[Callers] Contra dancing... on ICE!

[Bob Peterson]

Beats out the Farmall Tractors’ square dance easily! I’m ashamed to even compare them.

> On Apr 15, 2019, at 13:57, Luke Donforth via Callers <callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> 
> I'd like to share this because I think it's really fun. 
> 
> Several months ago, I was approached by the coaches of a Theater on Ice team about helping put together a program for their 2018-19 Choreographic Challenge, which was to showcase cultural dance. Burlington's team, "On Thin Ice" wanted to do a contra dance on ice. 
> 
> There were various restrictions; style and historic elements that they wanted included, coverage of the ring, movement on the ice, etc. What they generated is not a contra dance, but does showcase several elements of a contra dance, and they do it on ice. 
> 
> You can check out their performance at 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EzYx4XtxSs&lc <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EzYx4XtxSs&lc>  
> 
> It was a learning experience for me, and a fun exercise in deconstructing and putting things back together with different constraints. For instance, they needed percussive elements in the choreography; I'd originally tried to sell them on petronellas; but they all balked at the turning over "outside edges" on skates (a harder feat). 
> 
> It's the first time I've every had folks dance to recorded calls, but they wanted them to add to the feeling of a contra (and I won't be travelling with them to nationals in Alabama this June). 
> 
> As a side not, for historical reasons relating to how their program would be judged, I used the term gypsy instead of my preference of an alternative. I still think they do a wonderful job of bringing contra dance to a different corner of the world. 
> 
> When I went to my first contra dance, I'd never have guessed where it would take me. Here's to more fun memories and interesting experiences in this community and others. 
> 
> -- 
> Luke Donforth
> Luke.Donforth at gmail.com <mailto:Luke.Donev at gmail.com>
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