Wouldn't it be great to have an online directory of dance organizers who want to recruit callers--and callers looking for gigs? The dance organizers could give their specifications, preferences (possibly including insights into the local style), how payment would be handled, etc. The callers could say what they're looking for and have to offer, how far they're willing to travel, etc. as well. Oh, yeah, the system could include musicians too...the whole thing could be modeled after the "personals" classifieds or the NY Times employment section. Oops, maybe not such a good idea--maybe the postings would soon be crowded with offers of pseudo-pharmaceutical substances to add/subtract inches to various body parts or windfall opportunities to share in large amounts of offshore currency.
The tension for dance organizers between wanting to lean toward the security of proven big names who will insure consistently large and enthusiastic turnouts, and the uncertainties of trying relatively unknown callers and musicians isn't going to go away. Fortunately, there are still folks trying to keep smaller local dance series alive, even occasionally starting new ones. Without these people, who often have even fewer training resources to draw on than beginning callers, the future of contra dance "in the wild" would be bleak indeed...
Chip Hedler
Hi All,
Great topic. I've been calling for almost two years with a mix of
family dances and small contra dances. I've viewed these venues as a
forgiving place to learn and practice, and I am grateful for them. I
also help to organize a dance that is mid-sized with a mix of
experienced and new dancers that runs once a month. In a good month
we get 100 there; in smaller months 65.
My "glass ceiling" was calling the dance that I organize. For many of
the issues that Greg described, our organizing committee wants to
keep the dance lively with consistent performers. However, we are
also open to up and coming performers and decided that we would pair
new bands with experienced callers and visa versa as a way to
encourage and develop new talent. Our summer months are typically
smaller dances, so this is a time when our booker feels more freedom
to book a range of performers. This summer I've felt that I've been
ready to call a whole night where there are more experienced dancers,
and therefore at our dance. To get there, I had to meet the
expectations of the committee that I was ready. I struggled a bit
with this. I felt concern that I would take advantage of my position
on the committee to get on stage.
My "big break" came two weeks ago when our caller for the August
dance cancelled with relatively short notice. Our outreach to other
callers failed to come up with anyone who was available and so I got
to call the night. As a caller, it was really a new experience to
plan for and call a whole night of dances for these dancers. As Tina
described, I was able to call dances that were more challenging to
call and dance. Nothing too wowing, but for me, they were a stretch
beyond what I'd been able to do elsewhere. It was really fun and all
went well.
I've talked with local musicians who felt this same sort of barrier
to getting on stage at another big local dance. They felt that they
were put to a higher standard by the bookers just because they were
familiar and untested and young performers. I think what Tina is
describing isn't atypical.
Tina, if you are willing to travel, we'll book you at our dance!
Maybe a strategy is to get on the road and call at bigger dances
outside of your region. On the strength of that experience, you
could reasonably the local organizers to give you a shot.
My two cents,
Nancy Turner
Vermont
The list has always has been there when I needed y'all. Thanks, that dance seems to fit very well.
See ya on the floor,
Dan
----- Original Message ----
From: Liz and Bill <staf186(a)ext.canterbury.ac.nz>
To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 3:06:20 AM
Subject: Re: [Callers] See Saw dance request
Hi Dan,
Unruly Reunion by Robert Cromartie is a very
easy dance. As written it has a Dosido in B1a, but
a variation with a seesaw (with a clockwise
flourish) fits the flow better.
Improper
A1 down the hall four in line (1's in the middle)
Turn alone, return, Bend the line
A2 Circle Left, Circle Right
B1 Neighbor Seesaw (with clockwise flourish),
Neighbor Swing
B2 LLFB, 1's Swing
Cheers, Bill
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Gang,
Does anyone have an easy see saw (left shoulder dosido) dance for a second dance of the evening? My hope is to do a Moon Dance & Sun Dance medley however, I don't have a see saw dance to set this medley up. I got Daddy's Reeling and
Pride of Charlottesville from the list serve, any others. Thanks
Dan Black
Western Shore of NJ
Thanks Michael. I hadn't thought to look at Don's books.
