Sharing a recent composition honoring one of our local super volunteers...
I love Mad Robins but find contra dancers routinely rush them - so I've
been writing dances that steal a bit of that 8 beat allotment for added
motion to come out dependably square. This has now been successfully called
by myself and one other caller.
Dedicated to Robin Humes – family friend and super volunteer in service of
the Concord Scout House area contra community. It’s only fitting this dance
include a Mad Robin (besides the obvious eponymous link), because Bob
Isaacs’ dance Redbeard Reel (commissioned by Robin for her husband – John
Wasser) features one as well.
When mentioning the title, I think it’s fun to give it proper super hero
intonation: “SUP-er Robin!” 🙂
Super Robin – DI – Don Veino 20170523
A1
Neighbor Gypsy (or Balance) & Swing
A2
Mad Robin CW 1+1/4 (Gents start Forward & Right, to Wave Across, G by LH in
center)
Short Wave Balance Right & Left, Twirl/Slide Right (Ladies Super Twirl
across)
B1
Partner (Balance &) Swing
B2
Circle Left 3/4 to Wave (L by LH in center, facing progression)
Wave Balance Fwd/Back, Dance Fwd to next
Hello folks,
I am curious what singing calls, if any, are being called nowadays. I am
hoping to build a traditional"singing square dance locally, and hope to use
tunes that bands might have heard or been exposed to.
I am familiar with the ones on Ralph Sweet's CD and Bob Dalsemer's two
collections.
Thanks,
Rich Sbardella
Stafford, CT
When teaching the Weevil, I've found it essential to make it clear that the dancers are NOT standing across from each other. The three dancers are standing across from the gaps between the four dancers. If the dancers stand across from each other, then finding the next diagonal dancer becomes very confusing.
Jacob
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<div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: DAVID HARDING via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> </div><div>Date:06/09/2017 5:06 PM (GMT-05:00) </div><div>To: John Sweeney <john(a)modernjive.com>,John Sweeney via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> </div><div>Subject: Re: [Callers] New Dance to Share </div><div>
</div>In observing the teaching of The Weevil, I found it helpful for some contra dancers to have the progression explained. Every time through the dance you should be moving two places to the right, wrapping around the aT the ends.
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I'm curious - what is it about having the ladies in the center that makes it work better?
Jacob
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<div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: Mac Mckeever via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> </div><div>Date:06/10/2017 1:48 PM (GMT-05:00) </div><div>To: Frederick Park <frederick(a)apalache.com>,Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net </div><div>Subject: Re: [Callers] New Dance to Share </div><div>
</div>Since you mentioned circle mixers - one of my current favorites is a very easy one that has been around for a while - but I only discovered it a couple years ago. I messed with it a little to make it work for all experience levels.
The Wheel by Gene Huber - random circle mixer
Start in a circle with Ladies facing partner with their backs to center - holding 2 hands with partner (I think the original had the gents in the center - but I found it works better this way)
A1 - Into the center - all drop hands with partner take hands with the persons on both sides of you - so you have a circle of gents facing in and a circle of ladies facing out
walk back out so both circles are near their full size - there is lots of time to get everything done in this part.
A2 - everyone circle left (this makes the circles turn in opposite directions
B1 - everyone balance and swing (or do-si-do and swing depending on the experience level) who ever is in front of them at the time - lost and found is in the center.
B2 Prominade with current partner - ladies on outside - roll ladies to the inside to get ready for A1
Mac McKeever
From: Frederick Park via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
To: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Sent: Saturday, June 10, 2017 10:54 AM
Subject: Re: [Callers] New Dance to Share
Dear Folks,
This little opening for discussion of unusual dances that are not contra or square is delightful. Thank you all.
"Le Brandy" and the “Weevil" are both new to me and have great potential I think.
Erik, I don’t have your “double becket" dance - will you send it my way?
The other dances are well known to me and I wish to offer a teaching element I’ve used successfully in the Pat Shaw dance, K + E.
Once sets are established, 1s on the outside facing in, 2s standing back to back in the center facing outside couples, the primary dance move that makes it all work out is the partner relationship.
I ask all to practice once or twice “Change Hands” with Partners. Obviously, those in the center, the 1s, when changing the direction they face at any time places their own Partner on one side and then the other.
Simply suggesting that the call is “Change Hands” when practicing the move makes it unique and clear and simple, all at once!
Having the sense of “double beckett” is not so very intuitive for dancers simply because this dance is a one-of-a-kind dance. I can “see” it but I wouldn’t mention it to dancers.
The 1s need to “bond”. As well those far across on the opposite side of the set, the 2s, need to “bond” or recognize they are a unit…which is all the more useful once any couples reach the end of the set.
To that end I ask the dancers to change places with couple they are initially facing (each 1 changes places with their original 2) and the “Change Hands” introduces them to their other half for any who are in the center four.
The only thing that pushes this dance into the realm of “intermediate to advanced” is the final 8 bars of the dance, the progression.
Those on the outside are swinging their Partners and could and should “move up the hall” every so slightly.
Meanwhile the center four have just met again (the “magic” includes meeting their Partners!) and are with their “other half”, the 2s!
The 1s then “Circle Down - three quarters ‘round - and Change Hands”.
This call indicates the movement of Circle Left 3/4 WHILE moving down the hall ever so slightly (to end with “Trade Hands in the Center”, face out and meet a new Couple 2 to begin again . . .
