Callers,
Thank you to all who have posted on this
thread. It is illuminating and useful to hear
all of your views. I am, in particular,
interested in the ideas of those new to
calling. New callers often bring a fresh
perspective to the art and are less bound by
traditions and habits that may not always be as
relevant in the context of contemporary contra
dance culture. That is particularly useful in a
thread such as this one where a minor but
long-established tradition is being challenged and re-examined.
We should keep in mind that contra dance is a
living folk tradition that is not frozen in
time. That is a great part of its appeal and
popularity. While we need to honor the
historical contributions of those who came before
us it is also important to remember that each of
us--regardless of how experienced we are--has a
legitimate voice in how this dance tradition
evolves. It is vitally important that new
dancers and new callers both take courage and
speak out in this kind of forum. If contra
dancing is to survive as a living tradition it
needs your intelligence, energy, and insight.
****
David Millstone wrote:
> there are many dancers-- most, at some series--
>who don't care about being on time, either. And
>there are some dancers who think it's fine to
>dance roughly, to yank their partner's arm
>around for a gratituous and unwanted twirl, to
>swing their partner off the floor, to chatter
>incessantly during a walkthrough...
Thank you for pointing out that this reflects
directly upon the caller. The caller has far
more influence than anyone else in the
room. Only the caller can take responsibility
for this kind of behavior. And taking
responsibility is the only way to prevent it.
As David also wrote:
>The caller provides leadership, not just a
>well-timed reminder of what figures come where.
>As a leader, the caller helps dancers reach a
>higher level in their dancing, builds community,
>respects our traditions and keeps the music and
>dancing alive for future generations...
Well said! The art of achieving this goal will
be a useful discussion. I think most of us would
agree that it is not effective to simply tell the
dancers how we think they should behave.
****
Joe Micheals wrote:
>I have always felt the majority of the dancers
>don't care who wrote the dance. I try to do it
>though out of respect for the author who
>deserves credit and because the precedent has
>made it part of the culture at dances.
I agree that the author deserves both respect and
credit. They should certainly be cited on any
printed depiction of the dance and at workshops,
etc.. The question here is about the tradition
of announcing the author's name over the PA
system each time a dance is called at open public
venues. Personally, I would prefer that my own
dances not be so credited to me. This is
particularly true if I am present in the room.
****
Gretchen Caldwell wrote:
>Imagine the new dancer who realizes "Harold and
>Barbara Sittin' in a Tree" was written by a
>Charlotte caller for that couple sitting right over there.
Obviously this would be a dance with an
interesting title. I would only point out that
it could be a breach of etiquette to draw the
attention of the entire hall to anyone without
his or her prior permission. Thankfully no one
has written a dance about me. This highlights
why I sincerely hope that no one ever does.
****
Amy wrote:
>New dancers need to know that the dance world is not -- quite-- all about
>them, and about their having a peak aerobic active dance experience every
>possible minute - there's reasons that the dance world is here for them
>to enjoy, and those reasons (the organizers, sound folks, musicians,
>callers, dancer crafters and sometimes even tune composers) all deserve
>their (brief but eloquent) moment of credit.
I love making introductions of the band, sound
person, and dance manager. This seems highly
relevant to the success and enjoyment of the
evening. Since "peak" moments are, by
definition, never continuous there will always be
time for such announcements. My concern is that
the rote reading of dance names and authors seems
less than relevant to the current festivities and
can be a distraction at a critical moment.
****
Chris Weiler wrote:
>My own technique is to announce them after the
>walkthrough and before the music starts. "come
>back to place and we'll dance ____ by ____". The
>beginners won't think that they're being left
>out because they all have been taught the dance,
>and in fact may be distracted by everyone
>starting to back up. The ones who are interested
>and have attention to spare will hear. This also
>lets the band know that we're ready for some music.
This highlights another reason I don't mention
dance names and authors. In many cases it serves
as a way of filling the time after the
walk-through and before the beginning of the
music. My own preference is to eliminate this
awkward and distracting break by having the band
"roll in" the music during the walk-through
itself. This way the dancers never end the
walk-through and the music begins without
stopping the dancers. If the band is willing I
do this with most of the dances during the evening.
Consequently the only time I have to announce the
dance name and author is usually before the
walk-through begins. This is a critical point
where I am asking the dancers to begin listening
to me and I am loath to feed them non-essential
information at that critical moment.
Chris also wrote:
>There are many ways for a caller to gain the
>attention of the dancers. Scarcity of speech is
>one of them, but tone of voice and force of
>personality do a lot more to making the evening
>fun. If just your tone and style of speech can
>convey "I'm having fun, please join me" and
>command attention and obedience as well, it
>really makes the evening fun for the dancers.
