I am arriving at the Atlanta airport on Friday Nov 18 around noon. I'll be leaving from the same airport on Sunday around 7 p.m.
I had planned to take the shuttle from Brasstown, but renting a car is less expensive. Let me know if anyone is flying in and out at about the same times and would like to share the ride.
Mapquest says it's about 2.5 to 3 hours. Piece of cake for a Texan...unless that cold white stuff starts falling from the sky!
Lissa Bengtson
Director, International Folk Culture Center
Our Lady of the Lake University
411 SW 24th St.
San Antonio, TX 78207
210-431-3922 or (cell) 210-867-0692
Hi Amy,
I'll be in the area and would be happy to call Saturday night if there's
still a need.
All best,
Kim Roberts
On Oct 13, 2011 12:00 PM, <callers-request(a)sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Send Callers mailing list submissions to
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>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. *** NEED CALLER/BAND for THIS SATURDAY *** (Amy Cann)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:42:43 -0400
> From: Amy Cann <acann(a)putneyschool.org>
> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: [Callers] *** NEED CALLER/BAND for THIS SATURDAY ***
> Message-ID:
> <CALZWU+tqhLmwpnrQERE7092uHee58xPhimVKg5SPOZvdAThNBA(a)mail.gmail.com
> >
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Hi folks - I'm down to the wire and resorting to desperate tactics. *PLEASE
> PASS THIS ON. Send it to your entire dance-booking email list if you can.*
>
> The Putney School - venerable, progressive, historic, selective, visionary,
> but not always clue-ful prep school - decided a few days ago it would be
> REALLY COOL to have a dance THIS SATURDAY NIGHT OCTOBER 15 as the kickoff
> to
> the big Harvest Festival /parents/alumni weekend, here in Putney, Vermont.
>
> They have been warned that booking a band/caller on one week's notice is
> difficult and likely to be expensive. I have a certain amount of
> flexibility
> with money.
>
> The dance will run from 8:ish to 10:00. Sound system provided.
>
> I can call or play fiddle or piano, at this point I don't care which. I
> just
> need two people.
>
> There are 10 student fiddlers and a dozen mixed
> tinwhistle/guitar/mandolin/irish harp players on campus and about 20 VERY
> enthusiastic contradancers who are thrilled that we're having a dance right
> here , so the student body of 200 will be well seeded with supportive
> folks.
>
> If you're traveling I've got a guest room, and dinner at the school will be
> excellent. The Harvest Fest next day is a lot of fun too, and I'll lend you
> my kayak if you want to get out on the river.
>
> This is a bright crowd. The kids are smart and responsive, the alumni all
> danced under Ralph Page.
>
> Expect to do one longways and one haste-to-the-wedding type, then "real"
> contras. Other formations welcome.
>
> Thanks,
> Amy
>
> (does anyone have Fred Breunig's current phone number?)
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 86, Issue 15
> ***************************************
>
Hey, Amy!
I could either call or play backup guitar. And I'd be willing to trade
services with anyone who could play backup in place of me at a private 70th
birthday party on the 29th with Cuckoo's Nest. There would be money for that
gig. I had agreed to do it a week before discovering that people were hoping
I could call at well-known dancer Lois' White's 80th birthday party dance
the same night in Danville.
My availability is NOT contingent on the trade. Any leads on an available
backup pianist or guitarist would be very welcome!
Chip Hedler
On Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 12:00 PM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net <
callers-request(a)sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Send Callers mailing list submissions to
> callers(a)sharedweight.net
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> callers-request(a)sharedweight.net
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> callers-owner(a)sharedweight.net
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. *** NEED CALLER/BAND for THIS SATURDAY *** (Amy Cann)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:42:43 -0400
> From: Amy Cann <acann(a)putneyschool.org>
> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: [Callers] *** NEED CALLER/BAND for THIS SATURDAY ***
> Message-ID:
> <CALZWU+tqhLmwpnrQERE7092uHee58xPhimVKg5SPOZvdAThNBA(a)mail.gmail.com
> >
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Hi folks - I'm down to the wire and resorting to desperate tactics. *PLEASE
> PASS THIS ON. Send it to your entire dance-booking email list if you can.*
>
> The Putney School - venerable, progressive, historic, selective, visionary,
> but not always clue-ful prep school - decided a few days ago it would be
> REALLY COOL to have a dance THIS SATURDAY NIGHT OCTOBER 15 as the kickoff
> to
> the big Harvest Festival /parents/alumni weekend, here in Putney, Vermont.
