Contra Callers

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

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4362 discussions

by via Callers

Hi - No need to remind you that 2016 is fast approaching. What are your favorite dances to program before/after the midnight hour at your New Year's Eve events? Sue Gola

9 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] As in Petronella

by John Sweeney via Callers

Michael Fuerst wrote, "'Balance and spin' has the same number of syllables as 'Petronella' and avoids unnecessary jargon" Hmmm... well if someone says "Petronella" I know that I am balancing forward and back and then spinning clockwise while moving one place to my right to the place of the person who was holding my right hand. If the caller just says "Balance & Spin" then I don't know which direction to balance, which way to turn or which way to move (if indeed I move at all). Set & Turn Single has basically the same meaning as Balance & Spin but means something completely different. I never say "as in Petronella". The move is well enough established in contra dance that all I have to do is say, "Petronella" and it happens. If there are new dancers I teach them the move, call it a Petronella, and everything works fine from then on. And we have been clapping for fun in dances for over 400 years now so don't expect people not to do it! :-) Our dancing couldn't survive without jargon. Star. Ladies' Chain, Allemande, Dosido are all jargon. Would you try calling a contra dance without using any of those words? But none of those words are well defined. Star can mean wrist-lock or hands-across depending on the next move. Ladies' Chain can mean across, or across and back depending on which century you are in. Allemande means completely different things in other dance styles. And Dosido could be a Mountain Dosido, a Do Paso, an Alabama Rang Tang or a Docey Ding if you are in a different part of America a century ago. I was dancing with another Morris side recently and #1 (the "caller") called "Allemande". I had never heard that term used in Morris before so I started to offer my right hand, but the guy opposite me started doing a Back to Back around me. That is what #1 meant by "Allemande". I thought this very strange until I was researching "Captain Macintosh" and found Thomas Wilson's 1820 book "The Complete System of English Country Dancing" which defined "Allemande" as "Back to Back"! Every dancing master in every community in every style in every period in every country uses the words to mean what they want them to mean. But they teach their dancers what they mean and then it works. Some calls get standardised and are easy to use across communities. Others take time to settle down and may never be universally used. But if jargon allows a group of dancers to have fun at any particular dance then I am all for it! Whether complete standardisation is a good thing or a bad thing is another matter entirely; we all have our own opinions about MWSD :-) Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent

9 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] As in Petronella

by Ron Blechner via Callers

Many callers forget that Petronella is spin-then-balance, and most modern "Petronella dances" are balance-then-spin". So saying, "as in Petronella, balance and spin/move one place to the right" is not accurate either. More accurate: "Balance the ring, and as in Petronella, spin/move one place to the right." (And the difference also can explain why people clap. The chestnut Petronella has the stomping on the last beats, whereas there's a stompy-sized hole at the end of modern balance-then-spin Petronella dances.) On Dec 15, 2015 2:09 PM, "Bill Olson via Callers" < callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > > Hi Erik and all, heh heh, I often chuckle at MYSELF when I find myself saying that same thing: "as in Petronella", when I realize very few of the dancers have ever danced Petronella.. BUT, after trying to teach the move with out saying the "P word", I realized that some of the dancers at least know what the move is and having a percentage of the dancers "doing the right thing" helps the others., especially those who learn by seeing as opposed to having something "explained"... (with rights and lefts in it ugh).. I've found saying: "balance the ring and move one place to the right while pivoting over your right shoulder" doesn't always get everyone doing the same thing (hah!), if it doesn't actually freeze some dancers in their tracks!! > > Now I hear newer callers saying stuff like "balance the ring and Petronella to the right" or "balance left and Rory to the left". Making new verbs out of these proper names.. well, whatever works!!! > > bill

9 years, 5 months

Petronella spin, no chain or allemande?

by Ron Blechner via Callers

Any suggestions for your favorite easy or intermediate Petronella spin dance with no chain, no allemandes? Thanks, Ron Blechner