>It's not easy, especially for someone like me
>who tends to be shy, but it can be cultivated without sounding phony.
There is certainly something to be said for the
caller conveying her or his own excitement and
love of the dance at the microphone. Personally
I feel like I hear more than enough "force of
personality" from callers. When calling, I see
the dancers having a great deal of fun
socializing in the sets before I begin
teaching. I don't feel any need to invite them
to "join me" in the fun I am having. With a hall
full of gracious, considerate, generous,
warm-hearted, and fascinating people--not to
mention a spirited and talented group of
musicians--it seems clear that people are there
to enjoy a great evening of socializing with
inspired live music. I consider it my gift of
professionalism to get them dancing to the music
as effectively as possible and then to get out of
the way and let them have what they came for.
This is what I most appreciate from great callers.
****
Dan wrote:
>In general, at regular open dances I announce
>dance names and authors just before I begin the
>walk-through. It is my acknowledgement, in lieu
>of a license fee, to the person whose creativity
>I am taking advantage of by calling their
>dance. I tend not to announce my own name, as I
>feel uncomfortable even bragging a little bit.
I have some concern that announcing the dance
name before the walk-through could be taken as a
signal by newcomers that others in the hall have
already learned the dance and this could lower the newcomer's self-confidence.
(Just for your reference, Dan, I would prefer a
license fee if that's what it takes to keep my
name from being announced at the dance.)
****
Susan Elberger wrote:
>I could not disagree with you more, Greg. I've
>been calling dances for 30 years,
Well, actually, you probably could disagree with
me more and probably will. The value of this
kind of forum is that we can discuss these ideas
in an open and civil manner. If we all agreed on
everything we posted there wouldn't be much to learn here.
As a caller I have found that some of my greatest
contributions come from what I don't say and what
I don't do. Like many endeavors calling is often
a subtle art where "less is more." The more
force we apply to our words and actions the less
people will want to attend to them.
One thing that we do agree upon is the purpose of
the contra dance evening as: " a social,
community-building event." That's a big
one. With that common vision I hope we can have many fruitful discussions.
###
Do you know of any figures or dances that had their roots in English
County, showed up in the Civil War period and are still extant in
some form in modern contra dancing? My mom is involved with a living
history farm in SC and they will be doing a program that will involve
all three types of dancing. They would like to be able to trace a
figure or dance through all three periods, and possibly look at how
the figure has changed over the years. If so, do you know details of
how they had changed over the years?
Thanks!
Jack
Hi.... I've posted 4 videos of Lisa Greenleaf, Ron
Buchanon, and Becky Hill calling, A Pirates Life for
Me, The 24th of June, Are you 'most done, and one
unknown dance. All this is on the caller's corner
page of contrausa.com.
Can anyone look at these and let me know some of the
dance names, the author's data and any other
comments on the calling and dances?
By the way, the dancing and music is great also...
and you may see your friends in there :)
best wishes ...
Richie Katz
Tampa
The unknown dance appears to be "Jurassic Redheads" by Carol Ormand.
Cis Hinkle
Hi Everyone,
I must apologize for the few old emails that came out today! The
mailing list manager had a bug in it, and I just found out about it
today. It caused a few emails (and a lot of spam) to be held up in a
deferred queue. I patched the system this morning and released the queue.
It shouldn't happen any more, but if your emails don't make it through
the list in the future, please write to me and Chris!
-Seth
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
> --- April wrote:
Does anyone have a suggestion for a tune that has a different B2????
--- end of quote ---
Gallopede is an AABC tune (available at The Session in abc and gif).
Stacy Rose
Southe Coast (Oregon) Folk Society
--- Joe wrote:
I have always felt the majority of the dancers don't care who wrote the dance.
--- end of quote ---
Agreed. And stretching the point to make a point, there are many dancers-- most,
at some series-- who don't care about being on time, either. And there are some
dancers who think it's fine to dance roughly, to yank their partner's arm around
for a gratituous and unwanted twirl, to swing their partner off the floor, to
chatter incessantly during a walkthrough...
I believe that being a caller is more than picking a card from a file and timing
the calls properly. The caller provides leadership, not just a well-timed
reminder of what figures come where. As a leader, the caller helps dancers reach
a higher level in their dancing, builds community, respects our traditions and
keeps the music and dancing alive for future generations... And yes, announcing
the name of a dance and the author, out of respect if for no other reason, is
worth doing. Heck, I usually announce titles (and sometimes authors) of the
tunes, too. Goes right over the heads of most people on the floor, but I can't
tell you how many times someone-- a dancer who is also a musician, typically--
has come up to thank me for dong that.
