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 all,
As I mentioned in my other thread, when I ran a kickstarter for the ABCs of
Contra, some folks picked the book+choreography tier. These are some of the
dances that came out of that:
*Hand and Glove*Type: Contra
Formation: Duple-Improper
A1 -----------
(8) Right Hands across star 1x
(8) Single file, in interdigitated columns with the ladies on the inside,
1s go down and the 2s come up four steps, turn alone, and come back
A2 -----------
(8) Ladies allemande Left 1-1/2
(8) Partner swing
B1 -----------
(6) Circle Left 3/4
(10) Swing neighbor
B2 -----------
(8) Long lines, forward and back
(8) Left Hands across star
Notes: For Thom Peterson and his wife, who live, call, and organize dances
in Michigan.
*Adrienne & Carol go to Alaska*Type: Contra
Formation: Duple-Improper
Progression: Double
A1 -----------
(8) Gyre current Neighbor Left shoulder 1x
(8) Passed Neighbor(from Mad Robin) swing
A2 -----------
(8) Long lines, forward and back
(8) Current Neighbor (from gyre) swing
B1 -----------
(6) Circle Left 3/4
(10) Partner swing
B2 -----------
(8) Ladies' Chain across
(8) Around NEXT neighbors: Clockwise Mad Robin (lady in front first, and
moving RIGHT) 1 1/2 around; end facing the one past them.
Notes: Written for Adrienne Osborne, who dedicated it to her friend Carol
whom she met in Alaska.
*To Mike, from Jennifer*Contra/Becket-CW
A1 -----------
(Turn away from partner, take hands four with neighbor across and trail
buddy next to you)
(8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella)
(8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella)
A2 -----------
(10) Left hand Star 1 & 1/4
(6) Neighbor allemande Left 1
B1 -----------
(8) RIGHT Diagonal Ladies' Chain to partner
(8) Ladies Do-si-do 1x (or ladies swing) in the middle
B2 -----------
(16) Partner gyre (or balance) and swing
Turn away from partner, join ring with trail buddy
Notes:
You trail buddy is on the same side of the set as you on your becket home
side, your neighbor is across from you.
You can hi-five your partner as you pass them in the star
Written for a wedding gift from Jennifer Crawford to her now husband Mike;
who travelled extensively for school/jobs before finally landing in the
same place.
*Spellbound Betsy*Contra/Becket-CCW/Int
A1 -----------
ID Next Neighbor on right diagonal
(8) Larks allemande Left 1-1/2 (straight across, Ravens stay put)
(8) New Neighbor swing
A2 -----------
(8) Long lines, forward and back
(8) Neighbors Right Hands across star 1x
(Star includes the one you swung, partner, and the one they swung)
B1 -----------
MEANWHILE
(5) Larks wide cast back (staying on same side of set)
while Ravens allemande right 3/8x (just under half)
(7) 1/2 Poussette cw with partner, starts Ravens pushing Larks
(4) Larks weave across, passing left shoulders
B2 -----------
(16) Partner gyre and swing
Written for Betsy Keith in Colorado
*Feels This Good Being Used*Contra/Becket-CW
A1 -----------
(8) Long lines, forward and back
(4) In lines, balance toward partner (beside) and away
(4) California Twirl with Partner, turn extra to face back in
A2 -----------
(4) Balance the Ring
(4) Ladies trade places, gents assisting with a roll-away (gents stay put)
(4) Balance the Ring
(4) Pass through to new neighbors, land in a wavy line of four
B1 -----------
(8) Balance and slide to the right (as in Rory O’More)
(8) Balance and slide to the left (as in Rory O’More)
Ladies slide further, over to partner
B2 -----------
(16) Partner balance and swing
Written for Trevyn Hey, a swing dancer in PA.
