I'm looking for a family dance called Zodiac. I've checked the books
I have on hand and have not found it. Does anyone know it, and can it
be shared?
Thanks,
Nancy Turner
Waitsfield VT
In case you don't have the lyrics, here's the version I've done with
motions. I always do it with a partner as part of the dance because
they see what I'm doing and do it along with, no explaining necessary.
People line up with a partner across from them, and take crossed
hands to start, facing across the set. The hands pump back and forth
(sort of a sawing motion) while the first line is sung. There are
movements for each set of lyrics in the song - I'll put them under
the words.
The tune for some of the lyrics is like the first part of Shortnin'
Bread (Mama's little baby... etc.), the tune for others is like the
second part (Called for the doctor, doctor said.....) I'll write Tune
A or Tune B
1) Here comes Zodiac, Zodiac, Zodiac, here comes Zodiac all night
long. (Repeat). (Tune A)
Hands crossed with sawing motion across set as mentioned above.
2) Step-back Sally, make a little alley, step back Sally all night
long. (One time on all the rest)(Tune A)
Drop hands, hold hands up to sides (like stick-em-up) and rotate
hands back and forth rapidly while stepping back away from partner to
make an "alley" down center of set.
3) Here comes Sally, walking down the alley, here comes Sally, all
night long. (One time) (Tune A)
The top couple saunters hand in hand down the set, while everyone
puts one hand out toward them, palm up and follows them down the set
with it (usually right on right hand side and left on left - you
don't have to say, just show, and it usually happens that way)
4) I looked down the alley, and what did I see? A big fat man from
Tennessee (Tune B)
Hand flat above eyes as if looking far off up the alley for first
part, then hands delineate a large belly.
5) I betcha five dollars, you can't do this: (This part is first part
of Tune B) Front, back, side side side, front back, side side side
(this part is essentially chanted while it's done)
Hold up five fingers for the five dollars, then drop hands and jump
forward, backward, and then to right left and right again rapidly in
time with saying it, and do that jumping again.
6) Called for the doctor, the doctor said, "Ooh, aah, I've got a pain
in my head!" (Tune B mostly)
Hands to mouth as if calling, then point to head. This word can
optionally be changed during the dance - elbow, neck, knee, toe,
whatever and point as appropriate
7) Everyone says "Ooh, Aah, Ooh, Aah, Ooh, Aah, Ooh, Aah" as they
move one step at a time towards their partners again and take hands.
Dance repeats with new people walking down the alley. Goes as long as
seems appropriate. If you make the motion for each part really big
everyone knows what you'll be doing.
> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 23 May 2010 07:35:27 -0400
> From: Nancy Turner <nancyturner(a)madriver.com>
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: [Callers] Looking for Family Dance called Zodiac
> Message-ID: <3E7F4D8D-D5D5-4B0D-8DB1-4A4622FDCAD0(a)madriver.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
>
> I'm looking for a family dance called Zodiac. I've checked the books
> I have on hand and have not found it. Does anyone know it, and can it
> be shared?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Nancy Turner
> Waitsfield VT
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Sun, 23 May 2010 09:26:24 -0400
> From: "Beth Parkes" <ebay(a)hands4.com>
> To: "'Caller's discussion list'" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Looking for Family Dance called Zodiac
> Message-ID: <00cc01cafa7b$8ad55a80$a0800f80$(a)hands4.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> It's in Paul Rosenberg's "Peel the Banana"
> http://www.homespun.biz/peelcd.htm
>
> The dance is based on an old jumprope rhyme, which uses the tune of
> "Shortnin' Bread."
>
> If you google "here comes zodiac, zodiac, zodiac" you may find some
> versions
> of lyrics.
