Contra Callers June 2022

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

5 participants
5 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

Covid cancellations

by Mary Collins

May have been talked about already so forgive me if it has. I have been contracted to call a wedding in Oct. Currently covid numbers are rising in my area and the bride, groom and I have talked about vaccines (yes), alcohol (no) and what if. Normally I do not require a deposit but I do expect payment upon arrival at venue. The question is: what to request as cancellation payment. What do others put in your contracts regarding this? Thanks in advance. Mary Collins

2 years, 5 months

Bridgerton wedding dance/experience with using non-contra or non-ECD music to modified ECD/ceilidh dances

by Alexandra Deis-Lauby

Hi all, I’ve been asked to call a Bridgerton-themed wedding dance. Part of what makes the Bridgerton theme is the music… So I’m wondering if anyone has experience (of either the successful or unsuccessful variety) of calling dances to music that isn’t our normal dance tempo (these sound a little faster than normal contra tempo) and aren’t in our standard AABB pattern. Some of the music examples I'm trying to work with are below (I’ll be using recorded music) The event is normal wedding fare- not experienced dancers. Which will either mean everything falls apart or they won’t mind the dance being sloppy because they’re just so excited by dancing and the cool music. The dances I’m planning to use are very basic (Galopede, LaBastringue, a scatter mixer, some version of duke of Kents waltz etc.) So if you have related experience: Have people been into the music so much they don’t mind that they’re finding it hard to dance with the phrase and remember the dance? Are you able to keep them together just by your calling? Do they kind of figure it out? Other ideas? > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCIG6nbyiUM <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCIG6nbyiUM> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKTnO9fOcE8 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKTnO9fOcE8> > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qi1ApgkdCo <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qi1ApgkdCo> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMU1RZVX5mQ <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMU1RZVX5mQ> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZhzFE2C-_w <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZhzFE2C-_w> > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un4SsyvnKH4 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un4SsyvnKH4>

2 years, 6 months

Timing on 1/2 hey as couples?

by K P

Aside: strangely, this thread wasn't there when I looked on the Shared Weight site. Seth Tepfer wrote: Do you have any sense of how long that ½ hey for four in couples in promenade position should take? I know in "Cranky Ingenuity" the couple DSD is to take 8 counts but it is always tight and really should take 10 and steals from the individual DSD Response: Something that stood out immediately was that in A2, 4 couples are swinging in a line. Ouch! 😋 On the point of the couple's hey, I'd suggest just taking handy hands, rather than promenade, as in the dance Weave the Line. Running it through my brain, it seems when a couple arrives at the end, and just turn around, they will be standing around a for a couple/a few beats. If that's right, that will throw off the idea of flow and continuity but I understand the need to change places at the ends, by simply turning individually, as opposed to wheeling around. Perhaps one could add individual looping-around at the ends, such as in a single hey, which may eat up the extra beats. For me the bigger concern, I think, is the 4-in-line swing. One could suggest keeping lateral distance across but that will be hard to maintain given that the last swing with partner will tend, I think, to close it up again. ?? Ken Panton Ottawa

2 years, 6 months

Dance-Related Job Opening

by Jerome Grisanti

I'm posting this on behalf of Deborah Dennenfeld, who founded and does great work through this project. —Jerome Dance-related job opening! Dancing Well: The Soldier Project is a nonprofit that does amazing work bringing traditional dancing to veterans and their loved ones affected by PTSD or brain injury. Empirically shown to help. Seeking a part-time Office Administrator (contract basis) in Louisville Kentucky. Potential to develop into dance leadership in the future. Louisville has a strong contra community, a university with a program in Expressive Therapies and is a nice place to live. For detailed job description contact Deborah(a)DancingWell.org or scroll down at www.DancingWell.org . Application deadline 6/24 -- Deborah Denenfeld Dancer / Dance Educator / Dance Caller / Exec Director and so much more! Dancing Well: The Soldier Project www.DancingWell.org www.DeborahDenenfeld.com 502.889.6584

2 years, 6 months

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Contra Callers June 2022