Hi,
I am wondering if you have any dances for low numbers of dancers (perhaps 6
or less), when most or all of the dancers are beginners and adults. I am
also wondering if you have any dances (presumably different dances), that do
not require choosing a partner and are good openers for beginner adults.
Thanks as always to all,
Rickey Holt.
I can only speak with reference to calling at NEFFA, as I have never applied to DownEast. As some of you may know that Linda Leslie is NEFFA's program chair, I will note that the program chair does not select performers for contra sessions.
Regarding NEFFA 2007, the following notice is now posted at http://neffa.org/perf_app.html - The Program Committee is not prepared to take your application at this time, since it is too late to apply for this year's NEFFA Festival. Please note that the application to perform is always available during the month of September, with a deadline in October. If you'd like to get an e-mail notice of application availability, send a blank e-mail to NEFFA_Performers-subscribe(a)yahoogroups.com
So you can note on your calendar that September is a good time to check the NEFFA web site, and also arrange for a notice to pop up in your e-mail.
The NEFFA application invites you to come up with a briefly-described theme for your session, with a title of 20 characters or less. IMO, use your own judgment as to how important the theme is. If you are offering a concept that's really meaningful to you, don't be afraid to describe it. If what you really want to do is just call some hot contras, then IMO I wouldn't go overboard on the theme.
Unlike Northwest Folklife, callers and bands apply SEPARATELY to the New England Folk Festival. And I believe that this is a very good thing for beginning callers who hope to have a chance at getting onstage. This mix-and-match policy gives a fresh perspective for experienced performers, and can be an eye-opening experience for newcomers who may get to work with seasoned veterans. I will never forget calling at NEFFA with Northern Spy, a band that has worked with caller David Millstone for 25 years. And where was David during this session? Out on the floor, happily dancing to the music of his own band. NEFFA's selection process made that wonderful hour possible for me.
For what it's worth, the first year I successfully applied I asked for a "Festival Orchestra" slot, which means that instead of calling a themed, hour-long session I called two dances in the Main Hall with the assembled orchestra and then got off the stage as the next Festival Orchestra caller had a turn. IMO, the key here (as well as in submitting a session proposal) is to choose dances that you know by heart, can teach well, fully believe in, and love to share with a crowd. You don't want to have second thoughts as you approach the microphone.
If you're wondering why performer applications are required so far in advance of a festival, note that NEFFA may have 1700 performers, many of whom perform in multiple sessions (perhaps performing alone, and with a participatory dance group, and also with a concert performance group!). You can't doublebook a performer (or larger groups to which she may belong), you have to give her time to move from one venue to another, plus a bunch of other scheduling etceteras that would drive me loony to contemplate further. How scheduling was done in the days before computers is beyond me.
--
Robert Jon Golder
164 Maxfield St
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 999-2486
If there are a lot of children, and no other contra dancers, for the
first workshop, don't start with a contra.
Start with something that breaks the ice and is easy and gets them
facing each other in long lines.
For my "one night stands", weddings, etc., I start with a dance
sometimes called "The Hat Dance" - except I use a large stuffed
animal gorilla, so people call it the "gorilla dance' - you know,
three chairs at the top of the set, two lines on either side, one
person sits in middle with gorilla on lap, one head of each line sit
on the side, band starts up and plays like a house afire, mid person
gives gorilla to one of the seated people, dances down set with the
other in a sashay or polka or whatever they choose, gorilla receiver
moves to mid seat, next two sit down. I don't know why this is so
successful, but people love this dance. They love watching other
people get or give the gorilla. I gave up on the hat idea because w.
kids there may be head lice. Really. The gorilla is cuter anyway.
This gets people moving, touching, laughing, and standing in two
lines and learning top of set and bottom of set.
Then follow perhaps with a reel, like Virginia reel. This gives a
vague concept of progression and doing something different at
different positions in the dance. There are some other simpler reels
than Virginia reel as well, without the strip the willow but with the
follow around and arch and under.
I think the one of the easiest contras is Ellen's Green Jig. I don't
have time to put it up here, maybe someone else could if you don't
know it, but it's one where everyone pretty much is in contact all
the time so it's hard to screw up, has just balance and swing, do-si-
do and circles pretty much, and the progression is oh-so-obvious, and
it doesn't matter if the genders get all screwed up as long as ones
are ones and twos are twos.