>
> HTH,
> Beth
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-
>> bounces(a)sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Nancy Turner
>> Sent: Sunday, May 23, 2010 7:35 AM
>> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> Subject: [Callers] Looking for Family Dance called Zodiac
>>
>> I'm looking for a family dance called Zodiac. I've checked the
>> books I
> have on
>> hand and have not found it. Does anyone know it, and can it be
>> shared?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Nancy Turner
>> Waitsfield VT
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 69, Issue 16
> ***************************************
So, i hope this is being sent to the appropriate network. I was asked recently to call a contra dance for a highschool class of about 30-40 students. I would like to reach out for advice on working with not only youth, but total groups of non-dancers. in my experience, youth picks up rather quickly, but the last time i worked with a summer camp i spent waaay to much time instructing, so i wanted to see if i could get some pointers. any dance selections that you folks have found particularly friendly? the dance will only be one hour and i was asked to do contra dances. i am, at this point, planning on circle dances or mixers and a whole set dance like VA Reel; though, i would like to do a contra. dog branch reel or a dance where there is little or no crossing the set and pleanty of forgiving moments should there be confusion (which obviously should be mediated in the walkthru/lesson). so, that is where i am. any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciate.
peace.
Noah Grunzweig
I called for 200 high school girls at a Catholic girls school once,
and I've frequently called for the Waldorf School in San Diego (50 or
more elementary school age kids). Definitely work up to a contra by
doing other things first and the Virginia Reel before it. For the
younger ones I do some play-party dances like Jump Jim Joe and Zodiac
as I work up to contras.
I have called one contra numerous times and had it work quite well:
Ellen's Green Jig (duple improper)
I don't have my cards with me as I'm on a business trip so I
apologize for forgetting the author at the moment, maybe someone else
can provide it)
A1 Do-si-do neighbor
1's do-si-so
A2 #1's balance and swing
B1 Circle left with couple below
Circle right back
B2 Duck for the oyster etc. (2's arch, 1's peek to start, reverse,
last time 1's go all the way through to face a new couple)
This can be altered to a shorter swing if desired (sometimes a long
swing is hard for new people):
A1 Do si do neighbor
Women do si do
A2 Men do si do
1's swing
(rest same)
The alteration is courtesy of Graham Hempel, a caller from San Diego.
One potential snag is to be sure to instruct people that they need to
be back in their original orientation for the dip and dive - I have
seen people do it perpendicular to the line of the dance.
This has the virtue that you are touching people a lot so as not to
get lost, and the progression is supremely obvious. In addition, it
is remarkably gender neutral - if people open up on the wrong "side"
after the swing, who cares, just do-si-so the next - at least for the
first version. For the second it is written gender wise, but you
could just say 1st corners do si do and 2nd corners do si do if you
give them an idea what that means. The first version worked pretty
well with 200 high school girls. I modified the swing a bit - had
them do a two hand turn instead.
Good luck.
Martha Wild
On May 21, 2010, at 1:19 PM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
> (Greg McKenzie)
> 2. Re: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
> (Lewis Land)
> 3. Re: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
> (JD Erskine)
> 4. Re: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
> (Barbara Groh)
> 5. Re: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
> (Jon Southard)
> 6. Re: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
> (Richard Hart)
> 7. Re: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
> (Delia Clark)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> ***************************************
I have a challenge coming up next month, and I'm hoping that some of the
folks out there who have experience both in the MWSD and contra worlds
may be able to help me out. The issue: What's the best way to introduce
contra to current MWSD folks.
I was invited to call contras for a local MWSD group whose caller is out
of town at the national convention. As things have turned out, the
group decided to combine with another local club (whose caller is not
going out of town) for the evening, so I'll be doing 90 minutes of
contras and then the regular caller will do the rest of the evening of
squares. I'll be working with recorded music, but much of it will be
recordings done at live dances, which hopefully will give some of the
feel. I'm also hoping to import some of our regular contra dancers both
So... Does anyone have thoughts on what I should/will need to emphasize
in teaching to get MWSD folks doing contras? From what I've been
reading/watching, most of the moves that we have in common take *about*
the same amount of time, but generally will be on the shorter side. I'm
hoping that I'll be able to get them feeling not just the beat but the
phrase of the music so that we don't have the move wait call move wait
call that I see in so many MWSD videos.
I also know that they're not going to be used to longer swings, so I'm
planning to talk about that, and the connection to partner and neighbor,
and the opportunity for flourishes that longer swings (and slightly more
time on the moves in general can allow).
Then we get into allemandes, waves and such, all of which they're used
to doing hands down, rather than hands up elbows down like you generally
do in a contra dance. When you get into things like balances, rory
o'mores and such, they're really going to need the weight that you can
get more easily with a hands up allemande/wave, but how likely am I to
be able to overcome training and muscle memory?
