"Scott Higgs began dancing in college, and started teaching soon
thereafter (when the knowledgeable dancers graduated !). For 25 years he
has traveled the country (25 states and 6 foreign countries) calling for
contras and English country dances. Dancers characterize Scott's contras
as "high-energy" and "swingy." His English dance programs span the
spectrum from exuberant to elegant."
Scott will be in the Triangle to call for the TCD Friday Night Dance and
for the Sun Assembly English Country Dance the weekend of March 9th, and
TCD and the Callers Collctive are glad to be able to host a callers
workshop with him while he is here. The workshop will be held from
10:30 - 1:30 on March 10th near Hillsborough, NC. If you are interested
in attending the workshop, please fill out the form (link below). If
you have any questions, please email Jack Mitchell
(jamitch3(a)mindspring.com).
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dE1lNnlTajEtcGNPUHVWMV…
If you have trouble with the long link, try this one:
http://tinyurl.com/TCDScottHiggsWorkshop
This event is funded in part by the Outreach Fund of the Country Dance
and Song Society. More information about CDSS at www.cdss.org.
One of my absolute favorites, even with international folk dance groups, is this
one
which I *think* I got from Ralph Page. He commented that the tune is claimed by
the Irish, the English, the Scots - and that therefore it most probably is French<g>.
Mason's Apron
three facing three in big circle, best with original tune
A 1 1 - 8 all six circle left
A 2 1 - 4 middle person with person on right:
balance, allemande right
5 - 8 middle person with person on left:
balance, allemande left
B 1 1 - 4 teapots* right, once around
5 - 8 teapots left
B 2 1 - 4 groups of three forward and back
5 - 8 pass through, meeting new group of three
* teapots right: middle person + diagonal right person + own right person RH star
teapots left: middle person + diagonal left person + own left person LH star
Enjoy!
Hanny
A couple more fun things to do with Silly Threes:
1. While the innies are going through the arches, have them turn and go the other way back now and then.
2. Near the end, have the band slow the music way down, then speed up. Fun!
Gail Hintze
Children's Librarian
Chillicothe Public Library
430 N Bradley Ave
Chillicothe IL 61523
309-274-2719
Big hello shared weight colleagues. :)
I've been lurking for months while I read all the back records of shared weight. Time to break out and join the conversation though… such fruitful ones they seem to be!
I was the scholarship caller for the RPDLW two weeks ago - what a most incredible experience!!! I've been to a number of dance events in the NE but as folks have said before, RPDLW is such a special event. I felt so welcome, was clearly surrounded by contra history (and legends - wow!!!), and came away with such a good feel about our dance community.
As a new caller, I would totally recommend the scholarship opportunity to any other new caller. It was one of the best learning opportunities I could imagine for someone who is starting out. A few highlights for me included:
a) Calling one dance. That's all I needed because it was the rich feedback from David Millstone and Chrissy Fowler that opened my eyes to many aspects of my calling I hadn't realized before.
b) Participating in Amy Cann's callers' workshop. It was AMAZINGGGGGGG!!!! Boy... what fascinating ways of looking at calling. She brings in whole new perspectives I haven't heard other callers talk about. Wow - thanks Amy. :)
c) Getting to quiz David Millstone and David Kaynor over lunch. (Prepping what aspects of calling I wanted to learn about was important for my getting lots out of the weekend. I learned lots of other things to be sure but the weekend was a great chance to engage big contra brains in the little details of calling.)
d) And… I had to add one dancing moment … … Mary D andNor'easter leading Moneymusk. AWESOME!!!
There were so many other great highlights but I stop there.
I've spent the last week going through the past syllabi from the RPDLW (http://www.library.unh.edu/special/index.php/ralph-page-dance-legacy-weekend). I've ignored the dances themselves and have been focusing on the conversations, discussions, etc. There are some fantastic insights... I hope to post a few in the next little while.
In the meantime, I called my first half dance last Saturday in Ottawa (Ontario) and have my first full dance in Maberly in just over a week. I am scared sXXXless so will probably be posting a few questions for help!
