A good simple dance for a crowded hall is Joseph Taulane's "Steve's
Swing." I like to use it as the last dance of the evening. It is
available in "California Twirls," so perhaps I shouldn't write it out
here. It has a swing actives, but that can be easily switched back
and forth for the 1s and 2s to do.
Martha
On Mar 26, 2011, at 9:00 AM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2011 01:06:12 -0400
> From: Paul Wilde <zenyente(a)gmail.com>
> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Quadrille Formation and ONS
> Message-ID:
> <AANLkTi=W=i+zOZLMv+oMM89kRoxnats4cwT_bBFZCEu2(a)mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Most esteemed colleagues,
>
> I danced at Rehoboth tonight and a most unusual and wonderful thing
> happened. Lisa Greenleaf walked us through a dance, saw that we
> were too
> crowded and that some of the moves were going to be especially
> uncomfortable, and told us to talk among ourselves while she picked
> out
> another dance. I might add that this is a very popular dance, and
> 3 full
> lines are comfortable in the hall and 4 lines are definitely
> pushing the
> limit, especially if there are some dancers being a little over
> zealous or
> not watching their set spacing. We've probably all been in this
> situation
> at least once as dancers.
>
> This is the first time I can ever remember someone changing a dance
> because
> it was too crowded for that particular set of moves. Occasionally
> we, as
> callers, switch dances after a walkthrough because what we first
> had in mind
> might be looking a bit too challenging for the particular mix
> before us.
> But never can I remember a caller changing dances after a walkthrough
> because of space. Thank you Lisa.
>
> I would love to start a thread on this mostly overlooked (unless I
> missed
> something earlier on), but very dear to my heart, topic. Far too
> often have
> I been in a hall that was too tight for certain sequences, but it
> seems that
> maybe the caller came with a set program and wasn't willing to
> modify dance
> selections based on this most important criteria. Most dances are
> made up
> of a wide range of ages, and crowded halls where people are getting
> knocked
> around and bumped is uncomfortable, not all that much fun, and
> especially
> unfair to older dancers.
>
> My first suggestion would be to eliminate or highly restrict moves
> like a
> full hey in these situations. What I would like is for people to make
> suggestions of fun, flowing dances that are compact, especially in
> their
> width.
> I think having a "list" or some other organizing format, of these
> "compact
> dances" would greatly enhance our toolboxes. What do you think?
>
> This list is truly amazing. Thank you everyone.
>
> warmest regards,
> Paul
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2011 09:49:04 -0500
> From: Luke Donev <luke.donev(a)gmail.com>
> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Compact dances
> Message-ID:
> <AANLkTimCuraxuOrVwjmgWsYMtNqaqicrmXS-9osSvC+K(a)mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> On Sat, Mar 26, 2011 at 12:06 AM, Paul Wilde <zenyente(a)gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> What I would like is for people to make suggestions of fun, flowing
>> dances that are compact, especially in their width. I think having
>> a "list"
>> or some other organizing format, of these "compact dances" would
>> greatly
>> enhance our toolboxes. What do you think?
>>
>> Paul
>> ______________________________
>>
>
>
> Hi Paul,
>
> Good topic, thanks for starting it.
>
> I remember being at a crowded dance in Montpelier with Nils Fredland
> calling, and he did 4 face 4 dances. I was initially surprised, but
> it made
> good use of the space. By merging two sets laterally it eliminated
> the space
> that would normally be between those sets and made folks aware of 7
> other
> dancers instead of 3 other dancers.
>
> I think it depends on the geometry of the hall, but 4 face 4 dances
> can be
> good, non-obvious, efficient use of space. Just something to add to
> that
> part of your tool-box.
>
> --
> Luke Donev
> http://www.lukedonev.com
> Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2011 11:20:01 -0400 (EDT)
> From: barbara153(a)aol.com
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Quadrille Formation and ONS
> Message-ID: <8CDB9E068D51A3E-D00-23033(a)Webmail-m115.sysops.aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>
> Paul
>
> Barbara G. here. I would be very interested in this list you are
> suggesting about compact dances. I have had the occasion, as I'm
> sure many of us had, to change up my program once I was in the hall
> and saw how crowded it was getting. I have stopped in the middle
> of a walkthrough, to the surprise of several seasoned callers in
> the room, and changed the dance. I didn't know this was a "no no"
> but also I feel you are doing what is best for the dancers. I did
> it without a lot of fuss or explanation and it worked fine.