Oh, I called for a dance where 15 foreign exchange students showed up
with limited English. I'd keep the calls in English as you are a
beginning caller and it would be too much to think of to do it in
Japanese as well. But just pick the way you are going to call the
figure, e.g. Ladie's Chain - and NEVER vary it. It will always be
Ladie's Chain, not "Chain the women", not "women chain" not "chain
across" just flat out plain "Ladies Chain". People will catch on.
Martha
On Oct 2, 2007, at 4:00 PM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
> Send Callers mailing list submissions to
> callers(a)sharedweight.net
>
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Japan dance and self intro/update
> (sharedweight.99.kyoto(a)spamgourmet.com)
> 2. Re: Japan dance and self intro/update (Lindsay Morris)
> 3. Re: Japan dance and self intro/update (Greg McKenzie)
> 4. Re: Japan dance and self intro/update
> (Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing)
> 5. Re: Japan dance and self intro/update (Lisa Sieverts)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2007 11:59:28 -0700 (PDT)
> From: sharedweight.99.kyoto(a)spamgourmet.com
> Subject: [Callers] Japan dance and self intro/update
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Message-ID: <74363.4139.qm(a)web38705.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> [n.b. this has been 'cross posted' to the yahoo traditional callers
> list, in case anyone is on
> both lists...]
>
> This post from a llooonnnngg time dancer and first time caller who is
> requesting some advice for an unusual situation...but as it is my
> first post, I will explain a little about myself, and along the way
> that will explain the unusual situation and help guide and refine any
> replies.
>
> My name is david crespo, a name some of you no doubt fear -- I mean
> recognize -- or would (recognize, that is) (if you saw my ugly
> mug) (well, maybe fear...) from my 20 odd (quite odd) years of
> dancing and involvement in the dance community in New England, mostly
> Vermont (Etna, Norwich, Thetford, to Northern Spy etc.) and Maine
> (SMFA (Yarmouth), Falmouth, Bates, Bowdoinham...). As some of you
> thus know, about 3 years ago, at a Wake the Neighbors Bates dance I
> was met by a cute and not very frightening Japanese exchange student,
> Yukie, who with a very little gentle nudging at Deffa a week later,
> eventually (rapidly, that is) was able to parlay that happenstance
> circumstance into what is now a beautiful and happy marriage. She
> returned to Japan shortly after we completed our courtship and about
> a year later I followed. We're living in Kyoto.
>
> Alas, there is one tragic note attending this otherwise joyous and
> perfect scenario. Japan, you see, is a land thouroughly devoid of one
> essential nutrient: contradancing. You can imagine my dismay, tears,
> and lamentations. Sadly, then, since my arrival, I have been quietly
> (well not so quietly) teaching english while secretly incubating evil
> plans to conquer Japan, then Asia, then the world in 64 (drastic)
> measures (hmmm--- good name for a dance). This month, my long patient
> agony of waiting has begun to pay off. I have been given the
> opportunity to indoctrinate a few trusting and innocent souls into
> the sublime mysteries of la dance du contra and create an army of
> swiftfooted robots, ready and willing to do my bidding at every call.
> SOON I WILL CONQUER THE WORLD!!!
>
> ahem.
>
> please excuse me while my medicine kicks in. Ah, yes, thank you. OK,
> where was I? The fact is, my wife and I have been invited to lead a
> contradance workshop at a local festival on October 20. When we found
> out, we began doing as much research as we could on calling and so
> on. We found a few basic dances, like Baby Rose and Diane's Visit and
> Atonement Reel that we like and figured would be suitable and we have
> been practicing calling them. But I really welcome any suggestions...
>
> Actually, above and beyond some decades of doing things proper and
> improper, I took a caller workshop or two from Rick Mohr (thanks
> Rick) so I have a rough idea of what's involved. And I've learned a
> bit from practicing calling and writing a few ad hoc dances on my
> own. For example, I learned that being a dancer has habituated me to
> act ON the beat, but as a caller I need to act BEFORE the beat,
> eh....this flustered me at first. Are there any other typical first
> caller pointers we should be on the lookout for?