>
> They have been warned that booking a band/caller on one week's notice is
> difficult and likely to be expensive. I have a certain amount of
> flexibility
> with money.
>
> The dance will run from 8:ish to 10:00. Sound system provided.
>
> I can call or play fiddle or piano, at this point I don't care which. I
> just
> need two people.
>
> There are 10 student fiddlers and a dozen mixed
> tinwhistle/guitar/mandolin/irish harp players on campus and about 20 VERY
> enthusiastic contradancers who are thrilled that we're having a dance right
> here , so the student body of 200 will be well seeded with supportive
> folks.
>
> If you're traveling I've got a guest room, and dinner at the school will be
> excellent. The Harvest Fest next day is a lot of fun too, and I'll lend you
> my kayak if you want to get out on the river.
>
> This is a bright crowd. The kids are smart and responsive, the alumni all
> danced under Ralph Page.
>
> Expect to do one longways and one haste-to-the-wedding type, then "real"
> contras. Other formations welcome.
>
> Thanks,
> Amy
>
> (does anyone have Fred Breunig's current phone number?)
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 86, Issue 15
> ***************************************
>
Hi folks - I'm down to the wire and resorting to desperate tactics. *PLEASE
PASS THIS ON. Send it to your entire dance-booking email list if you can.*
The Putney School - venerable, progressive, historic, selective, visionary,
but not always clue-ful prep school - decided a few days ago it would be
REALLY COOL to have a dance THIS SATURDAY NIGHT OCTOBER 15 as the kickoff to
the big Harvest Festival /parents/alumni weekend, here in Putney, Vermont.
They have been warned that booking a band/caller on one week's notice is
difficult and likely to be expensive. I have a certain amount of flexibility
with money.
The dance will run from 8:ish to 10:00. Sound system provided.
I can call or play fiddle or piano, at this point I don't care which. I just
need two people.
There are 10 student fiddlers and a dozen mixed
tinwhistle/guitar/mandolin/irish harp players on campus and about 20 VERY
enthusiastic contradancers who are thrilled that we're having a dance right
here , so the student body of 200 will be well seeded with supportive folks.
If you're traveling I've got a guest room, and dinner at the school will be
excellent. The Harvest Fest next day is a lot of fun too, and I'll lend you
my kayak if you want to get out on the river.
This is a bright crowd. The kids are smart and responsive, the alumni all
danced under Ralph Page.
Expect to do one longways and one haste-to-the-wedding type, then "real"
contras. Other formations welcome.
Thanks,
Amy
(does anyone have Fred Breunig's current phone number?)
Hello all,
I am trying to find a ride from Asheville, NC to Brasstown, NC for the
Dare to be Square weekend in November. Sherry Nevins and I are coming
from Seattle and visiting in Asheville before heading over to
Brasstown, and would love to carpool. I have tried a lot of different
tactics to find out who might be attending from the Asheville area
(Phil Jamison, Diane Silver, nor Beth Molaro haven't been able to help)
and the Folk School is unable to share a list of participants.
If you know of other Asheville folks heading that way, please let me
know! Thanks very much,
Suzanne Girardot
Seattle
Hi,
I was doing a deep search for contra dance websites, and found
something else that was far more interesting.
It's a (presumably fairly recent) website by one of our list members.
http://www.davidmillstonedance.com/
Lots of good stuff, though my favorite section was:
http://www.davidmillstonedance.com/writing/essays
-Chris Page
San Diego
I am afraid I have to disagree with some of the previous answers.
Improper is a position, not a formation, and yes, you can have a single
couple improper.
If you line up as couples, all facing the music, with the lady in the
man's right hand then all the couples are proper. So all the men are in
one line and all the ladies are in the other. So "proper" is a
formation as well as a position, since there can be no confusion about
where anyone is.
But if you want some couples to be improper then you have to specify
which ones are improper. The most common improper formation is a duple
minor (hands four from the top) and first couples improper. This is
such a common formation in contra dancing that contra dancers use the
term "improper" to mean this formation. So, OK, yes, it is a formation
- as long as you are working in a community which uses the term that
way. But there are contra dances where the first couples are proper and
the second couples are improper (the short name for this is "indecent").
