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
>
> 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. 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
>
Hi all,
I've been lurking for quite a while (and much enjoying all the suggestions
and opinions), but now I need your help.
I'm scheduled to call a "hoedown" next week for a retirement community, and
could use some help selecting (or modifying) appropriate dances. I'm
bringing a live band, so we'll probably intersperse liberally with waltzes
and other breaks, but I still hope to get them moving in some fun fashion.
I know many folks in the community (I teach tai chi and qigong there twice a
week), and am pretty sure that the wheelchair-or-walker set won't be dancing
(heck, I don't know if anyone will be dancing!), but I'm hoping some of the
more fit folks in their sixties and seventies can be convinced onto the
floor. That said, I'm still pretty sure I need to limit the amount of
swinging/twirling/hopping etc. to avoid possible falls or other disasters.
Oh, and we'll probably be dancing on carpet. Fun, huh?
Anyhow, any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Cis Hinkle
I think the formation you're describing is similar to the Weston Mountain Zia and other "Zia" formation dances. Bob Isaacs has a lengthy description of this formation that appeared either on this list or the trad-dance-callers list within the last year.
David Millstone
I'm toying with a new formation, a "plus".
Imagine a regular contra line, with a second going cross-ways, intersecting
about half way down.
The progression would be toward or away from the center intersection, then
back out.
Different progressions in the center determine which arm of the plus the
"back out" goes to.
It seems a double progression works best, or there will be a square (4
couples) in the center -
which might be another variation - just too deep for me at the moment. The
progression
through the intersection could be a Star Right, while the couples still in
the arms do an
allemande with Neigbor once and a half.
Any thoughts? Is this an original formation? Can you provide names of other
dances like this?
Bob Fabinski
Rochester NY
**************
Play online games for FREE at Games.com! All of
your favorites, no registration required and great graphics – check it out!
(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211202682x1200689022/aol?redir=http://www.games.com?ncid=emlcntusgame00000001)
Hullo List,
Just ran across a Contra dance choreography entry on ye olde Wikipedia.
That handy, mildly suspect, group contribution or back-room handled
centre for information/ego/slander (pick one).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_dance_choreography
It looks fundamentally correct to my less experienced eye and I wonder
if anyone on here has already vetted it or at least perused it for
validity, which I'd like before recommending it to folks.
This is part of a root section on Contra dance which seemingly has more
references, though there still seems to be a call for citations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contra_dance
Thanks, John
J.D. Erskine
Victoria, BC
As a new caller, I¹m looking for advise and/or suggestions for events with a
very small number of dancers, 3-6 couples. At a dance I called in August
(granted a slow month) we had at most five couples and that was if I and a
couple of people who came to play music danced. I threw away my carefully
planned program and wound up doing a number of triplets (thank you David
Smukler) and a four-on-four that I modified so that it stayed together as a
set and resulted in a change of partners each time through. It was a little
clunky but it mostly worked and gave us some variety.
I am of course trying to avoid the scenario of people spending half the
dance as neutrals when there only four couples in a set, and I¹m not really
ready to take on learning some squares in the next few days which would be
the obvious choice. I am hopeful that there will be more people this time,
but in case I¹m in the same situation again, I¹m studying more triplets, a
couple of dbl-progression dances for 4+ couple sets (so that no one waits
out at the end for long) and looking for other ideas.
Levi Jackson Rag is a possibility, but I¹d still like to have some other
options in my pocket. It did occur to me to suggest an extra couples dance
or two just to break things up if we¹re doing lots of short dances with 3-5
couples.
Thanks,
Will Loving
OK, enough people have asked me for the list that I'm including it below. I
hesitated at first because I'm well aware that while many dance
choreographers are fine with having their dances appear online in this way,
such feeling is not universal. I wasn't sure about the appropriateness of
posting a longer list like this, though I guess there is a difference
between posting in a discussion group and posting on a web page. I just
didn't want to get anyone upset.
I will say that some of the emails I received with dance suggestions
prompted me to take a trip over to CDSS (I live about 12 miles away) and go
through various books beyond the ones I already had. Having found lots of
good dances in various books and booklets there, I would recommend to others
to consider purchasing (online or in person) some of the smaller collections
of dances that they have available.
In particular, Gary Roodman has a number of booklets with interesting dance
collections and commentary and the Gary Armstrong "Dance Workshop" has a
large number of dances (contra, square, folk and novelty) that might be
appropriate for smaller groups. This is of course in addition to the "Other
Formations" sections of the usual sources such as Zesty Contras and Give and
Take.
Will
----------------------------------------------
The following list is made up of dances which either I found on my own or
were referred to me in preparation for a dance that might potentially have
6-10 dancers. The Quadruplets are particularly interesting especially Gary
Roodman's Square Line Special which Linda Leslie referred me to.
