Contra Callers

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4360 discussions

Re: [Callers] [Musicians] worthiness of a tune for contra?

by Erik Hoffman via Callers

I, too, had no trouble hearing phrases of 4-beats, 8-beats, and the major parts. (In music speak: 2-bar phrases, 4-bar phrases, and 8-bar parts.) I would have no trouble calling to either tune in that video. Thus, I'm also curious about what makes it hard to hear, for those of you who have trouble with it. ~erik hoffman oakland, ca On 7/30/2015 6:52 PM, James Saxe via Musicians wrote: > After Emily Addison asked about the tunes in this video > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DkJQ9xNGuU > > several people commented that they found the phrasing of > the jig (Jim Rumboldt's Tune) deceptive. I'm curious to > know what any of you--or other list members--think after > listening to it at 1.25x speed, as described in my previous > message (quoted below). > > I did a little searching for other videos of the tune. > This one > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx_E3qeZAfQ > > is played at about 165 bpm. If it were played at a > normal contra tempo and with a clear four-beat intro, but > otherwise in the same style as in the video, I think it > would be fine for dancing. Yes, there are a couple places > where, if I started the video at a random point in the > tune, I could momentarily wonder whether a particular note > was a pick-up note or the true beat 1 of a new phrase. > But, to my ear, there are enough other places where the > phrasing is quite clear so that it's not a problem. I'd > be interested in reading other people's reactions. > > I found another rendition starting about 3:15 in this > video > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCnFlmrN1mk > > with tempo in the high 140s. I can't make sense of > the phrasing in this one at all. It seems to me it's a > different, and genuinely crooked, variant of the tune. > Does anyone disagree. > > After watching that last video, I tried searching for abc > notation or pdfs of sheet music or tablature to see whether > I'd find notation for different versions--straight vs. > crooked--of the tune. So far, however, I haven't turned > up any notation at all. > > --Jim > >> On Jul 30, 2015, at 1:58 AM, James Saxe <jim.saxe(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> >> I'm a mere caller and pretty much a musical muggle, but >> here are some observations about the jig for what they're >> worth. >> >> First off, in the video the jig is played at about 93 or 94 >> beats per minute (based on my stopwatch timing, which also >> appears to agree closely with the YouTube time counter). >> You might get a better idea of how it would sound as a dance >> tuen by playing it at 1.25x speed. (Click on the gear-shaped >> "Settings" button near the lower right of the YouTube video >> frame; then click on the Speed box (typically defaulting >> to "Normal"); then click "1.25" in the menu that pops up. >> YouTube should then play at 1.25x normal speed but with the >> audio pitch-shifted back down to normal pitch.) > <remainder snipped> > > > _______________________________________________ > Musicians mailing list > Musicians(a)lists.sharedweight.net > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/musicians-sharedweight.net > > >

9 years, 9 months

Re: [Callers] "Flash Mob" dances

by Claire Takemori via Callers

Alan, I went to the demo contra last year. I had only been doing contra for a year and found it a little intimidating to ask strangers out of the crowd to join us. For me, it would've been great to add in the FB announcement a little blurb about having experienced dancers ask the crowd to join before each dance. That way those of us who might be intimidated by that can prepare a little mentally for the task..... I love the ideas Linda wrote for an initial crowd gathering technique. I'd also really LOVE to do a REAL flash mob contra sometime, and maybe we can get someone to do a nice video for BACDS. Could be a fabulous promo. It would be cool to start with a violin and 2 couples , then have folks/musicians dribble in by 1s or 2s. Obviously everyone knows the first dance by heart already. Then the caller comes at the end to start a new dance! Thanks for doing that again Alan! Looks like a great time. Claire Takemori Message: 1 Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2015 20:52:13 -0700 From: Alan Winston via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> To: <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> Subject: [Callers] "Flash Mob" dances Message-ID: <55B5AAED.4020808(a)slac.stanford.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"; format=flowed Over in San Jose we've just done a second annual not-really-flash-mob dance. Symphony Silicon Valley does a free public series of Pops concerts, get permission from them, pick one, get a bunch of volunteer dancers and a pickup band, print up some flyers and put up a sign with the sponsoring organization logo and URL, We put up a sign with the name of the organization, set up in the path of foot traffic to the concert spot, and do an hour and a half (or so) of easy contra dances, encouraging passersby to join in and hooking them up with more-experienced partners. This is successful in terms of getting some exposure, and today we got somewhere between a half-dozen and a dozen new people to actually try it, and probably moved 25 flyers. Nobody got hurt, some of the dancers stayed for several dances, etc. We flushed out some old square dancers (who of course wanted to swing once around and wait for the next call) and some previous non-dancers of various ages. (I was calling. First round was missing many volunteer dancers and had multiple newbies, so I did a one-night-stand dance ("Up the Sides and Down the Middle") rather than a duple-minor contra; then Cranky Ingenuity, Inflation Reel, Kitchen Stomp, and Delphiniums and Daisies.) Posting to ask if people who've done this kind of thing have any tips or tricks to get things going. As caller I relied on my volunteer dancers to do the recruiting, and people had different comfort and skill levels doing that. Is there something I can tell them that will increase their comfort in talking to strangers? Thanks! -- Alan

