With respect to music and the contra - certainly with great music a program that is otherwise uninspiring will still be lots of fun (like one with a lot of repetition and glossary moves), and if the music is poor the best program and caller will have a hard time overcoming that. You can see that in the fact that if you have a great band, you can let a dance run longer than you might normally, because the energy is higher and the dancers aren't tiring of it - they'll be disappointed if it ends too soon. With a less inspiring band, the dancers may enjoy gaining mastery of the dance and executing it well, but won't want to do it as long, so I find I might call more dances in the program than with a great band in order to keep the variety and interest level up.
,
On Apr 24, 2013, at 9:00 AM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: high energy (Ron Blechner)
> 2. Re: high energy (Laur)
> 3. Re: How do you balance? (Was High-energy dances) (John Sweeney)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:17:25 -0400
> From: Ron Blechner <contraron(a)gmail.com>
> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] high energy
> Message-ID:
> <CALf+g+4Vu94gitvkE6c287ugMQZ8AUVWgyZkq9bigWb0OpDtVQ(a)mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> I have experienced this as a dancer.
> On Apr 24, 2013 8:16 AM, "Tom Hinds" <twhinds(a)earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>> I always thought that high energy comes from the music and how a caller
>> uses his/her voice. Could a really fun contra flop because the music is
>> really boring?
>>
>> T
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> ------------------------------
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> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:06:41 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Laur <lcpgr(a)yahoo.com>
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] high energy
> Message-ID:
> <1366816001.11433.YahooMailNeo(a)web161006.mail.bf1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Absolutely.?
> ?
> ~
> Laurie
>
>
>
>> ________________________________
>> From: Tom Hinds <twhinds(a)earthlink.net>
>> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 7:16 AM
>> Subject: [Callers] high energy
>>
>>
>> I always thought that high energy comes from the music and how a?
>> caller uses his/her voice.? Could a really fun contra flop because?
>> the music is really boring?
>>
>> T
>> _______________________________________________
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>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:46:26 +0100
> From: "John Sweeney" <info(a)contrafusion.co.uk>
> To: <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] How do you balance? (Was High-energy dances)
> Message-ID: <6E9CD304B97A4C04939FC8A783B43F87@study>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> There have been a number of references to balances always involving a
> stomp.
>
> I was under the impression that there were lots of ways to balance, many
> of which don't involve a stomp. I usually teach "balance to the
> right-2-3, to the left-2-3".
>
> I did notice more stomping than I was familiar with at The Flurry this
> year, just step right, stamp left, step left, stamp right.
>
> Is stomping now the standard across America?
>
> What do YOU teach as the footwork in a balance?
>
> See
> http://www.izaak.unh.edu/dlp/NorthernJunket/pages/NJv05/NJv05-01/NJv.05.
> 01.p13.htm for 50 variations of the balance.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Happy dancing,
> John
>
> John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
> http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
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> End of Callers Digest, Vol 104, Issue 29
> ****************************************
When I think of "high energy" I think of something I would call early on when the dancers aren't tired, and a dance for which I would request a fast tune, probably an unforgiving dance with timing such that you barely make it from one move to the next, where everyone is moving all the time, like a good contra corners dance when active.
I think this is a good topic, related to assessing the energy requirements of a dance and the agility of the dancers. Whirligiggin' Around, by Cis Hinkle, is pretty busy and crazy, but really fun with good dancers. I once called it later on at an all night dance thinking that brain-dead dancers could handle it, but I didn't think about them also being body-dead! Their facial expressions said it all. I'm just glad no-one was injured!
Jill
Whirligiggin' Around
Cis Hinkle duple, improper
A1 circle L 1/4, R and L through across (8)*
circle L 1/4, R and L through up and down (8)
A2 repeat A 1 from new positions
B1 DSD N, swing N
B2 long lines, ones swing
* R and L through with no hands works best
Last weekend, I called Joyride by Erik Weberg. It was very smooth, flirty, interesting, and what I especially liked about it was that the beginners had no trouble with it! You can find it on Erik's website.
Jill
I always thought that high energy comes from the music and how a
caller uses his/her voice. Could a really fun contra flop because
the music is really boring?
T
Another way to put energy into a dance is to do more bouncing/stepping
and more movement - that is how many English ceilidh dancers use their
energy.
