Hi,
I am wondering if you have any dances for low numbers of dancers (perhaps 6
or less), when most or all of the dancers are beginners and adults. I am
also wondering if you have any dances (presumably different dances), that do
not require choosing a partner and are good openers for beginner adults.
Thanks as always to all,
Rickey Holt.
I can only speak with reference to calling at NEFFA, as I have never applied to DownEast. As some of you may know that Linda Leslie is NEFFA's program chair, I will note that the program chair does not select performers for contra sessions.
Regarding NEFFA 2007, the following notice is now posted at http://neffa.org/perf_app.html - The Program Committee is not prepared to take your application at this time, since it is too late to apply for this year's NEFFA Festival. Please note that the application to perform is always available during the month of September, with a deadline in October. If you'd like to get an e-mail notice of application availability, send a blank e-mail to NEFFA_Performers-subscribe(a)yahoogroups.com
So you can note on your calendar that September is a good time to check the NEFFA web site, and also arrange for a notice to pop up in your e-mail.
The NEFFA application invites you to come up with a briefly-described theme for your session, with a title of 20 characters or less. IMO, use your own judgment as to how important the theme is. If you are offering a concept that's really meaningful to you, don't be afraid to describe it. If what you really want to do is just call some hot contras, then IMO I wouldn't go overboard on the theme.
Unlike Northwest Folklife, callers and bands apply SEPARATELY to the New England Folk Festival. And I believe that this is a very good thing for beginning callers who hope to have a chance at getting onstage. This mix-and-match policy gives a fresh perspective for experienced performers, and can be an eye-opening experience for newcomers who may get to work with seasoned veterans. I will never forget calling at NEFFA with Northern Spy, a band that has worked with caller David Millstone for 25 years. And where was David during this session? Out on the floor, happily dancing to the music of his own band. NEFFA's selection process made that wonderful hour possible for me.
For what it's worth, the first year I successfully applied I asked for a "Festival Orchestra" slot, which means that instead of calling a themed, hour-long session I called two dances in the Main Hall with the assembled orchestra and then got off the stage as the next Festival Orchestra caller had a turn. IMO, the key here (as well as in submitting a session proposal) is to choose dances that you know by heart, can teach well, fully believe in, and love to share with a crowd. You don't want to have second thoughts as you approach the microphone.
If you're wondering why performer applications are required so far in advance of a festival, note that NEFFA may have 1700 performers, many of whom perform in multiple sessions (perhaps performing alone, and with a participatory dance group, and also with a concert performance group!). You can't doublebook a performer (or larger groups to which she may belong), you have to give her time to move from one venue to another, plus a bunch of other scheduling etceteras that would drive me loony to contemplate further. How scheduling was done in the days before computers is beyond me.
--
Robert Jon Golder
164 Maxfield St
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 999-2486
Callers,
What is your experience working with bands to establish an appropriate
tempo? Do bands ever ask you what tempo you want? Do you ever request a
particular tempo to fit a dance? Do you communicate tempo requirements
numerically (beats per minute) or maybe by tapping your feet? When are
slower tempos appropriate and when are faster ones appropriate? What do
you consider to be the range in beats per minute that is appropriate for
contra? Some preliminary research told me that a range of 112-120 beats
per minute is appropriate. Do you agree?
I've called with maybe 20-25 bands in my young calling career and only 2
have asked me for guidance or confirmation concerning the tempo of their
music (both bands play primarily for non-contra audiences, I believe). I
told both bands to use their judgment, which produced satisfactory results
in all cases except one dance in which the band misunderstood my request
for a sultry/flirty tune to mean that they should play at about half the
tempo one would normally expect for contra, which proved terribly confusing
for the dancers. The lesson I learned is that I ought to know more about
the range of tempo that is expected for contra and what tempos are
appropriate when so that I can provide that information to bands when asked.
