Contra Callers April 2019

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

33 participants
21 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, 5 months

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

5 years

Calling a Halloween dance tonight? Try this circle mixer...

by Amy Cann via Callers

I try and call the dances of Rich Blazej whenever I can and this one's a Halloween favorite, re-done as "Werewolves and Zombies". *Garfield's Escape* -- circle of couples PLUS ONE EXTRA in the center (Garfield) A1 All into the center EIGHT steps and back, menacing the Garfield A2 Circle left, circle right B1 Women (werewolves) promenade single file to the right, while men (zombies) "star" by the right -- each man puts his right hand on right shoulder of the man in front - including Garfield. B2 Caller hollers "Escape!" ("Boo!", or maybe "Braaaiiins") and all men run to the outside and swing with a woman in the outer circle. A new Garfield remains in the center. Rich himself named this after Garfield the comic-strip cat, way back when he was cynical and funny (the cat, not Rich). "The single man remaining at the end of the dance is entitled to a pan of lasagna and some fresh kitty litter". My favorite normal tune for this is the minor jig Coleraine, played at a slightly slower lurch-y tempo, but if I'm lucky the band'll do the Alfred Hitchcock theme. Have fun, just thought I'd share -- and I'd love to hear how it goes if you do it, and what variations emerge. Cheers, Amy

5 years, 7 months

Looking for "fun" dances

by sdgola＠aol.com

Sure they're all fun (we hope). I'm looking for a few dances that are particularly playful, quirky, silly....something that typically gets the dancers laughing. Some examples would be "Over the Hill and Still Chased" with the lady round two/gent cut through figure, or Beneficial Tradition when the dancers throw their free arm up and shout "Wooo!" You get the idea. What are your favorites? Sue Gola Princeton, NJ

6 years

Re: [Callers] Easy flourishes or other "bonus" movements?

by John Sweeney

Hi Lenore, I think part of the challenge with contra is that there is so little teaching done at dances. Technique is very rarely taught; people are just supposed to pick it all up as they go along. As a result people who can get through challenging dances consider themselves “advanced” while still having no basic dancing skills. One of the most frustrating sequences for me is “Men Allemande Left 1.5; Neighbour Swing”. I like to spin out of the Allemande into my Neighbour’s arms for the Swing. But no-one ever teaches Allemande technique and very few dancers do it well (the ladies tend to be much better than the men). I get offered all sorts of strange hand positions; the dancers put their arms at strange angles which prevent you disengaging smoothly; many of the dancers seem to think that they are arm-wrestling instead of dancing; some of them have misunderstood the term “give weight” and lean away strongly so that I have to devote myself to stopping them from falling over (very tiring!); and, possibly as a result of all this poor connection, they don’t move fast enough - their steps are too small. All of this means that getting around 1.5 times takes too long and there is no time to add a spin out of the Allemande. You can’t build on shifting sands. Whenever I teach a Swing Variations workshop I always start by going over the basics of a good swing. It’s amazing how many people afterwards thank me and say they hadn’t realised that they could improve their basic swing. See http://contrafusion.co.uk/Contra.html#swinging for details. You may also find some ideas you can use at http://contrafusion.co.uk/Contra.html#connection. For improving technique in twirls (e.g. in and out of swings, and multiple twirls in a Ladies’ Chains), see http://modernjive.com/history/tension.html. Although this article was written for a different dance style, the technique points apply equally well to contra twirls. Note: this article refers to Lead & Follow which is not a fundamental part of contra dance. However, for many flourishes the Lead & Follow principles apply for the duration of that flourish. Some flourishes that can be done easily by yourself are: Spin into a Tidal Wave (long wavy line) Twirl yourself going from Up The Hall in Lines of Four into a Circle Left Spin yourself out of Allemandes - great fun if you can do all four in a Contra Corners Do something on beat four of Long Lines Go Forward & Back: shimmy, stamp, hip bump the opposite person (if you know them well), bow… I hope some of that helps. Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com <mailto:john@modernjive.com> 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://contrafusion.co.uk/KentCeilidhs.html for Live Music Ceilidhs http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive DVDs From: Callers <callers-bounces(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:callers-bounces@lists.sharedweight.net> > On Behalf Of Lenore Frigo via Callers Sent: 26 April 2019 22:45 To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net> Subject: [Callers] Easy flourishes or other "bonus" movements? I would like to teach some of my more advanced dancers some flourishes or other embellishments to contra dance. I'd like to start with things that are easy and obviously that can be smoothly integrated into a dance. Simpler is better and I am especially looking for "extras" that can be done singly rather than within a couple. For example, simply twirling during a do-si-do, or little "meanwhile" things you can do while waiting out as your partner allemandes with their diagonal. I've found some YouTube videos, but they tend to be for more elaborate technique than I am interested in introducing at this time. Thanks for any thoughts, tips, support, or warnings! :) Lenore Frigo

