Re: [Callers] Callers Digest, Vol 38, Issue 2
by Martha Wild
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
>
10 years, 11 months
weird contra dances
by Mark Hillegonds
Hi all,
Michael Barraclough posted the following "weird contra dances"
I sure would appreciate some help with the timing and track in B2. The best
I have managed to do is actives pull by (4) and box the gnat with 1st
corners (4), I then have 4 beats to pull by with this corner, pass my
partner right shoulder to get to 2nd corner for swat the flea (4). A few
managed (just) to do it with going straight across from 1st corner to 2nd
corner (ie passing left shoulder) but in the end we gave up.
Any help would be appreciated.
I am certainly NOT offended by the dance being called "weird" though I'm
not sure it's as strange is Michael is interpreting it. I have called this
dance several time successfully. You have the same amount of time (16
beats) to do B2 as you do with a "normal" contra corners.
Michael, you're description appears to leave out 4 beats after the first
corner box the gnat. You actually have 8 beats to pull by your first
corner, pass your partner, and swat the flea with your second corner. Using
your description below, it's:
(4) actives pull by
(4) box the gnat with 1st corners
(4) Pull by with 1st corner, (should be able to get back to your partner by
the 4th beat and start the right shoulder pass)
(4) Pass partner by right shoulder and 2nd corner swat the flea.
Here is the full dance.
Rosie the Welder
Composed: Mark Hillegonds, May 22, 2007
Formation: Contra, duple minor, improper
A1 (16) Actives balance and swing
A2 (8) Circle left
(8) Neighbor do si do
B1 (8) Take right hands with neighbor, balance and box the gnat
(8) Take left hands with partner, balance and swat the flea
B2 (8) Actives pull by and box the gnat with first corner
(8) Pull by with that 1st corner, actives pass by the right shoulder swat
the flea with 2nd corner.
(Pull by 2nd corner to start the dance with the partner balance and
swing.)
Notes:
B2 Explain to the dancers that this is just a contra corners with corner
twirls instead of allemandes.
Mark Hillegonds
Phone: 734-747-7148
Cell: 734-756-8441
Email: mhillegonds(a)comcast.net
11 years, 8 months
Re: [Callers] Callers Digest, Vol 46, Issue 12
by Martha Wild
I recommend TicTacToes - check out all the dancing shoes they have
available at TicTacToes.com - I've bought quite a few pair from them,
and they are comfortable and have great suede/leather soles and all
sorts of styles and colors and widths. They have shoes for men and
women - they have them for all kinds of dancing, from ballroom to tap
to country Western. I can't dance in tennis shoes because since they
don't slip well I end up tweaking my right knee when doing buzz step
swings. And the prices are about usual for shoes.
Martha
On Jun 25, 2008, 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. Shoes (Rickey)
> 2. Re: Shoes (Mortland, Jo)
> 3. Re: Shoes (Laur)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:01:58 -0400
> From: "Rickey" <holt.e(a)comcast.net>
> Subject: [Callers] Shoes
> To: <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <000901c8d635$28ac7260$020fa8c0@maxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Hi,
>
> I am considering buying my first pair of shoes bought expressly for
> contra
> dancing. What do you recommend? What do you think of suede
> soles? I need
> good arch support. Whatever I buy would also need to be acceptable
> to dance
> organizers in need of protecting their venue's floors.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rickey Holt.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:10:20 -0500
> From: "Mortland, Jo" <j-mortland(a)neiu.edu>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Shoes
> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID:
> <9B0B0B8FF2328E48930D4B6273C1B2610CBD1CFE(a)EXNODE1.univ.neiu.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
>
>
> I need to wear orthotics in my every day shoes for arch support.
>
> So when I buy new shoes, I take the old pair, one that accommodates
> the
> orthotics, to a shoe clinic. I ask for "dance leather" (suede) to be
> affixed to the bottoms of the shoes, but only from the toe to the arch
> (not the heel). This way I have support and a great surface for
> swinging. Costs me about $30.00. and I keep updating my dance
> shoes as
> I purchase new regular wear ones. (I wear SAS shoes. I used to
> have a
> pair of Rockports with which I did the same thing.)
>
> Jo Mortland
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:05:24 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Laur <lcpgr(a)yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Shoes
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <173165.55101.qm(a)web52907.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>
> I sent an earlier message off list -
>
> Same goes for me.
>
> In my case I buy a good supportive tennis shoe, but I have swede
> put on the bottom of the whole shoe. It just works for me. And it
> also costs about 30-40 depending on who you go to.
>
> I have in the past put leather on a vinyl bottomed shoe.
>
> Of course, if you have a pair of shoes that work for you - old
> sneakers, just put duct tape on them. I did that for nine years.
> It worked just fine.
>
> Laurie
> GR
>
> --- On Tue, 6/24/08, Mortland, Jo <j-mortland(a)neiu.edu> wrote:
>
>> From: Mortland, Jo <j-mortland(a)neiu.edu>
>> Subject: Re: [Callers] Shoes
>> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
>> Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 4:10 PM
>> I need to wear orthotics in my every day shoes for arch
>> support.