9 years, 9 months

"Flash Mob" dances

by Alan Winston via Callers

Over in San Jose we've just done a second annual not-really-flash-mob dance. Symphony Silicon Valley does a free public series of Pops concerts, get permission from them, pick one, get a bunch of volunteer dancers and a pickup band, print up some flyers and put up a sign with the sponsoring organization logo and URL, We put up a sign with the name of the organization, set up in the path of foot traffic to the concert spot, and do an hour and a half (or so) of easy contra dances, encouraging passersby to join in and hooking them up with more-experienced partners. This is successful in terms of getting some exposure, and today we got somewhere between a half-dozen and a dozen new people to actually try it, and probably moved 25 flyers. Nobody got hurt, some of the dancers stayed for several dances, etc. We flushed out some old square dancers (who of course wanted to swing once around and wait for the next call) and some previous non-dancers of various ages. (I was calling. First round was missing many volunteer dancers and had multiple newbies, so I did a one-night-stand dance ("Up the Sides and Down the Middle") rather than a duple-minor contra; then Cranky Ingenuity, Inflation Reel, Kitchen Stomp, and Delphiniums and Daisies.) Posting to ask if people who've done this kind of thing have any tips or tricks to get things going. As caller I relied on my volunteer dancers to do the recruiting, and people had different comfort and skill levels doing that. Is there something I can tell them that will increase their comfort in talking to strangers? Thanks! -- Alan

9 years, 9 months

Sticky floors

by jean francis via Callers

another option is to buy shuffleboard wax (ebay or large janitorial supplies) aka ballroom wax. This is a fine powdered wax that comes in various "slipperiness" grades...a tiny bit of a moderate slipperiness goes a very very long way. A container the size of a kitchen cleanser 'can' could last an entire dance community a year. Since it is a wax, I imagine it is good for wood floors, however the venue must be consulted and there is some danger from exuberant use such that folks could end up horizontal. Sprinkling it evenly around the floor and then sweeping it off before the dance will generally leave a beneficial amount. Alternate solutions might be to offer a 'step in' tray of it, where those who found the floor too sticky might smoosh their shoes in it briefly or a bottle could be passed around so dancers could put a pinch in their palms and rub it on the bottom of their dance shoes from time to time. I suspect this works best on smooth soles (suede, leather, composite) and not so well on 'tread' soles like athletic shoes. I carry a small plastic bottle of this to all dance events to rub on my own shoe soles.

9 years, 9 months

sticky floors

by Mary Collins via Callers

Has anyone experienced issues with their wooden dance floors becoming sticky during humid weather? If so, what if anything has been done to alleviate the problem? thanks. Mary C. - Buffalo -- “Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass ... it's about learning to dance in the rain!” ~ Unknown

9 years, 9 months

Origins of East Meets West

by John Sweeney via Callers

I am going through some old English Dance & Song magazines and found this from December 1964: = = = = = = = = = = = = = East Meets West This dance has been in vogue for many years now and in response to repeated requests, we reprint it here. It was composed, we understand, by Ralph Page after a visit to the west coast of the U.S.A. and called " East Meets West ' as the dance incorporates certain west coast square dance movements within the framework of a New England style contra. Formation: duple improper. Music: 32 bar reels (see note below) although some prefer jigs. A.1. Lines of four move down the room (holding hands, ones between the twos), turn towards contrary and return, bringing twos in front of ones (progression). A.2. Circle four, left and right. B.1. Western style do-paso, i.e. men turn contrary lady with left hand, cross and turn partner with right hand, cross again and turn contrary lady with left hand straight into ... B.2. Half promenade across, and half right and left back. NOTE: if the tune " Little Old Log Cabin " (Swing Partners, p. 7) is used, the following singing call might be found useful : Oh go down in fours together, turn round and come back home, To that little old log cabin in the lane, Then you circle to the left and then you circle back again To that little old log cabin in the lane. Allemande left your corner; allemande right your own And give left hand to that corner girl again. Then you promenade across the set and right and left back home, To your little old log cabin in the lane = = = = = = = = = = = = = But Zesty Contras (1983) says: = = = = = = = = = = = = = East Meets West (by Herbie Gaudreau) Contra; Improper A1 Neighbour Allemande Left 1/2; Ladies' Chain; Ladies' Chain back A2 Circle Left; Circle Right B1 Neighbour Allemande Left; Partner Allemande Right; Neighbour Allemande Left B2 Half Promenade; R & L Through Only a decade ago this was a very innovative dance = = = = = = = = = = = = = The reference to a "decade ago" seems to imply that Herbie wrote the dance around 1973. But the version at the top claims to be old in 1964. They are obviously the same dance since they have the same name and only differ in the A1 (and I can understand why the A1 was changed as the transition from R&L Thru into Lines of Four doesn't appear to be particularly smooth!). Does anyone know any more about the history of this dance and its various versions? Thanks. 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, 9 months

