That would be an interesting discussion topic. Has anyone encountered a mad robin that is reversed?
I can't recall one. I know sometimes it's the gents passing in front and sometimes it's the ladies, but that just depends on where you start from. I think a mad robin always follows the dosido path, just depends on if you start from the gent below, or gent above.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jack Mitchell" <jamitch3(a)mindspring.com>
To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Sent: Friday, March 26, 2010 7:34:32 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: Re: [Callers] Teaching Mad Robin
If you teach it that way, make sure that it is actually the path of a Do
Si Do and not a See Saw....
Hi all,
I am looking for suggestions on how best to teach a "Mad Robin" to contra
dancers who have not encountered it before. It is in "Joyride" after a
Gypsy and I have tried suggesting that they just let their feet take them
around on the same path as the Gypsy did while turning to face their
partner, and I have tried describing how the women start going up and inside
and the men down and outside - but there is still a bit too much confusion
out there. I am planning on doing this in a venue where it may not be
feasible to do a demo. Any additional ideas?
Rickey
Callers' Workshop -- Beyond the basics
An intensive three-day workshop with Lisa Greenleaf
May 21-23 near Durham, NC
In this three day workshop, intermediate callers will have a chance to
further develop as a caller and dance leader. The workshop will include
discussion of such things as the language of teaching, time to practice
calling with feedback from Lisa and the other workshop participants, and
an evening dance on Saturday night with participants doing the calling.
This weekend will also be an opportunity for callers who are just
getting established to network with other callers and establish ties in
the community.
I've attached the flyer and registration information. Please pass this
on to others who you think might be interested. This is being sent out
to a number of mailing lists, so I apologize to folks who receive it
multiple times.
If you don't have it, get it.
Chris Weiler
Goffstown, NH
-------- Original Message --------
Hello Callers,
So in late breaking news, CDSS now has callers insurance again! it is a policy with Philadelphia, similar to what we had in past years. There was a slight increase in price this year, it will be $55 per year The year for this policy begins on April1 this year, so there will be no lapse in coverage!
Information and applications can be found at http://www.cdss.org/caller-insurance.html
Thanks,
Jeff Martell
This dance looks like a lot of fun, and I'm going to try it.
At first glance (without working it through via Smurf toys), it looks to me like the first turn of the wave makes folks face the "wrong way" up or down the set, with the Ladies Al-L 1/2 in the A2 turning them back in the direction of progression again. Is this right?
If so, I think it would be useful to say that sort of thing when teaching. Do you agree?
Also, what other teaching tidbits have you found helpful? I'm really into working out the short-and-excellent walkthrough these days.
Tina
Hi Jack,
This is Wave Action #1, by Mike Richardson of Seattle, with two minor edits:
Becket
A1
Long lines
pass to a wave, balance
A2
Ladies allemande L 1/2 to a wave, balance
walk forward to new wave, balance
B1
Neighbor allemande R 3/4
Hey 3/4, Ladies pass left shoulder
B2
Partner swing
- Adina
---------
Adina Gordon
828.230.9266
http://www.adinagordon.com/
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:58:12 -0400
From: Jack Mitchell <jamitch3(a)mindspring.com>
To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] Mystery Dance
Anyone recognize this dance?
*Title Unknown* -- Author Unknown *Becket*
*A1* LL F&B
Pass the ocean
pass thru, ladies catch LH, gents go all the way to the other side and
take RH with partner
*A2* Ladies Alle L .5, Wave Balance
Walk Forward to a new wave Wave Balance
*B1* N Alle R 1x
.75 of a Hey ladies pass R Sh (ladies go over and back, gents just go over)
End up on home side of the set
*B2* P Sw
Here is a minor episode for the "gigs from hell "annals. Imagine someone asks you to dinner. They ask you to bring the food. However, they won’t tell you where they live or what time dinner starts or what sort of food the guests might enjoy. When you try to contact them, they are out of town.
I was invited to call in a neighboring state with a fine band from my state. The drive would take the better part of a day and we knew that we wouldn’t come anywhere near making gas money. However, many callers and bands are willing to do ‘charity’ work for new contra communities. Generally when callers/musicians travel, they like to maximize what they offer and will do afternoon music/dance workshops, often for free. When we were first booked, we offered a variety of free workshops. After a month of receiving no response, we brought this offer up again with the caller/organizer who invited us. After three more months, another prompting email query brought a response that the caller/organizer basically didn’t have time to bother.
Twenty four hours before the dance, we had still not been informed of where the dance was or what time it started. The last email (2 months previous) from the "host" said they were looking for a new hall. Lack of information on where we might stay and the fact there was a potluck before the dance had us spending money on a pricey meal and motel in the tourist town. The caller/organizer would not be around due to another gig.
An enterprising band member finally called a local musician and got a rough idea of where the dance was to be held. What fun….5 generous and experienced folks, willing to lose money, driving a 2 day round trip to help a new caller/series. Nothing about the word "host" applies in this case.
So, in order to turn a rant into something constructive, I have composed a bare bones "invitee" form to be sent to guest bands/callers shortly after the invitation is accepted so that new callers/organizers who care about their dance communities might meet the basic requirements of a host:
Dear _________(caller,band)
Thank you for agreeing to be part of our contra experience.
Our dance starts at __, with the pre-teaching starting at ____.
The hall is located at___(map link) and will be open by_____.
Your sound person will be_____.
Usually we have about _____(number of dancers), with about ___% being experienced; of course we may have an influx of newcomers.
Our dancers are generally (comfortable/not comfortable) with a hey/contra corners in the first half.
Generally, we dance until____PM, then have a break and resume dancing until____PM.