>
>
>
>
>
>
Hi all-- I'm Keith Tuxhorn, and this is my first post to this list. I'm a
caller in Austin, TX, and have been calling for about 4 1/2 years now. In
addition to calling around TX, I've called around the Midwest and Northwest,
and just got back from a weekend in CO. I've also called ECD for a year and
a half. I've been on the list for only a couple week, and already have been
given much to think about.
My first comment is more of a question. It seems Tina was asking for dances
that would suit 7-to-10-year-old girls and their fathers, who also probably
know nothing about this dance style. Plue they're going to be worrying about
doing it right, making sure their daughter has fun... Alan, your suggestions
seem quite advanced for the target audience. I've only called a couple
ONS's, to college age and older, and observe they have the most success, and
the most fun, when they don't have to worry about position changes and
direction changes. The dances stay simple, but the dancers have loads of
fun, because they get it quickly.
A couple of moves you include, I wouldn't think about calling for college
beginners until I see they've mastered 4-5 simpler dances. For what Tina
wants, well, I'd be real hesitant... So, my question is, have you called
these dances for children, with inexperienced adults, and how successful
were they? I know kids can sometimes learn faster than adults, but am
wondering what ends up being too much...? Is anyone here learned in
behavioral/growth studies that might tell us what a kid can "spatially" do
at a certain age? I've never called to a crowd with this age/skill
concentration, so whatever enlightenment you can
O
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. easy ONS dances where partner is kept? (Tina Fields)
> 2. Re: easy ONS dances where partner is kept?
> (Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing)
>
> My go-to Sicilians - which you may well already have -
>
> Haste to the Wedding
> [Sicilian Circle)
> [Greatly benefits from the name tune]
>
> A1: Circle left, Circle right
> A2: RH *, LH *
> B1: Neighbors back-to-back, clap, clap, turn 2 hands once round.
> B2: Partners back-to-back, clap, clap, pass through.
>
> Spanish Waltz
> (Any waltz with nice 4-bar phrases)
> [Sicilian Circle]
>
> Note: In A1&A2, men use only right hand; women use only left hand
>
> A1: 1-2: Holding *that* hand with partner, waltz-balance fwd&back to
> neighbor
> 3-4: Givin that hand to neighbor, woman turns under to change
> places; both finish facing partner.
> 5-8: Repeat above with partner
>
> A2: 1-8: Repeat to home place.
>
> B1: 1-4: RH*
> 5-8: LH*
>
> B2: (this can depend greatly on the group. I like coming out of the LH
> star
> with partners holding left hands and gents stepping up to partner's
> right
> hand behind, then waltz-promenading (men's left shoulders closest to
> each other) 1.5 to meet a new couple.
>
> A group that can all waltz can waltz around; a group that can't manage
> the promenade can do forward two waltz steps, back two waltz steps,
> pass thorough and bow to a new couple.
>
> ---
> SOLDIER'S JOY.
> Sicilian Circle ("As for Spanish Dance")
> 32-bar reel.
>
>
> My reconstruction (which is pretty much everybody else's reconstruction)
>
> A1: 1-4: Forward and back
> 5-8: Opposites turn two hands (no progression)
>
> A2: 1-4: Partners balance
> 5-8: Partners turn (could swing if wanted)
>
> B1: 1-8: Ladies chain over and back
>
> B2: 1-8: Forward and back, forward and pass through.
>
>
> Original text:
> All forward and back, swing the opposite-all balance to partners and
> turn-ladies chain-forward and back, forward and cross to face the next
> couple.
> ------------------
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Non-gallopy whole set longways:
>
> UP THE SIDES AND DOWN THE MIDDLE (CDM, own tune or any bright jig)
>
> Long set for four to six couples.
>
> A1: Step-swing balance in lines twice; cross over with polka step.
>
> A2: Repeat to places
>
> B1: (Reel time) 1s down the middle (walking, 8 bars) while 2s lead a single
> cast (polka step) down, then up through the 1s moving arch.
>
> B2: Swing partners.
>
> (Repeat until 1s at top again).
>
> [Also the own tune has a jig part and a reel part, you really don't have to
> worry about that. Experiment shows this works fine with old-timey reels.
> If
> you're tired, you can just do the whole thing walking and it still works.]
> ------------------------------
>
>
> Let us know how it goes!
>
> -- Alan
>
>
>
Just as Ted borrowed the figure from old-time southern Appalachian square dance
figures, Penn Fix took Ted's dance, recognized that it didn't have a partner
swing for all, and created Honor Among Thieves.
David Millstone
Karen and I love vacationing in America and try to make sure we always
get to at least one dance camp/week/weekend when we are over. We
already teach workshops on these subjects, so if anyone wants us to run
style, variation and swinging workshops please let us know.