*Quena’s Ocean Circulation*Contra/Becket-CW
A1 -----------
(4) Pass through to an ocean wave (ladies catch left & 1/4 allemande,
partners catch right)
(4) Balance the short Wavy line
(4) Walk forward to your shadow, allemande right 1/4 to long waves (ladies
facing out, gents facing in)
(4) Balance the long Wavy line
A2 -----------
(4) Box circulate: gents walk across while ladies loop by the right
(12) Neighbor swing
B1 -----------
(8) Long lines, forward and back
(8) LEFT DIAGONAL Ladies' Chain to partner
B2 -----------
(8) Ladies Do-si-do 1x
(8) Partner swing
*Dark Matter*Contra/Improper/Dbl-Prog/Adv
A1 -----------
(4) Gents walk forward to a long wavy line of gents
(4) Balance the long wavy line
(4) Gents allemande left 1/2 WHILE ladies walk forward to a long wavy line
(4) Balance both long wavy lines (ladies balance right, gents balance left)
A2 -----------
(4) Gents back out four steps WHILE ladies allemande right 1/2 to long wavy
line
(4) Ladies balance the long wavy line
(4) Ladies take four steps out
(4) on RIGHT DIAGONAL, gents pass new gent left shoulder, swoop over to
partner
B1 -----------
(16) Partner gyre and swing
B2 -----------
(6) Circle Left 3/4
(10) Swing neighbor
Written for Greg Sherman, to go with the tune of the matching name written
by Marc Danielson. Greg and Marc are in Northern Contraband together.
Looking forward to dancing and calling again! There's a light at the end of
the tunnel, lets stay safe and get there :-)
Luke
Hello all,
We can't dance right now, but I'm still writing dances :-)
Specifically, when I ran a Kickstarter for the ABCs of Contra Board book,
some folks pledged at a book+choreography tier, and requested family
dances. (I'm also cross-posting this on the growing up trad list.) I'll
have a separate thread about the non-family dances that came out of the
ABCs of Contra.
The first one is called *Rima's Railway Adventure on the Karana Ava Line*.
Written for Rima Dael, her daughter Karana, and her niece Ava.
It's a scatter keeper. So young children get to keep their familiar
partners, but still interact with lots of folks.
In groups of 2~5, make a train (conga line style). The person in the front
is the engine.
All the different trains are dancing around the floor, interacting with
other trains. Trains heading toward each other can make right hand or left
hand stars when they pass. Trains could become tunnels for other trains;
and you can circle in just your train and pick a new engine leader.
Once folks have the moves, you could even do singing-square style patter
calls:
*Here comes a train, on this dark night*
*Charge headlong but pass on the right*
*Reach out your hands and make a star*
*Turn it around but not too far*
*On to the next and look for more*
*pass on the left around the floor*
*With your left hands out star again*
*back around to where you began*
*Now find a tunnel you can go through*
*Make one for them so they're not blue*
*Through the tunnels and don't be slow*
*Find some more as away you go*
*Circle your train in your own group*
*Is your engine starting to droop?*
*Pick a new engine if you need*
*Then set off with a burst of speed*
The second dance was written for Sarah Spence Lee
(of Sarah's Silks: https://www.sarahssilks.com/)
It has variations where you can do it as a mixer or a keeper; and you can
either have partners use silks/hankies, or just take hands. But the hook
part is the Rainbow run:
*You and your partner join hands/silks, and make an arch. Your goal to
runaround the room with your partner, and get as many different people to
gothrough your rainbow, and run through as many different rainbows as you
can.*
And here's some dances using that move:
*Rainbow Stars Keeper*Scatter dance, all start with partner on the floor
A1 -----------
(8) Partner allemande Left
(8) Partner allemande Right
A2 -----------
(16) Rainbow Run
B1 -----------
go half-way through an arch, and make a hands across star
(8) Right Hands across star
(8) Left Hands across star
B2 -----------
(4) Balance Star
(4) Couple with hands below in star pull through to same side, form circle
(8) Circle Left
Or the mixer version, but with silks instead of direct hand-holds. Everyone
can have their silk in their right hand:
*Rainbow Silk Stars Mixer*
A1 -----------
(8) Partner two silk turn
(8) Partner two silk turn other way
A2 -----------
(16) Rainbow Run
B1 -----------
duck halfway through an arch to make a star:
(8) Silks across star (clockwise)
(8) Silks across star the other way
B2 -----------
(8) Circle Left
(8) Neighbor Do-si-do, that’s your new partner
Here's hoping we can dance and call family dances with kids again soon :-)
Luke
