[Callers] How do you organize your Dance Card Boxes ? Categories or Other Suggestions ?

April Blum via Callers callers at lists.sharedweight.net
Mon Apr 10 08:01:17 PDT 2017


As you know, contra dancers on this side of the pond have little or no patience for dances without at least a partner swing. In fact I hear complaints if there are too many dances in an evening that don't also include a neighbor swing. Dances like Illegal in Most States, with a neighbor, shadow, and partner swing, are much more popular and well received. A dance with no swings, or with a neighbor only swing, would prompt immediate unhappy feedback from the floor. Just a different set of expectations. 

Chorus Jig is the only familiar dance I can think of that doesn't leave you next to your partner on the side of the set at any point. Many younger dancers I know don't consider it a "real" contra, and find its lack of swings frustrating. (When it's called at Glen Echo [rarely], many 2s add a swing in the middle of the set while the 1s go down the outside, and often a second swing while the 1s swing in B2.) On Apr 10, 2017 4:25 AM, John Sweeney via Callers <callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Hi all, 
> My categories are a little different: 
> Dances I want to try once I am calling for a group that can handle them 
> Dances for beginners 
> My current set of favourite dances which I will use for most gigs 
> Dances to fall back on when something doesn't work 
> Chestnuts and other traditional dances 
> Contra style dances in other formations (Triple Minor, Double Contra, Hex, 
> etc.) 
> Everything else is in alphabetical order - otherwise how can you find them? 
> - I work out which ones I want from my database 
> Then there are lots more categories for all the other genres I call 
>
> The stuff in alphabetical order doesn't get used as much.  I would rather 
> use great dances.  Most dancers are very happy to dance the favourites 
> regularly. 
>
> I get very bored with dances which go "swing, circle 3/4, swing" or "swing, 
> someone Allemande 1 & 1/2, swing" and very rarely use them now unless the 
> other half of the dance is stunning. 
>
> April said, "I believe that at some point in every dance, you and your 
> partner are on the same side, usually swinging, so from that perspective all 
> dances can start in Becket". 
>
> But dances can be: 
> Partner Swing only 
> Neighbour Swing only 
> Partner & Neighbour Swing 
> No Swing 
>
> And the Partner Swing doesn't have to be on the side - it could be #1s 
> swinging in the middle (or in an old dance everyone swinging in the middle) 
>
> So, no, they are not all Becket! 
>
> I use quite a few No Swing dances and everyone seems happy to do them - 
> though attitudes are somewhat different on this side of the pond. 
>
> Does anyone use No Swing contras at American contra dances? 
>
> Happy dancing, 
> John 
>
> John Sweeney, Dancer, England john at modernjive.com 01233 625 362 
> http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent 
>
>
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