I 'm planning on calling a couple of dances this weekend where there is interaction with couples outside the usual minor sets. One of them is Dan pearl's composition "Cal and Irene." My concern is what happens at the top and bottom of the lines.
What recommendations do you have to prepare dancers for end effects when they are not used to anything more than "cross over and wait?"
Thanks.
Parker
Sometimes it's enough to say, "when you're waiting out at the end, be ready to allemande (or form long waves, or star left, or whatever) with people"
Depending on the dance, you might have to tell people *not* to cross over right away, or to be in position to chain on the right (or left) diagonal
Mark Widmer
PARKER MANN <M_P_Mann(a)shaw.ca> wrote:
What recommendations do you have to prepare dancers for end effects when they are not used to anything more than "cross over and wait?"
There are actually two possible cases to think about. First: what couples do when they have progressed out of the set (and the answer is USUALLY "cross over and wait"). Second: what pairs (not partners) do when they move out of the minor set at some point during the sequence, like in "Cal and Irene".
In "Cal...", the end effects are pretty manageable and observe END EFFECT DEFAULT RULE #1: Just face into the set (e.g., face up at the bottom) with the W on the right, M on the left. It is very close to the way you shift out of the set. In this dance, the default rule works for both cases mentioned in the first paragraph.
The DIAGONAL DANCE END EFFECT RULE: Dances that work out of the minor set with some sort of diagonal action require that an idle pair station themselves on the correct side of the set.
Some special cases worth mentioning: "Fiddleheads" by Ted Sannella is a great dance and features an automatic crossover when you progress out at the ends. Other dances require that an idle pair at the foot be on the 'wrong' side because the progression happens everyone is on their non-home side. (I think "Be Here Now" is one of those dances.)
Here's another one
Becket Formation
A1. Cir L 3/4, Sw N
A2. W Chain, 1/2 promenade
B1. Petronella bal & twirl, **** swing new N
B2. M almd L 1+1/2, Sw Partner
At the ****, the idle couple needs to be on the 'unusual' side for an idle couple. This sort of thing is worth mentioning in the walk-through.
Hi,
I am just arranging our dance schedule for 2011 and wondered
whether anyone knows of any US contra dance callers or contra dance
bands who will be touring the UK in 2011 and might be interested in
performing for a small but enthusiastic group of dancers in the
south-east of England.
Please let me know if you know of anyone.
Thanks.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 &
07802 940 574
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Contra Dancing in Kent
This dance was called at Sugar Hill, but the caller didn't know the name or
the author of the dance.
It's a fun dance. Does anyone recognize it?
Becket contra
A1: Circle balance; Petronella turn; [no time for clapping] Nieghbor Swing.
A2: Circle balance; Petronella turn; [no time for clapping] Partner Swing.
B1: Right Diagonal Ladies pass right shoulders to start 1/2 Hey. Gents
follow partner in Hey;
Across with new neighbors, Ladies pass right shoulders to start 1/2
Hey Gents follow partner in Hey.
B2: Partner Balance+Swing.
Notes:
Single CCW progression, but you're always in at the top.
With an odd number of couples, the extra couple at the bottom waits becket on
the side that lets them join the right diagonal hey. That's where they end
up when they become the "out" couple, so they should NOT cross.
Dale