You can also have triplets or triple minors (hands six from the top)
where only the first couple is improper and the other two are proper, or
where only the second couple is improper. I call one dance where all
three couples swing their partner, but the first couple has to finish
improper and the other two couples proper. There are four couple dances
where the second and fourth couples are improper, or where the third and
fourth couples are improper.
So "proper" is unambiguous. But if some couples are "improper" you do
have to explicitly state which couples are improper.
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, Instructional DVDs and
Interactive Maps
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
I've noticed that Gents' chains are rather infrequent in contras, and i
started asking "why?". Chaining the gents(/men/bands/leads) opens up new
flow opportunities with star R, more intuitive circle R, et cetera. Why do
we use them so little?
After a year or so of mulling on this, i think it's due first and foremost
to confusion! While ladies' chains are ONLY ever done by the right hand,
some dances call for a gents' chain by the right, while others call for a
gents' chain by the left. If the gents give left hands, then a REVERSE
courtesy turn (reversed promenade hold) is required.
Last night i danced Gene Hubert's "Triskadekaphilia". The caller made no
effort to explain the reverse courtesy turn. Looking up the dance online, i
noticed that in his choreography, Hubert makes a distinction between "gents
chain" (by the left, which necessitates the reverse courtesy turn) and
"gents do a ladies chain" (by the right).
EITHER WAY, most dancers need to be oriented to the unfamiliar mechanics of
the role reversal when ladies(women/bares/follows) give their partner or
neighbor a courtesy turn or reverse courtesy turn, especially in the latter
case. I think if we callers are a bit more attentive to the difference
between the two, and take the time to clarify it in walk-throughs, gents
chains of either stripe could be much more familiar and user-friendly to the
dancers and, becoming more common, open more choreographic and programming
opportunities for us.
Thoughts?
"Tavi" Merrill
A question about terminology (maybe two).
Does the term "improper" mean a formation, or a position? In other
words, does that term mean a line of dancers that alternates gent/
lady/gent/lady down the right line and lady/gent/lady/gent down the
left line, or does it mean gent in the right line, lady in the left
line (all left/right designations based on facing the top of the set)?
What makes it two questions is whether there's a difference in how
you, as a caller, think about it, and how you think your dancers
think about it.
What I really want to know is whether there's regional variation, and
whether it's different in English country dance and contra. And maybe
whether it's changed over time.
Here in Boston, I'd say dancers think of it as a formation, and there
seems to be variation in how callers think of it (e.g., some callers
will say "end improper" to mean gent/right, lady/left whatever
position you're in—it comes up more often in English country dance
than contra, but sometimes in contra too).
On the idea of callers as "social engineers" David Millstone wrote:
> C'mon, Greg. Really? Choosing an appropriate selection and logical sequence
> of dances? Is that social engineering? Teaching clearly, with enthusiasm and
> warmth? Working with the musicians?
>
Please accept my apologies for the misunderstanding.
I did not introduce the term “social engineering” here. The term was
attributed to my alleged “negative feelings” about mixers—something which I
have *not* expressed here—and it was posited that I was concerned about
mixers being used as a form of “social engineering.”
The term “social engineering” has become a rather “loaded” one in the last
few decades. Like the term “political correctness” it has been adopted by
conservatives as a slur against those advocating for social change. I am
certainly not against social change and I would not assume that sentiment of
anyone on this list. (Obviously, as callers we depend upon established
traditions, but they are, we trust, living traditions that change with the
times. Otherwise we will condemn future dancers to mere “historical
re-enactments” rather than vital, living traditions that reflect the
communities we live in.) I embraced the term here as an attempted way of
defusing the term while challenging folks to think outside the box about
what it is that callers actually do. Perhaps that was not a good
communication strategy and I take responsibility for the confusion. Hopefully
we can all get beyond an adversarial framing and attempt to achieve better
understanding. The point is not to “choose sides” or to “win” but to
advance the art and science of dance calling.
For more information on the term “social engineering” check out the
Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_engineering_%28political_science%29
I see it as a central part of the caller's job to think strategically about
how their decisions, words, and actions affect the dancers, the dance
traditions, and the future of the dance form. This is particularly true in
contra dancing because the caller's decisions and words can have a great
impact upon the process of partnering. And that has a big influence over
the success of the “party”--to use David’s framing. This could all be
handily condemned as "social engineering" by anyone opposing change in these
traditions. The term has become a divisive one that has little meaning
beyond a divisive slur against any change the speaker wishes to oppose. I
would prefer to use a term like “leadership” which is more positive.
- Greg McKenzie