>>
>> So when I buy new shoes, I take the old pair, one that
>> accommodates the
>> orthotics, to a shoe clinic. I ask for "dance
>> leather" (suede) to be
>> affixed to the bottoms of the shoes, but only from the toe
>> to the arch
>> (not the heel). This way I have support and a great
>> surface for
>> swinging. Costs me about $30.00. and I keep updating my
>> dance shoes as
>> I purchase new regular wear ones. (I wear SAS shoes. I
>> used to have a
>> pair of Rockports with which I did the same thing.)
>>
>> Jo Mortland
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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 46, Issue 12
> ***************************************
11 years, 9 months
Any Whipperstompers out there?
by Chris Weiler (home)
Hello everyone,
Anybody attend the Whipperstompers weekend a couple of weeks ago in
South Carolina? I talked with Adina Gordon last night about it and she
had some good things to say. Adina, that's your cue to let us know how
it went and your impressions about what the organizers and attendees
took away from it. ;)
Anyone else attend and want to share their experiences?
Adina and I found out that we're both planning on attending the Youth
Dance Weekend in Vermont in September. Anyone else going to be there?
Happy Dancing,
Chris Weiler
Goffstown, NH
11 years, 9 months
Re: [Callers] Shoes
by Hgrastorf＠aol.com
If your ankles are the least bit liable to "turn" if you wear what costumers
call "character shoes" -- a classic woman's dance shoe which has 2" or 2.5"
heels that taper considerably toward the bottom -- then you might want to
look for a character shoe with what is called a "Cuban" heel. They resemble tap
shoe heels in that they are "squared off" and do not taper. I wear a Capezio
style (now discontinued, alas) with a 1" Cuban heel, which I actually find
less fatiguing than flats, and which gives terrific support. They have a strap
which fastens to a buckle which is on a fold of elastic, which allows for a
certain amount of "give." They are lightweight, but sturdy.
If there's a dance supply store in your area, you should consider getting
properly fitted for your first pair -- many dance shoes run a size or half a
size smaller than "street" shoes. A store which also sells pointe shoes
usually has expert fitters, carries more than one brand, and also has a range of
useful accoutrements -- moleskin, etc. But once you've found a style and size
that work for you, look online to get replacement pairs. Discountdance.com,
for instance, usually runs about 25% less, although there's the shipping
charge.
If, like me, you wear orthotics, then it's crucial to make sure that the
shoes accommodate the orthotics comfortably, and that the heel is not so high
that it compromises the insert. If (like an acquaintance of mine at Glen Echo)
you absotively posolutely insist on dancing contra and waltz in 2" heels and
you wear orthotics, ask your podiatrist to fit a custom pair of orthotics
which will accommodate the "lift" at the heel. Your insurance probably won't
cover it, but they can be ordered that way. (Your podiatrist will have a thing
or three to say about that, mind you.)
The leather soles on my Capezios give me just enough spin for the floor at
Glen Echo. I wear them only for dance, and I check the soles carefully and
remove any build-up of floor product residue. I have two pair (one black, one
taupe), which I try to use alternately. I have tried a wide range of other
dance shoes (split-sole dance/jazz sneakers, leather jazz shoes, etc.) but I
always come back to the Cuban-heel character shoes.
April Blum
**************Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for
fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007)
11 years, 9 months
Shoes
by Rickey
Hi,
I am considering buying my first pair of shoes bought expressly for contra
dancing. What do you recommend? What do you think of suede soles? I need
good arch support. Whatever I buy would also need to be acceptable to dance
organizers in need of protecting their venue's floors.
Thanks,
Rickey Holt.
11 years, 9 months
Re: [Callers] suggestions for dancing on lawns, name calling and accidental gender reassignment... !
by The Witful Turnip
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:19:57 -0400
The Witful Turnip wrote:
>I have insurance for just about everything else car, condo, life, you name
>it. I wholeheartedly believe in getting insurance if it's available. But I
>couldn't seem to find out if I could actually get it. And then it just
>slipped off the radar and I forgot about it. Ultimately, I believe that
>Canucks are less litigious than you 'Mericans, so I hadn't gone back to
>follow up. But every time someone mentions it, I wonder about it...
I just wanted to formally and publicly apologize to all you Merkins. Jerome
was kind enough to privately point out my error in name calling. So I
thought I'd fess up. And since he's happy to listen to CBC <who wouldn't?!?>
you can all witness my dubbing him an honourary Canuck!
Bev
----------------------------
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:56:38 -0700
JD Erskine wrote:
>>The Witful Turnip wrote about insurance:
>>snip
>
>Hi Bev et al
>
>Ben hope you don't mind I modified the subject line for this topic fork.
No, not at all Jane.
>I'm not in that position, yet (may never be) however had exactly the
>same questions. I just deleted a bunch of guess work lines here to avoid
>muddying the waters so will also see what response there is before
>following it up more (other lists, CDSS directly, ..).
Nice to see another Canadian posting on this list. Although I've been here
since it's inception, I must confess to typically lurking. I just can't keep
up with the volume. But do let me know if you find out anything and I'll do
the same for you. You may be in the position of needing insurance soon.