Here is a contra based on the old dance "Cumberland Square Eight":
Cumberland Contra (by John Sweeney)
Contra; Improper; Double Progression - 64 bars
A1: #1s Gallop Down & Back
A2: #2s Gallop Up & Back
B1: Basket - open out into a circle
B2: Circle Left; Circle Right - use the circles to reorientate the set -
optionally use slip circles to use up more energy
C1: Neighbour Dosido;
Two Changes of a Grand R&L around the WHOLE set: Neighbour Pull By
Right; New Neighbour Pull By Left - This is the Double Progression -
Pull By your Partner at the ends - no-one is ever out - Keep moving
forwards to make the Star
C2: With Next New Neighbours: Star Right; Star Left - skip it round to
use more energy
D1: This Neighbour Balance & Swing
D2: Long Lines Go Forward & Back - Men Roll the Ladies Away with a Half
Sashay from Right to Left
#1s Swing - finish facing down in Ballroom Hold ready to Gallop
No room at the end of the set for the gallop? Turn left and go round the
edge of the room (Lady on the outside).
To gallop back just turn your heads - don't mess around with arm/body
positions.
Optional Styling: Balance & Swing: Step R, Kick L (hopping on R), Step
L, Kick R (Hopping on L), Swing
Basket: Get close together; the men put their arms around the ladies'
waists and one grips the other's wrists; the ladies put their arms on
the nearest shoulders (get them to put them straight up in the air then
lower them onto the shoulder when teaching). Put your right foot in and
everyone does a buzz-step to spin the basket. Baskets only ever go
clockwise.
Please let me know if you try it. Thanks.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
Hi all,
What are your favorite high-energy dances, especially those with lots of
balances and without heys? My search of my books has yeilded very few.
Thanks,
Rickey Holt,
Fremont, NH
Well, in response to Chris's question, I'll explain why I think lots of balances make for high energy - it's the energy you put into the balance itself - stomping is just truly active. Then there is the feedback loop that occurs with the dancers becoming a percussion instrument, and that is inspiring to the band (and since I play piano for the contra I can attest to this) and makes the band want to put extra zest and pep and surprises for the dancers to balance to. Which leads me to one of my favorite high-energy dances, Joel's in the Kitchen, by Sue Rosen. It's on Page 13 of the Ralph Page Dance Legacy 2004 Syllabus: http://www.library.unh.edu/special/forms/rpdlw/syllabus2004.pdf
It's an awesome dance that just moves, and is a lot of fun. Just teach the cross-trail through well - the rest of the dance is not hard so it can be done later in an evening even with some newbies present.
Martha
On Apr 23, 2013, at 8:19 PM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: High-energy dances (Richard Mckeever)
> 2. High-energy dances (Thomas Hurlbut)
> 3. Re: High-energy dances (Bob Green)
> 4. Re: High-energy Dances (bobfab(a)aol.com)
> 5. Re: High-energy dances (Kalia Kliban)
> 6. Re: High-energy dances (Kalia Kliban)
> 7. Re: High-energy dances (Mac Mckeever)
> 8. Re: High-energy dances (Bob Green)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:06:25 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Richard Mckeever <macmck(a)ymail.com>
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] High-energy dances
> Message-ID:
> <1366765585.38429.YahooMailNeo(a)web165003.mail.bf1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> The balance gets you stomping your feet a little and you whole body moving back and forth to create a momentum for what ever comes next.? It is a time when all of the dancers can be considered to have a 'lead' role by using the arm connections ('weight') to lead the others in the direction of the next figure.? In Du Quoin Races - 3 of the balances are in wavy lines where you feel a connection with several other dancers (the other is a circle balance).
>
> Other than that - I just watch the dancers during these balances and you can see they are feeling something special
>
> Mac McKeever
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Chris Page <chriscpage(a)gmail.com>
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 7:48 PM
> Subject: Re: [Callers] High-energy dances
>
>
> What I'm missing is why balances make a dance high-energy. Could
> anyone help explain?
>
> If I had to guess randomly, I'd guess the energy level was caused by
> the music, and by the overall activity level....
>
> -Chris Page
> San Diego
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 5:40 PM, Mark Hillegonds
> <mhillegonds(a)comcast.net> wrote:
>> It's not so balance-y as others suggested here, but definitely high energy: 3-33-33 by Steve Zakon-Anderson.
