Contra Callers September 2024

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

52 participants
19 discussions

by Luke Donforth

Hello all, Oftentimes at One Night Gigs, I'll do a mix of circle and longways set dances. With scatter mixers and specialty dances, I can fill an evening. But sometimes I get a group that "wants contras" or is looking to grow their familiarity with the dance form. I think Becket dances without lark/robin distinctions and no neighbor swing are AN easy option into "hands-four" contras. There are other ways in, but I'm looking for more Beckets that match that description. For a while I've had "Pluck It" in my box as a friendly option: Pluck It Contra/Becket-CW A1 ----------- (8) Circle Left (8) Circle Right A2 ----------- (8) Left hand Star (8) Right hand Star B1 ----------- (8) Partner Do-si-do (8) Partner swing B2 ----------- (8) Neighbor Do-si-do across set (8) Long lines, yearn left This is, in my opinion, pretty close to the traditional mixer Scatter Shot but done as a keeper in Becket. (It does have a DSD across the set, which in a recent thread was listed as a no-no for some callers. While I wouldn't use that move at a dance weekend, for One Night gigs I think it's accessible and acceptable). You don't have to teach ballroom swing, and if folks want to elbow swing and swap roles with their partner it doesn't really impact the dance (this is a small advantage of Becket over improper for this type of dance; different position on the side is less disorienting than different side of the set). What other Becket dances do folks have that don't rely on roles? No larks allemande or robins chain, etc. On the drive home from my gig last night I came up with this one (which may already exist), written for Naomi who organizes the community dance I was at: A Pillar of Weathersfield Contra/Becket-CW A1 ----------- (8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella) (8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella) A2 ----------- (16) Partner balance and swing, end facing down the hall B1 ----------- (8) Down the hall, four in line (turn as couples) (8) Return and face across B2 ----------- (8) Long lines, forward and back (8) Promenade across the Set, turn as a couple and progress (Go between the ones you danced with, passing by left shoulder, and the new couple on your right, turn to take hands with new couple) I'd be curious what else folks have that they use for entry-level contras when you don't have a critical mass of experience for improper dances with neighbor swings. Thanks! Luke Donforth Burlington, VT

1 month, 1 week

"No Role" dance

by Lisa Sieverts

I called in Putney, VT this past Saturday, for 25-30 dancers, including small children and many new dancers. I intentionally programmed the evening so I never had to teach roles at all. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was to skip a bunch of talking about who is on the Left and who is on the Right. I recognize that if those new dancers go to Greenfield MA, they will have to learn one more thing. But I think they'll be well prepared because they have already experienced dancing to music, progression, and having fun with other humans. Here's my program. Family dance for the first hour, Teens and adults for the second hour. 1. White Mountain Reel 2. Chimes of Dunkirk 3. Anything Goes 4. Kingston Flyer 5. Beaumont Boom 6. Haste to the Wedding Break 7. Redwing Square 8. Family Contra 9. Dog Branch Reel 10. On the Ball 11. Star Trek Phraser Lisa Sieverts Nelson, NH

1 month, 2 weeks

Good dances for teens

by Rick Mohr

Hi all, Here in Philly we're restarting our Teen Barn Dance <https://teenbarndance.net/>, which had a great four-year run before the pandemic. (Here's the story <https://rickmohr.net/Contra/TeenDance/Story/> if you're interested.) I love calling for the teens, and have been surprised to find that the best dances for them don't overlap much with either my contra repertoire or my barn dance repertoire. I've written up some of our favorite dances <https://rickmohr.net/Contra/TeenDance/Dances/>, and I'm looking for more! Specifically: 1) Barn dances that are slightly harder / more interesting than a typical barn dance crowd can handle 2) Contra dances that are partner-role-free, and have no swing or just a neighbor swing. Role-free dances are great because people can line up anywhere, there's less anxiety about partnering, and there are no role terms to choose or explain. And swings don't seem to have the same draw for teens as they do for adult contra dancers -- they're intimate, and awkward to master. This time around we're trying cross-hand rather than ballroom swings. These goals rule out many contras (no chains for example), but contras have such a rich figure palette that I think there's room for plenty of good ones. Do you know any good dances in those categories? If so I'd love to see them, and I hope you like ours. Rick PS - I'd also encourage you to consider starting a teen dance! Ours has been fantastic fun, and some of the teens from the first time around are now pillars of our adult dance community. Happy to talk with anybody who's interested.

