Contra Callers

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

45 participants
4388 discussions

by Chris Weiler (home)

Just a quick reminder to all about how the digest mode works. Mailman will collect the e-mails into a queue and then send the contents of that queue to the digest subscribers under two conditions: 1. a day has gone by, or 2. 30kb of data has collected. (about 5-7 messages on average) Sometimes, when traffic is heavy, there can be more than one digest e-mail sent per day. This keeps the digest e-mails from getting too long and harder to read. All the traffic on the list should be contained in your digest e-mails, the first e-mail of the thread and the replies. Let Seth and I know if you discover differently. An e-mail to callers-owner(a)sharedweight.net will reach both of us. On a side note, moderating this list is extremely easy for me. I do not review messages before they are posted unless there is something unusual about how it was sent (from a non-subscribed address, via BCC, etc.) and most of those are from spam engines. The very few times that I had to ask someone to change what or how they posted to the list, they have been responsive and respectful for the most part. Thank you all for your respectful discussion. You set the tone of this list and make it a great resource. Best regards, Chris Weiler Goffstown, NH

15 years, 6 months

? for chris or seth

by Tom Hinds

Earlier (a year or two ago) I e-mailed sharedweight a question or comment about squares. It never got sent around. At the time, I figured someone was filtering the various e-mails and wanted to make sure the discussion was geared only towards contra. Fine. Now I see that others can send questions etc. about squares. Am I being treated any differently than other people who are signed up for sharedweight? When I recieve an e-mail from sharedweight, the question and the answers are in the same e-mail!!! It must be that the others get to see the question and then answer it before I get to see the question. Am I left out of the loop -like you're afraid that I'm always going to jump in with my 2 cents (maybe because I'm an experienced caller). If this is the case, I just want you to know that I rarely want to respond to the questions and requests. I also realize that it's very important for the new callers to voice their opinion and have a discussion. Am I being treated differently from the others? Tom On Jan 20, 2010, at 12:00 PM, 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. Re: squares for house parties of mostly contra dancers? > (gtwood(a)worldpath.net) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:05:26 -0500 > From: <gtwood(a)worldpath.net> > To: callers(a)sharedweight.net > Subject: Re: [Callers] squares for house parties of mostly contra > dancers? > Message-ID: <RZ88iPEv.1263935126.1308590.gtwood(a)worldpath.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > > All this talk of Squares, and with Ralph Page weekend and all > reminded me that I found this on the web: > for all you Rabbit fans: > (we should always listen to the caller!) > the scene: 2 mountain gents trying to get the best of Bugs > of course Bugs turns the tables..... > > Bugs Bunnys Square > > Promenade across the floor. Sashay right on out the door. > Out the door and into the glade and everybody promenade. > Step right up you're doing fine. > I'll pull your beard you'll pull mine. > Yank it again like you did before. > Break it up with a tug of war. > Now into the brook and fish for the trout. > Dive right in and splash about. Trout! Trout! Pretty little trout! > One more splash and come right out. > Shake like a hound-dog. Shake again. > Wallow around in the old pig pen. > Wallow some more. Y'all know how. > Roll around like an old fat sow. > Allemande left with your right hand. > Follow through with a great left band. (?) > Now lead your partner the dirty old thing. > Follow through with an elbow swing. > Grab a fence post. Hold it tight. > Womp your partner with all your might. > Hit him in the shin. Hit him in the head. > Hit him again. The critter ain't dead. > Womp him low and womp him high. > Stick your finger in his eye. > Pretty little ring. Pretty little sound. Bang your heads against the > ground. > Promenade all around the room. Promenade like a bride and groom. > Open up the door and step right in. > Close the door and into a spin. Whirl! Whirl! Twist and twirl! > Jump all around like a flying squirrel. > Now don't you fuss and don't you swear. > Just come right out and form a square. > Now right hand over and left hand under. > Both join hands and run like thunder. > Over the hill and over the dale. > Duck your head and lift your tail. > Don't you stray and don't you roam. > Turn to your partner. Promenade home. > Corn in the cornfield. Wheat in the sack. Turn to your partner. > Promenade > back. > And now you're home. Bow to your partner. > Bow to the gent across the hall. And that is all! > > On 1/19/2010, "Jeff Kaufman" <jeff(a)alum.swarthmore.edu> wrote: > >> >> We ended up doing melanie's triplet (twice) and ladies star. There >> turned out to be several non-dancer people so I gave up on the >> "no-walkthrough" goal. The dances went pretty well; thanks! >> >> Jeff >> >> >> >> >> > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers(a)sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > > End of Callers Digest, Vol 65, Issue 14 > ***************************************