The notation has not been checked and the notes are usually verbatim from
the source - website, email, whatever - so check the calls out before you
try using them!
Will Loving
---------------------------------------------------------------
Microchasmic by Anne Fallon
Triplet
A1) Lines forward and back
Opposite Do si do
A2) Center couple turn Contra corners
B1) ALL Balance & Swing Partner end facing up toward the band]
B2 Top couple leads Peel the Banana all follow the leader when top couple
hits the bottom they make and arch other two couples run throught the arch.
This the Progression.
I sometimes use it at regular contra dances as the 5th dance as a way to
teach beginners the Contra Corners figure without all the pushing and
shoving to be where they need to be. Corners only have to watch one
direction for their turning couple. It fun for all and I advise them to make
the Sets with at least one set of newcomers in the set. - Mavis L McGaugh
------------------------------------
Here are two suggestions, both set dances: Double Dot - for 5 people, and
Pride of the Pingle for 9 people. I do not have authors. I think "Pride" is
traditional. (Pingle is a peninsula in Ireland.)
Rickey Holt,
Fremont, NH
DOUBLE DOT
>From the calling of Marianne Taylor, from whom I learned the dance.
Formation: 4 people on the ends of a plus sign with the fifth person in the
middle facing up (or if it easier to picture, 4 people on the sides of a
square as if each was missing a partner, plus that fifth in the middle).
Left and Right are from the perspective of the middle person - who is facing
up
A1 Middle person, top and right hand person - Star Right
Into a Star Left for middle, bottom and left hand person
A2 Hey for 3 up and down the middle - for middle, top and bottom;
middle and top, right shoulders to start
B1,2 Middle and RIGHT hand person balance together and away and change
places (i.e. allemande right 1/2 way)
Repeat for NEW middle and bottom
Repeat for new middle and next
Repeat for new middle and current top. Do not let go of this last
change and form the star to start the dance again.
I like to use waltzes, Marianne used Reels
PRIDE OF THE PINGLE
By Ken Alexander
Formation: Four couples in longways formation, proper, men on caller's
right, women across from them, AND an extra person at the bottom, between
and below the lines, facing up.
A1 All dance down the hall single file while the Dingle dances up
between the lines
Turn and dance back
A2 "Climb the Ladder": On the sides, all Allemande Left 1/2, then Right
1/2. Dingle joins each allemande to make a 3 person star in succession
moving up with each successive star. This is repeated (for a total of
twice) until the dingle is at the top.
B1 Dingle joins line of their own gender (if this can be determined).
Lines go forward and back, with the dingle going forward to an empty
spot.
All go forward and back again but adjust so that the all are
opposite a new partner. This means that the dingle's line moves down
one
place as it moves forward and a new dingle is popped out at the
bottom.
B2 All swing new partners. Optionally, Dingle can join the bottom
couple to form a basket of three (although I normally do this dance for
beginners and they are too busy getting straight to do the basket).
-------------------------------------------------------------
Corner Triplet
By Linda Leslie
Type: Contra
Formation: Triplet
Level: Easy
A1 -----------
(8) All Actives down the center as a couple (W on Left)
(8) Turn alone and cast off with twos
A2 -----------
(16) Active couple turn contra corners
B1 -----------
(16) Active couple balance and swing, end facing UP
B2 -----------
(8) Actives step btw twos and separate and go down the outside to bottom (to
become threes)
(8) Lines of three, forward and back
Other Notes: I put together a triplet that introduces folks to the
movements, as well as the cast off,
which is found in so many contra corner dances. I have used it a lot, and it
works well.
SharedWeight - 4/26/08
---------------------------------------------------------
David's Triplet #5
By David Smukler
Type: Contra
Formation: Triplet
A1 -----------
Couple one down the outside to the bottom and step into the center
Up the center and cast off with couple two
A2 -----------
All do-si-do partner 1-1/4 into a wavy line-of-6 (right hands with partner)
Balance, allemande right partner just halfway into a new wave
B1 -----------
Balance, pull past partner's right shoulder to start a hey-for-6 (just half
a hey)
B2 -----------
When you meet your partner, gypsy and swing
Notes: Ends of hey function just like a hey for four with out on the right
and back in by the right
Other Notes: Ends in 3-1-2 order.
---------------------------------------------------------
>From Richard Green
But that reminds me that I wrote a triplet a few years back, which works
best with experienced dancers:
TRIANGLE TRIPLET
Three couple longways, actives in the middle, all proper
By Alan Winston, Jan/Feb 2004, subsequent tweaks
Music: Any 32-bar jig or driving reel, NOT TOO FAST. I like "Moon and Seven
Stars" (in Portland Collection) and also like "K and E" for the raggy,
driving feel.
For the Triangle Country Dancers and Sun Assembly
A1: Partners take right hand in right, balance fwd and back.
