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
On Thu, Dec 10, 2015 at 3:01 PM, via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Contra with Hey (jill allen via Callers)
> 2. Re: Contra with Hey (Martha Wild via Callers)
> 3. Becket Formation (Rich Sbardella via Callers)
> 4. Re: Becket Formation (Bill Olson via Callers)
> 5. Re: Becket Formation (Michael Fuerst via Callers)
> 6. Re: Becket Formation (Mac Mckeever via Callers)
> 7. Re: Becket Formation (Ron Blechner via Callers)
> 8. Re: Becket Formation (Ron Blechner via Callers)
> 9. Re: Becket Formation (Ryan Smith via Callers)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2015 15:04:46 -0600
> From: jill allen via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
> To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Subject: [Callers] Contra with Hey
> Message-ID: <0B53D2A6-B7C5-47A1-BADB-C4103F7897DA(a)att.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Here's something new:
>
> Signs of Life
> duple improper contra
> by Jill Allen
>
> A1 circle R X1, M allem L 1 1/2 to face P
> A2 hey for 4, start by passing R
> B1 gypsy and swing P (or B & S)
> B2 circle L 3/4, balance the ring, calif twirl to face the next..
>
> Also:
>
> Columbia Contra
> duple improper contra
> by Gene Hubert
>
> A1 Allem R N aprox 1 1/4, W allem L 1/2, allem R P X1 ending with Women
> facing each other in the middle
> A2 hey for 4, W pass L to begin
> B1 B & S P
> B2 W chain, star L
>
> I call both of these quite frequently. Both have timing which is
> forgiving for beginners.
> Jill Allen : )
>
>
> >> Hello Folks,
> >> >
> >> > I am relatively new at calling contras and I am looking for some asy
> to intermediate contras to introduce the hey to a group that includes many
> beginners. and/or club square dancers.
> >> >
> >> > "Butter" by Gene Hubert is my go to dance, but I am looking for a few
> more. I like Butter because the flow from ladies chain into a RH hey is
> great, and because all the other calls are introduced earlier in most
> evening.
> >> >
> >> > I love simple, but different choreography, so I am open to most
> suggestions.
> >> >
> >> > Rich Sbardella
>
Hello Folks,
I am relatively new at calling contras and I am looking for some asy to
intermediate contras to introduce the hey to a group that includes many
beginners. and/or club square dancers.
"Butter" by Gene Hubert is my go to dance, but I am looking for a few
more. I like Butter because the flow from ladies chain into a RH hey is
great, and because all the other calls are introduced earlier in most
evening.
I love simple, but different choreography, so I am open to most suggestions.
Rich Sbardella
Here's something new:
Signs of Life
duple improper contra
by Jill Allen
A1 circle R X1, M allem L 1 1/2 to face P
A2 hey for 4, start by passing R
B1 gypsy and swing P (or B & S)
B2 circle L 3/4, balance the ring, calif twirl to face the next..
Also:
Columbia Contra
duple improper contra
by Gene Hubert
A1 Allem R N aprox 1 1/4, W allem L 1/2, allem R P X1 ending with Women facing each other in the middle
A2 hey for 4, W pass L to begin
B1 B & S P
B2 W chain, star L
I call both of these quite frequently. Both have timing which is forgiving for beginners.
Jill Allen : )
>> Hello Folks,
>> >
>> > I am relatively new at calling contras and I am looking for some asy to intermediate contras to introduce the hey to a group that includes many beginners. and/or club square dancers.
>> >
>> > "Butter" by Gene Hubert is my go to dance, but I am looking for a few more. I like Butter because the flow from ladies chain into a RH hey is great, and because all the other calls are introduced earlier in most evening.
>> >
>> > I love simple, but different choreography, so I am open to most suggestions.
>> >
>> > Rich Sbardella
Becket Formation:
R&L thru on left diagonal (ends do not move), R&L thru across
Circle left 3/4, Swing neighbour
Pass through, California twirl, Men left-hand turn once-and-half
Balance and swing partner
Improper:
Line of 4 (1s in the middle) go down the room and reverse back up ("turn and
fall back") - bend the line to a circle
Circle R, Ladies lead a LHS (1/2 way with each other then men join in)
New Neighbour dosido & Swing
Lines F&B, 1s swing (end in centre of new 2s)
Many thanks in advance J
Jeremy
I like First Hey by Paul Balliet
Sent from my iPhone
> On Dec 8, 2015, at 2:08 PM, Ron Blechner via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Give the Scout a Hand, Bob Isaacs
>
> I'll second:
> Butter
> Carousel
> Hey the the Barn
> Roll in the Hey
>> On Dec 8, 2015 2:10 PM, "David A Kaynor via Callers" <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>> Hi Folks,
>>
>> A longtime lurker leaps in:
>>
>> Below: Two fairly easy Becket formation dances which present a full hay for four following a full ladies’ chain … a useful sequence from a pedagogical standpoint, in my opinion.
>>
>> First, Peter Stix’s “Purple Hays” (Becket formation)
>>
>> A1: Ladies chain (over and back)
>>
>> A2: Hay for four (over and back)
>>
>> B1: Ladies 1/2 [your politically/socially acceptable term for “gypsy”];
>> swing partner
>>
>> B2: 1/2 right and left; circle left 1/2 to original Becket home; with partner, slide left.
>>
>>
>> Here are Peter’s A parts followed by different B parts (Lindsey Dono told me that a dancer suggested this dance be called “Busy Bees”)
>>
>> A1: Ladies chain (over and back)
>>
>> A2: Hay for four (over and back)
>>
>> B1: with Partner, balance and swing
>>
>> B2: long lines forward & back; circle left (all the way around); with partner, shift left to new neighbors.