----- Original Message ----
From: Michael Barraclough <michael(a)michaelbarraclough.com>
To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 11:53:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Callers] See Saw dance request
How about Moon Rhymes by Don Flaherty. His original dance has a dosido but
I feel that a seesaw flows better (that's how I call it). The title fits
perfectly with your theme! You do need plenty of space along the line for
this one.
Ladies chain (along set) [4]
Seesaw as couples [4]
Partner swing [8]
Men allemande left 1.5 [4]
Neighbour swing [4]
Circular balance [2]
Petronella [2]
Circular balance [2]
Petronella [2]
Michael Barraclough
http://www.michaelbarraclough.com
-----Original Message-----
From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net
[mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Dan Black
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 11:37 PM
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Subject: [Callers] See Saw dance request
Gang,
Does anyone have an easy see saw (left shoulder dosido) dance for a second
dance of the evening? My hope is to do a Moon Dance & Sun Dance medley
however, I don't have a see saw dance to set this medley up. I got Daddy's
Reeling and
Pride of Charlottesville from the list serve, any others. Thanks
Dan Black
Western Shore of NJ
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I was present, and dancing, at a dance once where Becky Hill taught the A1 of Dancing Bear with a demo. I always teach it exactly this way. This is how the Becky taught it:
Allemande right just 1/2, then do a little hop
(dancers LOVE this little hop. Alle 1/2 and hop takes 4 beats)
Then switch hands and allemande left one full time (another 4 beats) into the ladies chain.
That's the whole A1. It works just fine.
Rich
-------------- Original message --------------
From: "Rickey" <holt.e(a)comcast.net>
> Hi,
>
> I have called this dance before but a part of my directions does not make
> sense to me. Have you called it? The dance is Dancing Bear, by Becky Hill.
> Duple Improper
>
> (A1) Neighbor Allemande Right (œ ) (4) / Same Neighbor Allemande Left (ONCE
> AROUND) (also in 4!)/ Ladies Chain ( œ ) (8)
>
> (A1) Hey (16)
>
> (B1) Partner Balance and Swing (16)
>
> (B2) Ladies Chain ( œ ) (8) /Star left (once to new neighbors) (8)
>
>
>
> A Great dance!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>
>
> What is puzzling me is this: The Allemande Left (in A1) seems to need to be
> closer to ONCE AND A HALF to set up for the ladies chain and doing THAT in 4
> counts would be too much. I have called it, and I called it as once around
> and it did look like the dancers were going more than one half way around
> (the other option), so what do you think was really going on.
>
> How do you call this dance?
>
> Rickey Holt,
>
> Fremont, NH
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
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> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
Thanks to everyone who let me know about Donna Hunt and the "stutter step" in the video :)
I've emailed Donna and will let you all know of any data she gives me :) :)
Keep the contra fires burning... :)
Richie Katz
____________________________________________________________
Click here to find the perfect picture with our powerful photo search features.
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/Ioyw6i3mDcGPvii31xm139X0smrSQn8…
Hi,
I have called this dance before but a part of my directions does not make
sense to me. Have you called it? The dance is Dancing Bear, by Becky Hill.
Duple Improper
(A1) Neighbor Allemande Right (½ ) (4) / Same Neighbor Allemande Left (ONCE
AROUND) (also in 4!)/ Ladies Chain ( ½ ) (8)
(A1) Hey (16)
(B1) Partner Balance and Swing (16)
(B2) Ladies Chain ( ½ ) (8) /Star left (once to new neighbors) (8)
A Great dance!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is puzzling me is this: The Allemande Left (in A1) seems to need to be
closer to ONCE AND A HALF to set up for the ladies chain and doing THAT in 4
counts would be too much. I have called it, and I called it as once around
and it did look like the dancers were going more than one half way around
(the other option), so what do you think was really going on.
How do you call this dance?