>
> In addition, there are a few other associated circumstances in this
> project that create the aforementioned unique situation. In brief
> (HA! fooled you), since I've rattled on too long, here is what I mean:
>
> I don't speak more than the rudiments of Japanese. My wife is still a
> beginner dancer, to wit, she isn't a strong enough one to call on her
> own. Between us we are trying to teach each other what the other
> lacks and hopefully make one good caller out of the two of us. One
> question that has come up is is it better to keep the standard names
> for the figures, or to Japanify them. (We are leaning to the
> former...Japanese has a very high percentage of english loan words,
> and they learn english (poooooorly) in school.) Still, has anyone
> ever tried to call across a language barrier?
>
> Japanese are touch sensitve. They don't touch, they don't give eye
> contact. They don't give weight. (They give wait). They don't hug.
> They don't even say I love you. They are very shy. For example, I am
> told that this is to the point that standing in a line of men facing
> a line of women is likely be uncomfortable, even for the younger
> generation, so Yukie feels we should use mixed couples with armbands
> to distinguish "gender"--I mean position. As we build a community of
> experienced dancers, it would be expected that some of this
> inhibition might wear off...). You can see why they need to dance. On
> the other hand, they are good followers. Any advice for working with
> a shy crowd?
>
> Some or many of the attendees at this workshop, we just found out,
> are likely to be children. Depending on the percentage, it may be
> necessary to do a kids dance, or at least a dance kids could enjoy. I
> am good at working with kids in general, but I would love any advice
> for doing a dance with young people. I don't know or haven't been
> able to find any children's dances, though I assume the Family Dance
> in Yarmouth is still up and I plan to contact Jeff Raymond about it,
> because I can't remember the caller's name (Nancy....) (though we
> have danced and chatted about dancing and calling several times at
> the May Day Festival...gads! say hi if you're listening..).
> So, children's dances are one thing I am looking for.
>
> We are working in a small space...maybe two lines of six couples
> each. Advice for small spaces???　
>
> We are doing three workshops. If the same people return, we may do
> more advanced things, or we may just repeat teh workshop...but I
> would like to try different dances each time, for my practice.
>
> The room will be full of beginners, so no experienced dancers to rely
> on. Ballroom dancing had a certain following here (and in Kyoto there
> is a small set dancing group that we visited...small 14 or so... and
> a square dancing group that we plan to visit. ) but not enough to be
> helpful, in the sense that there are few cultural supports for
> learning (i.e. in the US most everyone knows (even if they don't
> admit it) how to at least fake a waltz or ballroom position...not
> here.) Think martian territory...
>
> I should add that we are seriously working towards starting a regular
> dance here (we've found an available and very suitable space, a
> church hall in a nearby church, for example) and this is for us a
> tryout and possible stepping stone. We want to whet people's
> appetite, and leave them wanting more. We have a half hour to do it...
>
> OK...apologies for the verbose and windy post. Fond regards to all of
> you I know, hajimemashite ("nice to meet you" in japanese, literally
> "beginning") to the rest and many thanks in advance for your time and
> help...cheers...david
>
> nothing rhymes with nostril...
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> ______________
> Don't let your dream ride pass you by. Make it a reality with
> Yahoo! Autos.
> http://autos.yahoo.com/index.html
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2007 15:23:07 -0400
> From: Lindsay Morris <lindsay(a)tsmworks.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Japan dance and self intro/update
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <47029A9B.1020203(a)tsmworks.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Wow, you're biting off too much.
> Teach them community-dance stuff first - circle mixers, easy
> things to
> get them used to touching, allemanding, and giving weight.
> If they refuse to take hands and circle left, then I suggest you
> fake a
> heart attack and get out.
> Lindsay Morris
> Principal
> TSMworks
> [1]www.tsmworks.com
> 859-539-9900
>
>
> [2]sharedweight.99.kyoto(a)spamgourmet.com wrote:
>
> [n.b. this has been 'cross posted' to the yahoo traditional callers
> list, in cas
> e anyone is on
> both lists...]
>
> This post from a llooonnnngg time dancer and first time caller who is
> requesting some advice for an unusual situation...but as it is my
> first post, I will explain a little about myself, and along the way
> that will explain the unusual situation and help guide and refine any
> replies.
