Contra Callers

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24 participants
4363 discussions

by John Tuck

I have been trying to work out how Orace Johnson's becket contra works. I have the dance from the year 2000 syllabus of the New England Dance Legacy Weekend, in other years also called the Ralph Page Legacy Weekend. *Du Quoin Races *by Orace Johnson (1991) As called by: Laura Johannes Formation: Contra, Becket formation Reels: *Gravel Walk/Molly Rankin's/Sarah's New Tune *(Sarah Hydorn) A1- Balance ring, pass through to an ocean wave And balance again, allemande right 3/4 to form long waves (men facing out, women in) A2- Balance, women cross set to where partner is standing as men turn into the place of the woman on their right. Form new long waves with the women facing out and the men in. Balance, “rotate” again (men walking across set, women looping around to the right) B1- Swing partner on the side (the same side you started on) Circle left halfway, roll away with a half sashay to trade places with neighbors (across set) B2- Circle left halfway, roll away with a half sashay to trade places with partners (along set) Circle left halfway, and shift left along the set to face new neighbors To “pass through to an ocean wave," begin to pass through across the set. Ladies catch each other's left hand and turn just 1/4 as the gents cross all the way, turn right, and take partners’ right hands to form wavy lines-of-4 across.** I don't seem to get far as after A1 I have partners beside each other in the long wavy lines. In A2 the ladies should cross to their partners place. I'm sure David Smukler hasn't made a mistake in his record of the dance, but I cant find my mistake. Can anyone help me? John Tuck

15 years, 2 months

FW: first contradance camp in the 20+ years of Burning Man

by Chrissy Fowler

Hi SW organizers & callers, This came to our Belfast Flying Shoes email address. I've heard about Burning Man, and imagine this would be a wild undertaking. Thought I'd spread the word, to cast the net wide for Mr Stowe. Cheers, Chrissy Fowler PS The Yahoo group seems to lay the vision all out (having given it a fast skim...). ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Mark Stowe <mkstowegnv(a)gmail.com> Date: Thu, Feb 25, 2010 at 10:54 AM Subject: first contradance camp in the 20+ years of Burning Man To: belfastflyingshoes(a)gmail.com Dear local dance/music contact person, I am contacting a very large number of dance and music groups in the hopes of finding the rare souls who can make a contradance camp happen at Burning Man. I would be enormously grateful if you would post the email below to your local email list/ Facebook page, and write back to me to confirm that you have posted it. (I am trying to avoid subscribing to countless lists.) Please feel free to modify it or offer me your advice. Thanks so much, and thanks for all your volunteer work. Hi, I am organizing what will apparently be the first contradance camp in the 20+ years of Burning Man (a week of extreme art in an extreme environment - http://burningman.com). Even though there are a large number of 'burners' who are contradancers, we need to get this message out to as many people as possible in particular to be able to line up callers and musicians. In the discussion group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/burningmancontradance/ I lay out the logistical challenges and a preliminary plan for funding and otherwise making such a camp a reality (it will be easiest if you choose 'view all' and click the arrow that will reverse the default reverse chronological order). I would be very grateful if you could pass this email on to anyone you know who might be interested. I am sending this out to as many contradance discussion groups as I can, but I won't get 'all of them' without help. Please post to the groups you know and send me a note telling me what group(s) you have posted to. Thanks and best wishes, Mark Stowe mkstowegnv(a)gmail.com _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469227/direct/01/

15 years, 2 months

Re: [Callers] Valentine's theme dance - followup/aftermath

by David.Millstone＠valley.net

--- Greg wrote: That is the technique used by the musicians who insert parts of recognizable songs or tunes into their medleys. --- end of quote --- A wonderful example of this came at Winter Dance Week at Brasstown two months ago. Daron Douglas and Karen Axelrod were the musicians for two different workshops each day in English country dance. Beforehand, they had jotted down the basic chord structure of dozens of Christmas carols, and while I was teaching a particular dance, they'd confer with each other about what might fit. Not always, but frequently enough that we started looking for them, in the middle of a classic ECD tune there'd be brief quote from one or another carol, often going by so quickly that we were sometimes left wondering, "Did I hear what I just thought I heard?" It was delightful fun and masterfully executed. Another way to approach themes is to pick a different sort of organizing principle. Knowing that I'll be calling Money Musk (a triple minor contra) at my home dance next month-- International Money Musk Month, you know!-- and recognizing that March is the third month, we'll be doing a "Three" program: triple minor contras, of course, triplets, triple progression contras, dances with three swings in each round, three-facing three dances, squares with three dancers on each side, dances in triangle formation, dances that require three-part tunes, and so on. Yes, we will probably do "Three Thirty-Three" but the broad THREE concept gives me much more flexibility than simply sticking to tune names as the organizing principle. David Millstone Lebanon, NH