Rickey Holt,
Fremont, NH
I have a whole bunch of thoughts on what makes a program varied or
unvaried. I see, after having written what follows prior to scrolling
down and reading below, that Alan and I have very similar ideas -
however, I'll just leave what follows here even if it goes over some
of the same ground, i.e., beginnings, transitions, and distinctive
figures. Oh well, here's my take:
I like to see variation in the types of transitions, like star to do-
si-do, or California Twirl to face next neighbors, or circle left and
pass through, or slide left to next etc. in a Becket. Too many of the
same transition can seem unvaried. To me, starting two dances in a
row the same way feels unvaried as a dancer. Haven't you ever been to
programs where every dance starts "Balance and swing your neighbor?"
I like to vary the kinds of swings in a program - some balance and
swings, one or two gypsy into swing, just plain swing from a do si do
or an allemande, sometimes women swing or men swing for variety. As a
dancer, I'm afraid I'm not really fond of swinging both partner and
neighbor in every dance. It just gets too darn tiring. Watch everyone
leave early on a hot night in San Diego without air conditioning. So
I try to mix up the program with a dance with "both" swings, and
dances with partner only swings. I even do some fun dances with
(gasp) active couples in them - usually double progressions, but also
an active dance done late on a hot evening, or early with a small
crowd, can have unusual choreography that you won't see in other
dances and that is fun to do as a dancer. I also like to do dances
where the #1 couple swings and later the #2 couple swings, so both
get a chance. As far as repetition of figures - some figures you can
get away with lots of repeats during the evening - like forward and
back in long lines, or ladies chain, or right and left through. Sort
of bread and butter figures. Other figures dancers start to notice -
a fair number of circles can be OK, but when every dance has one,
it's pretty obvious. Some figures are distinct and you don't want to
do more than two (maybe one) dances with them - petronellas, box the
gnats, wave balances, whole set circle left - those sorts of things.
And if you like your program, and you've got a lot of heys in it, OWN
your program, and say - tonight's theme is - wait for it - the HEY!
We'll be trying all manner of heys and ways in and ways out of heys.
Then it becomes something to look forward to and notice the
differences and feel from dance to dance.
Of course, that said, many dancers don't even notice if the same
dance is repeated in the same evening - this from personal experience
when two callers did that in a shared evening. A couple dancers
remarked when asked that it did seem somewhat familiar.... But even
if they don't consciously notice repetition, variety will still add
that spice.
One thing to be avoided though, is picking slightly similar repeating
figures in two different dances - like circle left, ladies chain,
women do-si-do and then two dances later do circle left, ladies
chain, women allemande right - even if the rest of the dance is
wildly different, people get pretty quickly entrained on the flow of
the first set and will keep wanting to do-si-do in the second set. So
I try to check my program for those sorts of repeats. I've felt the
magnetic attraction of the entrained movement as a dancer and seen
people stumbling with the second set as a caller - so avoid that.
That's enough thoughts on variety for now... Have fun planning your
programs.
Martha
On Aug 7, 2008, at 9:00 AM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
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>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. What Makes A Program Varied (Rickey)
> 2. Re: What Makes A Program Varied
> (Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing)
> 3. Re: Chris's message (J L Korr)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 17:26:57 -0400
> From: "Rickey" <holt.e(a)comcast.net>
> Subject: [Callers] What Makes A Program Varied
> To: <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <000501c8f80b$27bdfbb0$020fa8c0@maxx>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> OK all,
>
> What determines if a program is varied? I originally thought that the
> number of times a figure occurred in an evening was a pretty good
> clue, but
> now ???????????? Here are dances that feel different, in programs
> that feel
> varied, yet look at how many times some figures are repeated in an
> evening.
>
> VARIETY IN PROGRAMMING
>
> What is it?
>
> What is variety in programming determined by? I find that I can
> include
> many dances that have the same figures and still feel that I have a
> varied
> program. Below are three of my recent programs and the number of
> times in
> that evening that a given figure occurs. I arbitrarily started
> with the
> idea that more than five occurrences of a figure in an evening
> might be a
> problem. Obviously, I excluded swings and balance and swings. By
> accident
> no Circle left ??s were included. I have also not considered here
> where in
> the dance the figure occurred. Despite several figures occurring very
> frequently in an evening, the programs still felt very varied to
> me, and
> some dancers expressed that as well.
