Contra Callers June 2016

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

1 participants
31 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

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

4 years, 6 months

A new(?) dance, written with a gyre

by Luke Donforth via Callers

Hello all, Linda Leslie's suggestion of gyre as a replacement for gypsy bubbled around in my brain and a new (I think) dance percolated up. It has a twist that isn't the gyre (which I consider just new nomenclature); women casting out of the swing to travel from one minor set to another (similar to gent's movement in Scoot by Tom Hinds). I haven't gotten to test it with dancers yet, as I just finished running it through with pegs on my desk; but I wanted to share it in support of a new term. A Gyre for Linda by Luke Donforth Contra/Becket-CCW A1 ----------- (4) Pass through to an ocean wave (ladies left, catch right with partner) (4) Balance the short Wavy line (2) Walk forward (3) Shadow gyre right 1/2 (3) Gents gyre left 1/2 in the middle A2 ----------- (16) Neighbor gyre right and swing B1 ----------- MEANWHILE FIGURE: (8) Men allemande Left 1-1/2 WHILE women cast cw around whole set one woman’s place (8) 1/2 Hey, passing partner by right shoulder B2 ----------- (16) Partner gyre right and swing at home As for the other aspects that have been discussed: I pronounce it with a softer g sound. For reasons unclear to me, gyre has different accepted pronunciations; but (to my knowledge) gyration doesn't. As for using the term (which I clearly support); it costs me nearly nothing to switch and helps make the dance more accessible for some; both in dropping a term some find offensive and making the name more descriptive of the move. My job as a caller is to help share the joy of dancing, and if this does that I'm in favor of it. -- Luke Donforth Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>

6 years, 8 months

Name that dance

by Amy Wimmer via Callers

Hi All, I collected a dance from Lisa Greenleaf. Neither she nor the person from whom she collected it knows the author. I'm hoping you can help me. Here it is: Holiday Daze Becket A1 Cir L 3/4, pass through New neighbor swing A2 Long lines F&B Ladies chain B1 Left diag. hey for 4 B2 (original) Ladies L shoulder gypsy Partner swing Thanks -Amy

8 years, 4 months

Grand Square in a contra?

by Luke Donforth via Callers

Hi Folks, Several years ago (2013?) while at the fabulous DEFFA festival in Maine, I danced a contra that had a grand square. I think it was on the diagonal. But that's about all I remember about it. Anyone know the dance? Or can give me more of a lead like the caller or such? I don't think it was a 4x4. I'm not sure if it had the full 16 beats one way, then reverse and 16 beats the other way; because that'd be half the dance... Now that I'm thinking about it, as a 4x4 with a full grand square and still following somewhat typical 4x4 conventions: A1 Lines of 4 go forward and back Corner Swing A2 Grand Square: Heads start forward, sides split B1 Reverse: sides start forward, heads split B2 - Option 1: Heads pass straight through, sides pass straight through; find partner - Option 2: Pass new corner right, next left; find partner - Option 3: Gents left hand star promenade with corner, ladies go ~1/2, turn back to partner partner swing, face line of direction I'm now really confident it wasn't a 4x4 contra, but I still don't remember what it was. Any help would be appreciated. If I can't find it I may try it as a 4x4, but it seems like you'd be further ahead with a simple square to have a little more variety than just grand square and two swings... Thanks. -- Luke Donforth Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>

8 years, 5 months

Toronto meetup?

by Aahz via Callers

I know at least three of us will be there next weekend, any interest in a group meal or something? Or just crash into each other on the dance floor? ;-> -- Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/ <*> <*> <*> Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html

8 years, 5 months

24th of June

by Richard Hopkins via Callers

FWIW: June 24 is the feast day of St John the Baptist, patron saint of Quebec. So June 24 is Quebec's national holiday, bigger there than Canada Day a week later. (Camped last night in a state park in the Adirondacks, full of Québécois enjoying a long weekend....). Richard Hopkins Sent from my iPhone > On Jun 25, 2016, at 4:01 PM, via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > > Send Callers mailing list submissions to > callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > callers-request(a)lists.sharedweight.net > > You can reach the person managing the list at > callers-owner(a)lists.sharedweight.net > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. 24th of June (Amy Wimmer via Callers) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2016 13:56:18 -0700 > From: Amy Wimmer via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> > To: callers(a)sharedweight.net > Subject: [Callers] 24th of June > Message-ID: <-8010775640843658219@unknownmsgid> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > Anybody know the origins of Steve Schnur's dance "Twenty Fourth of > June"? I plan to call it tonight, because.... > > -Amy > > > ------------------------------ > > Subject: Digest Footer > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net > > > ------------------------------ > > End of Callers Digest, Vol 26, Issue 14 > ***************************************

8 years, 5 months

24th of June

by Amy Wimmer via Callers

Anybody know the origins of Steve Schnur's dance "Twenty Fourth of June"? I plan to call it tonight, because.... -Amy

8 years, 6 months

Re: [Callers] Rorys + Grand R+L?

by Ron Blechner via Callers

I like these two at a glance; I'll take a closer look later. Thank you. At the same time, I was asking for pulling by both ways, not just one way, so more suggestions still welcome. On Jun 20, 2016 4:50 PM, "Bob Isaacs" <isaacsbob(a)hotmail.com> wrote: Ron and All: I hope this isn't too weird for you. It adapted the diagonal Rory spins first seen in Bill Olson's Eleanor's Reel into a single progression dance: Let It Flow Becket-L Bob Isaacs, 7/26/04 A1. 8 L diagonal circle L ¾ 2,2,4 N1 pull by R, N2 pull by L, N3 allemande R ¾ to wave/4 (1) A2. 4,4 Balance R and L, spin R forward to wave/4 w/N2 (2) 4,4 Balance L and R, spin L forward B1. 4,12 N1 balance, swing B2. 4 Give and take to gent’s side 12 Partner swing (1) – With gents taking L hands in the center and N3 keeping R hands on the side. (2) – With ladies taking R hands in the center and N2 taking L hands on the side. *http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eMPU6Enh-M* <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eMPU6Enh-M> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LecYtmgdLLE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1ZneH9zwsw Bob ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2016 15:34:47 -0400 To: callers(a)sharedweight.net Subject: [Callers] Rorys + Grand R+L? From: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net Any contra dances out there with a grand right and left around the set and Rory OMoore spins? (Standard 32bar, nothing too weird) I thought I've danced one that went something like: Indecent A1. N1 Pull by R, N2 Pull by L, N3 Pull by R, N4 Alle L 1x, N3 by R, form wavy lines with N2, LH to N2, ladies in center. A2. Bal, Spin L, Bal, Spin R ... Then something? Maybe ladies spin all the way across on that second spin, B+S partner, circle, do-si-do? Or maybe the pull-bys go back to N1, and RH to N1 in waves? Thanks, Ron Blechner _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

8 years, 6 months

Culture Club "Erlanger Tanzhaus"; spear phishing, or legit?

by Luke Donforth via Callers

Hello all, Just got a request from Axel Roehborn of the Erlanger Tanzhaus in Germany asking for dances to be submit for a workbook. Anyone have any familiarity with Axel or the group? http://www.erlanger-tanzhaus.de/ As an academic, I get all sorts of requests for papers with publication fees. This seems different, but set off my internal phishing sensors. Thanks -- Luke Donforth Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>

8 years, 6 months

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Contra Callers June 2016