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
Hi Ron,
I don't know of any dances with a Rory O'More figure and a box circulate in
the same dance, but if you're looking for a Petronella figure and a Rory
O'More figure in the same dance, check "Wave-Particle Duality" by Ryan
Smith: http://www.twirlyshirts.com/dances/by-ryan/wave-particle-duality/.
Dugan Murphy
dugan(a)duganmurphy.com
> Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2015 13:44:18 -0400
> From: Ron Blechner via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
> To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Subject: [Callers] Rory slides and Box circulates
> Message-ID:
> <
> CALf+g+5B02YzKizDh1E-YMoJx-n1V9sgjsR4rqxDjuwOy3JecA(a)mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> Long wave Rory O'Moore balance and slides/spins and box circulates ... in
> the same dance, adjacent to one another?
>
> I've not yet seen or danced any. Anyone have?
>
> I have a few dances; trying one or two this week.
>
> In dance,
> Ron Blechner
>
_______________________________________________
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Since folks generally check here to see whether dance compositions have already been written, I thought I might as well. Tentatively calling this "Charm City Contra".
Becket dance
A1 Circle L 3/4Pass thru, swing next NA2 L chnLH starB1 Al rt shadow #1 to wavy line, gents facing inBal wave, spin rtB2 Bal & Sw P
Perry
I called a dance last night in the town where I grew up (Bellingham, WA).
It's always great to go back and see people with whom I learned to dance.
Calling there makes me a little nervous, though, because I didn't start
calling until I left there about 11 years ago.
Anyway, keeping in mind the recent discussion about clapping for the band,
I did my utmost to make sure last night's band was well appreciated. They
are a really good home-town band, and very fun to work with, so I didn't
feel a need to fake it.
After the first dance there was a smattering of applause, so I said, "It is
customary to applaud the band after each set." This sort of stopped them in
their tracks and they responded well. The band was grinning at me. I then
said, "I have also heard that bands perform better when they know they are
being appreciated." This brought even more applause. I said they were
dancing to the playing of "Northern Contraband" and I'd introduce the
individual members later.
During the evening I smiled broadly at the band members, they responded
with the same; I applauded at the ends of each dance, while looking and
smiling at them; I whooped when it was appropriate (they threw in some
really cool stuff, off the cuff) and the dancers joined in. All-in-all the
band was very well-received and appreciated, they responded well to the
attention, and the dancers were consistently appreciative the rest of the
evening. I introduced the individual band members twice - once in the first
half and once in the second. It helps that I know them and didn't have to
read their names. I mentioned the sound person a few times, too. Everyone
was smiling and happy. It was good.
I hope I can spread the joy at other gigs.
-Amy
Just polling the masses here--how long do you generally run your dances (in
times through the dance, time take, couples going up and back, etc.)? How
many dances do you generally manage to fit into a 3-hour contra evening?
I've heard different wisdom from different folks and am curious to add some
more data points!
Cheers,
Maia
Kappy Laning and I have organized a new all-ECD weekend at Timber Ridge
camp, May 23-25 (Memorial Day weekend), 2015. Scott Higgs, Gaye Fifer, Tom
Spilsbury calling. Eight fine local musicians. The camp is so eager to make
this a success that they have lowered their price to us. NINETY Dollars,
all inclusive -- we start at 2 pm on Saturday afternoon (so no fighting the
Friday holiday weekend traffic) through Monday afternoon, all means included
(and we'll celebrate CDSS's 100th anniversary with a grand tea on Sunday).
I'd be happy to provide more information. If you already dance ECD, or
have always wanted to try it -- the cost is trifling!!
Website is AnEnglishTrifle.org.
April Blum
On 4/22/2015 7:08 PM, Erik Hoffman via Callers wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> There are several places where almost no applause occurs after a dance. In some communities, when I've been subjected to that experience, I've asked, "were we off tonight?" The reply usually is something like, "no, the dance was fine (or even great), we just head for our next partner..." I know sometimes it's just the night. Sometimes, though, it's the community's habit. I spoke with a renowned musician the other day, who will no longer play for a certain series. One of the reasons: lack of applause -- lack of that palpable sense of appreciation.