>
> What do you think?????????????
>
> All programs had 14 dances in each. Some of the names are
> approximate. Most
> dances were contras, a few were circles, a few were set dances.
>
> Program 1 for Beginners ? Circles were in 9 dances, at least 1 do-
> si-do in
> 7, Stars or hands across in 7 dances. Program: Pride of the
> Dingle, Jolly
> Roger, No Dos, Family Contra, Fiddle Hill Jig, Ease, Green Jig,
> Fancy French
> mixer, Flutterbys, Midwest Folklore, Reading Reel, Yankee Reel,
> Handsome
> Young Maids, Greenfield 2 hand
>
> Program 2 for Beginners ? Balance the ring in 5, Circles in 8, Do-
> si-do in
> 8, Down the Hall 4-in-line in 6, Star or hands across in 10 dances.
> Program: Cincinnati Reel, Haste to the Wedding, Family Contra, Anne?
> s Visit,
> Fiddle Hill Jig, Belles of Auburn, Malden Reel, Handsome Young Maids,
> Midwest Folklore, Bride and Groom, Road to Boston, St. Lawrence
> Jig, New
> Friendship Reel, Ease
>
> Program 3 for Intermediate dancers ? ladies chain in 12 of the 14
> dances.
> Program: The Baby Rose, Summer Sunshine, Dancing Bear, Betty Mac?s
> Reel, A
> Rollin? and A Tumblin?, Slapping the Wood, Fisher?s Jig, Box-the Gnat
> Contra, Weave the Line, Ben?s Brilliance, That Special Someone, 40
> Mohr
> Years, Flowers of April, Trip to Lambertville.
>
>
>
> Rickey Holt,
>
> Fremont, NH
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:52:56 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing
> <winston(a)slac.stanford.edu>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] What Makes A Program Varied
> To: Rickey <holt.e(a)comcast.net>
> Cc: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Message-ID: <01MY1R8VJDAYA0JPQX(a)SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU>
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=iso-8859-1
>
>> OK all,
>
>> What determines if a program is varied? I originally thought that
>> the
>> number of times a figure occurred in an evening was a pretty good
>> clue, but
>> now ???????????? Here are dances that feel different, in programs
>> that feel
>> varied, yet look at how many times some figures are repeated in an
>> evening.
>
>> VARIETY IN PROGRAMMING
>
>> What is it?
>
>> What is variety in programming determined by? I find that I can
>> include
>> many dances that have the same figures and still feel that I have
>> a varied
>> program. Below are three of my recent programs and the number of
>> times in
>> that evening that a given figure occurs. I arbitrarily started
>> with the
>> idea that more than five occurrences of a figure in an evening
>> might be a
>> problem. Obviously, I excluded swings and balance and swings. By
>> accident
>> no Circle left ??s were included. I have also not considered here
>> where in
>> the dance the figure occurred. Despite several figures occurring
>> very
>> frequently in an evening, the programs still felt very varied to
>> me, and
>> some dancers expressed that as well.
>
>> What do you think?????????????
>
>
> Over in English Country Dance land, where dances are tied to
> specific tunes, we
> think a varied evening has variety of music (different keys, meters
> (we get
> 2/2, 2/4, 4/4, hornpipe, waltz, minuet, polka, 3/2, and slip-jig
> choices)),
> tempi (we can range from maybe 85 to 110 bpm), mood, formation
> (triplet, three
> couple circle, two-couple set, four-couple longways, five-couple
> longways, four
> couple square, square with an extra couple in the middle, longways
> duple,
> longways triple, single circle, Sicilian circle, double circle,
> etc, but we
> don't generally do scatter mixers), complexity, and figures. I
> think David
> Millstone gets a bunch of this formation variation into his contra
> dance
> calling, but not many people do.
>
> So I used to worry about this in contra calling,a nd I do, still,
> worry about
> it a bit if I've got a band that only plays old-timey, but, really,
> the variety
> concern is somewhat overrated.