I look forward to engaging with you in the future. This group seems like such a great resource and I'm super excited to be entering this community. :)
Much thanks,
Emily from Ottawa
In response to Rickey Holt's message:
> I am looking for an easy dance that uses groups of 3 dancers - either 3
> facing 3, or 3 all facing the same direction. I especially would like one
> where the dancers in each group of 3 have a chance to play with which one of
> them is in the middle. No country corners please. I already have 3 Meet,
> from the old Community Dancing Manuals. Any other suggestions? Dances that
> do not require a specific tune but fit within a standard 32 bar contra tune
> would be best.
> Thanks.
> Rickey Holt
> Fremont, NH
I wrote this dance several years ago when the local dance conflicted with the Dance Flurry and I had to stay home to call. The 1st star can be wrist grip (snowflake star), or whatever is easy for folks. The 2nd star should NOT be wrist grip - I point out that whoever is on top of the pile will have something special to do in the next part of the dance (lead the 2 people on his/her right to another line of 3). Any bouncy, silly tune will work.
Find You at the Flurry
Hilton Baxter
Type: Scatter Mixer
Formation: 3 facing 3 to start
A1 -----------
opposite dosido
opposite allem L
A2 -----------
opposite allem R (or swing)
all six circle L
B1 -----------
star L (6 hand “snowflake”)
star R (hands piled on top of each other)
B2 -----------
person on top lead 3-some to new 3-some (other 3 stay)
lines of 3 forward & back (if time)
B2 can be led by bottom person, tallest, shortest, most hair, least hair, person showing most leg, most facial hair, most jewelry, etc.
Hilton Baxter
www.binghamtondance.org/hiltonbaxter/
One of my absolute favorites, even with international folk dance groups, is this
one
which I *think* I got from Ralph Page. He commented that the tune is claimed by
the Irish,
the English, the Scots - and that therefore it most probably is French <g>.
Mason's Apron
three facing three in big circle, best with original tune
A 1 1 - 8 all six circle left
A 2 1 - 4 middle person with person on right:
balance, allemande right
5 - 8 middle person with person on left:
balance, allemande left
B 1 1 - 4 teapots* right, once around
5 - 8 teapots left
B 2 1 - 4 groups of three forward and back
5 - 8 pass through, meeting new group of three
* teapots right: middle person + diagonal right person + own right person RH star
teapots left: middle person + diagonal left person + own left person LH star
Enjoy!
Hanny
--
This email address will expire shortly. Please update your address book to my new address:kyrmyt@cotse.net
Hi folks,
I just came across some old scribbled notes I wrote down for a dance, but don't recall if it's a musing or something I saw. In any
case, I didn't jot down any name or author. Does anyone recognize this?
(Improper, start facing across)
A1 1-4 Long lines fwd & back
5-8 Balance neighbor; roll away women (L-to-R)
A2 1-4 Women chain to partner
5-8 Women lead 1/2 hey right-shoulder (actually more like 3/8 into...)
B1 1-8 Partner balance and swing
B2 1-4 Men allemande left 1-1/2
5-8 Neighbor swing
Thanx in advance,
Ric Goldman
letsdance(a)rgoldman.org
(I was thinking about driving minor-key jigs in English dancing, where there
are only a few that really have a sense of headlong motion, and I ended up
drafting a contra dance to to show what I was talking about. Then I thought
about calling the dance and had to rejigger it a bunch to provide things like a
recovery point, etc. Now it has less obvious novelty than it did, is probably
danceable - but I don't know that it's unique. Anybody recognize the
sequence?)
Thanks!
SOLAR NOON
Becket contra
Alan recommends driving minor-key jigs
- "Sailor's Wife", "Jack's Health/Bolt the Door", "Female Saylor", etc -
or slinky reels.
Form:BK Figs: YearnL,CL.75,NG,NS,WH4+,PG&S
A1:1-4: LL forward (and usually to the left to a new couple), and back
5-8: CL 3/4 to face neighbors up and down
A2: 1-4: Neighbors gypsy Rsh
5-8: Neighbors swing
B1: 1-8: Hey for four over and back (women pass rsh)
B2: 1-4: Women pass wide right into partner gypsy
4-8: Partner swing on the side, open facing in.