>
> My name is david crespo, a name some of you no doubt fear -- I mean
> recognize -- or would (recognize, that is) (if you saw my ugly
> mug) (well, maybe fear...) from my 20 odd (quite odd) years of
> dancing and involvement in the dance community in New England, mostly
> Vermont (Etna, Norwich, Thetford, to Northern Spy etc.) and Maine
> (SMFA (Yarmouth), Falmouth, Bates, Bowdoinham...). As some of you
> thus know, about 3 years ago, at a Wake the Neighbors Bates dance I
> was met by a cute and not very frightening Japanese exchange student,
> Yukie, who with a very little gentle nudging at Deffa a week later,
> eventually (rapidly, that is) was able to parlay that happenstance
> circumstance into what is now a beautiful and happy marriage. She
> returned to Japan shortly after we completed our courtship and about
> a year later I followed. We're living in Kyoto.
>
> Alas, there is one tragic note attending this otherwise joyous and
> perfect scenario. Japan, you see, is a land thouroughly devoid of one
> essential nutrient: contradancing. You can imagine my dismay, tears,
> and lamentations. Sadly, then, since my arrival, I have been quietly
> (well not so quietly) teaching english while secretly incubating evil
> plans to conquer Japan, then Asia, then the world in 64 (drastic)
> measures (hmmm--- good name for a dance). This month, my long patient
> agony of waiting has begun to pay off. I have been given the
> opportunity to indoctrinate a few trusting and innocent souls into
> the sublime mysteries of la dance du contra and create an army of
> swiftfooted robots, ready and willing to do my bidding at every call.
> SOON I WILL CONQUER THE WORLD!!!
>
> ahem.
>
> please excuse me while my medicine kicks in. Ah, yes, thank you. OK,
> where was I? The fact is, my wife and I have been invited to lead a
> contradance workshop at a local festival on October 20. When we found
> out, we began doing as much research as we could on calling and so
> on. We found a few basic dances, like Baby Rose and Diane's Visit and
> Atonement Reel that we like and figured would be suitable and we have
> been practicing calling them. But I really welcome any suggestions...
>
> Actually, above and beyond some decades of doing things proper and
> improper, I took a caller workshop or two from Rick Mohr (thanks
> Rick) so I have a rough idea of what's involved. And I've learned a
> bit from practicing calling and writing a few ad hoc dances on my
> own. For example, I learned that being a dancer has habituated me to
> act ON the beat, but as a caller I need to act BEFORE the beat,
> eh....this flustered me at first. Are there any other typical first
> caller pointers we should be on the lookout for?
>
> In addition, there are a few other associated circumstances in this
> project that create the aforementioned unique situation. In brief
> (HA! fooled you), since I've rattled on too long, here is what I mean:
>
> I don't speak more than the rudiments of Japanese. My wife is still a
> beginner dancer, to wit, she isn't a strong enough one to call on her
> own. Between us we are trying to teach each other what the other
> lacks and hopefully make one good caller out of the two of us. One
> question that has come up is is it better to keep the standard names
> for the figures, or to Japanify them. (We are leaning to the
> former...Japanese has a very high percentage of english loan words,
> and they learn english (poooooorly) in school.) Still, has anyone
> ever tried to call across a language barrier?
>
> Japanese are touch sensitve. They don't touch, they don't give eye
> contact. They don't give weight. (They give wait). They don't hug.
> They don't even say I love you. They are very shy. For example, I am
> told that this is to the point that standing in a line of men facing
> a line of women is likely be uncomfortable, even for the younger
> generation, so Yukie feels we should use mixed couples with armbands
> to distinguish "gender"--I mean position. As we build a community of
> experienced dancers, it would be expected that some of this
> inhibition might wear off...). You can see why they need to dance. On
> the other hand, they are good followers. Any advice for working with
> a shy crowd?
>
> Some or many of the attendees at this workshop, we just found out,
> are likely to be children. Depending on the percentage, it may be
> necessary to do a kids dance, or at least a dance kids could enjoy. I
> am good at working with kids in general, but I would love any advice
> for doing a dance with young people. I don't know or haven't been
> able to find any children's dances, though I assume the Family Dance
> in Yarmouth is still up and I plan to contact Jeff Raymond about it,
> because I can't remember the caller's name (Nancy....) (though we
> have danced and chatted about dancing and calling several times at
> the May Day Festival...gads! say hi if you're listening..).