A Lindy Anchor is what Lindy Hop/Swing dancers do at the end of each
pattern as they settle back into their home position. I see many contra
dancers doing footwork like this on moves such as Long Lines Forward &
Back. After taking two steps forwards (R/L), for step three, step onto
your right foot, turning your right toe out to the right and then swivel
the right foot counter-clockwise on the toe as you step to the left onto
your left foot, pointing it to the left and swiveling it clockwise. Can
look very stylish if done well.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 &
07802 940 574
http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events, Instructional DVDs and
Interactive Maps
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Contra Dancing in Kent
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2011 10:51:58 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tina Fields <tfields8(a)yahoo.com>
To: "callers@ sharedweight.net" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Making It Fun for Experienced Dancers
This is such a rich topic, key for making the dances inclusive and fun.
John,
thanks for opening it up. It would make a great hands-on workshop at a
dance
camp.
In the meantime, I've not heard two terms you used. What are:
* a "Lindy Anchor" (on Lines Forward & Back)
* A "North Country Ladies' Chain"?
Tina
I'm looking for the name of a Ted Sannella contra. It may be in his
second book, but I can't find my copy right now.
He included the square dance figure, lady around two, gent fall
through and then, gent around two, lady fall through.
Thanks for your help,
Tom
Joy Greenwolfe said,
<<The ONS Girl Scout gig reminds me of working with 4th graders one year. I was
doing longways dances like Galopede and Alabama Gal, simple big-circle dances,
and even a hash square once.>>
Hash calling squares... holy bologna, Joy, it is so great to see your growth as
a caller since we first met a few years back! Witnessing this in each other is
yet another real joy of this list.
Thanks for the idea, and the details you provided about how you pulled it off.
Tina
--- You wrote:
He included the square dance figure, lady around two, gent fall through and
then, gent around two, lady fall through.
--- end of quote ---
I think you're thinking of his New Friendship Reel.
David Millstone
This is such a rich topic, key for making the dances inclusive and fun. John,
thanks for opening it up. It would make a great hands-on workshop at a dance
camp.
In the meantime, I've not heard two terms you used. What are:
* a "Lindy Anchor" (on Lines Forward & Back)
* A "North Country Ladies' Chain"?
Tina
-----John Sweeney wrote,
When I need to call simple dances because we have people who can't
handle the more complex stuff, what I do to keep the experienced dancers
interested is show them some more style and variations that they can add
to their dancing. A simple dance gives them a chance to try these
things out.
Examples:
- Different swing holds, entries and exits and how to negotiate them
(this list is endless!).
- How two people can spin off each other as they meet in the middle of a
Hey.
- A Lindy Anchor on Lines Forward & Back.
- Better technique for twirls in Ladies' Chains.
- How to catch eyes in spinning Dosidos.
- How to twirl if you are on the end of a line going up or down the
hall.
- A North Country Ladies' Chain.
- How to spin out of Allemandes - then do a dance with Contra Corners.
:-)
- Spinning as you walk forwards into a Wave.
Every time I watch a good video on YouTube I pick up more great
ideas.
I don't pick up so many on the dance-floor as I am too busy
dancing myself!
We can all always learn something new, and it only takes a few
seconds during a walk-through to show something new. - just one item at
a time!
Happy dancing,
John
Hi Tina,
I've been following this thread with some interest, but I can't post to the listserv bec of lingering computer problems.
The ONS Girl Scout gig reminds me of working with 4th graders one year. I was doing longways dances like Galopede and Alabama Gal, simple big-circle dances, and even a hash square once. The square was a surprise hit, and I wished I had had time to do more of them.
I didn't do any particular square, just threw it together from other things they had already learned. I explained about heads/sides and corners, and that they always had to pay attention to what comes out of the callers mouth. I think they had not learned promenade yet, but that was easy enough. I also taught a grand R+L since we had already done pullbys in Galopede. So I did things like allem L your corner, dosido your P, allem L your corner, two hand swing your P and promenade the square. I did heads/sides forward and back. I also did some pullbys across with no courtesy turns in lieu of R&L throughs - they simply turned around to come back. I also did something where the ladies went to the middle while the gents promenaded single file around the outside, then allem your P. It was easy to add bow to partner/corner, wave to the one across from you, circle L/R, even a star maybe. I kept it really simple, but the easy stuff is still fun! I didn't worry about figure and break so much, but I did repeat some parts. In my instance, the kids were so busy trying to keep up with the calls that they forgot to worry about catching cooties from the opposite sex. With a daughter/father setup, I'd think that would be even less of an issue. Maybe you could set it up and do a couple tips, then come back to it later if you had time and interest.
Anyway, just wanted to share that idea! :)
Joy
