Contra Callers

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31 participants
4403 discussions

May Heydays Festival, 29 April ? 2 May 2022

by Colin Hume

Weekend tickets for May Heydays Festival (formerly Eastbourne International Folk Festival) are now on sale. Top bands and callers bring you a 3-day programme of English, American and International workshops and dances. Read all about the performers, the programme and the excellent new venue at http://mayheydays.org.uk/ Colin Hume Email colin(a)colinhume.com Web site http://colinhume.com

3 years, 8 months

teaching Naked in California

by Ted Sims

Hi everyoneThis is kind of a newbie question. I've never called Naked In California [Nils Fredland] before and I'm thinking about how to teach it. I think I've mostly figured it out, but I welcome your comments on my thoughts below:(1) I would like for everyone to identify their shadows straight away. I think the best way is to have everyone take hands in long lines then "If you are on the end and your left hand is free, your shadow is the person in your right hand (introduce yourselves). Everyone else, your shadow is the person across and two to the left of you". Is there a better way? (2) After the partner allemande, if the dancers on the ends have no one in the right hand, it seems to me that they have to stay put (there is no wrap around etc.). Is that correct?(3) It looks like people out on the ends need to swap in the usual way.Thanks for any help you can provide.Ted

3 years, 10 months

Fwd: Re: Trying to put together a program from a limited repertoire

by Bree Kalb

Opps. I sent this only to Michael. Resending to the list. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Bree Kalb <breekalb(a)gmail.com> Date: Wed, Dec 1, 2021 at 9:23 AM Subject: Re: [Callers] Re: Trying to put together a program from a limited repertoire To: Michael Dyck <jmdyck(a)ibiblio.org> You probably don’t have permission to show the figures for Becky’s Brouhaha because the author is too busy having a stunning career. If folks reading this don’t know who Rhiannon Giddens is, I encourage you to check her out. She used to dance and call and play music in the Greensboro and Chapel Hill, NC area and got distracted from her training in Opera by the music we all love. She recently replaced YoYo Ma as the Artistic Director for Silk Road and was nominated (again) for two Grammys. On Wed, Dec 1, 2021 at 9:00 AM Michael Dyck via Contra Callers < contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > On 2021-11-30 9:46 p.m., Cheryl Joyal via Contra Callers wrote: > > Could you share the cards for > > > > Apples and chocolate > > That one's visible in The Caller's Box: > https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=10266 > > > Becky’s Brouhaha > > For that one, we don't have permission to show the figures: > https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=12095 > but we do have links to where it does appear, e.g. about 9 years ago on > this > mailing list: > > > https://lists.sharedweight.net/hyperkitty/list/contracallers@lists.sharedwe… > > -Michael > > _______________________________________________ > Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net > To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net >

3 years, 11 months

Trying to put together a program from a limited repertoire

by Ted Sims

Wow, I just got asked to call the first half (of a two hour) tonight, which means there is no one else to do it. I call occasionally on open calling nights and I think it will go ok, but no one would say I am a skilled caller, and I have a small repertoire I call from, which are: Becky's Brouhaha Apples and Chocolate The Nice Combination Becket in the Kitchen Roll in the Hey Butter Old Time Elixir#2 Flying Flamingos So, I'm humbly soliciting advice for putting together a first half out of the possibilities above, with many thanks. Also, there is a tune the band likes to play, a pretty smooth one by Tom Turino called "Nighthawk 750". I'm looking for a dance that works well with this one.

3 years, 11 months

New non-discriminatory Northern California contra dance forming

by Alison Murphy Maderas

Given that the vaccines do not stop the spread, only mute symptoms, and that natural immunity isn't always documented, we will be hosting live in person dances with a minimum of paperwork and a maximum of privacy in the coming year. We are also considering prohibiting masks, as a)no peer-reviewed studies published prior to 2020 show that they are effective in preventing the spread of respiratory diseases b)many published studies show they provide repositories for bacteria to breed, and increase reuptake of both bacteria and CO2 and c) dancing with someone who covers their face with a dirty hanky impairs communication and connection. We don't want to discriminate needlessly, but we do believe that having everyone on the same page with regards to their own personal responsibility to manage their heath matters. The choice to attend an event where others will be holding hands, touching each other, have visible faces and expect to see theirs, and the vulnerability that comes with having a face that can be seen and known, will be appreciated by those in attendance, and will provide a strong unifying factor in community building. If any of this echoes positively with you, and you reside in the Jefferson State area, please contact us at crunchycontradance(a)pm.me for further updates. Current counties of interest include Humboldt, Trinity, Shasta, Tehama, and Siskiyou. Looking for dance space, media contacts, musicians primarily in these areas. Cognitive dissonance between what I have written and your COVID beliefs? Feel free to block emails from the above address and write me off. This list is for contra dancing, not to debate misinformation and who is right or wrong- it is my desire to start a dance, not a debate. I think we can agree that the definition of science and the definition of policy are not synonymous, and hope we may all dance together, both freely and safely, in unity someday. Namaste, Alison