> So, children's dances are one thing I am looking for.
>
> We are working in a small space...maybe two lines of six couples
> each. Advice for small spaces???　
>
> We are doing three workshops. If the same people return, we may do
> more advanced things, or we may just repeat teh workshop...but I
> would like to try different dances each time, for my practice.
>
> The room will be full of beginners, so no experienced dancers to rely
> on. Ballroom dancing had a certain following here (and in Kyoto there
> is a small set dancing group that we visited...small 14 or so... and
> a square dancing group that we plan to visit. ) but not enough to be
> helpful, in the sense that there are few cultural supports for
> learning (i.e. in the US most everyone knows (even if they don't
> admit it) how to at least fake a waltz or ballroom position...not
> here.) Think martian territory...
>
> I should add that we are seriously working towards starting a regular
> dance here (we've found an available and very suitable space, a
> church hall in a nearby church, for example) and this is for us a
> tryout and possible stepping stone. We want to whet people's
> appetite, and leave them wanting more. We have a half hour to do it...
>
> OK...apologies for the verbose and windy post. Fond regards to all of
> you I know, hajimemashite ("nice to meet you" in japanese, literally
> "beginning") to the rest and many thanks in advance for your time and
> help...cheers...david
>
> nothing rhymes with nostril...
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> ____
> __________
> Don't let your dream ride pass you by. Make it a reality with
> Yahoo! Autos.
> [3]http://autos.yahoo.com/index.html
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> [4]Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> [5]http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
> References
>
> 1. http://www.tsmworks.com/
> 2. mailto:sharedweight.99.kyoto@spamgourmet.com
> 3. http://autos.yahoo.com/index.html
> 4. mailto:Callers@sharedweight.net
> 5. http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
"I'm calling a dance with a band that is going to play tunes from the sixties. "
Kris - I am not a musician, but I have called a contra while the band played Tequila. It was fantastic for me and the dancers!
Jane Ewing
Huntsville, AL
Our band does a great (well, we think so) old-timey version of Lady
Madonna.....
Martha
On Dec 22, 2007, at 9:00 AM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
> Send Callers mailing list submissions to
> callers(a)sharedweight.net
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> callers-request(a)sharedweight.net
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> callers-owner(a)sharedweight.net
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Rock 'n' Roll Contras (Janet Levatin)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2007 07:52:29 -0500
> From: Janet Levatin <jlevatin(a)massmed.org>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Rock 'n' Roll Contras
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <13ee0b4b67804d0d81863c22aa8f3433(a)massmed.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
>
> I think some Beach Boys songs might work, for example "Help Me
> Rhonda."
> Janet Levatin
>
>
> On Dec 19, 2007, at 12:34 PM, Kris Jensen wrote:
>
>> I'm calling a dance with a band that is going to play tunes from the
>> sixties. We'll be doing several squares and I can easily call patter
>> to tunes like "Green Onions" and other instrumental hits. But I'm
>> looking for suggestions for tunes that might work for contras (well-
>> phrased, 64-count melodies?). And any other suggestions to make this
>> a fun dance.
>>
>> Thanks for your help!
>>
>> Kris Jensen
>> Albuquerque, NM
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 40, Issue 11
> ***************************************
I'm calling a dance with a band that is going to play tunes from the
sixties. We'll be doing several squares and I can easily call patter
to tunes like "Green Onions" and other instrumental hits. But I'm
looking for suggestions for tunes that might work for contras (well-
phrased, 64-count melodies?). And any other suggestions to make this
a fun dance.
Thanks for your help!
Kris Jensen
Albuquerque, NM
> In response to the question posed by Beth about what I'd like to
> learn as a new caller.
Figures other than contras. E.g. squares, quadrilles, triplets. I've
had a brief introduction to these other forms, but would find it
helpful to understand their format more fully and to practice them.
I'm still getting used to the fact that as the caller "I am in
charge." As I call more dances, I'm facing new situations and
responding. Perhaps a session that poses "difficult" or atypical
situations and then talk about options for responding to them. E.g.,
you have a room that is way too crowded. What do you do?