>>
>>
>> Note: On paper, there isn’t sufficient time for all of B2. However, in actual practice, the transition from the circle and shift to the ladies’ chain is forgiving enough for things to flow well.
>>
>> I believe my B parts to be a little easier for bringing newcomers along. To my knowledge, no contra prior to “Purple Hays” used this sequence of A parts.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > On Dec 8, 2015, at 12:50 PM, susanelberger via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>> >
>> > Washington Hay by Ralph Sweet is my go-to dance for teaching a hay to relatively new dancers.
>> >
>> > Susan Elberger
>> >
>> > From: Rich Sbardella via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
>> > To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>; trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com
>> > Sent: Tuesday, December 8, 2015 12:48 PM
>> > Subject: [Callers] Contras with a Hey
>> >
>> > Hello Folks,
>> >
>> > I am relatively new at calling contras and I am looking for some asy to intermediate contras to introduce the hey to a group that includes many beginners. and/or club square dancers.
>> >
>> > "Butter" by Gene Hubert is my go to dance, but I am looking for a few more. I like Butter because the flow from ladies chain into a RH hey is great, and because all the other calls are introduced earlier in most evening.
>> >
>> > I love simple, but different choreography, so I am open to most suggestions.
>> >
>> > Rich Sbardella
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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Rich kindly pointed out that I was mistaken about Butter being the one
with the hey leading into the progression. Note to self: never post to
lists before having coffee...
Kalia
Ron Buchanan this one at Contracopia, and it was a lot of fun!
???, by ??? (becket)
A1: pass the ocean and balance
partner R 1/2, gents L 1/2, balance
A2: neighbor R 3/4, new neighbor swing
B1: pass the ocean and balance
neighbor R 1/2, gents L 1/2, balance
B2: partner swing
Oh! I believe that the B2 was a do-si-do and swing, actually (misremembered
it because my partner and I changed it). Which makes the dance as I recall
it:
A1: pass the ocean and balance
partner R 1/2, gents L 1/2, balance
A2: neighbor R 3/4, new neighbor swing
B1: pass the ocean and balance
neighbor R 1/2, gents L 1/2, balance
B2: partner do-si-do
partner swing
And it DOES look similar to Mongatock (Manga Tak?), I agree, but I
definitely recall reforming and balancing waves after both of the
pass-the-ocean/allemande sequences.
On Mon, Dec 7, 2015 at 9:26 PM, Donna Hunt <dhuntdancer(a)aol.com> wrote:
>
>
> Mongatock* Ron Buchannan Improper
> A1 Balance and Swing Neighbor
>
> A2 Pass to ocean wave, *Balance*, Neighbor R, Gents Left,
> Partner Right Allem ¾
>
> B1 Shadow Allem 1x
> Partner Swing
>
> B2 Pass to ocean wave, *Balance*, Partner R, Gents Left,
> Neighbor Right Allem ¾
>
> I know he called this one, Mongatock, could you have transcribed it
> wrong?
> Donna
> Web Site: donnahuntcaller.com
> Email: dhuntdancer(a)aol.com
> Cell: 215-565-6050
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Maia McCormick via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
> To: callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
> Sent: Mon, Dec 7, 2015 9:10 pm
> Subject: [Callers] Mystery dance from Contracopia
>
> Ron Buchanan this one at Contracopia, and it was a lot of fun!
>
> ???, by ??? (becket)
> A1: pass the ocean and balance
> partner R 1/2, gents L 1/2, balance
> A2: neighbor R 3/4, new neighbor swing
> B1: pass the ocean and balance
> neighbor R 1/2, gents L 1/2, balance
> B2: partner swing
> _______________________________________________
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> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
>
It's 5 am, and I find myself awake and writing dances; specifically 4x4s.
Unfortunately, I don't have 8 dancers waiting on my insomnia to test
things, so I figured I'd send them to shared weight...
Possibly this is a choreographic question already answered in square
dancing, but I'm not familiar with the outcome. How well does a four person
do-si-do work? I'm thinking of something along the lines of:
Doubled-si-do
Four Facing Four
A1 -----------
(4) Give and Gents take (up and down)
(12) Neighbor swing
A2 -----------
(8) Women's Chain back to partner (up and down), turn to face in
(8) All four Women Do-si-do 1x
B1 -----------
(8) All four Men Do-si-do 1x
(8) All eight Circle Left 1/2x
B2 -----------
(16) Partner balance and swing
End facing line of direction
In my head, the four person do-si-do is a right hand star sans hands; but
not sure how well it'll fly; especially since the right diagonal women have
less far to turn to face in than the left diagonal women coming out of the
chain.
Thoughts?
Thank you
--
Luke Donforth
Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>
Hey, I'm new here, but what a great idea for a figure, Luke. Am I correct
in assuming that, in addition to being similar to a RH star sans hands,
that the dancers are also facing the same direction throughout the figure,
like you're supposed to do for a regular two-person do-si-do? So the
dancers would be walking forward 4 steps, moving around three other
dancers, and then reversing back to place? I can't see it taking much more
time than a regular RH star. The dancer's adjust, just like they do to any
other figure that takes more or less time than allotted, realistically.
There's also a figure from English country dancing, which is not much like
you're suggesting, but it may provide some inspiration for tweaking this
figure. It's called a Mad Robin and involves 4 people doing a sideways
do-si-do in couples.
What if you had the closer women do a do-si-do followed very quickly by the
next two? And then take the previous suggestion about choreographing a
"soft" figure afterwards, so the one or two beats is not an interruption.
Greg