3 years, 11 months

Squares from Northern Junket

by Colin Hume

Northern Junket was a magazine which Ralph Page edited from 1949 to 1984. I've now started copying out the Squares he published there, sometimes with my own comments and suggestions - I've finished Volume 1. I know some of you dance and call Squares as well as Contras. If you're interested, please read my page at: https://colinhume.com/instnj.htm and let me have any corrections and comments either through the list or by email. Colin Hume

3 years, 11 months

dances resuming

by Jane Ewing

NACDS - North Alabama Country Dance Society in Huntsville, Al see Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/5561454053 Starting with a Nov 13th dance at our regular venue with proof of vaccination, photo ID, contact information and signature on waiver that covers venue and NACDS. The church in which we hold our dances has a capacity limit of 100 people in the gym. Jane Ewing Producer,, NACDS

3 years, 11 months

Does anybody know of active vaccinated-only, in-person contra dances?

by Becky Liddle

Hi caller friends, I’m the president of Toronto Contra Dance and we’re about to survey our membership about when they’ll feel ready to return to in-person dancing, and under what circumstances. We’re expecting that at first dances will be vaccinated-only spaces, probably with masks required. But it would be very useful to us if we knew of other dance organizations that had already begun vaccinated-only dances, so we could learn how that’s going. (Do they require masks? Can people enjoy the dance with masks? Has anyone gotten sick? What adaptations, e.g., slowing down the music, have they needed to make to accommodate mask-wearing? What systems have worked well for verifying vaccination status?) I had hoped CDSS would be monitoring back-to-in-person dances to inform the rest of us how those ventures are going, but as far as I can tell, they’re not doing that. Any information anyone can provide would be most appreciated! Back-channel messages welcome! If I’m re-inventing the wheel here, please put me in touch with whatever group is looking into this! Thanks! Becky Liddle

3 years, 11 months

Mailman upgrade and bounce notifications #Admin

by Seth Seeger

Hello SharedWeight community, I am the system administrator for sharedweight.net. Today, I upgraded the Mailman3 software that runs the lists. One of the new features in this version is automatic bounce processing. That means that if your email bounces a message back to the server enough times, your subscription will automatically be disabled. Unfortunately, it started counting bounces from a long time ago, instead of starting with a clean slate. Some of you may have received a notice that says your mailing list subscription has been disabled. I have re-enabled all subscriptions that were disabled today because of bounces. I'm hoping that today's upgrade also fixes the garbage characters that some of you see in your digests. Please let me know if you find any problems. Thank you for your patience, Seth

4 years

Re: Does anybody know f actve vaccinated-only, in-person contra dances?

by Winston, Alan P.

Just got this notification in the mail today; there's a dance in Monterey (a blue-tier county) on Saturday: Subject: Reminder: CONTRA DANCING this Saturday! Plus, fun contra meetup in the park that afternoon To: Monterey Contras <montereycdc(a)gmail.com<mailto:montereycdc@gmail.com>> Please join us for the fun this Saturday! Yes, we are contra dancing-- vaccinations required, and masks must be worn all the time while indoors. We look forward to dancing with you :) *** Update: Some dear contra friends have suggested a fun meetup for the contra community on Saturday afternoon at El Estero Park *** (info at bottom of email) --- Join us for our first In-Person Contra Dance! [Lee-Anne Welch- Warren Blier.jpg] Saturday, Oct. 16th, 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Monterey YMCA We have all missed dancing this last year and a half, please come on down to welcome back the dancing! Local favorite Warren Blier will call, with music by Lee Anne Welch, Sonia Shell & Yvonne Wolbroehl. Expect a slightly slower pace and shorter dances as we ease back into dancing. It will be so good to get together and try this! In-Person Rules: Open to vaccinated dancers only, proof of vaccination will be checked at the door, and noted for easy admission to future dances. Well-fitting masks must be worn throughout the dance. Bottled water will be offered outdoors during the break. Sorry, no potluck snacks yet. PRICES: $20 Contra Angel / $10 general / $8 members / $5 military and full-time students with ID No need to RSVP, just come dance with us! -- [MCDC Logo- small.jpg] Monterey Country Dance Community For more information, visit: * MCDC Website at montereycontradance.org<http://montereycontradance.org/> * MCDC's Meetup site at http://www.meetup.com/Contra-dancing-in-beautiful-Monterey-California/. * MCDC's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/85982960311/. You have received this mailing because you are on the Monterey Country Dance Community's email announcement list. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 years

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