Sometimes it's enough to say, "when you're waiting out at the end, be ready to allemande (or form long waves, or star left, or whatever) with people"
Depending on the dance, you might have to tell people *not* to cross over right away, or to be in position to chain on the right (or left) diagonal
Mark Widmer
PARKER MANN <M_P_Mann(a)shaw.ca> wrote:
What recommendations do you have to prepare dancers for end effects when they are not used to anything more than "cross over and wait?"
There are actually two possible cases to think about. First: what couples do when they have progressed out of the set (and the answer is USUALLY "cross over and wait"). Second: what pairs (not partners) do when they move out of the minor set at some point during the sequence, like in "Cal and Irene".
In "Cal...", the end effects are pretty manageable and observe END EFFECT DEFAULT RULE #1: Just face into the set (e.g., face up at the bottom) with the W on the right, M on the left. It is very close to the way you shift out of the set. In this dance, the default rule works for both cases mentioned in the first paragraph.
The DIAGONAL DANCE END EFFECT RULE: Dances that work out of the minor set with some sort of diagonal action require that an idle pair station themselves on the correct side of the set.
Some special cases worth mentioning: "Fiddleheads" by Ted Sannella is a great dance and features an automatic crossover when you progress out at the ends. Other dances require that an idle pair at the foot be on the 'wrong' side because the progression happens everyone is on their non-home side. (I think "Be Here Now" is one of those dances.)
Here's another one
Becket Formation
A1. Cir L 3/4, Sw N
A2. W Chain, 1/2 promenade
B1. Petronella bal & twirl, **** swing new N
B2. M almd L 1+1/2, Sw Partner
At the ****, the idle couple needs to be on the 'unusual' side for an idle couple. This sort of thing is worth mentioning in the walk-through.
Hi,
I am just arranging our dance schedule for 2011 and wondered
whether anyone knows of any US contra dance callers or contra dance
bands who will be touring the UK in 2011 and might be interested in
performing for a small but enthusiastic group of dancers in the
south-east of England.
Please let me know if you know of anyone.
Thanks.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 &
07802 940 574
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Contra Dancing in Kent
This dance was called at Sugar Hill, but the caller didn't know the name or
the author of the dance.
It's a fun dance. Does anyone recognize it?
Becket contra
A1: Circle balance; Petronella turn; [no time for clapping] Nieghbor Swing.
A2: Circle balance; Petronella turn; [no time for clapping] Partner Swing.
B1: Right Diagonal Ladies pass right shoulders to start 1/2 Hey. Gents
follow partner in Hey;
Across with new neighbors, Ladies pass right shoulders to start 1/2
Hey Gents follow partner in Hey.
B2: Partner Balance+Swing.
Notes:
Single CCW progression, but you're always in at the top.
With an odd number of couples, the extra couple at the bottom waits becket on
the side that lets them join the right diagonal hey. That's where they end
up when they become the "out" couple, so they should NOT cross.
Dale
I call square dances for the Mission Hill School in downtown Boston. Ayla Gavins is the principal, the one who hired me, and dances with the second and third graders. Because of that, I received the following e-mail which I am passing along to you. Please contact Karen directly...
Hi Mr. Baker,
My name is Betsy Caruso. I'm the music program coordinator at Mission Hill School. I also work as an urban gardening volunteer, through the Boston Natural Areas Network (BNAN). Ayla Gavins suggested I contact you regarding getting the word out to acoustic musicians who might be interested in playing at the cider pressing festival upcoming in Boston. McLaughlin Park is at Parker Hill Avenue & Fisher Avenue in Jamaica Plain. The message from BNAN's Karen Chaffee appears below. If you have any suggestions for a musician or musicians who would like to play that afternoon, would you be so kind as to be in touch with Karen? (You should also feel free to contact me, although we will be out of town from September 2 - 7).
Thank you so much for reading this, and for any help you may be able to provide. Giving families and especially urban children an opportunity to both enjoy live music and to learn a little about where our food comes from are wonderful gifts.