David Millstone
Lebanon, NH
In Lost in Interstellar Haze, is the Partner
Swing in B1 a B&S or just a Swing? If just a swing, it's a really long one.
Here's the dance as I have it:
A1 RHS 1¼
Shadow Alle L (7/8)
A2 Straight Across Hey (not with P, Gs lead by R Sh)
B1 P Sw / P B&S
B2 Ladies Chain
LHS 1x
Jack
At 06:04 PM 7/9/2008, you wrote:
>Hi Folks,
> A friend of a friend asked for a description of the dance/dance movement
>called "Sugar on the Floor." It is not in my repetoire by that name, so i
>turn to your collective wisdeom.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Tom
>
>--
>Tom Senior
>Dance while you can.
>_______________________________________________
>Callers mailing list
>Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
I'm a new caller but a long-time organizer and dancer. I do announce dance titles and authors, as I feel it's important to let dancers know about the creative work that goes in to making their fun evening happen. I don't dwell on it too long, just enough to feed a tidbit of info about how what they're about to dance fits in to the larger dance community. Imagine the new dancer who realizes "Harold and Barbara Sittin' in a Tree" was written by a Charlotte caller for that couple sitting right over there. And that "Petronella" was written much longer ago. It's part of my own mission for our community dance to let the dancers feel a part of a community, not just pay at the door for a good time. Helps them feel a bit more ownership in the fun of the evening. I think there's room for many styles, depending on the nature of the local dance community and the goals of the organizers.
Gretchen Caldwell
Charlotte, NC
----- Original Message ----
From: "callers-request(a)sharedweight.net" <callers-request(a)sharedweight.net>
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 12:00:02 PM
Subject: Callers Digest, Vol 47, Issue 11
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: tic tac shoes / Dansneakers (Susan Pleck)
2. Re: Announcing Dance Names (Dan Pearl)
3. Re: Announcing Dance Names (Was: "Lost in Interstellar Haze")
(Michael Barraclough)
4. Re: Announcing Dance Names (Was: "Lost in Interstellar Haze")
(Chris Weiler)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:49:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: Susan Pleck <spleck1(a)yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Callers] tic tac shoes / Dansneakers
To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Message-ID: <224188.44154.qm(a)web83001.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
(Hello folks - I'm a beginning caller, happily lurking here of late...)
Though I haven't tried other styles, I'll second the recommendation for Capezio Dansneakers. I finally just bought my first pair of dance shoes right before going to a weeklong camp - brilliant plan for breaking them in, no? But they felt totally comfortable as soon as I tried them on (granted, my feet are probably pretty "normal"), and I came out of 8 nights in a row of exuberant dancing in them with no problem. Also, I found that they offered enough but not too much traction (I don't like or at least am not used to much slipperiness), and I could also put my weight back on the heel if I chose in order to spin fast. Plus, not that expensive!
And while I'm certainly a comfort-over-fashion sort, I didn't think they were that ugly. ;) Besides, aren't we all gazing into each other's eyes anyway?
Wishing joyful dancing and calling to all,
Susan Pleck
Oakland, CA
----- Original Message ----
From: Tina Fields <tfields8(a)yahoo.com>
To: "callers@ sharedweight.net" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 2:50:54 PM
Subject: Re: [Callers] tic tac shoes
Hi folks -
Like a couple of you who've posted, I too have little
"tortilla feet" - short and wide, women's 6-1/2 D. I do
wear kids' shoes sometimes; that's excellent advice. But
the best shoes I've found for contradancing are Capezio's
Dansneakers. They are ugly to look at, but so comfortable
that I can dance one of those 12-hour events and still go
hiking the next day. I figure my late-night bounciness more
than makes up for the lack of glamour in the shoe
department.
Tina
Tina R. Fields, Ph.D.
(707) 824-9318
"Hindsight Now!"
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------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:03:01 -0700 (PDT)
From: Dan Pearl <daniel_pearl(a)yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Announcing Dance Names
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Message-ID: <660816.46991.qm(a)web65716.mail.ac4.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
I wholehearted agree with Susan Elberger, and with Greg a bit as well.
In general, at regular open dances I announce dance names and authors just before I begin the walk-through. It is my acknowledgement, in lieu of a license fee, to the person whose creativity I am taking advantage of by calling their dance.? I tend not to announce my own name, as I feel uncomfortable even bragging a little bit.
At one night stands, I?do not announce names or composers because in that setting I want to make every syllable count, and I want the music to start as soon as possible.??
So that's what I do.? Inconsistent? Yeah. Reasoned? Who knows...
