Contra Callers October 2016

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

1 participants
49 discussions

Re: [Callers] Square dance calling book - What would you like to see?

by Tony Parkes via Callers

Luke Donforth wrote: <quote> I often wonder about pairing breaks with figures… there's some meta-level stuff I'd like to hear unpacked. Another meta-level thing; which squares do you want to stay square to phrasing (besides singing), and when does it not matter? A break-out of expected teaching and time it takes: i.e. this is a figure you'll have to walk once, versus this should be walked for heads & sides or everyone... A category of "these squares won't take longer than a contra to teach (but are still engaging)" <end quote> Thanks for your feedback, Luke. Several folks have responded off-list to my book announcement, and I’m grateful for all their thoughts. No one has suggested a broad category that I’d neglected to include, but all have made good points and/or forced me to clarify my thinking about several sub-categories. The more input I can get from a wide variety of callers and prospective callers, the better off I and my readers will be. Turning now to Luke’s requests: On pairing breaks with figures, I’m not sure there’s much to say beyond: (1) Avoid duplication. If the figure is based on stars, avoid them in the break; likewise with chains. There’s a break that alternates “all circle left” with “corner swing” four times; use it with a keeper figure, not one with a corner progression. (1a) Avoid immediate repetition. If the figure begins with heads or sides promenade, don’t call a promenade at the end of the opener and middle break. The same goes for forward and back. (2) Keep the break simpler than the figure in most of the squares you call. If you have a favorite tricky break, pair it with the simplest figure you know, one that barely needs a walkthrough, or save it for a workshop. Strict phrasing vs. loose or no phrasing: If a figure consists mainly of moves similar to contras – moves that position the dancers precisely (e.g. chain, R&L through, certain types of circles) – the moves should be synchronized with the musical phrases and the calls should be prompted. Unphrased dancing and calling is a hallmark of the Southern Mountain tradition, which favors figures in which the dancers describe circular paths around and between one another. Even some of these “swooping” figures can be phrased if desired; e.g. Lady Round the Lady is well-known as a singing or semi-singing call in the Northeast. Grand Square should always be phrased; Grapevine Twist is hard to phrase. But there’s a middle ground of figures where it’s the caller’s choice. All this will be in the book, of course. I’ll also point out which squares are likely to require enough teaching time to relegate them to workshops at camps and festivals, and which can be safely used at mostly-contra evenings. Keep the requests coming! Tony Parkes Billerica, Mass. www.hands4.com<http://www.hands4.com>

8 years, 5 months

Square dance calling book - What would you like to see?

by Tony Parkes via Callers

[Posted to Shared Weight callers' list and trad-dance-callers list, simultaneously but separately so replies won't go to both lists] This message is for those of you who call squares, or have thought you might like to call squares. The rest of you may allow your attention to wander. I'm writing a book on calling squares in what I think of as neo-traditional style (the style, borrowing from many regional traditions but compatible with contra handholds and timing, that callers tend to use on the contra circuit). It will be at least as long as my contra calling text (300 pages), but will include more repertoire than the contra book, as it seems to me that squares in general, and good squares in particular, are harder to find these days than contras and good contras. I've reached a stage where I know pretty well what I want to cover, but I want to make sure I haven't overlooked anything. So... What would you like to see in such a book (assuming you'd buy and/or read it)? What aspects of calling squares are you particularly interested / excited / terrified about? Public and private replies are welcome. Thanks for your interest and your feedback. Tony Parkes Billerica, Mass. www.hands4.com<http://www.hands4.com>