END EFFECTS: Inactive couple wait on the long 2nd diagonal (left side as
you face up or down the set).
-- Alan
--
===============================================================================
Alan Winston --- WINSTON(a)SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone: 650/926-3056
Paper mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 99, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park CA 94025
===============================================================================
This dance is "The Elegant Trogan" by Kathy Anderson
> (Improper, start facing across)
> A1 1-4 Long lines fwd & back
> 5-8 Balance neighbor; roll away women (L-to-R)
> A2 1-4 Women chain to partner
> 5-8 Women lead 1/2 hey right-shoulder (actually more like 3/8
> into...)
> B1 1-8 Partner balance and swing
> B2 1-4 Men allemande left 1-1/2
> 5-8 Neighbor swing
>
> --
> *Deb Comly
> Flagstaff, AZ
> *
>
Hi Alan,
I don't recognize this specifically, but it's similar to a dance a group of us put together during a session at BACDS Spring Weekend
a couple years back. Musically, the idea was to have something that could start easy with jig tempo and then switch to a reel once
the dancers were comfortable with it. Dance wise we wanted a mostly smooth flow.
Cary House Shuffle (CW Becket), written Mar, 2010 (a collective effort at BACDS Spring Weekend)
A1 1-4 Long lines fwd & back
5-8 With new Nbrs (diagonally left across the set), circle L 3/4
A2 1-4 (Same) Nbr DSD (or gypsy)
5-8 Nbr swing
B1 1-8 Hey-for-4, gents start L-shoulder (GL,PR,WL,NR)
B2 1-4 Gents give-and-take (bring Ptr to original side)
5-8 Partners swing (end facing across)
I notice some differences from Solar Noon. We used the A1 1-4 long lines as an easy recovery after the ending swing, and then
"hid" the progression in the A1 5-8 circle (a move we borrowed from a lot of other becket dances <G>). The B section has the men
actively lead the L-shoulder hey since it was already the direction they were traveling in coming out of the A2 5-8 swing. We ended
up with a split decision on A2 because most the group REALLY liked the DSD for jig time, but also REALLY liked the gypsy-meltdown in
reel time. :-)
Thanx, Ric Goldman
letsdance(a)rgoldman.org
P.S. If you like, I can try for more feedback at the next February Woodshed dance (For those not familiar with the BACDS Woodshed
series, we try out new dances or calling techniques and get feedback from the dancers about what they like; callers chip in to cover
cost of the hall and dancers get in Free!).
> -----Original Message-----
> From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Alan Winston - SSRL Central
> Computing
> Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 7:25 PM
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: [Callers] Is this a dance already?
>
> (I was thinking about driving minor-key jigs in English dancing, where there are only a few that really have a sense of headlong
motion,
> and I ended up drafting a contra dance to to show what I was talking about. Then I thought about calling the dance and had to
rejigger
> it a bunch to provide things like a recovery point, etc. Now it has less obvious novelty than it did, is probably danceable - but
I don't
> know that it's unique. Anybody recognize the sequence?)
>
> Thanks!
>
> SOLAR NOON
> Becket contra
>
> Alan recommends driving minor-key jigs
> - "Sailor's Wife", "Jack's Health/Bolt the Door", "Female Saylor", etc - or slinky reels.
>
> Form:BK Figs: YearnL,CL.75,NG,NS,WH4+,PG&S
>
> A1:1-4: LL forward (and usually to the left to a new couple), and back
> 5-8: CL 3/4 to face neighbors up and down
>
> A2: 1-4: Neighbors gypsy Rsh
> 5-8: Neighbors swing
>
> B1: 1-8: Hey for four over and back (women pass rsh)
>
> B2: 1-4: Women pass wide right into partner gypsy
> 4-8: Partner swing on the side, open facing in.
>
> END EFFECTS: Inactive couple wait on the long 2nd diagonal (left side as you face up or down the set).
>
> -- Alan
