Contra Callers July 2019

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

35 participants
26 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, 8 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, 2 months

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, 9 months

Larks and Robins

by Lisa Greenleaf

At the urging of dancers who were recently at Harmony Week at Pinewoods, I tried Larks and Robins today for role identifiers in contra, and it was great. I physically like saying the word Robins more than the word Ravens, and the dancers were fine with it, too, even with a dance that had a Mad Robin. Callers—experiment! Lisa Sent from my iPhone

6 years

Re: [Callers] Double Grand Square

by John Sweeney

I had these responses from trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com <mailto:trad-dance-callers@yahoogroups.com> = = = = = = = = = = = = = Otto Warteman: I had an exhibition group from 1975-1998 and we did it with 32 dancers, but with 8 steps and turn and alternating couples turning. You can have like spokes of a wheel four couples deep where all the heads are facing the center or as alternating couples face their partner. You can also do four different contras at the same time where to number one couple is the furthest out from the center. = = = = = = = = = = = = = Jim Saxe: There's a dance by Ted Sannella called "Ted's Double Quadrille No. 1" (or "... #1") that includes a different (and, I think, simpler) version of grand square for sixteen dancers than the one in the video John cited. The starting formation is a square with two couples side-by-side on each side of (as in Rod's Quads) and the action is simply for each couple to act the part of an individual in a normal eight-person grand square. If I recall correctly, when I danced to Ted's calling at Augusta Dance Week in 1985, he had partners put our near arms around each other's backs as in a star promenade, but it might also be done with partners simply holding near hands. Side couples begin by facing up or down the hall toward the other side couple in their foursome and backing away, while heads begin by dancing forward towards the opposite head couple. On the fourth beat each couple, turns as a unit 90 degrees to face across the square. On the next four beats, the original heads back out toward the side spots, while the original sides advance toward the head spots, all couples turning on the last beat to face uo and down. Etc. A spreadsheet index of Ted's dances linked from http://davidsmukler.syracusecountrydancers.org/ted-sannella-index/ lists the date of composition as 1965. --Jim = = = = = = = = = = = = = Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)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

6 years

Re: [Callers] Double Grand Square

by Bill Baritompa

Hi John, Nice researching! I checked Burleson’s SD Encyclopaedia but it’s not mentioned. It would be fun to use both this move and the Dutch crossing figure in new dance. Cheers, Bill

6 years

Double Grand Square

by John Sweeney

Hi all, This post is all about Double Grand Squares. But just to justify it being on a contra dance forum, here are a couple of nice Four-Facing-Four contras that incorporate Grand-Square-like figures, and call them "Double Grand Squares": https://grandsquare.dk/alle/index.php?menu=5 <https://grandsquare.dk/alle/index.php?menu=5&id=2045> &id=2045 http://www.grandsquare.dk/alle/index.php?menu=5 <http://www.grandsquare.dk/alle/index.php?menu=5&id=2108> &id=2108 On with my query: I've just seen the video of Seth calling a Double Grand Square (thanks Seth - hope I can try it someday!): https://www.facebook.com/seth.tepfer/videos/10204536010419503 Looks like the figure was created by Martha Edwards around 2009: http://www.westendweb.com/doublegrandsquare/ http://dancecaller.blogspot.com/2009/06/more-on-double-grand-square.html But I found a number of earlier references to "Double Grand Square". Does anyone know whether any other versions of a Double Grand Square exist? Some of these may just be references to two sets doing Grand Square side by side (maybe interlocked?), or to doing a Grand Square twice. 1955 https://newspaperarchive.com/bakersfield-californian-apr-13-1955-p-36/ "A double grand square, never before presented for a local audience, is being prepared by B Squares under the direction of Bernice Braddon. Precision timing is the keynote of the square..." 1959 http://www.folkdance.com/LDArchive/1959October.pdf Exhibitions Lariat Swingers Director: Ace Smith Dance - DOUBLE GRAND SQUARE - American 1978 http://doczz.net/doc/577224/american-square-dance-marcy-1978 "Keith does a fine job on his side, but the dancers felt that a double grand square in the opener, middle break and closer were too many. " 1979 American Square Dance Vol. 34 no. 3 (search for ""double grand square" dance") "Bob has used a grand parade in his opener, and a double grand square in his closer." Note: "grand square" is italicized, "double" is not. So it might just mean a Grand Square twice. 2005 http://squaredancehumor.blogspot.com/ "This was one big double square with six side couples and two head couples. The other and even more difficult thing was I could not use my hands. To me square dancing is hands. Every since I started it was right hand this and left hand that. I can't remember anyone mentioning anything about my feet. Patty was picking everything up just fine while I was slowly starting to get some if it with many gentle pushes and endless pointing by the other Stumblers. And of course there was the caller Ivan patient as ever saying, "George - to the right, the right, the other right . . . very good!" Bill, an experienced dancer, explained carefully how I was to count my steps, especially for the double grand square. Eight steps and turn, repeated eight times, that was the secret for my position." This one may not be serious! :-) Thanks, Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)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

6 years

Re: [Callers] 101 Formations

by Bill Baritompa

Hi John, Expanding Concentric Circles to add to your fantastic list: https://youtu.be/XDDbPEmoTwQ Not sure where I got the dance. Words very adaptable to other occasions. Cheers, Bill

6 years

101 Formations

by John Sweeney

Thanks to all those who have contributed more formations since I started this page with about 80 formations. I was going to let you know when I hit 100. But Carmen Giunta sent me Wheels Within Wheels this morning, and I found Seth Tepfer calling Double Grand Square this afternoon. So there are now 101 diagrams of different formations: http://contrafusion.co.uk/Formations.html That doesn't include all the ways of setting up partners or genders (e,g. First Couples Improper is not a separate diagram). I hope you find something you like! Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)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

6 years

The Caller's Extension, a browser extension for the Caller's Box

by Paul Morris

Greetings all, I'd like to announce a little project I've been chipping away at for some months now. It's a browser extension that works with the excellent Caller's Box website.[0] The extension provides an integrated user interface for searching and viewing dances from the Caller's Box. The main feature is you can bookmark dances. That allows you to focus on a more manageable personalized subset of dances. Also, dance data is cached locally for quick access and offline use. You can see a screenshot, find out more about it, and install it for Firefox here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/the-caller-s-extension/ (It should also work for Chrome/Chromium browsers, but I haven't had time yet to check this and submit it to the Chrome extensions site.) It is free and open source software.[1] I hope you'll give it a try and enjoy using it! Feel free to email me with feedback. (There are many ways it could be improved, time permitting.) Many thanks to Chris Page and Michael Dyck for their work creating and maintaining The Caller's Box, a truly amazing resource. Cheers, -Paul [0] The Caller's Box: http://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/ [1] Extension source code lives here, contributions welcome: https://gitlab.com/paulmorris/the-callers-extension

6 years

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Contra Callers July 2019