Hi All,
I collected this dance from Gordy Euler in Berkeley in 2012. I'm finally thinking of calling it, but I didn't collect the name or choreographer. Can any one help?
The dance:
Double Contra or "Mescalesa" (wherever that name came from)
A1 Up & Down in Lines of 4: Give & Take (Men pull); "Opposite" Sw
A2 Lines of 4 Forward & Back; Men Al L 1½ to
Take Partners Right Hand in Long Waves
B1 Box Circulate (right) X 2
B2 Pt Balance & Swing
Thanks,
Erik Hoffman, Oakland, CA
I’ve been asked to call a dance at a church camp for middle schoolers at the end of July. Two of the campers have cerebral palsy - one is fairly mobile but the other is on crutches. I’m looking for dance ideas that could be used as is or modified for a dancer on crutches. About 40 people are anticipated (middle school aged campers and high school and adult staff).
Thanks,
Dianne
Hello!
I remember seeing a video of a contra dance a few years back, perhaps
during some kind of workshop, where one of the moves involved dancers
pumping their fists into the air and saying something. I think they were
saying "hey," but I'm not completely sure. I remember that the dance seemed
like it was at a typical contra dance level of difficulty and was a duple
minor, not a simple family dance.
Does anyone know what dance this might be?
Thanks!
Kyla Wargel
Bloomington, IN
Hi fellow callers :)
I'm looking for feedback on summer camp workshop descriptions!
*Backstory:* I'm heading into my second year as the caller for a trad music
& dance camp up here in Canada. Last year I offered two daily classes --
one was a daily discussion on various subjects relating to calling. The
other was a learning lab where folks could call dances and receive
feedback. I'm offering those two workshops again this year and I'm
adding a dancer skills session. I'm particularly excited about the skill
building workshop as the dancers at this camp are SUPER enthusiastic camp
but some haven't had much exposure to skills/knowledge building (e.g.,
there's some fun-loving younguns that really whip their partners around and
execute flourishes with little/no notion of consent or safety).
Anyway, I REALLLLLLLLY want to have great 'sell' on the skill-building
session. It's going to be a super fun session focus on play/actually
dancing. I just need to convince dancers that they want to sign up! (Note
-- while this camp is a trad music & dance camp, recent camp years have
been heavily focused on instrument learning workshops.)
I've included draft descriptions for all three workshops below.* Might you
have feedback on how I could make them more enticing????*
Also - I'm wondering if it's appropriate to say 'caller curious' as a term
for folks who haven't called but may be curious in trying it out.
Thank you!
Emily in Ottawa, ON
JOIN THE CONTRA PLAYSHOP!
Are you into contra dancing? Then you’ve GOT to sign up for this
session!!!! We are going to spend the whole week working on building our
dancing skills and knowledge in a SUPER playful and engaging way. Even
very experienced dancers will find that there’s lots of surprising fun that
can happen in this session as well further learning to finness your dance
style. Plus… we’ll do some flourishes you’ve likely never tried before.
Are you new to contra dancing? This is also a great session for you. You
will learn lots of skills that make your dancing that much more fun and
we’ll focus on some details that we can’t get into during an evening of
dance.
ARE YOU A CALLER or ARE CALLER CURIOUS?
This session is for anyone who wants to build their calling practice
whether you are an experienced caller or haven’t even yet called your first
dance. We’ll be spending a lot of time looking at repertoire and
programming this year — how to choose dances for different crowds, how to
craft an evening of programming, and much more. (I’ll also be sharing some
of my favourite dances for different levels and contexts.)
CALLER LEARNING LAB
Callers of any level are invited to participate in this open mic time -
it's a perfect chance to try calling for the first time OR try teaching
dances new to you and receive feedback in a supportive environment. If you
are interested in this session, register early and email Emily (
EmilyLAddison(a)gmail.com). Emily will work with you to identify a few dances
to focus on and will help set you up for success so you get the most out of
the open mic opportunity. Dancers: You are most welcome at this daily
session as well! We'd love to have your participation … the more the
merrier on the dance floor!
Hi all,
In response to some recent requests I have set up a page that
provides links to sites that provide instructions for dances, or videos or
animations.
The page is http://contrafusion.co.uk/CallerResources.html. It
covers all genres of English and American dances.
I would love to add more resources to this page. Please let
me know the Web site addresses of any recommendations that you have.
Please let me know if you have a Web site with multiple
dances, with full instructions.
I will add as many as I can that look relevant.
Thanks for your help.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802
940 574
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