>>
>> Mark Hillegonds
>>
>> Cell:? 734-756-8441
>> Email:? mhillegonds(a)comcast.net
>>
>> On Apr 23, 2013, at 2:33 PM, "Rickey Holt" <holt.e(a)comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi all,
>>> What are your favorite high-energy dances, especially those with lots of
>>> balances and without heys?? My search of my books has yeilded very few.
>>> Thanks,
>>> Rickey Holt,
>>> Fremont, NH
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> 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
> _______________________________________________
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>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:09:07 -0500
> From: Thomas Hurlbut <thurlbut(a)machlink.com>
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: [Callers] High-energy dances
> Message-ID: <D1DD17F6-0E6A-493E-8B50-08964F099F46(a)machlink.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> I especially like John Coffman's dance 'Alternating Currents'.
>
> N balance & swing.
>
> R & L thru;
> (same N) M rollaway L, then L rollaway M.
>
> L allemande-R 1.5x;
> P swing.
>
> Balance-the-ring & petronella turn;
> Balance-the-ring & california Twirl.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:15:32 -0500
> From: Bob Green <bobgreen(a)swbell.net>
> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] High-energy dances
> Message-ID:
> <CALRzhZ+nwSFOTFt=mheUpo5GSZGBcb9Rp-uNGx6q1hWdyoNXHA(a)mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Here's the vid:
> http://dancevideos.childgrove.org/contra/contra-modern/319-alternating-curr…
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 8:09 PM, Thomas Hurlbut <thurlbut(a)machlink.com>wrote:
>
>> I especially like John Coffman's dance 'Alternating Currents'.
>>
>> N balance & swing.
>>
>> R & L thru;
>> (same N) M rollaway L, then L rollaway M.
>>
>> L allemande-R 1.5x;
>> P swing.
>>
>> Balance-the-ring & petronella turn;
>> Balance-the-ring & california Twirl.
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:19:43 -0400 (EDT)
> From: bobfab(a)aol.com
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: Re: [Callers] High-energy Dances
> Message-ID: <8D00EA95125FB3D-EC0-60C6(a)webmail-m209.sysops.aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> I like Katie's Trip to Starbase 12
> by Merrilee Karr.
> The basket swing is really fun.
>
>
>
>>> other bits snipped for terseness.
>
> bobfab(a)aol.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:06:04 -0700
> From: Kalia Kliban <kalia(a)sbcglobal.net>
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] High-energy dances
> Message-ID: <51774C1C.2070604(a)sbcglobal.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> On 4/23/2013 7:15 PM, Bob Green wrote:
>> Here's the vid:
>> http://dancevideos.childgrove.org/contra/contra-modern/319-alternating-curr…
>
> Anybody know who the band is in that video clip? I really like them.
> Sounds like the caller's having a good time too.
>
> Kalia
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:09:34 -0700
> From: Kalia Kliban <kalia(a)sbcglobal.net>
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] High-energy dances
> Message-ID: <51774CEE.6010102(a)sbcglobal.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> On 4/23/2013 8:06 PM, Kalia Kliban wrote:
>> On 4/23/2013 7:15 PM, Bob Green wrote:
>>> Here's the vid:
>>> http://dancevideos.childgrove.org/contra/contra-modern/319-alternating-curr…
>>>
>>
>> Anybody know who the band is in that video clip? I really like them.
>> Sounds like the caller's having a good time too.
>>
>> Kalia
>
> OK, to answer my own question, I found another version of the same clip
> with the text: The Band is Euphor: Tom Turino, Matt Turino, Sam Payne,
> and Michael Valliant. The tune is "Drop in the Bucket" by Matt Turino
>
> So there. But Euphor? Not Euphoria?
> K
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:14:25 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Mac Mckeever <macmck(a)ymail.com>
> To: "kalia(a)sbcglobal.net" <kalia(a)sbcglobal.net>, Caller's discussion
> list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] High-energy dances
> Message-ID:
> <1366773265.73873.YahooMailNeo(a)web165002.mail.bf1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Euphor is from Champaign/Urbana IL
> Euphoria is a band from Lawrence KS
>
> Both are really good dance bands - but very different.? We are fortunate to have them both make the trip to ST Louis to play for us.