15 years, 2 months

Re: [Callers] Valentine's theme dance - followup/aftermath

by Ruth Pershing

Once quite a while back in order to create a Valentine's theme for the evening, I put together a program as I usually would, looking for good pacing, balance of figures and interaction, appropriate to the expected crowd, etc. Then, I wrote a series of light-hearted verses like limericks, roses are red..., and little couplets that I read as folks got ready for each dance. That way, I could call just what seemed right, and create a festive atmosphere at the same time. Now, if I could just find those verses...;-) ~Ruth On Feb 16, 2010, at 12:00 PM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote: > > > From: "Barbara Groh" <barbaragroh(a)bellsouth.net> > Date: February 15, 2010 12:06:12 PM EST > To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: Re: [Callers] Valentine's theme dance - followup/aftermath > Reply-To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > > > I agree, Greg....a theme should never carry more importance than the > actual programming. However, if a caller has a large enough > collection of dances to choose from, and enough experience to know > what will work and what won't, then a theme can add a little fun to > the evening. In other words, having a theme is not NECESSARILY a > recipe for disaster. But it certainly requires extra care to avoid > getting in over one's head. > ~Barbara > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Greg McKenzie" <gregmck(a)earthlink.net > > > To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>; <callers(a)sharedweight.net > > > Sent: Monday, February 15, 2010 11:25 AM > Subject: Re: [Callers] Valentine's theme dance - followup/aftermath > > >> >> At 05:20 AM 2/15/2010, Andy Shore wrote: >>> The program was a bit overly-ambitious for the crowd we got, but it >>> was fun and we made it through. There were more "new to me" (marked >>> with the + above) dances than I like to present in an evening, >>> mostly because I was determined to stick with the theme. In >>> retrospect that wasn't the best idea. >> >> Thank you Andy for this cogent and self-critical analysis. We need >> more of that. It is clear that you are learning from your >> experience. >> >> I admit that I view dance program "themes" with considerable >> dread...as soon as I become aware that the caller is embarking upon >> one. As your analysis reflects, the selection of dances for a >> "theme" evening often veers far from the course of what program would >> "work" best for the crowd, the hall, and the music...all for the sake >> of keeping the names of the dances in character with some >> "theme." This idea is a recipe for a difficult evening of >> over-teaching and long walk-throughs and "theme evenings" should be a >> signal of danger to all in the hall. >> >> I wish callers would consider any "theme" to be the developing >> story-line of all of the dances considered from the perspective of a >> mixed crowd of dancers looking for an enjoyable social evening. This >> is how any good evening of contra dance should be programmed and the >> name of the dance is seldom a useful indicator of where the dance >> would best be positioned in the evening's program, or if it should be >> included at all. >> >> Just a thought. >> _______________________________________________ >> Callers mailing list >> Callers(a)sharedweight.net >> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

15 years, 2 months

Has this dance been already written?

by Thomas J Senior

Hello folks, Last summer i was thinking how nice it is to use a roll away to start another move, and wrote this dance. (On July 13th, strangely enough.) Do any of you know if someone else has used the same sequence? July 13th Tom Senior Duple Improper A1 circle Left once; roll away your N, (women in front of gent), gents pull by by left to face partner. (women, if so inclined, can cast Right into the gypsy) A2 Gypsy swing partner. (or whatever move you like) End facing across. B1 Forward into a Give and Take, Men pulling Neighbor back. Swing N, end facing across to take hands in a ring. B2 Balance ring, twirl right one place, Balance ring, twirl right one place to face the next couple (to circle as the dance begins again.) Thanks for your advice, -- Tom Senior Dance while you can.

15 years, 2 months

The definitive Du Quoin?

by Amy Cann

I have obviously erred considerably in not noticing/learning/calling the D.Q.R these last few years. I would like to mend my ways. Trying to extract the definitive/correct/complete version from the preceeding streeeeeam of descriptions/discussions is making my eyes roll back in my head. Could somebody perhaps post a nice, clean annotated play-by-play? David M.? Please with sugar on top? cheers, Amy

15 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] Du Quoin Races

by David.Millstone＠valley.net

The dance is Becket formation and couples progress in the more common direction, i.e., clockwise. DuQuoin Races is a superb piece of choreography, I think, but it's not a simple dance, either for the folks on the floor or for the caller at the mic. It has many pieces that are unfamiliar for dancers and it's easy for people to get lost (e.g., in crossing from one wave to the other side to form a new wave.) The partner swing on the side at the start of B1 helps lost folks get reoriented again. On the other hand, it's only an 8 count swing, so the caller needs to be alert to prompt that first circle. Dancers need to be encouraged for the circles to make 'em large, not to rush. The tendency is to circle too far, too fast, too small, and then dancers are too far around the circle for the rollaways, all of which leads to them ultimately progressing on the wrong side or arriving several beats too early for the start of the next round of the dance. Called well and danced well, it's one of my favorites. David Millstone Lebanon, NH

