> > the first half of the evening." There are so many other moves that
> > people think are easy that are actually quite difficult for new
> > folks: right and left through for example. Banning a hey seems a bit
> > arbitrary, but I assume the dance had a bad experience at some time.
> >
> > Beth
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Linda Leslie
> > Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 11:24 PM
> > To: Caller's discussion list
> > Subject: Re: [Callers] Heys for new dancers
> >
> >
> > On Feb 17, 2012, at 7:55 AM, barb kirchner wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> i like teaching "the ladies' pattern". ladies walk the same path
> >> (turn left, end on right) for a promenade, right and left through,
> >> ladies chain, and hey. they're kinda used to looping out a little,
> >> because in the first three figures, they're actually walking around a
> >> person - easy enough to get the concept of walking around a ghost
> >> from
> >> there.
> >>
> > Certainly useful techinique, if heys you will be using for the
> > evening are right in the center, left shoulder at the ends.
> > Flirtation Reel is a good example of Left shoulder in the center,
> > right shoulder at the ends. Most dancers don't have trouble with
> > this difference, but I have occasionally had dancers be a bit
> > surprised that heys can and do vary.
> > Linda
> >
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 02:28:28 +0000
> From: barb kirchner <barbkirchner(a)hotmail.com>
> To: <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Heys for new dancers
> Message-ID: <SNT134-W46A809C54F37FB35C10B0FDE610(a)phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
> any dance that has good "flow" is going to be easier for dancers, old and
> new. when you find them, you keep them - because they work.
>
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:45:49 -0500
> From: Robert Golder <robertgolder(a)comcast.net>
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Heys for new dancers
> Message-ID: <3B2F5DAD-8814-44D8-977A-549C88738630(a)comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> If there is a "standard" in hey dances, then Flirtation Reel is the gold
> standard. It is a perfect blend of aesthetics and ergonomics. It works
> because the body WANTS to go in the right direction, and the soul follows.
>
> I have just returned from calling a little community dance of 1/3
> experienced dancers and 2/3 beginners, much as Linda described. Of course
> we danced Flirtation Reel. Committed to memory for use at a moment's
> notice, Flirtation Reel is at the top of my list of dances that are
> accessible to newcomers, but reward my experienced folks on the floor for
> hanging in there. ... Bob
>
>
Yes, Flirtation Reel is a lovely dance, but there are a few things about it which make it a bit less than ideal for dancers' first exposure to heys.
First, the transition from the up-the-center to the hey provides no momentum/flow guidance about which shoulder to pass to start the hey. For the first hey dance, I'd prefer one with stronger flow at the moment of initiation.
Second, the series of passes (NR, 2's L, Same sex R, 1's L, etc.) is not only different from most heys (which have same-sex in the center [because they are equal dances]), but the series of passes seems to be a bit harder to grasp in the same way that the differing roles of unequal dances bumps up the complexity of the sequence a bit.
For my money, a hey dance that satisfies my requirements is a modified "Roll in the Hey". The original is:
A1 circle left; swing neighbour
A2 circle left three quarters; swing partner
B1 long lines go forward and back; half ladies chain across
B2 hey for four, ladies pass right to start
Lately, I have been calling it A1 Dosido neighbor; swing neighbor. This is much more forgiving than the Hey/Circle (full) left combination.
This dance features a Ladies Chain immediately before the hey, and the women's track is essentially the same as the hey. I use this similarity when I walk through the dance.
Dan
An electronic version of Larry's program planning grid can be found here:
http://www.quiteapair.us/calling/
Scroll down about halfway, and it's the last item before the subhead"My articles
and web pages about contra dance calling"
--- Donna wrote:
How about Circle Left 3/4? Lately, I've been programming specifically to avoid
having a circle in each dance. It's surprisingly difficult to find
dances that don't have circles.
--- end of quote ---
I don't have time now to sift through cards, but I'm wondering how much of this
circle left phenomenon 3/4 is there to maneuver people into position so everyone
can have a partner swing (much more easily done on the side of the set than in
the center) and a neighbor swing (ditto).
In the older dances--
Money Musk
Chorus Jig
Rory O'More
Hull's Victory
Lady of the Lake
Lamplighter's Hornpipe
Petronella
etc.
-- there's nary a circle left to be found.
But then, in those dances there wasn't the expectation of the partner swing, nor
of flow, which came into popular taste starting in the 1980s, or thereabouts.
Just wondering...
David Millstone
Improper
A1: Neighbor DSD; Neighbor Swing [or NB&S]
A2: LL; Ladies Chain
B1: Ladies DSD; Partner Swing
B2: Circle left 3/4; Balance Ring, pass thru
I don't remember the name or author of this dance. Do you?
Thanks
Seth
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1. What is the proper distance to the mic? I have been told that
several inches is best, and I have seen one caller who is always clear
measure that distance by placing her fist, with thumb and pinky extended,
between her mouth and the mic. I have also seen other highly respected
callers rest it on their chin. What are your feelings?