15 years, 7 months

Name of a dance

by Richard Green

Hi Folks, Can anyone name this dance? It seems like a pretty nice early dance. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TnURscEvpc&feature=PlayList&p=992537F69CC7EC EC&index=112 Duple Improper A1 Neighbor Dosido Neighbor Swing A2 Gents Allemande L 1.5 Partner Swing B1 Long Lines Forward & Back R & L across B2 Ladies Chain Across LH Star Richard Green, Wayne, ME

15 years, 7 months

Dances for special needs folks

by Martha Wild

I have had just a little experience with this. This may seem obvious but: Always have the special needs person dance their gender. I have had well-meaning partners put a woman with special needs (Down's) in the man's role, and it makes it much harder for others to help them if they get disoriented because the helpful person' s first thought is to assume the special needs person is dancing their own gender. Dances like the Virginia Reel (no gender critical) worked well with a group of predominantly Down's Syndrome kids that I called for once. Yes, it helps if the dance has a lot of connectedness and not walking around by oneself. Even a do-si-do can be disorienting for a special needs person, as opposed to an allemande. I have had a couple of people that I am aware of who had borderline autism come to the regular dances. They really enjoyed it and came back many times. I think the good thing about the contra situation for people with this condition is that the social interaction is prescribed - they know exactly what to do with the people they meet, star, do-si-do, swing, etc., there is structure, there is pattern. Often open-ended social interactions are particularly difficult for people with autism, and the social interaction during dancing in contra is defined for them. Of course, it could be more difficult for those with more severe disease. Be flexible, and have a good time! Martha

15 years, 7 months

Dances for special needs folks at a public dance

by Rickey

Hi, I am preparing for a public dance series where special needs folks, folks with some learning disabilities, have been present in the past. I have my share of easy dances but I am wondering if any of you have experience with the special needs of special needs dancers. One of these dancers has been described to me as on the autistic spectrum. Do you have experience teaching such dancers? Were there approaches that worked well, or otherwise good teaching that in this situation did not work well? Are there dances you would suggest? Have you found that dances that keep dancers physically connected are any better than those that do so less? Your help in giving as many dancers a good time as possible will be appreciated by all. Thanks, Rickey Holt P.S. The rest of the dancers at this series are already used to easy dances.

15 years, 7 months

Squares - Boston area - tonight - caller(s) needed

by Beth Parkes

Hi! Do you call squares? Are you available tonight (Friday, January 22)? Would you like to come call a square or two or.... Tony's Rip-Snortin' Squares series is tonight and he has laryngitis. I thought it would be cool if we could find several callers to call in his place. If you are available and interested let me know, or just show up: Rip-Snortin' Squares Calling by Tony Parkes//// ////// available callers Music by Amy Cann & friends 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm Payson Park Church 365 Belmont St Belmont, MA 02478 Questions: 978-667-7459 Beth Parkes

15 years, 7 months

Re: [Callers] Squares - Boston area - tonight - caller(s) needed

by David.Millstone＠VALLEY.NET

Sorry, Beth and Tony... already booked for tonight. Good luck! David

15 years, 7 months

squares for house parties of mostly contra dancers?

by Jeff Kaufman

I'm looking for some squares to learn to do at house parties. The dancers would probably be contra dancers who haven't done many squares, but squares work a lot better in kitchens. Easy stuff that wouldn't need to be walked would be best. Looking online (probably not in the right places) I'm mostly finding pretty complicated squares or ones with lots of easy-for-square-dancer stuff like "separate, go around two". Any suggestions? Jeff

15 years, 7 months

Re: [Callers] Grand Square

by David.Millstone＠VALLEY.NET

Jack asked for additional variations on a grand square: 1) Do two changes of a grand square and then swing the one you're with (orig. opposite; heads will now be at sides); repeat to get reunited with partner in opposite position 2) Diagonal: head gents take corner to center and back, other corners turn to face each other: from this position, grand square on diagonal. The head gents and their corners will start by moving forward, the others, who are facing each other and relatively close, will start by backing away. Repeat for side gents and their partner. David Millstone Lebanon, NH

15 years, 7 months

Re: [Callers] squares for contra dancers, singing?

by David.Millstone＠valley.net

--- Tina wrote: I've been wanting to add singing squares to my contradance eve repertoire, but keep finding either ones too difficult for contradancers to easily enjoy... --- end of quote --- Bob Dalsemer's two albums of recordings {Smoke On the Water and When The Work's All Done) are full of great material. They're now available from Hanhurst's Tape and Record Service: http://www.dosado.com/cgi-bin/lib/shop-wrapper.pl?page=smoke&shop=dosado and there's also Ralph Sweet's wonderful CD, "Shindig in the Barn," which contains a dozen of the squares that he's helped make popular throughout the northeast. Available from him or from CDSS. David Millstone Lebanon, NH

15 years, 7 months

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Contra Callers