8 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] A Question Re: Contra friendly squares

by Tony Parkes via Callers

Jim Saxe wrote: <quote> *** My question is, have any of you ever seen something like this happen? The caller (whether you or someone else, and using whatever words) instructs, say, the head dancers to swing their opposites, face the nearest side couple, and circle with that side couple. In some square, one of the following misinterpretations occurs: 1. Instead of swinging in a spot directly in front of one of the side couples, a pair of head dancers swing either very near the gent's home place or very near the lady's home place. (And you believe that they aren't intentionally dancing offset from their theoretical position to avoid crowding but that they actually don't understand where they are supposed to be.) OR 2. Head dancers swing opposites, then fall back to home places. Then they go together with their *partners* to circle with whichever side couple they consider "nearest". OR 3. Somehow (whether or not you see exactly how it happens) dancers end up in a circle of five and a circle of three. <end quote> I have seen #3 happen several times when I was calling Ted's "Do-si-do and Face the Sides." I now teach it more carefully. Granted, it has a do-si-do rather than a swing, but I think I could now teach a similar dance with a swing and still keep the circles of four where they belong. Jim again: << My point is that even bits of choreography that aren't really difficult can take more care to teach efficiently and effectively when they are unfamiliar to many of the dancers present than when they are familiar to almost all. >> Yes. This is why squares are such a challenge to present effectively at a mostly-contra evening. The caller needs to think about what contra dancers know in terms of basic movements and transitions between them. Then s/he can focus on the potential trouble spots in a square and think about various ways of teaching them. I just finished vetting the square "Head for Home" for a new caller who was thinking of using it. It has two stars, each of which leads the dancers to someone they haven't just been working with. I suggested freezing the action just before each star and having the dancers locate the person they'll be going to from the star. I find that freezing the action is important in walking through a lot of the squares in my repertoire. Sometimes it helps to say "When you're done with the next move, you'll have switched places with [person or couple]" or "you'll be right back where you are now, facing the same way" or to have them take a shortcut to the next place they'll be, to get their bodies familiar with it, then back up and get them there the real way. (It could be argued that this last device is like showing how a magic trick is done, but in traditional calling we're not giving the dancers puzzles to solve, we're letting them take the scenic route even if there may be a more direct path to where they're going. Sandy Bradley used to say "When we're all done you'll be right back where you started, so the only thing that matters is that you had fun along the way.") Tony Parkes Billerica, Mass. www.hands4.com

8 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] Contra friendly squares

by John Sweeney via Callers

Hi Ron, Here are some figures that might fit your needs. But you also need some breaks/choruses that contra dancers will find easy; you dont have to use ones shown with the figures. Chippenham Square by Colin Hume http://colinhume.com/insts.htm#ChippenhamSquare Geezy Peezy by Larry Edelman https://www.library.unh.edu/special/forms/rpdlw/syllabus2011.pdf Banjos in Love by Erik Hoffman in Contradictions: http://www.erikhoffman.com/dancescd.html Deer Park Lancers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ1D5IZt_dc The Lucky One by Tom Hinds in Bad Hair Decade Perceptual Motion by Tom Hinds https://www.library.unh.edu/special/forms/rpdlw/syllabus2007.pdf Camilles Quadrille by Walter Lenk https://www.cambridgefolk.org.uk/contra/dances/camilles_quadrille.html Beaver Lake Jig by Ted Sanella https://www.cambridgefolk.org.uk/contra/dances/ted_sannella/beaver_lake_jig. html (if the men mess up the first move, then get the ladies to go to their left hand man for the allemande right instead the ladies are often much better than the men!) Western Quadrille (from Chip Hendrickson) based on Powells First Sett No. 3 1848 A1: Men Star Left (Hands Across); Star Right, take Left with Partner to form intersecting Waves A2: Balance the Wave (L/R), Partner Allemande Left 1/2 Balance the Wave (L/R), Partner Allemande Left 3/4 B1: All Four Ladies Chain Half Way x2 finish by sending the Lady around the outside on to the next Man and turning Left to pick up your Corner B2: Corner Promenade to Man's Home (Original was Ladies Stars, but that makes the end of A2 an Allemande Left 1 & 1/4 in four beats) Or for a slightly more complex one on the same theme: Parisian Star https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzdwHF2EZ_k Hope that helps. If you want any of the instructions please e-mail me off-list. Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent

