Contra Callers November 2018

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

19 participants
18 discussions

Twitter and Instagram for Contra Dance Marketing

by John Sweeney

Hi all, Has anyone had any success at getting new people along to dances by using Twitter or Instagram? If so, please do you have any advice on: How to get started? What sort of material to post? Who to Follow to see some successful usage? Thanks. 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

5 years, 5 months

Colds

by Bob Peterson

Cold and flu season is on us. Where is the line between cancelling on a gig and forging ahead despite how I feel? I guess it’s a matter of how composed I can be and how quiet I can keep my conditions from the dancers. Medication can help, but can interfere with safe driving. If I feel I must cancel, what’s the right amount of notice to give? Who finds the replacement if I have to cancel?

5 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] Twitter and Instagram for Contra Dance Marketing

by Dugan Murphy

Hi, John, The Instagram associated with my dance community has had some success in promoting our dance. It also caught the eye of a local business who ended up sponsoring us for a short while when we were new. Because I don't manage it or use Instagram at all myself, I can't say anything about getting started. What I can say is that because Instagram is for photos, you need someone who can take good photos. It also helps if the person managing the profile has an understanding of relevant hashtags to use. Here's the link: https://www.instagram.com/portlandintowncontradance/ Good luck! Dugan Murphy Portland, Maine dugan at duganmurphy.com www.DuganMurphy.com www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com www.NufSed.consulting > > > Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2018 10:59:07 -0000 > From: "John Sweeney" <john(a)modernjive.com> > To: <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: [Callers] Twitter and Instagram for Contra Dance Marketing > Message-ID: <001501d47d9b$658adff0$30a09fd0$(a)modernjive.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Hi all, > > Has anyone had any success at getting new people along to > dances by using Twitter or Instagram? > > > > If so, please do you have any advice on: > > How to get started? > > What sort of material to post? > > Who to Follow to see some successful usage? > > > > Thanks. > > > > > > 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 >

5 years, 5 months

Dance Title

by Rich Sbardella

Hello Friends, I am looking for the name and composer of this dance. Can you help? Becket A1 CL 3/4, N Swg A2 LL, P RH Balance, Pull P Right, Pull N Left B1 Along Line, RH Bal, Box Gnat, Gents Alle L 1-1/2 B2 P B&S Thanks, Rich

5 years, 5 months

Puttin' On the Dance 3: Update

by Puttin' on the Dance Team

Dear Northeast Dance Organizers*, We’re writing with an update on Puttin’ On the Dance (POTD)*. As many of you know, planning had begun for a third POTD conference, but for various reasons, including illness of loved ones, those plans were postponed. The Puttin’ On the Dance Advisory Board is grateful to that team, especially Dela Murphy and Coral Breuer, for their enthusiasm and hard work on behalf of dance organizers in the Northeast. Today, we are pleased to announce that Lisa Sieverts will chair a committee to put on POTD-3, sometime in 2020 in the Northeastern US. A project manager by trade, Lisa has organized dances in Boise ID, Nelson NH, and Peterborough NH and she worked closely with Larry Jennings on his book, Give-and-Take. She is also on the board of the Monadnock Folklore Society. Lisa attended POTD-1 and believes strongly in the POTD mission. We’re thrilled to have her at the helm! In July 2019, we will send out a call for folks to join the organizing team for POTD-3. If you have ideas, enthusiasm, or questions before then, please contact the advisory board at puttinonthedance(a)gmail.com . For ongoing support for dance organizers: - Shared Weight Organizers List -- online discussion forum sharedweight.net/ <http://www.sharedweight.net/index.php?pagestate=org_about> - Shop Talk -- a quarterly email from the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) with news and resources for organizers bit.ly/2sqQr4B - CDSS Organizers Resource Portal -- includes archives from POTD-1 and POTD-2 cdss.org/resources/how-to/organizers-resources <https://www.cdss.org/resources/how-to/organizers-resources> Yours in traditional social dance, Puttin’ On the Dance Advisory Board Emily Addison – chair POTD-2 Chrissy Fowler – co-chair POTD-1 Linda Henry – co-chair POTD-1 and CDSS Liaison puttinonthedance.org <http://www.puttinonthedance.org> *POTD is a conference that convenes organizers in the Northeastern US and Eastern Canada who produce dance events in the North American and English social dance traditions (e.g., Cape Breton, community, contra, English country, family, gender free, Quebecois, and square). The objective of this weekend event is to provide resources and opportunities for learning, sharing, renewal, and fun! This will strengthen networks for sustaining dance organizers, who in turn sustain important traditions of participatory social dance throughout our region. -- puttinonthedance.org facebook.com/PuttinOnTheDance *You're on the POTD email list because we think you're interested in conferences for dance organizers. Let us know if you want your address removed. *

5 years, 5 months

list of dances called at Warren's Roadhouse

by Michael Dyck

In Warren's Roadhouse at Seattle's Northwest Folklife Festival, there used to be (and probably still is) a notebook at the side of the stage, in which each caller would record the names of the dances they called. Has that info been put online? (My searches have been fruitless.) I seem to recall that someone had volunteered to do the data entry, but that was a while ago, and I forget who it was. -Michael

5 years, 5 months

Feeling old and creaky. Recommend some "youth"?

by Amy Cann

Hi all. I'm heading in to Boston this weekend to call a double bill for BIDA -- family dance for an hour, then potluck, then the regular Sunday evening. It's intergenerational, leans young/collegiate, uses "Larks/Ravens" (just found this out) and is in general all things hip. I am staring at my cards and feeling... Ralph Page-y. Out of date. Wayyyy too many proper dances. Not enough "cool moves". Old fashioned. Help me? What's your current dance that adapts well to gender-role-free, has an interesting "hook", isn't too hard, keeps everyone moving, and in general comes across as "cool"? Low mental piece count, but interesting pieces? Contras, sicilians, circles all welcome. Also links to any past threads on here w/ a similar focus. I'm going to go drink my Postum. Amy

5 years, 5 months

Neffa 75th cotra choreography contest

by Greenleaf

NEFFA 75th Contra Contest To help NEFFA celebrate our Diamond Jubilee, we hereby open up the NEFFA 75th Anniversary Contra Choreography Contest. The winning dance, as judged by Bob Isaacs and Lisa Greenleaf, will be called by Mr. Isaacs at the Festival's celebration dance on Saturday, April 13. Besides fame and glory, the winner will also be awarded a Neffa T shirt. We are looking for a contra dance with good story line and flow, and would prefer to have a mostly equal-action dance with good movement for everyone, although we will entertain submissions that favor the ones, or that alternate between the ones and twos. Contra Choreography Parameters: -The title must reflect Neffa somehow, and perhaps the 75th -32 bars long -Contra formation -Intermediate skill level: commonly-used figures, moderate piece count, and nothing too complicated out of the minor set -Good flow -Limit three submissions per person -Deadline is Feb 15, 2019 -Do not need to be at the Festival to win Send your clearly worded and annotated-as-necessary submissions to Lisa Greenleaf at neffacontra(a)yahoo.com (or you can reply to this email; just don’t hit reply all). Don’t delay—get crackin’! Lisa Greenleaf

5 years, 5 months

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Contra Callers November 2018