Nancy Turner
Waitsfield VT
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 20:54:24 GMT
> From: "crunchymama(a)juno.com" <crunchymama(a)juno.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Callers discussion / workshop topics
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Message-ID: <20071207.145424.14416.0(a)webmail21.vgs.untd.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> I've been calling for a little over a year now, on a volunteer
> basis here in Memphis TN. What that works out to is calling at one
> or two dances a month, and programming and calling half that
> evenings dances- between 4-5 individual dances each time. So I
> don't feel like I have a year's experience with the limited
> opportunities to practice with an audience.
>
> What I am most interested in, that could possibly be taught or
> explored in that time frame, is teaching walkthroughs. IME some of
> the greatest dances just don't go well or are slow starters if I
> don't give a good walkthrough.
>
> Things I'm working on that aren't as easily taught:
> personality and presence in dealing with the crowd,
> enunciation,
> and matching music to the dance and the dance to the music.
>
> For that last one I found Amy Cann's long post a few months back
> very helpful!
>
> -Alison Murphy
> Memphis TN
>
>
> "If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land,
> it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
> ~ James Madison
> HTTP://WWW.RONPAUL2008.COM
>
>
> -- "Beth Parkes" <beth(a)hands4.com> wrote:
> A question for newer callers:
>
> Since this is a list specifically to support new callers, I thought
> I'd ask
> what you would like to have covered in a callers discussion workshop.
> Specifically, a single session of not more than a couple of hours, so
> there's really not time to do a lot of serious teaching. I have
> lots of
> ideas, but it's been a long time since I was a new caller and I
> want to know
> what YOU want to know.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Beth
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 17:18:48 -0800 (PST)
> From: mavis mcgaugh <yankeecalls(a)yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Major Hey
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <766503.87706.qm(a)web36411.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Erik Hoffman has a dance called Major Hey.
> Done as Becket 40 Bar
>
> A1 Circle Left 3/4 Pass through up & down
> Swing neighbor you meet
>
> A2 long lines forward & back
> Men Left AL 1 1/2 end in waves of eight Men
> Have Left hands joined - and ALL have Right hand w/
> Partner - ladies in center have left with each other
>
> B1 Rory O Moore balances
>
> B2 Half Hey for eight
>
> C1 Partner Balance & Swing
>
> Very clear description of all the unusual moves in his
> book Contradictations
> --- Chris Page <chriscpage(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On 12/5/07, Bob Isaacs <isaacsbob(a)hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi All;
>>>
>>> I'm looking for the moves and author of a 4 facing
>> 4 named Major Hey, which has a 1/2 a hey for 8 in
>> it. Any teaching points would also be helpful.
>> Thanks, and a Happy Holidays to everyone -
>>> Bob
>>
>> "The Devil's Duty" by Al Olson, hidden in Zesty
>> Contras, also has a
>> hey for eight. It also has both swings ending in the
>> middle of the
>> phrase, so this past Friday I tried the following
>> clean-up, and it worked
>> pretty well:
>>
>> The Dancer's Duty
>> Chris Page variant of an Al Olson dance
>> Four-face-four
>>
>> A1 Lines of four forward and back [1] [2]
>> Neighbor (person across from you) allemande right
>> 1 & 3/4
>> to line of eight
>> A2 Half hey for eight, start by pulling past that
>> neighbor by right
>> B1 Swing same neighbor [3]
>> B2 Circle left 1/2 in groups of four [4]
>> Swing partner, face next
>>
>> [1] Stretch out the lines of four a little to make
>> room for everyone
>> allemanding and swinging in the center.
>> [2] At this point, you can tell the dancers to turn
>> ninety degrees left.
>> Then remember which wall they'll be facing for the
>> end of the allemande
>> and entry into the hey.
>> [3] To shorten the swing length, make it a gypsy and
>> swing. Or if you
>> want the hey to be an exercise in timing, make it a
>> balance and swing.
>> [4] You face your partner coming out of the swing.
>> There's other
>> variants for the circle left 1/2 -- for instance
>> balance the ring and
>> roll away your neighbor.