>Cheers, John
>
>J.D. Erskine
>Victoria, BC
Bev <not Ben>
Toronto, ON
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:40:10 -0400
Amy wrote:
>
>and I agree with whoever suggested waiting on the cake: people think their
>job as a guest is done once they eat it.
I agree with both Beth and Amy on this. Dance before cake. Let them work up
an appetite. In my experience, once they sit and have cake, you'll be hard
pressed to get most people back up on the dance floor.
>I like to lead from a toast, with everyone gathered round standing, to
>taking hands in a circle for the first dance, and then having the cake
>after the third or fourth dance.
>Background music during the cake eating, then a few more dances for the
>die-hards.
I really like the toast idea! I have a wedding to call in July. I'll have to
try that. Though, I try to go 4 - 5 dances before cake. Depends on the
crowd.
I typically start with what I call the Snake Dance, which is a simple single
line of people holding hands weaving in and around tables adding people to
the line as we go, like a conga line. I encourage people that they only need
to walk to the beat of the music, one step for every beat, and they can
dance. And I have the band play some really hot tunes. It's an easy way to
get people who are reluctant and sitting in their chairs, up on their feet
and participating. If they can walk, they can dance, and they all walked
into the wedding. I eventually wind them into a big circle, stop the music
and then teach a simple circle mixer like La Bastringue. I can usually keep
them on the dance floor after that.
>just my 1/50 of a buck.
Worth the same amount of a Canadian loonie these days. Woo hoo!
Bev
11 years, 9 months
Re: [Callers] suggestions for dancing on lawns...
by David.Millstone＠valley.net
> I may toss it out as a suggestion to the bride and groom who really want to
have their guests up having a good time.
I know that when Dudley Laufman does a wedding gig, he insists as part of the
pre-party negotiations that he be given 45 minutes or so for dancing before
there's cake cutting or some other intermission. He knows from long experience
that this may be all the dancing that happens in the course of the evening, and
he wants to get in more than one or two dances. If after the cake / break folks
come back for more, great!
By the way, when I'm discussing a dance with the happy couple, before the event,
I remind them that the single biggest factor in whether folks will dance and
will have a good time is whether the wedding couple is out there on the dance
floor. If they're there, it's MUCH easier to get others to join in. If they're
saying goodby to great-aunt Tillie, somewhere off in a corner, forget it. It's
going to be really hard to entice others onto the floor. (or lawn, as the case
may be...)
David Millstone
11 years, 9 months
suggestions for dancing on lawns...
by Laur
Hell all, looking for support and any suggestions for calling an outside wedding dance.
Since I am dealing with a wedding dance I don't have to worry about fast dancing. Although I keep thinking about that unsteady dancing thing that is already present with non-dancers, and their over exuberance. I also think about letting that caller insurance lag this year.
I'm open to anything anyone can offer. Wedding is Sunday. Trying to rethink today and tomorrow.
Thanks - Laurie, Grand Rapids, MI
~ What the heart has once owned.....it shall never lose. ~
~ Henry Ward Beecher~
~~
11 years, 9 months
Re: [Callers] suggestions for dancing on lawns... and question about caller insurance
by The Witful Turnip
I've called many a wedding and/or event dance on grass and have never had a
problem. Like Beth, I agree with most everything that's been said,
particularly Rich's comment about using elbow swings, Tom's comment about
using mixers, and her comment about wedding timing. All absolutely true in
my experience.
I don't like the idea of dancing on cardboard boxes taped together. [I can
just see Lindsay rolling his eyes at me right now! <wave>] That strikes me
as potentially slippery (especially if women are wearing heels) and more
dangerous than just dancing on the grass. But your mileage may vary.
In my experience at weddings, women are often wearing high heels. I
typically walk around on the grassy area of the dance to look for
particularly uneven terrain in order to try to steer clear of it. And
assuming the grass is clean or debris and other potential assorted
muckiness, I often suggest that women dance barefooted rather than in heels.
If the grass is soft, they have a tendency to get stuck/caught anyway.
Laurie, I'm calling the dance in Lansing this Saturday. Come to the dance
and we can chat more about this.
About caller insurance, I heard about it a couple of years ago, and it may
have even been on this list. My recollection is that it's offered by or
related to CallerLab, the modern western square dance folks in the US. I
also seem to remember that the link to the forms was on the CDSS website.
I'm certain I got the forms and emailed someone then to find out the answers
to some questions, and never got any. Perhaps you folks can answer them.
I'm a Canadian caller. Can I even apply to get this insurance?
Will it cover me if I'm calling dances in Canada?
Will it cover me if I'm calling dances in the US, even though I'm Canadian?
Are there any Canadians on this list that have purchased it?
Has anyone had to actually use it (e.g. make a claim)?
I have insurance for just about everything else car, condo, life, you name
it. I wholeheartedly believe in getting insurance if it's available. But I
couldn't seem to find out if I could actually get it. And then it just
slipped off the radar and I forgot about it. Ultimately, I believe that
Canucks are less litigious than you 'Mericans, so I hadn't gone back to
follow up. But every time someone mentions it, I wonder about it...
Thanks,
Bev
11 years, 9 months