>
>
> In contra, the musical variety stuff is up to the band, but you
> still get to
> futz with mood - is the dance playful, flirtatious, incredibly
> flowy? Is it
> equal or unequal? Do you stick with your partner throughout or
> lose and regain
> your partner? Do you stick with one other couple for 32 bars or
> travel around?
> Is there a trail buddy?
>
>
> But if you're going to be doing, y'know, contras (longways dances
> with minor
> sets, whether that's improper/indecent/proper/duple/triple) the
> things that most
> non-caller contra junkies will notice are
>
> (a) How each round starts - if every single dance begins with
> "balance and swing neighbor" it'll not only seem like it's
> all the
> same damn dance, you'll screw up the muscle memory and for
> the next
> move they'll want to do the same thing they did in the last
> dance.
> So don't stack up dances with the same first figure.
>
> (b) transitions - how do you get on to the next couple? If
> they're all
> pass through right shoulder, or all California Twirl and
> face the
> next, etc, etc, that'll seem pretty similar. (Mixing in some
> Beckets will typically open up the transition menu.)
>
> (c) distinctive figures. If a dance has 8 bars of something
> unusual or
> distinctive - Petronella turns, balance short waves f&b and
> go on
> to the next wave - grand right and left around the whole
> outside
> of the ring - Rory O'More turns - then you don't get dinged for
> boringness for having circle / star / r<, much less
> ladies' chain/ hey for 4. Also, the extra-twirl crowd
> doesn't get
> bored by LC or H4 because they get to embellish.
>
>
>
> Figure count is probably worth noticing, but what makes things dull
> is a whole
> bunch of things that feel the same. Circle left to start a zigzag
> feels
> different from circle left half and slide one couple and circle
> some more feels
> different from circle left 3/4 and swing partner. If the kinetics are
> different, it's different.
>
> For ONS, mess around with easy formations (scatter mixers, big
> circles, etc)
> but _minimize the number of different figures_. Circle, star,
> swing, pass
> through, down the middle, trade with partner, trade back, allemande
> right,
> allemande left. You don't really need much more, figure wise, and
> they'll
> typically be happy just to be dancing.
>
> If you're doing an explicitly contra evening for a roomful of new
> contra
> dancers, variety isn't your problem. Don't throw a whole bunch of
> different
> figures or weird progressions or whatever at them just to be
> varied. Build
> your program to introduce a few figures in the course of the
> evening, but I
> don't think you should look at your figure matrix, notice that you
> didn't do
> "Give and Take", and feel like you've failed. They're dancing with
> different
> people, to different tunes; that's all the variety most of them need.
>
> -- Alan
>
> --
> ======================================================================
> =========
> Alan Winston --- WINSTON(a)SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
> Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone:
> 650/926-3056
> Paper mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 99, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park
> CA 94025
> ======================================================================
> =========
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 00:01:46 -0400
> From: J L Korr <jeremykorr(a)hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Chris's message
> To: <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <BLU140-W5F920CB7338D23F2A7D74C7750(a)phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
> Chris, I want to thank you for posting such a thoughtful and
> detailed evaluation of a set of programs that obviously didn't go
> quite as you had hoped. It was helpful for me to see what did and
> didn't work for you, and why. As I know that you reflect carefully
> on each program you call and what you can learn from the
> experience, I have no doubt your next calling at a festival will go
> much more smoothly.
>
> Jeremy Korr
> Rancho Cucamonga, CA / Woods Hole, MA
>
> _________________________________________________________________
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>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 48, Issue 4
> **************************************
Chris, I want to thank you for posting such a thoughtful and detailed evaluation of a set of programs that obviously didn't go quite as you had hoped. It was helpful for me to see what did and didn't work for you, and why. As I know that you reflect carefully on each program you call and what you can learn from the experience, I have no doubt your next calling at a festival will go much more smoothly.
Jeremy Korr
Rancho Cucamonga, CA / Woods Hole, MA
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Your PC, mobile phone, and online services work together like never before.
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