I’ve found that the movement of Circle and move is akin the square dance chorus figure of four dancers moving in a circle Left while dancing in Promenade direction around the “other couple”.
So introducing such a chorus in a square dance one or two dances earlier allows the whole dance hall to be a bit familiar with the similar pattern used in K+E!
Lastly, may I recommend that any of you may also find interest in Pat Shaw’s “The American Husband”! It’s a sicillian circle for groups of three, very unusual progression and includes a Shetland Hey (for three) with each couple dancing as a single unit in a hey for three pattern! Let me know if you can’t find it and I’ll post it here.
More dances? Yes, please! (especially circle mixers and sicillian circles) : )
––––––––––––––––––––
Frederick Park
3377 Halls Chapel Road
Burnsville, NC 28714
828.335.5630
frederick(a)apalache.com
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Hi Frederick,
You'll find lots of dances at:
http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances.htmlhttp://contrafusion.co.uk/DancesEDS.html
If you call the Weevil, the most helpful things you can do are:
Make sure everyone knows that there are seven positions and the "threes"
must face the gaps between the "fours" - remind them every time the figure
eights and the tunnels end - "face a gap"
As they go through the tunnel call, "First go right, second go left" (Or
vice versa if you set the set up as it was originally written) - that REALLY
helps them to end up on the correct side
Tell the last two of the tunnel not to bother if the set is behind the music
- just get ready for the next time through.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
Hi Richard,
Ah, yes, it's been so long since I danced K&E that I forgot it's sort of one left progressing becket and one right progressing becket side by side and intermingling. Seeing it here reminded me that I want to learn it again, but replied prior to working through it.
And yes, in my dance it's sort of like two becket contras side by side, and when you get to the hey for eight, you just switch to the other line. It could be done in contra formation, and just do a hey for four in that B2.
Thanks for pointing out the differences.
And, I see, it's been a couple months since I've looked at Trad Callers, and forgot that, in order to reply to the list, I've got to put the shareweight email in the "to:" field...
~Erik
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Fischer [mailto:richardallenfischer@verizon.net]
Sent: Friday, June 9, 2017 1:37 PM
To: Erik Hoffman <erik(a)erikhoffman.com>
Subject: Major Hey
Hi Erik,
I’m trying to understand your dance. I *think* it’s not quite the same formation as K & E. In K & E the two couples in the middle of the group of eight are the ones, moving down the hall, and the two couples on the outside are the twos, moving up. I *think* in your dance the ones are the couples starting with right shoulders to the top? Also in K & E you stay in the same file as you move up or down the hall, but I *think* in your dance you swtich from side to side as in an ordinary four-face-four. Is that correct? I’m intrigued to try it. Is there by any chance a video of it?
All best wishes,
Richard
Thought I'd share this with the group. I wrote this last April while touring with Tempest in the East.
Back story. We stayed with Laura Light in Asheville, NC. The neighborhood were she lives has a resident who has a botanical garden. Only the folks in the neighborhood are allowed in. She gave us a tour.
Laura’s Secret Garden – Rich Goss Improper
(Start take inside hands with Neighbor)
A1: (with inside hands) Neighbor Balance, Star Thru, Gents alle left 1 1/2
A2: Partner Bal and Swing
B1: (Form ring) Ring Bal, twirl to right, Neighbor swing
B2: Pass Thru (no hands, face out, NO CT),
Roll away to LL (gents roll ladies r/l, keep facing out) LLFB away (turn to face new neighbor, keep inside hands)
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Hi, Bob - makes sense that this would have occurred to you first! I'll
mark it down as "Surf's Up" by Bob Isaacs.
Dugan Murphy
Portland, Maine
dugan at duganmurphy.comwww.DuganMurphy.comwww.PortlandIntownContraDance.comwww.NufSed.consulting
*From:* Callers <callers-bounces(a)lists.sharedweight.net> on behalf of Bob
> Isaacs via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
> *Sent:* Monday, June 5, 2017 11:31:47 PM
> *To:* Callers List Serve; Dugan Murphy
> *Subject:* Re: [Callers] Has This Dance Been Written?
>
>
> Dugan and All:
>
>
> Yes, this occurred to me as well. I call it Surf's Up (7/3/14).
>
Do any of you have this dance sequence under a different title and author?
If not, I'd like to claim it as my own composition.
"And We Still Dance" by Dugan Murphy (duple improper contra)
A1 Long Wavy Lines (Gents facing out; neighbor in right hand) Balance (4) -
Circulate (Ladies cross while gents turn to face in, taking neighbor's
place) (4) / Long Wavy Lines (Gents facing in; partner in right hand)
Balance (4) - Circulate (Gents cross while ladies turn to face in, taking
partner's place) (4)
A2 Neighbor Balance and Swing (16)
B1 Gents Left Hand Allemande 1.5 (8) / Partner Swing (8)
B2 Ladies Chain to Neighbor (8) / Left Hand Star Once to Retake Hands in
Long Wavy Lines (8)
The thought occurred to me today that the Rory O'More-inspired figure in
"United We Dance" by Bob Isaacs could be replaced with a circulation figure
to create a different dance with the same fun star-wave transition. I can
imagine someone before me having the same thought.
Dugan Murphy
Portland, Maine
dugan at duganmurphy.comwww.DuganMurphy.comwww.PortlandIntownContraDance.comwww.NufSed.consulting
