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.
Hello,
I wanted to share some dances I've written over the past few months, in
case they are of use to others. I wrote these dances to call during
Bloomington’s weekly Wednesday night zoom dance. They are written for one
person to dance alone, but they can be adapted or improvised for more
people. I have been walking through the dances twice (while demonstrating
the moves) and calling for the duration of the dance (while also dancing by
myself on camera to continue demonstrating). I am lucky to have musicians
in my small pandemic circle, so I’ve been calling to live music.
The easiest way to view the dances (as far as formatting goes) is with this
google doc link. I will also copy and paste them below as well.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iMRE0YZZZf3nu2cXU5TwThSgF3ooP38jdNSgn6n…
I'm curious for thoughts and feedback, too!
Kyla Wargel
*“Solo Dance #1”*
A1: Do-si-do
Circle left, 1 time
A2: Do-si-do
Balance and swing yourself, end facing down/away from your device
B1: Down the hall, turn alone, come back
B2: Balance, move one spot to the right (Petronella turn)
Balance, move one spot to the left
*“Solo Dance #2”*
A1: Figure eight (start facing your device, figure eight starts as if
you’re doing an allemande right ¾ so that your figure eight moves away from
the device)
A2: Right shoulder round (melt into it as you finish figure eight)
Swing (end facing across with your left side closest to your device)
B1: Short lines forward and back
Balance right then left, slide right (or spin, think Rory O’Moore)
B2: Balance left then right, slide left
Star left
*“Solo Dance #3”*
A1: Balance and swing yourself (end facing device)
A2: Balance right then left, walk back four steps
Balance right then left, walk back for steps
B1: Zig left, zag right, zig left, zag right (8) (sashay forward in a
zig zag pattern)
Freestyle clogging (8)
B2: Freestyle clogging (16)
*Variation: Instead of freestyle clogging, repeat A2 and the first eight
counts of B1.Tips: For the long swing, move slowly or not in a tight circle
to avoid dizziness!*
*“COVID-19 Step”*
A1: Balance the ring, balance again
Circle left, 1 time
A2: Balance the ring, balance again
Circle right, 1 time
B1: Right foot - heal, toe, heal, toe (4); sashay right (4)
Left foot - heal, toe, heal, toe (4); sashay left (4)
B2: Balance, walk back four steps
Zig zag forward (sashay back and forth to your starting place)
*“Progress Alone”*
*Notes: For this dance, encourage dancers to place two objects on the
floor, about a body-length apart. The dance starts by facing the two
objects and “connecting” right hands with the first object. Works well with
music with a bouncy A part and flowy B part.*
A1: Right hand balance, turn halfway (then give your left hand to the
second object)
Left hand balance, turn halfway (keep left hand connected there)
A2: Left hand balance, turn halfway (give right hand to the first object)
Right hand balance, turn halfway
B1 Melt into a figure eight (follow the same path you just made with the
balance/turn sequence, but flowy this time. 8 counts down, 8 counts back)
B2: Melt into a swing when you get home (end facing your floor objects)
Big circle left halfway (so that you are now in front of your second
object - in “progressed” position; you will progress back and forth, i.e.,
alternate your starting place, throughout the dance)
*“Untitled” (as of now)*
*Note: Start facing your device, with plenty of space for dancing between
you and the device.*
A1: Right hand balance, pull by (6) left hand pull by (2)
Right hand balance, pull by (6) left hand pull by (2) (square through
with RH balances; end back at starting place)
A2: See-saw
Swing yourself (end facing down/away from your device)
B1: Go down the hall, turn alone, come back
B2: Balance side to side (4), walk back (4)
Balance side to side (4), walk forward (4)
Hi All:Sorry for the late notice. Mt Airy Contra in Philadelphia has been hosting virtual dances for all and socials for our local folks since April.
Tonight we have Phil Jamison who at 8 pm (eastern) will present his book “Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics: Roots and Branches of Southern Appalachian Dance” .
Due to popular demand we were just able to set up a link for a FB feed and we can invite a lot more people than the 100 person limit of zoom.
