Woody Lane wrote:
> Unexpected moves are not necessarily enjoyed by contra dancers. You
> can get around this by announcing in advance that this will be a "hash
> square" so the dancers are prepared for the challenge.
I replied:
> I don't think most contra dancers know what a "hash square" is.
Eric Black wrote:
> Could be. But I've called "hash contras" to a suitable crowd
> (i.e. one ready for no-walk-through medleys, where each dance in
> the medley might be only 1 time, never repeated). As long as you
> eventually get your partner back, and eventually progress, it
> can be fun.
I agree that many contra dancers can do and enjoy "hash" squares and
contras. I'm just advising against using the word "hash" to indicate
what kind of dance you're going to do because they probably won't know
the term.
Jeff
Richard,
Two of the key elements are the concepts and the moves. If you call
squares that use moves they know then you only have to focus on teaching the
concepts. And the fewer concepts you have to introduce the better. I like
using these with contra dancers for that reason:
Kimmswick Express (by Gene Hubert)
Square HSHS
A1: Heads Forward & Back; Heads Right & Left Through
A2: Heads Circle Left 3/4, Pass Through across the set
With the one you meet: Dosido 1 & 1.4 to Ocean Waves
B1: Balance the Wave (R/L), Swing Through (Allemande Right Half, those
who can (Men) Allemande Left Half)
Partner Swing
B2: Promenade Home
Chippenham Square (by Colin Hume)
Square HSHS
A1: Heads Right & Left Through; Sides Swing your Opposite and face the
nearest Head Couple
A2: Balance the Ring; Petronella Turn
Balance the Ring; Petronella Turn
B1: Balance the Ring; Pass Through up & down the set
Partner Swing
B2: Corner Allemande Left
Partner Promenade Home (half-way)
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
Thanks for the advice and suggestions so far. Many of the suggestions that you all make are fairly generically about good practices when calling squares in a traditional setting, and I almost entirely agree. I appreciate the specificity and thoughtfulness especially of Mac's and Woody's comments about style and approach.
Just for context: I have been calling contra- and square-dances for over twenty years, at community dances in Tallahassee, Gainesville, Jacksonville, and occasionally elsewhere. This last year I organized and called four special Sunday-afternoon dances locally that were all-squares (which I used as license to do some other non-contra set dances as well….). I usually call one or two squares at each community contra-dance that I call. I have been working on getting better at several different styles of squares, including western and southern squares as well as New England squares, and recently have added a few singing squares to my repertory.
So, if I may modify my question a bit: Do you have specific squares or figures that have worked well for you in this context? I realize there are hundreds, if not thousands, to pick from. Which ones do you reach for most often when you want to call a square in an evening of mostly contras?
Richard
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Personally, I like to dance and call squares as much as contra dances, but in many locales there is a strong preference for contras. If you were going to program a square or two in an evening otherwise devoted to contra dances, which ones would you pick? Or what would be the characteristics of squares that you think would make the contra devotees say "That wasn't so bad after all"? (This is assuming you have asked and the organizers haven't told you they expect all contras).
I am programming this Friday's Tallahassee dance right now, so this is not just an academic question.
Richard Hopkins
hopkinsrs(a)comcast.net
850-894-9212
850-544-7614 cell
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Richard Hopkins
850-894-9212 (home)
850-544-7614 (cell)
hopkinsrs(a)comcast.net
Last month I posted a message asking for help on balancing social time and dancing time at a local dance. Also, in how to regain their attention during a walk through. Thank you to all of you for your responses. I noted all of them and channeled you all during tonight's dance. I was surprised how noticeable the "slight lull" in voices is when you're paying attention. I made sure to jump in at that time. The crowd was very good tonight and listened well. I also used the "raise your hands if you have hands 4 in the back". Another thing I did that wasn't mentioned is I made sure that the sound was crisp and clear in the back of the hall so the people at the bottom of the set would be able to hear me. I was very intentional about this during the sound check. And the last thing that was so helpful was that I had a very good sound engineer who made sure my voice was clear and not muddy.