Do folks have suggestions for any other problem moves (in that they mean
one thing in MWSD and a completely -- or just enough to be troublesome
-- different thing in contra)? Any things that might work particularly
well? Anyone done this already and have war stories (or better still,
success stories)?
Thanks!
Jack Mitchell
Durham, NC
Jack & all,
Been there, done that! Here's what I learned.
Forget the stylistic stuff, start with the basics of how do contra lines
progress.
Contra dancers make loads of assumptions, MWSD do not make
assumptions. They want (need) to be told almost everything. Most
importantly, which way to face and where to stand. Be very specific, even
when you don't think you need to be. Watch carefully during the walk thru(s)
and you'll see the trouble spots.
To contra dancers, the term Partner always refers to the same person. Not
so with MWSD.
MWSD works with beats of music, not phrases. Tell them how many beats
to move and they will be fine.
I insisted on bringing musicians and alternated with the MWSD caller. He
used recorded music(?). It didn't take long before the musicians were
playing along and filling in the recordings.
I'd do it again but would definately ask for more money.
Have fun, John McIntire, Unity, ME
Hi
Does anyone recognise this one?
N balance, box the gnat
M allemande left 1.5
P balance, box the gnat
Hey (1/2, men start left)
P balnce & swing
Ladies chain
Star left
Michael Barraclough
www.michaelbarraclough.com
I hear the IRS is moving to strip nonprofit status from groups that haven't
filed returns for several years running, you might want to check it out just
to maintain the exemption for your dance group.
>From National Public Radio:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126745771
>From the IRS website:
http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=169250,00.html
I encourage you to pass this along to your groups' treasurers or other
officers to make sure your organization's status is maintained.
--Jerome
--
Jerome Grisanti
660-528-0858
http://www.jeromegrisanti.com
For the good are always the merry,
Save by an evil chance,
And the merry love the fiddle
And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats
Hi everyone,
I have a question about dance length - not the length of time you run a particular dance, but the length of an evening of dancing. In Chicago, we recently went from a three-hour Monday night dance to a two-and-a-half hour Monday night dance. Some dancers like ending earlier, some really hate it and others don't seem to care.
>From a caller's perspective, will you generally keep calling contras when there are three or four couples left? I know one can always call squares or triplets, or ask the band to play waltzes, but I'm specifically curious about contras. Do people think there's a minimum number of dancers necessary for a contra line? I've danced in four-couple contra lines, and I don't think it's a whole lot of fun. And I've been the caller at 10:45 p.m. trying to call a square dance, which I'm not good at yet, and I don't think that's a lot of fun either.
Thanks for any input you all have....
Meg
Hi there,
> Who wants to take bets that the answers to this poll shake out thusly:
>
> 1. one walk-through - East and West coast
> 2. two walk-throughs - all others
>
I must contradict this conclusion. Maine is definitely the East Coast. Dancers here don't generally seem to care if there are two walkthroughs or one. (At least most dancers, at most of the regular dance series.)
That said, whether the majority actively cares or not, I take Dan's points to be a reminder to aim for calling excellence in general, and in this case, to look at why one is doing two walkthroughs. If it mostly comes down to a failure on my part, I'd hope to make improvements in my calling practice such that I could do one walkthrough in the future (for a similar dance, with similar dancers, at a similar event.) While there are some regular contra series where I might do two walkthroughs every time anyhow (and start the dance with Galopede) it would be nice to have that necessitated by the situation and not weaknesses in my calling practice.
Of course, we callers are human (!) and for me, if I'm juggling too many things during the night (a band with wildly inconsistent tempos, an inexperienced sound person, a hall packed with hopping and loudly chatty dancers, sleep deprivation, program plan that's completely inappropriate, etc.), it's a blessed thing to be able to rely on two walkthroughs to get us all through to 11pm. And if everyone else (band, dancers, sound person) is smiling after a night of two walkthroughs, well, it can't be all that important in the scheme of things. Seems like they are all happier w an imperfect caller than w no caller at all.
Chrissy Fowler
Belfast, ME
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