6 years, 1 month

Easy flourishes or other "bonus" movements?

by Lenore Frigo

I would like to teach some of my more advanced dancers some flourishes or other embellishments to contra dance. I'd like to start with things that are easy and obviously that can be smoothly integrated into a dance. Simpler is better and I am especially looking for "extras" that can be done singly rather than within a couple. For example, simply twirling during a do-si-do, or little "meanwhile" things you can do while waiting out as your partner allemandes with their diagonal. I've found some YouTube videos, but they tend to be for more elaborate technique than I am interested in introducing at this time. Thanks for any thoughts, tips, support, or warnings! :) Lenore Frigo

6 years, 1 month

Another Untitled Dance

by Rich Sbardella

Here is another dance I do not have a title for. Can anyone help? Thanks, Rich Untitled Easy Dance Contra D/I Neighbor Dosido 1-1/2 Next Neighbor Left Shoulder Round Original Neighbor Balance & Swing - - - - Circle Left 3/4 Partner Swing Ladies Chain Left Hand Star New Neighbor Dosido 1-1/2

6 years, 1 month

Dance Title

by Rich Sbardella

Anyone recognize this dance? A1 Bal Wave Spin Right, Bar Wave, Spin L (Ladies all the way across) A2 P B&S B1 CL 3/4, N Swg B2 F&B, Star Left Thanks, Rich

6 years, 1 month

Discussion group for musicians

by tom hinds

Does anyone know of a discussion list for contra dance musicians? I used google and didn’t find anything. Sent from my iPad

6 years, 1 month

New Dance- St George's Day Contra

by Liam Binley

Hi All, Whilst on a walk with my dogs recently enjoying the remarkably good weather we have in the UK at the moment, I ended up writing a dance in my head that I thought might be quite nice. Well after a bit of refinement, it seems to work nicely (although I haven’t tried it out with a big group of dancers yet). At the moment It is called ’St George’s Day Contra’ for the simple reason that it is St Georges day on Tuesday and I couldn’t think of a better name for it, but I am hoping that one will pop into my head soon. Please let me know what you think. Longways: 1s Improper A1: (16) Neighbour balance & swing A2: (8) Lines forward & back; (8) Ladies allemande RH WHILST gents orbit CW and loop wide *1 to flow into… B1: (16) Partner balance & swing B2: (8) Promenade across {ladies passing R} *2; (6) Circle L ¾; (2) Pass through. NB *1 Gents cross the set and turn R wide so that it uses up all the music and it will flow into the balance & swing. *2 Ladies need to pass R shoulder so that you turning R as a unit and it should flow nicely into the circle L ¾. P.S Here is a link to the music I have used, It’s on Spotify so whether everyone will be able to get it, I don’t know https://open.spotify.com/track/40dgK9bzB6NiR3tRUmNTdL?si=lGmyeXhlRO-fNkDrNP… <https://open.spotify.com/track/40dgK9bzB6NiR3tRUmNTdL?si=lGmyeXhlRO-fNkDrNP…> Many Thanks, Liam Binley. liam.binley(a)me.com

6 years, 1 month

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Contra Callers April 2019