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>>
>
>
> Mavis L McGaugh
> 510-814-8118 (answering machine-leave message)
>
>
>
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>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 40, Issue 3
> **************************************
Coras Reel Gale Wood (2006)
Duple Proper
Jigs
A1 Cir 3 (L) W1 Orbit(R) 8
Cir 3 (R) W1 Orbit(L) 8
A2 Dwn Hall 3 x 1 (MMW, W) 8
(or: 4N Line MM, WW)
M turn Alone W turn as Coup
Up Hall 8
Cast Around (Proper)
B1 1s Pull by Across Set 16
Sw Neigh (Original)
B2 Act B&S 16
(End Proper!)
A1 Cir 3 is #1 man (between) with #2s
#1 Woman ends in original position
A2 #1 Man in-between #2s (MML)
For Cora Hasler, The best dog ever!
I penned this dance to honor a hiking buddy, who finished the NH 4000
footers
Cora is a Bernease mountain dog who is very dear to me. Her partner
organizes
the Gilmanton NH 2nd Saturday Contra Dance.
When Cora is in the hall she thinks it is her job to heard the dancers,
thus the 1st
Woman circling the other 3 in A1 and escorting in A2
I have called the dance on a couple of occasions to Experienced Dancers
And it does work
Of course the dance needs to be called to Jigs (as a play on Chorus Jig)
Original Message:
-----------------
From: Tepfer, Seth LABST(a)emory.edu
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:52:35 -0500
To: gtwood(a)worldpath.net, callers(a)sharedweight.net
Subject: RE: [Callers] weird contra dances
I'd love that dance if you have a chance!
Seth Tepfer
Director of Administrative Computing
Oxford College of Emory University
seth.tepfer(a)emory.edu
770-784-8487
> -----Original Message-----
> From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-
> bounces(a)sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of gtwood(a)worldpath.net
> Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 4:44 PM
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: Re: [Callers] weird contra dances
>
> HI Seth
> Sounds like fun but.... please refine notation
> or possibly its just my browser???
> If I have time tomorrow I'll send a dance that
> I created.
> Thanks
> Gale Wood
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I have also found that simple circle mixers can be great for "dance
education." 1) They get to swing with lots of different folks 2) if
a few couples are late, they get swept up in the next move 3) the
circle left/right and in to the center and promenade figures get them
listening to the music since, if they miss when the next figure
should start, once again, the group will "help them along". I also
try to ask for a tune or set with nice clear phrases to make it
easier for the dancers to match movements to music.
Jack
At 03:50 PM 12/14/2007, you wrote:
>Many experiences with enthusiastic teens dancing for the first time
>has taught me the importance of training them to listen for each
>successive call. They can lapse into autopilot on any figure--I've
>had teens who take forever to get a star rotating, then just keep
>going to indulge their success through two or even three subsequent calls.
>
>Starting out with longways dances (such as the many variants of the
>Virginia Reel) with several 8-count figures ending in long lines
>facing across can establish good listening behavior especially if
>you insist they wait for each call before launching into the next
>figure. I try to get them to really notice how dynamic it is when
>the whole set of dancers moves together so they are thinking more
>about the big picture. I also tell them if they realize they're
>really late on a figure, skip it if they can and wait for the next
>call (and I try to pick dances that tolerate that well).
>
>As far as contras go, dances with 16-count swings actually have
>worked better for me because the dancers usually wear themselves out
>more quickly and settle down into a more energy-conserving mode. But
>in the walkthrough and while the dance is in progress, I almost
>always insert a warning such as "end the swing and face across" (or
>whatever) before I give the call for the next figure.
>
>Chip Hedler
>
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> Hi everyone,
This week, I called a dance for 50 enthusiastic highschool juniors
who were celebrating the end of their semester together. All
beginners. The organizer asked that we do contras and so I picked
ones that had very obvious transitions and slowly introduced new
moves. I wasn't prepared for their enthusiasm! By the fourth dance
they settled a bit and better understood the contra format and we all
got into a good grove. I found that initially, the kids embraced the
swings with gusto. The dances that I picked included both neighbor
and partner swings -- and once they got going, there was no stopping
them within the 8 measures. So we proceeded off-tempo and everyone
had a good time. I'm wondering if anyone knows of any swingless
contras. For this type of audience, I might consider adding in one or
two such dances near the beginning. Any other tips that you've
learned for calling for enthusiastic teens would also be appreciated.
Nancy Turner
Waitsfield VT
