Contra Callers November 2013

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

16 participants
9 discussions

by Rickey

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.

2 years, 11 months

Re: [Callers] Festival Applications

by robertgolder＠comcast.net

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

5 years, 5 months

2014 Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend

by Richard Hart

The Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend committee is happy to announce that the 2014 weekend will happen on MLK weekend in January at the University of New Hampshire. We are also happy to welcome Dudley Laufman and Susan Kevra as our featured callers, along with music by Calliuope and Maivish. The Friday night dance will include calling by Lisa Sieverts and Trip to Nelson, along with Susan and Dudley at the microphone. Details at the website: http://www.ralphpage.neffa.org/

11 years, 10 months

Square dance calling in rural Ontario, as described by Alice Munro

by Richard Hopkins

The present time of Munroe's story would have been about 1945, so this is about a period maybe 20 years before, in rural Ontario. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- …. A strange desperate sort of haste…. a special facility "When my mother was growing up, she and her whole family would go to dances. These would be held in the schoolhouse, or sometimes in a farmhouse with a big enough front room. Young and old would be in attendance. Someone would play the piano – the household piano or the one in the school – and someone would have brought a violin. The square dancing had complicated patterns or steps, which a person known for a special facility would call out at the top of his voice (it was always a man) and in a strange desperate sort of haste which was of no use at all unless you knew the dance already. As everybody did, having learned them all by the time they were ten or twelve years old. " -- Opening paragraph of Voices, autobiographical story by Nobel Prize-winner Alice Munro, in her most recent book Dear Life, published 2012 by Vintage International. `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Richard Hopkins Tallahassee, FL 850-894-9212 (home) 850-544-7614 (cell) hopkinsrs(a)comcast.net

11 years, 11 months

Dance in Need of a Name

by Ben Hornstein

Greetings fellow callers, I recently wrote a dance, but can't think of a name. I'm calling it this evening, so I'm hoping something will happen that makes a funny story as to how the dance got its name. Failing that, I was wondering if any of you had any suggestions. ????? (Ben Hornstein) ccw becket wave (starts with partner in right hand, men have left hands in the middle) A1) balance wave, P allemande R 3/4 (to long waves) balance waves, circulate waves A2) balance waves, circulate waves P swing B1) circle L 3/4 zig-zag to new N B2) M see-saw M allemande L 1, P allemande R 1 Any ideas? I'm also open to thoughts about the dance itself. -Ben Hornstein

12 years

Watch out? Re: Dance in Need of a Name

by Suzanne Girardot

Yikes, this doesn't look good. Maia, have you been hacked? -----Original Message----- >From: Maia McCormick <maia.mcc(a)gmail.com> >Sent: Nov 14, 2013 8:44 AM >To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net> >Subject: Re: [Callers] Dance in Need of a Name > >http://preshing.com/20110811/xkcd-password-generator/ > > >On Wed, Nov 13, 2013 at 7:51 PM, Alan Winston <winston(a)slac.stanford.edu>wrote: > >> You could call the dance "Ziggy and the Waves", or "Zigsaw", or "Second >> Wave", or "Wave Goodbye". >> >> Hope this helps! >> >> -- Alan >> >> >> On Nov 9, 2013, at 11:10 AM, Ben Hornstein <bhornstein5189(a)gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >> Greetings fellow callers, >> >> I recently wrote a dance, but can't think of a name. I'm calling it this >> evening, so I'm hoping something will happen that makes a funny story as to >> how the dance got its name. Failing that, I was wondering if any of you had >> any suggestions. >> >> ????? (Ben Hornstein) >> ccw becket wave (starts with partner in right hand, men have left hands in >> the middle) >> A1) balance wave, P allemande R 3/4 (to long waves) >> balance waves, circulate waves >> A2) balance waves, circulate waves >> P swing >> B1) circle L 3/4 >> zig-zag to new N >> B2) M see-saw >> M allemande L 1, P allemande R 1 >> >> Any ideas? >> I'm also open to thoughts about the dance itself. >> >> -Ben Hornstein >> _______________________________________________ >> Callers mailing list >> Callers(a)sharedweight.net >> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers >> >> _______________________________________________ >>> Callers mailing list >>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net >>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Callers mailing list >> Callers(a)sharedweight.net >> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers >> >_______________________________________________ >Callers mailing list >Callers(a)sharedweight.net >http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

12 years

Peel the Banana

by Ben Hornstein

Dear Callers, I'm writing a dance for 6 couples (in a rectangle, one at the top and bottom, two on each side), and I want to know if one of the moves I wrote already has a name. Bottom couple makes an arch. Top couple splits and walks around the outside of the set, each taking the side couples with them. They then go up through the arch and back to place. If this move doesn't have a proper name, I'm just going to call it "peel the banana" because I feel that's the best way to describe it. Sincerely, Ben Hornstein

12 years

What is this dance called?

by Yoyo Zhou

Hi callers, I'd be most surprised if this dance hadn't been written already (it occurred to me because I thought I'd danced part of it somewhere, but I just found that the progression transition is like Amy Kahn's Sweet Music). Does anyone recognize it? improper A1. gents allemande left 1+1/2; P star promenade A2. ladies do si do; P swing B1. circle left 3/4; N swing B2. long lines; right hand star Thanks, Yoyo Zhou

12 years

New Dance: DosiWhat?

by John Sweeney

Hi, I have enjoyed studying old moves called "dosido" (or some variant of the spelling that sounds roughly the same!) and thought I would try getting some of them into a contra dance. I know the Rang Tang has been used before in contras , but I haven't seen a Mountain Dosido in a contra before. This is the result: DosiWhat? by John Sweeney Contra; Becket (C) A1: Men Dosido; Ladies Dosido 1 & 1/2 - Men turn to the Left and take Mans' Right Hand to Partner's Left Hand to face a New Couple (progression) A2: Mountain Dosido ("DoSi the Ladies"): Lasso Partner AC around self and along to the other Man; Neighbour Swing* B1: Open Ladies' Chain: Ladies Pull by Right; Partner Allemande Left - continue into a Rang Tang (Dosido): Men pass B-to-B; Neighbour Allemande Right; Men pass B-to-B, weave into a B2: Partner Gypsy Meltdown Notes: Teach the Ladies Dosido as Dosido and Pass Thru, otherwise they will spin and face where they think they are going. Lasso means the man raises his right hand and leads the lady around him - he doesn't move (except to help the ladies avoid any crashes) *"You swing mine and I'll swing yours" I called it for the first time yesterday at Barrie Bullimore's Sunday afternoon contra and it went well. Feedback appreciated if you try it :-) Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent

12 years

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Contra Callers November 2013