Best wishes,
--
Betsy Caruso
Tutor/Music Program Coordinator
Mission Hill School
From: Karen Chaffee <karen(a)bostonnatural.org>
Date: Thu, Aug 26, 2010 at 12:58 PM
Subject: Musician for Cider Pressing Event Needed
Hi folks,
On Sunday, September 19th the Urban Wilds Council and the Friends of the Urban Orchard at McLaughlin Playground will be hosting a cider pressing festival from 3:00 - 5:00pm. In the past the event has included a musician. I am hoping that through all of our connections we will be able to come up with someone who can play great acoustic tunes. I think either the folk or Appalachian music genres would work well for the occasion but of course anything would work. We might have some room to pay small compensation but if anyone is willing to do it pro-bono that would be best.
Thanks!
Karen
--
Karen Chaffee
Stewardship Manager
Boston Natural Areas Network
karen(a)bostonnatural.org
(617)542-7696
--
Clark Baker, Belmont, MA
cmbaker(a)tiac.net
Living in the Bay Area, it's expected that most folks will drool over the newest
computer technology. I've managed to resist the iPad -- until also hitting on
the idea that Rich Goss mentioned:
<I've experimented with displaying dance cards on an IPad. Worked
wonderfully. I could keep my whole card file on there and also the file
specific to the evening.
It can display using the entire area of the IPad screen. Eventually I'll buy
one, but for now it's 6x4 cards.
Also works well for displaying sheet music. >
The illumination factor alone, in darkish halls, sounds very attractive. (I'd
carry the cards around too, of course, being dubious about gadgets' reliability
when you really need them.) What I've been wondering, though, is whether there
is a version of Callers' Companion in the works for the iPad. Ooo baby. This
would make a serious dent in my wallet, and I'm sure an even more serious
fattening of the developer Will Loving's...
Will?
Tina
Hi!
I am looking for "new" callers in the "greater" Boston area who would like to attend a callers gathering and call a guest spot at the Concord Scout House.
The first of these would be Saturday, September 18. The gathering would be for dinner at my house (7 miles from the Scout House.) If you know of callers in the area who would be interested please pass this on to them. (For the moment I have not made this a public announcement.) If you fit the definition, let me know.
Definitions
New: someone more or less just starting out, who is not getting much mic time and would like a little bit more.
Greater Boston: someone who is willing to travel to Billerica/Concord to attend such an event.
I hope some of you know of such folks!
Beth Parkes
Thanks for the plug, Becky. I found that that link didn't work... folks
interested in my film about Dudley might have better luck with this one:
http://www.laufman.org/videofilms.htm
David Millstone
David Millstone used a portion of that film in "The Other Way Back",
which all should see, if they haven't.
http://www.laufman.org/OtherWayBack/film.htm
~ Becky Nankivell
Tucson, AZ & Long Beach, CA
On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 9:00 AM, <callers-request(a)sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Send Callers mailing list submissions to
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Contra History (Liz and Bill)
> 2. Re: Contra History (Lindsay Morris)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:21:48 +1200
> From: Liz and Bill <staf186(a)ext.canterbury.ac.nz>
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: [Callers] Contra History
> Message-ID: <4C73811C.4040105(a)ext.canterbury.ac.nz>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> Hi
>
> Have you seen this from 1964?
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZubTju7g_s
>
> Cheers, Bill
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:01:26 -0400
> From: Lindsay Morris <lindsay(a)tsmworks.com>
> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Contra History
> Message-ID:
> <AANLkTine40uKx8P9uizX0_ggKcxucyMjSArJ5+rm6CuH(a)mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Wow, that's beautiful!
> And JUST like today - even with a kid sleeping on the bench!
> --------------------
> Lindsay Morris
> CEO, TSMworks
> Tel. 1-859-539-9900 <skype:18595399900?call>
> lindsay(a)tsmworks.com
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 24, 2010 at 4:21 AM, Liz and Bill
> <staf186(a)ext.canterbury.ac.nz>wrote:
>
>> Hi
>>
>> Have you seen this from 1964?
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZubTju7g_s
>>
>> Cheers, Bill
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>>
>
>
> ------------------------------
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>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 72, Issue 16
> ***************************************
>
I had the pleasure of touring interstate on the weekend and calling for a dance
workshop and dance. I worked out the programs on the assumption that the overall
skill level would probably be lower in the evening dance than the workshop. (The
Saturday night phenomenon). So, having survived by adapting the program to err
on the side of easier dances, after a group of about 8 total beginners arrived
part way into the dance, I am keen to hear other people's ideas on dealing with
this.
Cheers
Jeanette
The piano - 88 little mistakes waiting to happen; Peter Barnes