1 month, 3 weeks

Bob Green update 9/27

by Keith Tuxhorn

Hi all-- STL caller and dance writer of contras and ECDs Bob Green was in a bad accident three weeks ago. This afternoon, his daughter Sarah posted another encouraging report... We have officially hit the 3 week mark since dad's (Bob's) accident. He is celebrating by sleeping all morning, something his body desperately needed. His prognosis remains hopeful but he has a very long road ahead of him. We continue to be thankful that he was wearing his seat belt and his iPhone detected the crash and called 911. He has had some amazing people caring for him in the ICU but we are nearing time to move to the next phase in his recovery at a Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH). We don't have an exact timeline on that but probably sometime next week. I have become decent at reading his lips as that continues to be the easiest way for him to communicate. Continued prayers and well-wishes are appreciated. His physician daughter and sped teacher daughter, who specializes in students with complex access needs, (read also part ot/pt/slp provider) are on top of his care and therapies. So, please be assured that we are ensuring that he is well taken care of. Going forward, updates will likely be infrequent as progress is anticipated to be slow. ... and that means I'll be posting reports less frequently. However, once Bob is able to take visitors, I'll make sure you get personal reports from me. I don't live in STL, but am there at least once a month... I'll try to find out about when and how to contact Bob yourselves, and pass that on when I know it's okay.... So glad that it's looking like he'll be able to reclaim much of his "being" from before the accident. Keep thinking positively, friends. Keith Tuxhorn Springfield IL

1 month, 3 weeks

Puttin’ On The Dance 3 ::: A gathering of trad social dance organizers!

by Puttin' on the Dance Team

Dear organizers! Exciting news: Plans are afoot for Puttin’ on the Dance 3: A weekend gathering of traditional social dance organizers. We hope you’ll… - READ this message - FORWARD it to anyone who might be interested + let us know about these folks - SAVE THE DATE - May 2-4, 2015 WHAT? Puttin' On the Dance <http://www.puttinonthedance.org/> convenes dance organizers from across the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. The objective of this weekend event is to provide resources and opportunities for learning, sharing, renewal, and fun! POTD3 will strengthen networks for sustaining dance organizers, who in turn sustain important traditions of participatory social dance throughout our region. Visit our website <https://www.puttinonthedance.org/> to learn more about what happens at POTD conferences including testimonials from past participants <https://www.puttinonthedance.org/testimonials/>. WHO? For organizers of various forms of North American and British Isles social dance traditions (e.g., barn, Cape Breton, community, contra, English, family, Irish, Quebecois, Scottish, and square). ALL dance organizers are welcome to attend! We prioritize organizers in our catchment area: Eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S. (i.e., Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, New Hampshire, New York, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Rhode Island, and Vermont); however, space permitting, others are welcome. HOW MUCH? Attending POTD is an excellent investment in your dance’s future! That said, we strive to make POTD as affordable as possible and details on cost and registration will be available in the winter. Meanwhile, start talking with your dance community: Here are some tips <https://www.puttinonthedance.org/register/fund-your-attendance/> on how to fund your attendance, including travel costs. WHERE? The first POTD conference was in White River Junction, Vermont and the second POTD conference was in Ottawa, Ontario. This time we are heading to Waldo County, Maine where local dance organizers are keen to put on Puttin’ On the Dance 3! WANT TO HELP? Want to help POTD happen? Let us know! QUESTIONS? Email puttinonthedance(a)gmail.com. PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD. Forward this message to… - Other members of your community who might want to come - People who organize dances near you that we may not have on our list - ANYONE you know who might be interested. + To help us build our contact list, email puttinonthedance(a)gmail.com with organizer info (name, email, and dance series details). Stay tuned for updates via the POTD email list and the POTD website. Want to be on the POTD email list? Email puttinonthedance(a)gmail.com and tell us your name, where you organize, and what type of tradition. We look forward to learning, dancing, and having lots of fun with many of you next May! Emily Addison (Ottawa, Ontario) and Chrissy Fowler (Belfast, Maine) POTD Advisory Board -- puttinonthedance.org facebook.com/PuttinOnTheDance *You're on the POTD email list because we think you're interested in conferences for dance organizers. Let us know if you want your address removed. **. *