Please join us at https://www.facebook.com/mtairycontra/posts/2464175140548961
Here's more information:
The southern Appalachian square dance is a hybrid dance form that developed in the American South during the nineteenth century, and like the Appalachian musical traditions, these dances reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the region. In this Zoom Social we will examine the multicultural roots and historical development of these dances and identify the components of earlier European, African, and Native American dance forms that combined to make them uniquely American.
Phil Jamison is nationally known as a dance caller, old-time musician, flatfoot dancer, and scholar of traditional Appalachian dance. A 2017 inductee to the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame, he has called dances, performed, and taught at music festivals and dance events throughout the U.S. and overseas since the early 1970s, including forty years as a member of the Green Grass Cloggers. Over the last thirty years, Jamison has done extensive research in the area of Appalachian dance, and his book Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics: Roots and Branches of Southern Appalachian Dance (University of Illinois Press, 2015) tells the story behind the square dances, step dances, reels, and other forms of dance practiced in southern Appalachia. He has given numerous presentations on Appalachian dance – from the Smithsonian Institution to Beijing, China – and he teaches Appalachian music and dance at Warren Wilson College, in Asheville, North Carolina, where for twenty-five years, he served as coordinator of the Old-Time Music and Dance Week at the Swannanoa Gathering. http://www.philjamison.com/
For more information about the Mt Airy Contra (Philadelphia) virtual dances and a tip jar for Phil
click here
If you have trouble getting into the FB feed please email Alex
alex(a)thursdaycontra.com
Donna Hunt
Email: dhuntdancer(a)aol.com
Cell: 215-565-6050
Hi, everyone! My name is Olivia Barry. I am a member of the CDSS Community
Culture & Safety Task Group (CCSTG). We are a volunteer group of board and
community members working to compile a set of resources and examples for
folk who are ready to dive in to work on safety of all kinds on the dance
floor or music circle. An important element of such an effort is a *Statement
of Community Values*. The goal of this statement is to identify core
values for a local group. Core values communicate to the outside world what
is important to you and what people can expect from your organization or
events. In our last strategic planning process, CDSS identified core values
for our work and we want to help local groups do the same.
To assist groups in creating such a statement, the CCSTG aims to create a
clearinghouse of samples for local communities across our constituency, and
to synthesize existing examples into a succinct template or writing guide
to help groups develop a statement of their own. We are asking our
communities to fill out a short survey related to content that has already
been developed surrounding your *community's values* to serve as examples.
Other topics will be developed as this work unfolds, and we'll be sending
additional short surveys as well as progress reports in the coming months.
Please take a moment to fill out the survey to help identify who among you
has resources on this topic that might be valuable to others:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwSUqM9dNCnMO-yjTawH8vi1Mv_4TuQMQ…
Thank you in advance for any and all information you share! We hope this
project will reflect and support the greater music, song, and dance
community. If you would like to contact us with questions or content,
please email CDSS.SafetyTG(a)gmail.com!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Olivia
CDSS CCSTG Community Member
Scissortail Traditional Dance is very pleased to announce our second caller workshop open to the whole world: Cathy Campbell, from Toronto, Canada, next Saturday, August 22 at 1pm Central time (US).
Cathy has been calling English Country dances since 2005; her home group is Toronto English Country Dance Assembly. She has a broad repertoire of both historical and contemporary dances. She has been calling a weekly Zoom dance since March 2020.
Callers everywhere have been using Cathy’s dance adaptations in their own virtual dances.
In this interactive, discussion-based workshop, Cathy will share insights into adapting, programming, and calling dances specifically for virtual solo or couple dancing. She would love to answer your questions!
Registration is a $5 donation to Scissortail Traditional Dance, which goes to our pandemic fund to support our local community.
For more information and to register, visit https://scissortail.org/cathy-campbell-caller-workshop/ <https://scissortail.org/cathy-campbell-caller-workshop/>
Questions to dance(a)scissortail.org <mailto:dance@scissortail.org>.
Louise.
—
Louise Siddons
Board member, webmaster, and past president, Scissortail Traditional Dance Society
www.scissortail.orgwww.facebook.com/groups/scissortail/
dance(a)scissortail.org
Does anyone have documentation or a video that goes into specific detail about positional calling?I would like to take this time to try and incorporate it into my repertoire, but need guidance.Off-line answers to my email are fine.
Thanks in advance,
Bob Fabinski