8 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] Wrist-lock Stars

by Dan Pearl via Callers

Sylvia Miskoe, in rec.folk-dancing on March 4, 1999 said: Wrist grip stars became popular after the appearance at New England Folk Festival (NEFFA) of the Lithuanian Dance Group doing their dances and they all used wrist grips. The square dancers thought it was a neat idea and adopted it. Cheers, Sylvia Miskoe, Concord, NH

8 years, 5 months

ID This Dance

by Dugan Murphy via Callers

I recently collected a dance from Mary Wesley, who collected it from Susan Petrick. Susan wrote it down from memory, filling in the gaps for the parts she didn't remember, and decided to call it "Missing You." Do recognize the choreography? Susan and I are curious who might have wrote this under what title. She's pretty sure she remembered B2 right, but she might have inadvertently changed parts of the rest of the dance when remembering it. A1 Neighbor balance and swing (16) A2 Gents left hand allemande 1.5 (8); Partner swing (8) B1 Long lines forward and back (8); Ladies chain across to neighbor (8) B2 Balance the ring (4); Gents roll partner away with a half sashay (4); Balance the ring (4); Gents roll neighbor away with a half sashay (4) Thanks, hive mind! Dugan Murphy Portland, Maine www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com www.NufSed.consulting

8 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] Wizard's Way?

by John Sweeney via Callers

Yes, Dean Snipes. Sent off-list. Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent

8 years, 5 months

Is This a New Dance?

by Paul Wilde via Callers

Hey all, Does this dance exist already? If no, please give it a whirl and let me know what you think. Twilight Deliverance DI A-1 N - S L L F & B A-2 Star L 3/4 (to Ladies side) P - S (Men turn back to S P) B-1 1/2 Hey (Men lead, L in ctr) Men's Chain (pull by L, offer R to N) B-2 Ring Bal, & Pet Spin to R (2X) On 2nd, spin a little extra into arms of new N. Dedicated to all the people who dance, play, call, live, love, & laugh in Montague.

8 years, 5 months

Wizard's Way?

by Kelseyannehartman＠gmail.com via Callers

Hi! I have found Ruth Ungar's Wizard Walk on the WWW, but can't find Wizard's Way... and I feel bad but can't remember who wrote it...I keep thinking Cis or Linda Leslie. Can someone help me by sending the dance and the name of its illustrious choreographer? Thanks! Sent from my iPhone

8 years, 5 months

Caller Directory - in development

by Luke Donforth via Callers

Hello all, When I get an inquiry about calling for a gig that I can't do, I often refer them to the same handful of local callers that I know. But it's not always the most useful if the inquiry came from far away. I've been thinking about trying to create a caller database; with geographic home-base of caller and contact information. I know there are lists of callers out there, such as Charlie's excellent contra dance links and Dance Gypsy. I was thinking it would be useful to have it in database format where it could be sorted and filtered. I'd also like for folks to be able to submit themselves, as opposed to having to compile them. I've taken a first pass at creating a google form that allows people to submit information; with a linked spreadsheet that would allow people to filter based on what they're looking for (both geographically and dance style). My hope is to eventually develop a front end to help filter that information, but for now I'm just sharing it in a database. As a caller, would you fill it out? As an organizer, would you use it? Is there any information I've missed that you'd want, or something I've included you'd rather not have? The survey is at: https://goo.gl/forms/62beEKCKsyysepGk1 The spreadsheet of (currently sparse) results: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZIWfYyFwMHHm6MpyMCD_N8ssQcOD5s6yndu… I'd appreciate feedback on the survey; as well as a folks filling it out to see how useful filtering the database is (and eventually test the front end). Thanks! -- Luke Donforth calling.luke(a)gmail.com

8 years, 5 months

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Contra Callers October 2016