>
> Mac McKeever
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Kalia Kliban <kalia(a)sbcglobal.net>
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 10:09 PM
> Subject: Re: [Callers] High-energy dances
>
>
> On 4/23/2013 8:06 PM, Kalia Kliban wrote:
>> On 4/23/2013 7:15 PM, Bob Green wrote:
>>> Here's the vid:
>>> http://dancevideos.childgrove.org/contra/contra-modern/319-alternating-curr…
>>>
>>
>> Anybody know who the band is in that video clip?? I really like them.
>> Sounds like the caller's having a good time too.
>>
>> Kalia
>
> OK, to answer my own question, I found another version of the same clip
> with the text: The Band is Euphor: Tom Turino, Matt Turino, Sam Payne,
> and Michael Valliant. The tune is "Drop in the Bucket" by Matt Turino
>
> So there.? But Euphor?? Not Euphoria?
> K
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:19:48 -0500
> From: Bob Green <bobgreen(a)swbell.net>
> To: Richard Mckeever <macmck(a)ymail.com>, "Caller's discussion list"
> <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] High-energy dances
> Message-ID:
> <CALRzhZLkn6h55N8wqs-Cf8=iRqOfDjgXFCNLV39VDK-SQ-fBDA(a)mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Here is Mac calling Du Quoin races...sort of... ;-)
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wH3TRPECJo
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 8:06 PM, Richard Mckeever <macmck(a)ymail.com> wrote:
>
>> The balance gets you stomping your feet a little and you whole body moving
>> back and forth to create a momentum for what ever comes next. It is a time
>> when all of the dancers can be considered to have a 'lead' role by using
>> the arm connections ('weight') to lead the others in the direction of the
>> next figure. In Du Quoin Races - 3 of the balances are in wavy lines where
>> you feel a connection with several other dancers (the other is a circle
>> balance).
>>
>> Other than that - I just watch the dancers during these balances and you
>> can see they are feeling something special
>>
>> Mac McKeever
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: Chris Page <chriscpage(a)gmail.com>
>> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
>> Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 7:48 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Callers] High-energy dances
>>
>>
>> What I'm missing is why balances make a dance high-energy. Could
>> anyone help explain?
>>
>> If I had to guess randomly, I'd guess the energy level was caused by
>> the music, and by the overall activity level....
>>
>> -Chris Page
>> San Diego
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 5:40 PM, Mark Hillegonds
>> <mhillegonds(a)comcast.net> wrote:
>>> It's not so balance-y as others suggested here, but definitely high
>> energy: 3-33-33 by Steve Zakon-Anderson.
>>>
>>> Mark Hillegonds
>>>
>>> Cell: 734-756-8441
>>> Email: mhillegonds(a)comcast.net
>>>
>>> On Apr 23, 2013, at 2:33 PM, "Rickey Holt" <holt.e(a)comcast.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi all,
>>>> What are your favorite high-energy dances, especially those with lots of
>>>> balances and without heys? My search of my books has yeilded very few.
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Rickey Holt,
>>>> Fremont, NH
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> 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
>>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 104, Issue 27
> ****************************************
I especially like John Coffman's dance 'Alternating Currents'.
N balance & swing.
R & L thru;
(same N) M rollaway L, then L rollaway M.
L allemande-R 1.5x;
P swing.
Balance-the-ring & petronella turn;
Balance-the-ring & california Twirl.
Kalia asked, re the Galway Swing, "John, do you ever take left hands
directly underneath the right-allemande grip instead of cupping elbows?"
Yes, and no.
If I have just one symmetrical swing with each neighbour then I will
tend to go for the Galway Swing every time - just force of habit.
If I have a good partner, then I will do a different swing every time
through the dance, especially if it is a balance & swing. I do a
conventional ballroom-hold swing for the first one or two swings while
we get used to each other, then I will start playing around.
If you take left hands in an arm-wrestling hold below the right hands
you get what I know as a Scottish Crossed Wrists hold. It is not one I
use a lot - maybe I should try it a bit more. It is probably slightly
more intuitive than the Galway Swing - when I start that I usually have
to say, "take my elbow", and there can still be a slight delay as
realisation dawns. In the Crossed Wrists hold I would be offering my
left hand in an obvious way so maybe it would get the swing going
sooner. It would also avoid the challenge of people either not cupping
the elbow well and sliding away, or digging their thumbs into my elbow
in an unpleasant way!
Definitely worth trying.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