Our dancers enjoy a (waltz, polka, hambo, swing) (before, after) break and at the end of the dance.
We have arranged for you to stay with ______. Their phone/email/address is_______
Or
Below is the contact information for reasonably priced motels near the dance hall
We will be able to pay you_$_______.
For more information about dance logistics, you may contact me (or ___) at _____.
Please let us know in advance what you will need in terms of microphones, etc.
Thank you for bringing your expertise to our dancers.
For additional goodwill, we suggest that the "host" get the following things right in communication/publicity: Spelling of the caller’s name and the band’s name, where they are from, the date for the gig (these things slipped by in our case). A thank you email would be frosting on the cake.
Hope this helps!
Hi Rickey,
I've never called Fan in the Doorway, but I do have Dizzy Dances, volume
III, in which it appears. I'll attempt to reproduce it here:
Fan in the Doorway Contra Duple Improper
Music: Three Part Slip Jig
A1 Hey for four start by passing right shoulders with neighbor (12).
Just do three quarters of a hey.
A2 Swing your partner on the gent's original side of the set (12).
B1 Gents step into the center of the set and start a hey for four by
passing left shoulders. Once again, just do three quarters of a
hey.
B2 Swing your neighbor (12).
C1 Down the center four in line, turn alone, return and fold the line.
C2 Circle left, go all the way around (9). Pass through along the set
to
meet a new neighbor (3).
Once the dance gets started, it will be very natural to pass through up and
down the set, meet a new neighbor and curve around to form a line of four
across the set to start the hey. When teaching the hey in A1, I ask dancers
to form a line of four across the set with the women back to back in the
center with everyone facing their neighbor.
The idea for this dance came from knowing that there were English country
dances done to slip jigs and from a contemporary Irish slip jig entitled
"The Butterfly" (which, by the way, is not quite suitable for this dance).
(There is more about the idea and the writing of the dance...)
I hope this helps.
Cis Hinkle
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:40:46 -0400
From: "Rickey" <holt.e(a)comcast.net>
To: <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] Teaching Fan in the Doorway
Message-ID: <8E0DE1D3F569415CB02D95737A5D4012@maxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hi all,
I recently danced Fan in the Doorway by Gene Hubert, called and taught by
Lisa Greenleaf at this year?s Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend. I have been
asked to see if I can teach and call it at a local dance and I would love to
try, but the notes I have are not enough. If you have taught this dance I
would love your suggestions. We would dance it to ?The Butterfly? a three
part slip-jig. Here is what I have:
A1 Hey ? starting with your neighbor by the right shoulder, men go over and
back. ? I assume that you start the dance with the twos between the ones
facing their neighbors of the opposite gender. Is this correct? How do the
men get over and back in 12 counts, while the women only end up going over
to the other side. I have seen such things elsewhere but the set up was
different.
A2 Swing partner
B1 Again Hey ?, this time the men start the hey and by the left shoulder.
Same question, how do the men get over and back. This time you end up with
your neighbor. Since at the start of the hey your neighbor is where your
partner was in A1, the answer to how this works in A2 must be the same as it
is for A1
B2 Swing neighbor
C1 Down the hall for 3 counts, turn alone for 3 counts, back up the hall for
3 counts, fold into a circle for 3 counts.
C2 Circle left once for 8 counts and pass through to new neighbors for 4
counts. I assume that turning alone in a down-the-hall four-in-line that
was formed from a neighbor swing sets it up so that your partner is again on
the other side of the set from you. Is that correct? Is there difficulty
getting from the pass through, which is an up and down move, to the hey
which is an across the set move? Do you have hints for the dancers to help
with this transition?
Anyone with experience of this dance who can help me to understand it and
perhaps also can help me teach it would be a true dance angel. I do not have
access to dancers who I can work this out with in time. The gig is this
Friday.
Rickey Holt,
Fremont, NH
------------------------------
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End of Callers Digest, Vol 67, Issue 8
**************************************
Hi all,
I recently danced Fan in the Doorway by Gene Hubert, called and taught by
Lisa Greenleaf at this years Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend. I have been
asked to see if I can teach and call it at a local dance and I would love to
try, but the notes I have are not enough. If you have taught this dance I
would love your suggestions. We would dance it to The Butterfly a three
part slip-jig. Here is what I have:
A1 Hey ¾ starting with your neighbor by the right shoulder, men go over and
back. I assume that you start the dance with the twos between the ones
facing their neighbors of the opposite gender. Is this correct? How do the
men get over and back in 12 counts, while the women only end up going over
to the other side. I have seen such things elsewhere but the set up was
different.
A2 Swing partner
B1 Again Hey ¾, this time the men start the hey and by the left shoulder.
Same question, how do the men get over and back. This time you end up with
your neighbor. Since at the start of the hey your neighbor is where your
partner was in A1, the answer to how this works in A2 must be the same as it
is for A1
B2 Swing neighbor
C1 Down the hall for 3 counts, turn alone for 3 counts, back up the hall for
3 counts, fold into a circle for 3 counts.
C2 Circle left once for 8 counts and pass through to new neighbors for 4
counts. I assume that turning alone in a down-the-hall four-in-line that
was formed from a neighbor swing sets it up so that your partner is again on
the other side of the set from you. Is that correct? Is there difficulty
getting from the pass through, which is an up and down move, to the hey
which is an across the set move? Do you have hints for the dancers to help
with this transition?
Anyone with experience of this dance who can help me to understand it and
perhaps also can help me teach it would be a true dance angel. I do not have
access to dancers who I can work this out with in time. The gig is this
Friday.
Rickey Holt,
Fremont, NH