Thanks again,
Jacqui
Hi Kalia,
Yes, you are absolutely right. Although the direction of movement
in the Gay Gordons is the same as in a contra Dublin Bay, the synchronised
turn in the same direction in the Gay Gordson means that you don't get to
smile at your partner as you turn.
The move in La Chapelloise is identical in all respects to the
contra Dublin Bay (just two people instead of two pairs of people).
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
Hi Kalia, you said, " It's that turn in the middle of the line of 4's travel
that I was comparing to Dublin Bay."
Yes, I understand completely. This is not the first time I have seen the
"down the hall, turn, go backwards" called Dublin Bay by contra dancers.
I suspect that in England we would be much more likely to say, " as in The
Gay Gordons" or " as in La Chapelloise"
(http://www.webfeet.org/eceilidh/dances/la-chapelloise.html). Although
those dances are in twos rather than in fours, the movement is: forwards,
turn, backwards, forwards, turn, backwards. I.e identical to the contra
version of "Dublin Bay". Whereas the original Dublin Bay move was:
backwards, forwards, turn, backwards, forwards.
As has happened so many times across so many dance styles, a nice move gets
incorporated into a new dance, changes over time (or even initially), but
still retains the reference to the old dance.
I called a dance with an "original" Dublin Bay move last night to a group
who are used to going down the hall; in the line of eight, one end went
backwards, the other end went forwards and the ones in the middle looked
confused. I was laughing so much I completely stopped calling, which didn't
help!
This is one of those little things that drives dance historians/researchers
crazy - the words you are reading may not have the same meaning to you as
they did to the author. And don't get me started on what a dosido is! :-)
>From "Through the Looking Glass":
'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it
means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less.'
:-)
Which is what calling is all about - making sure that the dancers know what
we actually mean, regardless of how we say it.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
JoLaine asked, "Many of our easier dances include down-the-halls, but there
are so many ways to come back up! There's turn alone, and turn as a couple
of course, but there's also sliding doors, right-hand-high-left-hand-low,
loop-de-loop, cloverleaf. What are your favorite dances that include an
unusual down-the-hall?".
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The references to Dublin Bay are slightly inaccurate. The original dance -
see http://www.folkdance.com/LDNotations/DublinBay2000LD.pdf - contains:
Line of four facing down the hall:
Fall back four steps (heading backwards up the hall), go forward four steps,
turn alone to face up the hall; fall back four steps, go forward four steps.
Don't you just love the folk process? :-)
How about someone writing an nice new contra based on the original Dublin
Bay, and actually using the Dublin Bay up and down the hall moves?
Note: the original tune has a 14 bar A-music and a 10 bar B-music!
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Here are some of the ways I know to turn and come back (many of them
mentioned already) and some dances that use them. Please let me know if you
want me to post any of the dances in full.
Down the Hall in Lines of Four; Don't Turn!
Backwards up the hall; middles arch; ends duck through to face new couple
Fairfield Fancy by Dick Forscher
Jefferson & Liberty
Steamboat - traditional with stepping
One challenge with these dances is that the sets tend to move down the hall
since those making the arches tend not to move back as far as they should.
