[Callers] Square dance calling book - What would you like to see?

[Luke Donforth via Callers]

Thanks for putting this out there.

A couple thoughts from someone who only occasionally puts a square in a
program.

I often wonder about pairing breaks with figures. So some quick index
system of this figure goes well with these breaks, avoid these breaks, etc.
There are some things I think about, like not using a grand right and left
in both or such; but I'm sure there are deeper considerations that I'm
ignorant of (visiting breaks for keeper figures and vice versa? etc). So
there's some meta-level stuff I'd like to hear unpacked.

Another meta-level thing; which squares do you want to stay square to
phrasing (besides singing), and when does it not matter?

A break-out of expected teaching and time it takes: i.e. this is a figure
you'll have to walk once, versus this should be walked for heads & sides or
everyone. Some of that comes with experience, just calling more squares
would make it easier to judge. But I'm personally leery of giving contra
dancers a bad square experience, with many groups pre-disposed to grumbling
about the time spent teaching (too much time teaching or not enough and it
crashes; and sometimes there's not actually a happy middle). A category of
"these squares won't take longer than a contra to teach (but are still
engaging)"

Looking forward to the book.


On Wed, Oct 26, 2016 at 3:02 PM, Tony Parkes via Callers <
callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> [Posted to Shared Weight callers’ list and trad-dance-callers list,
> simultaneously but separately so replies won’t go to both lists]
>
>
>
> This message is for those of you who call squares, or have thought you
> might like to call squares. The rest of you may allow your attention to
> wander.
>
>
>
> I’m writing a book on calling squares in what I think of as
> neo-traditional style (the style, borrowing from many regional traditions
> but compatible with contra handholds and timing, that callers tend to use
> on the contra circuit). It will be at least as long as my contra calling
> text (300 pages), but will include more repertoire than the contra book, as
> it seems to me that squares in general, and good squares in particular, are
> harder to find these days than contras and good contras.
>
>
>
> I’ve reached a stage where I know pretty well what I want to cover, but I
> want to make sure I haven’t overlooked anything. So…
>
>
>
> What would you like to see in such a book (assuming you’d buy and/or read
> it)? What aspects of calling squares are you particularly interested /
> excited / terrified about?
>
>
>
> Public and private replies are welcome. Thanks for your interest and your
> feedback.
>
>
>
> Tony Parkes
>
> Billerica, Mass.
>
> www.hands4.com
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers at lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
>
>


-- 
Luke Donforth
Luke.Donforth at gmail.com <Luke.Donev at gmail.com>
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