Actives swing, ends pull by to start a weave the ring
(circular hey with just the four end people). All finish at home.
A2: Partners take right hand in right, balance fwd and back.
End couples swing, actives turn right halfway (or pull by) and
individually orbit the couple to their right; ends finish at home,
middles go through home into the set and face up.
B1: TRIANGLE STARS
1-4: Middles stick out the handy hand (woman's right, man's left) and
ends join in same-sex triangle stars on the sides. Turn the star until the
old middles are on the bottom (about 2/3ds of the way), then let go and face
into the set; that leaves you in order 3-1-2.
5-8: Partners do-si-do.
B2: 1-4: Lines of three forward and back, new middle coming back further
than the others; finish with all facing into your group of three.
5-8: TRIANGLE SWING: cross your hands in front of you and take hands
with your neighbors; turn once around with a buzz-step turn. Open up again
in the same order; you're with the same partner.
NOTES:
On the Triangle star: A wrist grip star gives you an equilateral triangle.
The star is with the people in your own line, and starts with the actives
shoulder to shoulder in the middle, facing up.
You may find you prefer to drop the forward and back and make a longer
triangle swing; I like the opportunity for a smooth entry into the swing,
and there's a memory of the end of "Walpole Cottage" in this sequence. Or,
and this is probably better for most crowds, keep the forward and back and
turn the triangle swing into a basket swing.
---------------------------------------------------------
Square Line Special
By Gary Roodman
>From his book "Calculated Figures"
Type: Contra
Formation: Quadruplet
Music: ³Swinging on a Gate² or any 32-bar contra dance tune, 4 times
through.
A1 -----------
(8) Long lines, forward and back
(8) Go forward again and pass through and turn alone
A2 -----------
(4) Take Right Hand with partner across, balance
(4) (in your group of four) pull partner by the Right, neighbor by the left
(8) Swing the next (partner on the ends, neighbor for the centers)
(End the swing forming a square)
B1 -----------
(8) Head couples Right & Left through
(8) Head couples ladies Chain
B2 -----------
(8) Head couples lead to the right, circle left once
(8) Sides arch, heads duck under, separate, around one
(form lines to start the dance again, your original partner will be across
from you)
---------------------------------------------------------
Al¹s Quadruplet #1
By Al Olson
>From "Give and Take" by Larry Jennings
Type: Contra
Formation: Quadruplet
A1 -----------
(8) Circle Left 1X (in fours)
(8) Circle Right 1X (same groups)
A2 -----------
(16) Dip and dive eight, start with 2s arch and 1s dive
(End when original end couples have passed in the middle a second time)
B1 -----------
(16) Balance and swing the one you face (new neighbor), end facing across
B2 -----------
(8) Half Promenade across the Set
(8) Partner swing - end with new ends facing new middles
Notes: The dancers end a change in 3-1-4-2 order. Four changes return
everyone to the original formation.
---------------------------------------------------------
Al¹s Quadruplet #2
By Al Olson
>From "Give and Take" by Larry Jennings
Type: Contra
Formation: Quadruplet
A1 -----------
(8) Circle Left 1X (in fours)
(8) Circle Right 1X (same groups)
A2 -----------
(16) Right and Left eight along the set, ending in orig positions facing
Neighbor
(each couple passes through along to the end of the set, turns as a couple,
and continues to original starting position)
B1 -----------
(8) Swing neighbor, end facing across
(8) Long lines (of eight), forward and back
B2 -----------
(8) New ends cast to the other end passing R shoulder (while the mids
do-si-do perhaps?)
(8) Partner swing - end with new ends facing new middles
Notes: Four changes return everyone to the original formation.
---------------------------------------------------------
Rise and Run
By Gary Roodman
>From his book "Calculated Figures"
Type: Contra
Formation: Becket-CW
Music: ³My Wife¹s a Wanton Wee Thing² (or any 32-bar contra dance tune - 4X
through)
A1 -----------
(8) Star Right 1X (both sets of four)
(8) Middle four Star Left 1X
A2 -----------
(16) Partner balance and swing
B1 -----------
(8) ³1st couples² Right and left through on the Right diagonal, courtesy
turn
(4) ³2nd couples² Right and left through on Left diagonal, and immediately
turn as a couple to the right and (4) progress cw 1 position around the set
B2 -----------
(8) Women Chain
(8) Women Chain
(for a mixer, substitute N Swing for second chain, or R&L for first chain)
Notes: How about 4X through with same partner and then make a change which
will cause you to change partners for 4X more? e.g. B2 could have women
chain across to swing N, or R&L and then women chain
³There is sometimes confusion about how to form the left-hand star in A1 and
when to take one¹s turn. I usually begin the teaching by designating the
inside four people as 1s and the outside 4 as 2s. Then I can call their
turns as the time comes. Also, for help in forming the left-hand stars, I
have everyone note carefully who is in front of them in the star. That will
be the person to find coming out of the right-hand star.² Gary Roodman
---------------------------------------------------------
O¹Donnell Anew
By Tony Saletan
Type: Contra
Formation: Becket
A1 -----------
(8) Forward four and back
(8) Neighbor Do-si-do
A2 -----------
(8) Left shoulder Partner Do-si-do
(8) Neighbor allemande Right 1-1/2
B1 -----------
(16) Hey, men passing left shoulders
B2 -----------
(16) Swing neighbor who is new partner, end facing other couple in new
position
(aligned across the hall)
Notes: Four changes returns everyone to place. If the first change is along
the hall, the second is across and so on.