--
Dugan Murphy
Cincinnati, Ohio
http://caller.duganmurphy.com
<http://www.linkedin.com/in/duganmurphy>
Can any of you help me identify a dance that we danced during the last
NEFFA session on Sunday? The dance in question was called with the
Festival Orchestra playing and it may have been called by Sue Rosen.
The key figures were 2 "past through to an ocean wave" figures. In one
case you end with your neighbor in your right hand, and the other time
you end with your partner in the same place. The dance flowed very
smoothly and i liked it a lot, so any help with the title, author, or
the choreography would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Rich Hart.
With apologies to all who are having deja vu feelings based on my
previous recommendations of this dance, how about yet another version
of Ellen's Green Jig? Can be danced improper, or if you ignore how
people choose to end the swing, without regard to gents/ladies roles.
A1: Dosido neighbor; circle left to original positions.
A2: Balance the ring; swing partners, end facing the other couple.
B1: Right-hand star; circle right to home position, keep hands joined.
B2: 2s arch, 1s take a peek ("duck for the oyster");
1s arch, 2s peek; 2s carry an arch up over 1s, who duck under and
through, take no more than 1 step and let the next no. 2 couple move
up to meet them (to prevent the whole set from drifting away from the
top of the set).
Variations of this dance have worked for just about every kind of
group I've encountered. You can probably craft a cool one of your
own...Hope you have great music; that can make almost anything you do
a terrific experience.
Chip Hedler
Hi all,
I'm calling a dance this Friday on a dock (over a reservoir). I anticipate (fear?) the following problems: mostly new dancers (we're frequently 3/4 new or new-ish); dancers having difficulty hearing me (although I will have a mic); and a relatively rough dance surface (they hold Latin Dance Club events here frequently, so it isn't entirely undanceable).
As a result, I've been looking for simple dances that allow dancers to help each other -- lots of contact, and balances/clapping/other "here's where we are in the dance"-type noises have been a focus of my planning. But I'm having a little trouble with putting together a set list with sufficient (to my mind) variety, so I'm turning to the list for suggestions.
One additional note: our organizer told me that petronellas are on the challenging side for our group even though they love them; I think this particular dance surface would make them not-fun to dance, too. So I'd really love dances that include balancing a ring but don't include a petronella.
Thanks!
Louise.
This is how I have the dance.
A2 Ladies chain on L diagonal
Forward and back
file:///Users/davidmillstone/Documents/Dance/American%20Dances/Dance%20directions/%20Collections%20of%20dances/Gene%20Hubert%20dances/Gene%20Hubert%20contras.webarchive
David Millstone
Hi,
I seem to have 2 versions of Double Boomerang by Gene Hubert.
Becket
The only difference is in the A2
Version 1
A2 ON THE LEFT DIAGONAL ladies chain / Long lines forward and back
Version 2
A2 Long lines forward and back / ON THE LEFT DIAGONAL ladies chain.
Are there 2 versions being danced? If you call or dance it which version do
you do?
If there are really 2 versions, what are the advantages or disadvantages of
each.
Thanks, hoping to call it a week from Tuesday.
Rickey Holt, Fremont, NH
Thanks for all the responses.
I found the dance documented in a couple of Ralph Page Dance Legacy
Weekend Syllabuses. In both cases it is documented as Swing rather than
Balance & Swing - maybe because of the difficulty of getting back in
time for the Balance.
The version we danced seemed to work well; the ladies just continued
their Rory O'More spin until they were heading in the right direction to
start the hey, though the option someone suggested of Ladies Allemenande
Left 1/2 into the Hey also sounds good.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 &
07802 940 574
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
Anyone recognise this:
Becket Formation
A1: Circle Left 3/4; Pass Through
New Ladies Allemande Left 1 1/2 to Partner and Ocean Wave
A2: Balance R/L, Rory O'More
Balance L/R, Rory O'More
B1: Full Hey - Ladies start Left Shoulder
B2: Partner Balance & Swing
I noted it down at a dance but didn't get a chance to ask the name or
the author. Can anyone help?
Thanks.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 &
07802 940 574
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