Dan
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:49:43 -0400
From: "Michael Barraclough" <michael(a)michaelbarraclough.com>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Announcing Dance Names (Was: "Lost in
Interstellar Haze")
To: "'Caller's discussion list'" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Message-ID: <005a01c8e636$3301af30$99050d90$@com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I was about to respond to Greg (see below) when I saw that Cathy and Dan had
said just what I would like to have said (but far more eloquently).
Michael Barraclough
http://www.michaelbarraclough.com
-----Original Message-----
From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net
[mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Greg McKenzie
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 1:41 PM
To: Caller's discussion list
Subject: Re: [Callers] Announcing Dance Names (Was: "Lost in Interstellar
Haze")
Michael Barraclough wrote:
>There is nothing wrong with change - sometimes it improves what was
>originally created. However I believe that it is good etiquette to
announce
>the name of the dance and its author to the dancers (before the
walkthrough,
>after the walkthrough, when the dance ends - take your pick, we could have
>another discussion about which is best!) and to announce if you have
changed
>the dance or to say that this dance is based on ....
I want to take this opportunity to present another view.
I think there are some good reasons not to announce the name of a
dance at all. This has become my own practice. One reason comes
from the idea that the caller will earn the attention of the dancers
by eliminating as much non-essential information as possible from
their comments. This is not easy. It involves careful construction
of the calls and precise walk-through instructions. It also involves
recruiting others to make announcements and eliminating anciallary
comments at the microphone. The effect is to train the dancers that
your voice always carries essential information. (The most essential
information is an instruction to physically move.) In contrast, any
non-essential information offers the dancers an opportunity to "tune
out" the caller's voice and engage in social interaction.
I consider the name and author of the dance to be non-essential
information. The caller has a limited amount of "currency" in
holding the dancer's attention. All non-essential information draws
down the caller's account. That does not mean one cannot tell
anecdotes or tell the name of a dance. It just means that callers
need to be careful how they use what currency they have. If you find
that you have difficulty earning or holding the attention of the
dancer's you might want to replay your tape of the evening and pay
attention to how much non-essential information you are giving
out. You might have over-drawn your account.
A contra dance caller needs to intersperse an evening of social
intercourse with times when the dancers need to pay careful attention
to the caller's voice. Making a courteous and seamless transition
between these two activities--without relying upon a loud PA
system--is the mark of an excellent contra dance caller.
Another reason not to tell the name of a dance is because it carries
the implied message that the name is important. Most newcomers are
likely to assume that this means that others in the hall already know
the dance. Some dancers may feel that they are less prepared because
they haven't learned this particular dance previously. This could
create unnecessary anxiety among some of the dancers in the
hall. Anxiety lowers self-confidence and will make the caller's job
more difficult. Not announcing the name puts everyone on more of an
equal status.
Perhaps we should consider alternatives to announcing the name and
author of every dance. One is to only announce the names of dances
if the name is meaningful or entertaining. A caller could also make
a list of the evening's program, with the names of the dance authors,
available to interested participants and announce this early in the evening.
I would be interested in what others think of this idea.
Regards,
Greg McKenzie
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------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:06:57 -0400
From: Chris Weiler <chris.weiler(a)weirdtable.org>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Announcing Dance Names (Was: "Lost in
Interstellar Haze")
To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Message-ID: <487C84D1.7080104(a)weirdtable.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
I must agree with Susan on announcing dance names. My own technique is
to announce them after the walkthrough and before the music starts.
"come back to place and we'll dance ____ by ____". The beginners won't
think that they're being left out because they all have been taught the
dance, and in fact may be distracted by everyone starting to back up.
The ones who are interested and have attention to spare will hear. This
also lets the band know that we're ready for some music.
There are many ways for a caller to gain the attention of the dancers.
Scarcity of speech is one of them, but tone of voice and force of
personality do a lot more to making the evening fun. If just your tone
and style of speech can convey "I'm having fun, please join me" and
command attention and obedience as well, it really makes the evening fun
for the dancers. It's not easy, especially for someone like me who tends
to be shy, but it can be cultivated without sounding phony.
Chris Weiler
Goffstown, NH
------------------------------
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End of Callers Digest, Vol 47, Issue 11
***************************************
Hi,
A youtube video of Rick Mohr at a session Dance
Flurry 2008 - Sunday Synchromesh Contras
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDwBNumufcM
has this Beckett dance (if I've transcribed it
correctly)
A1 Circle Left 3/4, Pass thru, (new)
Neighbor Dosido
A2 (back to old neighbors) Left Hand Star, (new)
Neighbor Swing
B1 Gents Allemand Left 1 1/2, 1/2 Hey
B2 Partner Balance and Swing
Was Sunday Synchromesh Contras the name of the
session or is it the name of the dance?
Ta,
Cheers, Bill