Other Notes: Composed for Vince O¹Donnell, former NEFFA music chairman, on
his birthday.
---------------------------------------------------------
K & E for Eight
By Al Olson
>From "Give and Take" by Larry Jennings
Type: Contra
Formation: Quadruplet
A1 -----------
(16) Dip and dive eight, start with 2s arch and 1s dive
(End when original end couples have passed in the middle a second time)
A2 -----------
(8) End fours, Star Right
(8) Same fours, Star Left
(ending with end cpls home, mid W facing each other and mid M making do)
B1 -----------
(8) Mid W 1/2 chain along the set with extra 1/2 courtesy turn
(8) End fours 1/2 women chain along
B2 -----------
(8) Same fours circle Left 3/4(?)
(8) Mid four circle Left 3/4 while end cpls swing and face mid cpls
Notes: Ending order: 3-1-4-2
Other Notes: Alt A1: End cpls face mid cpls: gd R&L for eight, six changes,
M going cw
---------------------------------------------------------
Levi Jackson Rag
By Pat Shaw
>From Gary Armstrong's "Dance Workbook" a collection of 231 dances includling
contras, quadrilles, squares, folk dances, mixers, line and novelty dances.
(This is probably a great resource for other small group dances)
Type: Other
Formation: Becket with one extra couple facing down from the top
A1 -----------
(8) Two pairs of couples R&L, lone cpl goes dn the ctr 1/2 way during
courtesy turn
(8) Two pairs of couples R&L back, lone cpl continues dn the ctr to bot
during courtesy turn
A2 -----------
(8) Foursomes circle Left while lone cpl cast up outside to orig pos
(8) All DSD partner and face into set
B1 -----------
(8) Five woman Star 2/5 passing pt and next M to courtesy turn with next M
(8) Repeat - women passing two new men to new partner, courtesy turn
B2 -----------
(4) Promenade new partner one position ccw
(12) Balance & swing new partner and end facing across
Notes: 5 couples, four in becket, one at top of group facing down
Suggestion: People always seem to run out of time for the balance and swing,
so as a queue for a more pleasing (longer swing), suggest that dancers may
skip the second courtesy turn off the chain in B1 and do the promenade
directly for a full 16 ct balance and swing. Or, just skip the balance.
---------------------------------------------------------
>From Richard Allen Fischer on SharedWeight.com
A favorite triplet of mine is Melanie's Triplet by Melanie Axel-Lute.
It's on her website:
http://www.maxellute.net/triplet.html
A simple dance for three couples starting in a circle goes:
A1 Circle left, circle right
A2 Right hands across star, left hand across star
B1 Couple with lowest hands, lady ducks under to swing partner, then
middle-hands couple, then top, so all are swinging partners
B2 Promenade around the ring
If there are just two couples, many simple contras can be done by
just treating your partner as your next neighbor (and so the axis of
the dance will rotate 90 degrees each time).
In addition to couple dances to break things up, some simple ceilidh
or whole set dances might work; and if you have exactly nine dancers,
how about the fun square Nine Pin?
----------------------------------
Here is a dance that I have called a few times, and I like it because it is
a little different. It is phrased, although the timing becomes a little
more critical with four couples. I hope it is something you can use.
Richard Green
T.A.G.
by Roger Whynot
Proper Lines of 3 or 4 couples
A1 1's lead down center, turn alone come back
Return & Cast around 2's. As they cast:
A2 Gents turn LH star, Ladies turn RH Star(at same time)
B1 When 1's meet, switch stars, lady passing in front. Keep star
moving. Each couple switches as they meet.
All switch back as they meet again
When 1's meet again lead all to top, peel the banana, 1's make arch
at bottom
B2 Others pass under arch to top, 2's are now 1s
------------------------------------
Thanks, Will, for the dances!
You stated:
" and the Gary Armstrong "Dance Workshop" has a
large number of dances (contra, square, folk and novelty) that might be
appropriate for smaller groups."
The author is actually DON Armstrong, and there are several books out
there by him that are terrific collections.
Cheers! Linda Leslie