1 month, 3 weeks

Bob Green Update 9/23

by Keith Tuxhorn

Hi all- an encouraging update on Monday from Bob's daughter Sarah... Update on my dad (Bob Green): He has been making small steps of improvement each day. He was awake and alert most of the day today. He knows where he is at although he did communicate to the OT today that he wishes he was at the grocery store. What can I say, he loves Trader Joe's. His lungs continue to need a lot of support and his muscles are very weak. Now that he is awake and alert, he is trying to communicate more. I can usually guess what he is trying to mouth but it can be frustrating when I can't figure it out. Our project this week will be to build a better communication system for him. -For the latecomers, Bob is a St. Louis caller, and writer of contra and English dances, who had a bad auto accident a month ago. Keith Tuxhorn Springfield IL

1 month, 3 weeks

Bob Dalsemer documentary

by Ann Fallon

Hello, everyone I am passing on information about this Bob Dalsemer documentary in case you have not already seen it. It is very well done . It is indeed a “rich portrait”. See below. Ann ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: David Millstone via Trad Callers <tradcallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>To: Trad Callers (formerly trad-dance-callers) <tradcallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>Cc: David Millstone <davidmillstone7(a)gmail.com>Sent: Monday, September 23, 2024 at 06:49:38 PM EDTSubject: [TradCallers] Bob Dalsemer documentary Dear colleagues, Harrison Keely has released a lovely 45-minute portrait of Bob Dalsemer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guQAB-lOMUA Bob does all the talking. We see him calling dances over the decades, playing various instruments, talking about his years growing up, time in Baltimore, the move to the Folk School in Brasstown, current health challenges. It's a rich portrait. Enjoy! (And spread the word to others who'd enjoy this!) David Millstone_______________________________________________ Trad Callers mailing list -- tradcallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to tradcallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net

1 month, 3 weeks

Sad News, Dan Pearl has passed

by Luke Donforth

Hello all, I just learned that Dan Pearl passed back in August. I hadn't heard the news myself, so I'm guessing it might not have reached some of you. Obituary here: https://www.shortrowefuneralhome.com/obituary/Daniel-Pearl Celebration of his life this Sunday at the Scout House. He will be missed.

1 month, 4 weeks

Contra corners recommendations needed

by Abbie Sorg

Any suggestions on contra corners dances? None have been called at our local dance for years now, and I want to try and re-introduce the move. I've been calling for a few years and think it's a good time to try, but I haven't collected any contra corners dances yet so I'd like to start with something as straightforward as possible. Chorus Jig seems like the natural choice, but I noticed that basically every video I could find of it uses the same tune. How rigid is this tradition? What if the band doesn't have this in their repertoire? Will the contra police raid the dance hall if I call this choreography to a different tune? Abbie Sorg Tucson, AZ

1 month, 4 weeks

Sicilian Circle

by Susan English

I like to end an evening of contras with a Sicilian circle to waltz music and then continue directly into the open waltz. That saves time and everyone gets a partner. Will this dance work? CITRONELLA EVENING Sicilian Circle to Waltz Music by SE 9-16-24 (4) Two on two dosidos opposite cpl (4) Circle L (4) L hands across (4) R hands across (4) P. mad Robin cw (end in original position) (4) Balance ring, Petronella turn (4) Balance ring, Petronella turn (4) Balance ring, California twirl to face next cpl. Based on Citronella Morning contra by Al Olson Susan [image: 🎶] [image: ☺] 330-347-8155 woosterdance.com

2 months

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Contra Callers September 2024