>
> I think dancers don't often know that applause really makes the band and caller feel better. If they feel better they play better. And, as a dancer, applause usually makes me feel better, too. Any ideas on how to encourage applause? Or, if you're in one of those communities where applause is minimal, does it bother you?
I had that experience a while back at one of our local contras, when I
was calling with a really hot band. We'd finish a dance, get a few
claps and then just crickets. It was really depressing and upsetting.
The dances were going ok, the music was smoking and then... nothing.
I've just looked back into my dance log and the comment I wrote later
that night was "I don’t know what was up, but it felt bad-weird from the
stage." Applause really does make a difference.
Kalia
Hi Maia,
I used to organize my dance cards by difficulty, but currently, I use
categories in my box that are largely based on dance-defining figures
(Petronella, star promenade) and types of progression (slide left,
circle-pass-through). I find that system of organization to be more useful
when writing out a program for an evening.
Dugan Murphy
dugan(a)duganmurphy.com
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2015 13:53:01 -0400
> From: Maia McCormick via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
> To: "callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net" <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
> Subject: [Callers] Difficulty rankings?
> Message-ID:
> <CAHUcZGPHaCuWAZv+d+6EX1aJ7D25CDSvJUFD=
> VLYV8g43Fyr6A(a)mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> As I overhaul my contra deck and realize that my difficulty ranking system
> is super incoherent, and most of my dance rankings are from way before I
> had any idea what actually makes a dance easy or hard, I've been thinking
> of scrapping this difficulty ranking system and just starting over. So I
> was wondering: if you rank your dances by difficulty, what is your system,
> what are your benchmarks for various difficulty levels, what sorts of
> things do you consider when determining the difficulty of a dance? If you
> DON'T
> rank your dances, why not?
>
> Cheers,
> Maia
>
> ***************************************
>
Second Dance: Friday 15th May, 2015.
Following the success of the first event (see
<http://barndancecaller.net/exetercontra.html>
http://barndancecaller.net/exetercontra.html), the next Contra Dance will be
held at The Kenn Centre, Exeter on Friday 15th May, 2015.
Beginners tuition at 7:30pm, main dance 8pm to 10:30pm.
Cost is only £4 per person.
The Kenn Centre ( <file:///\\www.kenncentre.co.uk> www.kenncentre.co.uk) has
a lovely modern large hall with ample parking. It's just a few miles outside
Exeter and is easily accessible from the M5/A30/A38/A380. Satnav: EX6 7UE
The caller is Jeremy Child ( <http://barndancecaller.net/index.html>
http://barndancecaller.net/index.html), an experienced contra caller who has
recently returned from a calling tour of South Eastern US. You may have seen
him and his rather bright orange shirt calling at Willand, Sidford and
Bridport.
We will be using recorded music, so you can dance along to your favourite
English bands such as Vertical Expression, English Contra Dance Band, Arden
Folk, Blowzabella, Fiddlin' Around and The Night Before, as well as some of
the top American Contra Bands such as Yankee Ingenuity, Wild Asparagus,
Contraforce and Perpetual e-Motion.
There will be a short interval for tea / coffee at around 9:15. Soft
drinks, tea, coffee and biscuits will be available f.o.c. but there is no
bar.
For further information or to be added to the Exeter Contra mailing list,
please email
<https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=ContraExeter@gmail.com>
ContraExeter(a)gmail.com. You can find more information, including photos and
videos from the first dance, at
<http://barndancecaller.net/exetercontra.html>
http://barndancecaller.net/exetercontra.html
and the Facebook page at
<https://www.facebook.com/events/1009884862357972/>
https://www.facebook.com/events/1009884862357972/
Jeremy
