[Organizers] Contemplating Crooked tunes...

[Paul Rosenberg]

Hi folks

Getting back to the original question, if you are looking for a fiddler who
likes to play crooked tunes, George Wilson, near Albany NY loves to play
them, especially Quebecois tunes. Also, for those of us calling community
dances, crooked tunes are fine occasionally (eg, Spiral dance, some
squares, some Quebecois, some longways and other formations)

Also, why don't some of you contra dance writers create new dances like
Cherokee Shuffle?



Paul Rosenberg
Albany, NY
www.homespun.biz



On Thu, Jun 27, 2019 at 12:42 PM Katy Heine via Organizers <
organizers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> The one contra in my collection that goes with a crooked tune is the
> eponymous Cherokee Shuffle by David Kaynor:
>
> Improper
> A1: (facing up and down set), F & B; circle L
> A2: w/N, bal & swing
> B1: gents almd L 1/2 (4); w/P, bal & swing (16)
> B2: Circle L 3/4 (8); Circle Bal. 2x (8);  w/P, twirl to swap (4)
>
>
> Must say, though, that I haven't called this dance in years. I strongly
> believe that the band's and caller's primary purpose is to serve the
> dancers—and since most (contra) dancers want straight tunes, I'd continue
> to insist that the band save its crooked tunes for jam sessions and
> concerts.
>
> --Katy Heine
>
>
> On Jun 27, 2019, at 12:05 PM, Mac Mckeever via Organizers wrote:
>
> Jack makes a good point - not all crooked tunes are crooked in the same
> way - so unless you can get the tune structure ahead of time and then look
> for a dance it won't mess up too bad this will be a difficult thing to do
>
> Mac McKeever
>
> On Thursday, June 27, 2019, 10:56:17 AM CDT, Jack Mitchell <
> jmitchell.nc at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> I once worked with a band that had some crooked Quebecois tunes that they
> wanted to do.  One was A-A-B-0.5B -- so the last phrase was half length.  I
> found a dance that had something that didn't move the dancers anywhere --
> long lines, circle L 1x, etc -- in the right place and just removed that
> from the dance.  They also had the crooked version of Fleur de Madrigore
> which has an extra bar at the end of the A2.  I did that with a dance that
> was not written for crooked tunes, but has an extra allemande 1/2
> right there that people are always late finishing.  With that tune, the
> dancers were right on time and everything worked.  Beyond that, though, if
> you have a band that wants to do crooked tunes, learn a few visiting couple
> squares or southern patter squares that don't need to be right on the
> phrase and have them use those tunes for the squares.
>
> On Thu, Jun 27, 2019 at 7:46 AM Mac Mckeever via Organizers <
> organizers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> There are a couple dances out there written for crooked tunes that are
> crooked in a specific way (often 2 extra bars in the B part).  I tried one
> once and it just did not feel right.  Running a swing longer is also
> awkward because crooked tunes feel (to the dancers) like the phrase will
> end at the normal time an then it doesn't - so some will try to move on too
> early.
>
> Explain this to the band - there are so many great old time tunes that are
> not crooked.
>
> Mac McKeever
>
> On Thursday, June 27, 2019, 05:46:39 AM CDT, Karlsruhe Contra Dance via
> Organizers <organizers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>
> Hi List,
>
> first, thanks for all of your good input about my 'swing workshop'
> brainstorm. Have taken note and will definitely use some of your ideas.
>
> My next question is perhaps less of an organizational question and more of
> a calling question. I hope it is still appropriate here. Do you know of any
> callers/bands who will play/call to crooked tunes. I have some
> old-time musicians who like to play for me but don't seem to understand why
> I insist on them playing straight tunes... (you would be correct in
> assuming that they are not dancers).  Also, it has started to make me feel
> like a party pooper because they loooove their crooked tunes and want to
> play them.
>
> I have stayed firm, but I wonder if there is a way I could humor them.  I
> mean, if the swing corresponds to the crooked part, the swing just goes a
> bit longer, but eee. As a dancer, I just can't image it working. Or maybe I
> have danced to crooked tunes without even knowing it... Does anyone do
> this?
>
>
> thanks,
> Rebecca Sass
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