One solution is:
Tecumseh by Dillon Bustin
Lines of Four Go Down the Hall (4); Lines of Four Fall Back (4)
#1s Arch, #2s go through the Arch
= = = = =
Dixie Twirl
Just Skylarking by Rhodri Davies
Plough & Harrow by Roger Whynot
= = = = =
Down the Hall in Lines of Four - just #1s (in the middle) drop hands - #2s
Hand Cast/Gate #1s (#2s in middle now); Up the Hall
Jeff's Gypsy by Paul Wilde
= = = = =
Up the Hall in Lines of Four; Ends Gate the Middles
Fiddleheads by Ted Sanella
Walk the Chalk Line by John Chapman
A Truly Remarkable Total by Rhodri Davies
Shadrack's Delight by Tony Parkes
= = = = =
Man on Left end Turn Alone - Ladies trade places as the Man between them
does "right hand high, left hand low"
Love Sting by Rick Mohr
Love at First Swing by Bob Isaacs
One twist on this is to swing before coming back:
Down the Hall in Lines of Four; End Man Turn Alone WHILE Middle Man does
Left Hand High, Right Hand Low: Draw Right-Hand Lady under arch and let her
go, Draw Left-Hand Lady into a Swing
Partner Swing - finish facing Up the Hall; Up the Hall in Lines of Four
Ants Marching by Ron T Blechner
= = = = =
Down the Hall in Lines of Four (4); Tag the Line (4)
Each dancer turns to face the center of the line. Taking a short side step
to the left, each dancer walks forward passing right shoulders with oncoming
dancers until he has walked past all of the dancers from the other half of
the line
Tag the Line by Bob Dalsemer
= = = = =
Down the Hall in Lines of Four - KEEP HOLD: #1s turn away from each other &
back under their joined hands, #2s turn in - all face up
Up the Hall in a "Cozy Line" - #2s can join hands behind the line as they
lead back (or make a Triumph-style arch and bring their hands over the #1s)
- form a cloverleaf by #2s joining hands above the #1s' hands
Symmetrical Force by Fred Field
= = = = =
MMLL: Down the Hall in Lines of Four, Turn as (same-sex) Couples: fold the
line (momentary circle), #1s join hands, unfold to a Line of Four facing Up
the Hall, #1s in the middle
Up the Hall in Lines of Four, #2s Gate #1s to Long Lines
Curly Cues (by Erik Hoffman)
= = = = =
Do you ever dance Triplets (three couple sets) at your dances? If so try:
March of the Triplets (by Bob Isaacs)
#3s Gate #1s Down & all the way to face Down WHILE #2s
Lead Down - form a Line of Six facing Down
Down the Hall in Lines of Six, Turn Alone
= = = = =
A different way to get into a line of four:
Half a Slice by Bob Isaacs
Half a Slice on Left Diagonal to a Line of Four Facing Down
Half a Slice: As a couple, go forward towards each other on the diagonal.
The top two dancers join hands; the bottom two push off to make a line of
four facing down. This is an efficient way to get everyone progressed and
facing down in 8 beats, so there is time for creative or dramatic push-offs.
= = = = =
And here is a dance based on the "Half a Slice" idea, with yet another way
of getting into lines of four:
The Pattern Unfolds by John Sweeney
Becket (CW)
A1: Balance the Ring; Ladies Cross by the Left (Lady coming Up makes an
Arch) - look for a New Neighbour - Men turn to a new Circle as well
Balance the New Ring x 2 - on the second Unfold into a Line of Four
Facing Down
A2: Down the Hall in Lines of Four
Neighbour Swing - finish facing across
B1: Balance the Ring x 2 - on the second Unfold into a Line of Four
Facing Up
Up the Hall in Lines of Four - Bend the Line
B2: Neighbour Allemande Right; Ladies Allemande Left 1/2
Partner Swing
= = = = =
Hope that helps.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
Donna asked if the "Invert the Line" in "Invertro Flirtilization" is the
same as a Thread the Needle.
Not really. That "Invert the Line" only involves four people who split up
into two couples as soon as they are through the arch.
In a normal Thread the Needle there are usually at least eight people
involved and there is no letting go. For example in a four-couple proper
longways set the four men hold hands, the four ladies hold hands, and the
bottom couple hold hands, so you have a horseshoe. Then the top two men
raise their joined hands to make an arch and the top lady leads the whole
line through and back to their original places. The top two men roll
through their own arch to finish the move.
Or you can do a Travelling Thread the Needle wherein the top man in the
above move would dance (not walk or you won't get home!) clockwise around
the set to home, taking the arch over everyone more quickly and making
everyone go through it twice - #2 man needs to know what is happening as he
has to roll under the moving arch twice!
It also occurs in squares, in a Double Thread the Needle one couple goes
through an opposite arch, separate and lead their own half of the square
back to place. Also known as "Rip 'n' Snort" (anyone know why?).
Or for a flowing example of multiple Thread the Needles see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZD_C52eVt4 for the Double Bow Knot!
Of course, words mean what you want them to. Back in Alabama in 1850
"Thread the Needle" meant something else:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_Ha27GDnSU
But we are getting off-topic here, those of you who only go to contra dances
where only contra dances are done will never enjoy the fun of a Travelling
Thread the Needle! :-)
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