The kind of mics seen at contra dances ("dynamic") suffer from "proximity effect". The bass frequencies are boosted the closer you get. Some callers work too close to the mic, and it makes for uncorrectable boominess in the hall.
A span (thumb tip to pinky tip), about 6 to 7 inches or so, might be a bit too far away, as it will pick up some measure of stage/hall noise.
Tony Parkes recommends grasping the mic around the barrel, and extend the thumb above the windscreen and nestle the tip in the hollow between your lower lip and chin. This keeps the mic locked at a consistent distance (which is a good thing) about an inch or two from the mouth.
2. I have been taught to speak down the axis of the mic and not hold it
like an ice cream cone, yet many prominent callers do not seem to do this.
How important do you think that this is?
In general, talking down the axis is a good thing. If you work an inch or two from the mic, doing the "ice cream cone" thing will probably be OK, and in fact, may be desirable if you tend to pop your Ps ; the plosive force will bypass the mic element. If you work 6 inches from the mic, the "ice cream cone" will definitely be out of the pick-up pattern of virtually all mics you'll see contra sound engineers use.
3. I have a good wireless mic (a Sennheiser Evolution G3), which I like
to put on its stand when I can. When I scan the room, sometimes turning my
head from side to side, how important is it to move the mic so I do not
change the angle between me and the axis of the mic?
Whatever you can do to keep the mic in the same position relative to your mouth, the better. I would recommend either a headset mic for you, or go handheld. If you work 1 to 2 inches from the mic, you can probably get away with not fiddling with the mic as you move your head.
Hi all,
I have 3 questions about best mic use when teaching and calling at a public
contra dance:
1. What is the proper distance to the mic? I have been told that
several inches is best, and I have seen one caller who is always clear
measure that distance by placing her fist, with thumb and pinky extended,
between her mouth and the mic. I have also seen other highly respected
callers rest it on their chin. What are your feelings?
2. I have been taught to speak down the axis of the mic and not hold it
like an ice cream cone, yet many prominent callers do not seem to do this.
How important do you think that this is?
3. I have a good wireless mic (a Sennheiser Evolution G3), which I like
to put on its stand when I can. When I scan the room, sometimes turning my
head from side to side, how important is it to move the mic so I do not
change the angel between me and the axis of the mic?
Thank you, Rickey Holt, caller, Fremont, NH
Hey Everyone,
I've had a request to do a 90 minute ONS in W. Greenwich RI on Sat. April
7. I would LOVE to do this gig, but I'm already booked.
Basics are: approx. 25 beginning dancers, 40-60 y.o. Start time
approximately 6 PM (TBD soon) *MUST* bring own recorded music. It may
be a schlep, but it's a short program in a nice hall and gorgeous setting.
Please reply asap for contact info and further details. I only learned
about it this wk. and they are hoping to post it to their membership this
coming Mon.
Site is 40 min. from Providence & just under 40 min. from Mystic, CT.
warmest regards,
Paul
Adding to Linda's good thoughts -
For a full hey I usually point out that people should end up in their starting place, and if there are lots of newer dancers I may add "how you get there is just a detail, as long as you don't crash into anyone else." Folks often chuckle at that point, which I take as a good sign. But how to officially teach it? If most people are new I've done the first walkthrough with hands, as in Grand R & L, then without hands.
One thing that confuses a lot of new folks is how to turn and re-enter on the other side. I've seem many people turn sharply back and collide. It sometimes helps to describe it as a LH U-turn (or RH U-turn as the case may be), or to suggest pretending that they're hooking their arm around an imaginary lamppost. Or pretend they are little airplanes and have to "bank" to turn. Most kids (and some adults) embrace being silly with the airplane idea, which makes the whole figure less intimidating.
For a half hey, it helps to point out they'll be diagonally across from their staring place at the end (usually the same gender neighbor's spot).
Hilton Baxter
> I agree with Tavi that heys don't have to be perceived as a difficult
> move. I use them all the time with newer dancers, using the following
> guidelines:
> A full hey which occurs anywhere but in the B2 is easier, since the
> dancers do not have to progress out of the hey
> A hey which ends up with a B & S, or gypsy and S (either P or N) will
> smooth over any tendency to get a bit lost. Great dances that are
> perfect examples are:
> The Carousel by Tom Hinds
> Flirtation Reel by Tony Parkes
> There are many others!
> Sometimes using a dance that introduces a half hey is a great way to
> get folks ready for a full hey later on in the evening.
> These dances add variety.
>
> One other quick point that I thought about when Emily first posted,
> but did not share at the time: I use four in line down the hall quite
> a bit with new dancers. I have never found that it caused confusion
> about location in space/the dance. Quite the contrary, it gives folks
> encouragement to move to the music in a quite natural way, and is
> another move that adds variety. I can understand avoiding these dances
> because of space constraints. However, four in line down the hall to a
> great march makes for wonderful dancing.
>
> Cheers! Linda