9 years, 5 months

Proactive Management of “Problem Dancers” — Creating a Dance Environment Safe for All

by William Loving via Callers

Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) has just published my article: "Proactive Management of “Problem Dancers”—Creating a Dance Environment Safe for All" in the Winter "CDSS News" If you are involved in community dance organizing in any form, I encourage you to take a look. http://www.cdss.org/images/newsletter_archives/articles/CDSS_News_winter_20… Will Loving • Downtown Amherst Contra Dance (most Wednesdays) http://amherstcontra.org https://www.facebook.com/pages/Downtown-Amherst-Contradance/196206887090444 • Greenfield Challenging Contras (4th Fridays) https://www.facebook.com/groups/greenfieldchallenge/

9 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] Proactive Management of “Problem Dancers” — Creating a Dance En...

by via Callers

Great article Will. Very informative. Thanks for writing and posting it. Joe De Paolo In a message dated 12/14/2015 1:01:31 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net writes: Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) has just published my article: "Proactive Management of “Problem Dancers”—Creating a Dance Environment Safe for All" in the Winter "CDSS News" If you are involved in community dance organizing in any form, I encourage you to take a look. http://www.cdss.org/images/newsletter_archives/articles/CDSS_News_winter_201 5-2016_proactive_management_loving.pdf Will Loving • Downtown Amherst Contra Dance (most Wednesdays) http://amherstcontra.org https://www.facebook.com/pages/Downtown-Amherst-Contradance/196206887090444 • Greenfield Challenging Contras (4th Fridays) https://www.facebook.com/groups/greenfieldchallenge/= _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

9 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] Petronella spin, no chain or allemande?

by John Sweeney via Callers

Hi Ron, Try Dopeca: http://www.contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/Dopeca.html Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent

9 years, 5 months

Becket Formation

by Rich Sbardella via Callers

Folks, I was at a dance not too long ago, and as the caller (not me) invited dancers to join the last dance of the night, he also declared it to be in Becket formation. One visiting couple, who had been waiting eagerly for the last dance , put on their jackets and left disappointed, stating that they do not like Beckets. Perhaps because I am a square dance caller, I tend to program about 40% Beckets in a contra evening. Is there a negative sentiment about Becket formation among many dancers? If so, can someone explain the reason? Rich

9 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] Becket Formation

by John Sweeney via Callers

Next time you see this couple at a dance, call for Rifleman Formation! Maybe they will stay to see what it is. Yes, before the relatively recent introduction of the term "Becket Formation" that formation was known as "Rifleman Formation", after the English country dance The Rifleman. Yes, we were using that formation in the 19th century, and possibly earlier, way before Becket Reel was written! Please note I use the term "English country dance" not capitalised, i.e. not what Americans dance and call ECD. We do lots of English country dancing with the " increased exertion and tempo" of contra dancing. Young dancers over here tend to use their energy through stepping rather than spinning, but the energy level at a good dance is the same as at a contra! Progression: most of my Becket dances end with "Yearn on the Left Diagonal" giving a full eight beats for the dancers to meet their new neighbours, high five them and retire to their new place ready to start the dance again. Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent

9 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] Becket Formation

by janet via Callers

My first guess isbthatvthey were not overly familiar with what a Becket dance is. Recently I asked a person to dance who had been coming fairly frequently for a few weeks after the caller announced it was a Becket. He was going to sit out because he didn't know what a Becket dance was. Some callers don't say Becket, they just say turn your circles one place to the left/right. As the last dance of the evening, I would hope the call didn't have anything too complex (a major programming flaw in my book). To address comments in the email below ... 1. Diaganol figures ... Except maybe slice left to a new couple, I can't think of much I would consider for a last dance. Last dances should be relatively simple so dancers can enjoy the music and the flow. 2. Debecketize maneuver ... I find this slightly annoying when callers say "like all Becket dances" circle left and pass through. I hate more when they either skip that part entirely in the walk through or start it un Becketized and then tell you afterwards that it is Becket. If you don't teach the walk through the way the dance is actually danced, you very well could have confused newer dancers, especially. Since he is unlikely to say anything himself, I will point out that the "as with all Becket dances" comment was so annoying that Cary Ravitz once called an entire evening where none of the Becket dances have that progression ... None! And as most of you probably know, he writes a lot of Becket dances. Partner swings at the end of the dance. .. To me that is the number one reason to have a Becket dance, especially as the last dance. You get to end with your partner and the caller doesn't have to break the moment to fudge the end to make you end with your partner. That being said, I do know a couple Beckets that do not end that way. Cary's Autumn Air is a pretty easy Becket that does not end with a partner swing. 3. If callers fudge the end of a duple improper dance to make it end with your partner, it is generally their responsibility to make sure it works smoothly. Most choreographers do not include an alternate ending to suggest how to make this work, so it is on the caller to figure it out. If poorly done, it can be really disappointing. Janet Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE smartphone -------- Original message -------- From: Neal Schlein via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> Date: 12/10/2015 8:25 PM (GMT-05:00) To: Cc: callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> Subject: Re: [Callers] Becket Formation Actually, I can see this. As others suggested, it is probably a matter of the couple's prior poor experiences with dances in Beckets. That said, there are two fairly common tendencies in Becket formation choreography which are somewhat aggravating and another which absolutely drives me up a wall. Other callers and dancers don't seem to mind so much, but were it possible I would completely avoid the dances which have the last one. 1. The first tendency has to do with diagonal figures, even though I like them myself. They are often scrunched and uncomfortable, particularly right and left throughs; people run into each other. Add to this the slight disorientation for someone not used to diagonal figures, and it can be unpleasant. In a nice open hall, they're perfectly fine. Not a problem so much with the formation as with the fact that everyone is in the middle all at once and it's confusing. 2. The second is what I like to call the "DeBecketize Manuever." How many beckets start with, "Circle left 3/4 (and usually swing your neighbor" and end with "Partner swing on the side!" (answer: TOO MANY) If all you are going to do with the first move is take the dance out of Becket, it seems like a cheap trick done just to make the dance "different." Again, not an inherent problem of the formation, just a problem of choreographic selection. 3. The third choreographic tendency is often tied to dances which feature swings at the end of the dance: partial or non progression. This problem, unlike the others, is actually made possible because of the formation: such a difficulty isn't possible in a regular duple minor, and it drives me absolutely NUTS. I have experienced a number of dances in which the caller instructs the dancers to "fudge" or "maneuver" or "sludge" or some such to make the dance work. The contra doesn't actually progress the couples down the line, but leaves them 1/2 progressed or non-progressed--usually swinging partners on the outside, but not always. Sliding up the outside from a circle is one thing; swinging on the outside and fudging down the hall is another. The annoyance of a non-progression can be mitigated if the caller teaches it well (end facing across, look left and...), but to me the partial progression problem always jars and simply seems to be excessively lazy choreography.Beak Neal SchleinYouth Services Librarian, Mahomet Public Library Currently reading: The Different Girl by Gordon Dahlquist Currently learning: How to set up an automated email system. On Thu, Dec 10, 2015 at 6:26 PM, John W Gintell via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: My favorite progression requires Becket formation: circle left and then slide up/down and circle with the next pair. > On Dec 10, 2015, at 6:43 PM, Greg Allan via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > > Hi, > > That is a somewhat familiar story from my point of view. I dance in a number of different folk dancing communities - a varied program here in Winnipeg. It's quite common, as people from one group attempt to get interest from other dancing groups, that some people know what they like and what they don't like, and that's that. For example, people who English country dance often don't like contra because of the increased exertion and tempo. Personally, I'm not much of a fan of triple minor dances. Everyone's got their thing. But there's always a reason for it. It could be a bad experience, or it could be a stylistic feature of a region, where everyone does a figure in a way you find unpleasant. Hard to say. To leave an event because someone programmed something you didn't like? ... I'm not sure to make of it. You don't like it you don't like it, I suppose. > > We don't do Becket formation here at all, really. If someone left at the end of a night because of Becket formation, I would assume they didn't want to start learning new things late in the evening. > > Greg > > _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

9 years, 5 months

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Contra Callers