15 years, 3 months

Valentine's theme dance - followup/aftermath

by Andy Shore

Thanks for all the terrific suggestions of dances and ideas for the Valentine's dance. This list is a great resource! So I thought I'd follow up with what actually transpired. Here's the program I wound up with: Bob's Valentine - Chris Ricciotti Gypsy 'Round Two - Tom Hinds + Young at Heart - Steve Zakon-Anderson + Pam's Clock-wise Valentine (2.5) - Seth Tepfer + Love & Twirls - James Hutson + Spring Dance Romance - Dean Snipes Love Sting - Rick Mohr + Heart of Glass - Cary Ravitz Lover's Leap - Peter Stix + Two Hearts in Reel Time - Lisa Greenleaf + Always My Love - Dean Snipes + I had several extra/alternative dances in reserve as well. The program was a bit overly-ambitious for the crowd we got, but it was fun and we made it through. There were more "new to me" (marked with the + above) dances than I like to present in an evening, mostly because I was determined to stick with the theme. In retrospect that wasn't the best idea. Given the dances I chose, I'm not so sure I presented them in the best order. Again - this was in part due to the high number of "new" dances. I've been using Will Loving's excellent CCDB for a few weeks and the "Program Matrix" and "Phrase Matrix" features of it really helped, however. A few of the new ones will definitely be "keepers" for me. Others, maybe not so much. The toughest ones for the crowd were Spring Dance Romance and Lover's Leap. Finding who's across from you after the diagonal moves proved to be troublesome. I'll need to work on that. /Andy Shore http://andyshore.com/ andyshore(a)gmail.com

15 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] Has this dance already been written?

by Charles Harvey

Tom, This looks like a neat dance. I would like to dance it and call it sometime soon. (heck, I would like to dance sometime soon...) I suspect that the Gents are going to arrive early for the Partner Gypsy and Swing in A2. This may call for a Gents Allemande Left 1-1/2 at the bottom of A1. Keeping the Gypsy in A2 will be more forgiving than a Balance should the Gents be a bit late from the Allemande. Just my two cents worth. Charley Harvey Sometimes when I am alone I Google myself... ________________________________ From: "callers-request(a)sharedweight.net" <callers-request(a)sharedweight.net> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net Sent: Sat, February 13, 2010 12:00:27 PM Subject: Callers Digest, Vol 66, Issue 14 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. Has this dance been already written? (Thomas J Senior) 2. Re: Has this dance been already written? (Jeff Kaufman) 3. Re: Has this dance been already written? (Barbara Groh) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:47:38 -0600 From: Thomas J Senior <thomasjsenior(a)gmail.com> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net> Subject: [Callers] Has this dance been already written? Message-ID: <2ac66071002120947x2ebb30a0l3a646a4d378e0810(a)mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hello folks, Last summer i was thinking how nice it is to use a roll away to start another move, and wrote this dance. (On July 13th, strangely enough.) Do any of you know if someone else has used the same sequence? July 13th Tom Senior Duple Improper A1 circle Left once; roll away your N, (women in front of gent), gents pull by by left to face partner. (women, if so inclined, can cast Right into the gypsy) A2 Gypsy swing partner. (or whatever move you like) End facing across. B1 Forward into a Give and Take, Men pulling Neighbor back. Swing N, end facing across to take hands in a ring. B2 Balance ring, twirl right one place, Balance ring, twirl right one place to face the next couple (to circle as the dance begins again.) Thanks for your advice, -- Tom Senior Dance while you can. ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:00:01 -0500 From: Jeff Kaufman <jeff(a)alum.swarthmore.edu> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net> Subject: Re: [Callers] Has this dance been already written? Message-ID: <20100212180001.GA18565(a)melfpelt.swarpa.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Thomas J Senior wrote: > > July 13th Tom Senior Duple Improper > > A1 circle Left once; > roll away your N, (women in front of gent), > gents pull by by left to face partner. (women, if so inclined, > can cast Right into the gypsy) > A2 Gypsy swing partner. (or whatever move you like) End facing across. > B1 Forward into a Give and Take, Men pulling Neighbor back. > Swing N, end facing across to take hands in a ring. > B2 Balance ring, twirl right one place, > Balance ring, twirl right one place to face the next couple > (to circle as the dance begins again.) > The B2 petronella into the A1 circle left seems like it might feel a little weird. Jeff

15 years, 3 months

Best number of dancers for this set dance needed

by Rickey

Hi All, I have a set dance that currently is simply named "Shetland Set" in my collection. I am trying to figure out the best number of dancers for it. If you also have a name for it - fantastic, but the best number of dancers is my most pressing problem. The dance is below. Thanks, Rickey Holt, Fremont, NH SHETLAND SET Probably proper A1 Top couple arch down over the gent's line (lady in the center) / and up over the lady's line (gent in the center), back to place A2 Same top couple sashay to the bottom / and reel back up B1, 2 "Shuttle" to the bottom: one-half pousette (first man push to start), the top couple exchanging places with each subsequent couple, all couples except top couple can move together in the same direction as the top couple weaves to the bottom. My notes do not indicate this but I believe that it is common for each couple to swing their partner after the top couple passes them. If so end that swing proper. Seems to me that the reel would take more than part of the A2, and the "Shuttle" less than B1 and B2 combined. Do you recognize this dance?

15 years, 3 months

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Contra Callers