Re: [Callers] sticky floors

by Bree Kalb via Callers

9 years, 10 months

Re: [Callers] sticky floors

by Jerome Grisanti via Callers

If you can find UNscented talc (and good luck with that!), try it in a small area to see if it works on your floor. Do NOT use scented baby power -- the cure would be worse than the disease. --Jerome Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com "There's no point in being unhappy about things you can't change, and no point being unhappy about things you can."

9 years, 10 months

Re: [Callers] few dancers dances

by John Sweeney via Callers

Hi Rickey, Some of your options depend on the skill levels of your dancers and their willingness to explore related genres. There have been lots of great suggestions already. Here are a few more. Many of the Playford dances are great fun and can be danced with the kind of energy that contra dancers like to use. Have a look at this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avfqi-cjrYI The first figure is OK, albeit a little long, but the second one, the Shuttle (starts at 1:22), is great fun, as is the last one, the Sheepskin Hey (starts at 1:46). If you think your dancers would enjoy that sort of dance then there are loads of great English dances out there, from Playford through to eCeilidh: http://www.webfeet.org/dances/index.html Here is another sample with four different heys in three figures (watch the top couple carefully in the last figure - they are doing a circular hey while the others are dancing heys on the side!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmepHV5cM7k Couple dances: Salty Dog Rag Swedish Masquerade The Ideal Schottische Two Couple Dances: Thanks to Mr Playford Jubilation and lots more... Three Couple Dances: Too many to mention! Four Couple Dances: No good - if you have 10 to 14 people then too many are sitting out - I have the same problem at some of my sessions. Five Couple Dances: Yorkshire Rose Boston Tea Party Fivepenny Piece And I have a version of Up Tails All using modern moves, each couple going round the circle doing the move of their choice with each other couple, with multiple couples active at the same time - contact me if you are interested. Six Couple Dances: Square --- NOT! Hexitation - and double up the Heads to turn 12 people into a square dance for fun in the choruses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qNy9II3OiU Seven Couple Dances: See the recent discussion at Cat's Calling Academy: https://www.facebook.com/groups/110222402336603/permalink/1201075319917967/ Five Assorted Dancers: Five Weevils (I think some weevils were mentioned already) F-Lock Quintilinear SAD Dances (Seven Assorted Dancers): Six Plus One The Moon & Seven Stars Nine Assorted Dancers: Westward Ho! Of course there are also Circle Mixers. And Appalachian Big Set is fun as well if you have 12 people (or 10 or 14 - one couple will be out briefly each time). Here is a sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy3mEOihRck There are lots of two couple figures in the tradition and you can mix them up any way you wish, with a scatter promenade between each couple of figures to change neighbours. Each dance starts and ends in a big circle and there are lots of fun moves for that formation in the tradition as well. This is square dancing for when you don't have multiples of eight! Hope that helps. 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, 10 months

Re: [Callers] Help for a caller

by jandnbloom via Callers

Since no one has mentioned it yet, Paul Rosenberg's book Peel The Banana is another excellent source. I'll be getting in touch with Sister Mary Joseph after I get back home tomorrow. Jacob Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device -------- Original message -------- From: "P. Campbell via Callers" <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> Date:07/15/2015 9:33 AM (GMT-05:00) To: Colin Hume <colin(a)colinhume.com> Cc: Sister Mary Joseph <smjmicm2004(a)gmail.com>,Callers List <callers(a)sharedweight.net> Subject: Re: [Callers] Help for a caller I agree - the dances she's leading are what I call "community dances" and I've also emailed her separately with some suggestions of mainly whole set dances and circle, square, & other formations that are family-friendly. Marion Rose also has some great books with CDs; the series is called Step Lively (Canadian). Patricia countrydancecaller(a)gmail.com www.countrydancecaller.com Sent from my iPhone > On Jul 15, 2015, at 9:00 AM, Colin Hume via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > >> On Tue, 14 Jul 2015 18:34:10 -0400, Sister Mary Joseph wrote: >> I'm not sure if the dances I do know are even contras technically. >> I am pretty much working with the families who come here to Mass >> and am looking to add to the ten or so dances that they already >> know. Here are a few of our dances. >> >> -The Virginia Reel >> - The Bridge of Athlone >> - Heel & Toe Polka >> - Oh Suzanna > > No, they're not contras; they're English Barn Dance repertoire - > though I'm not saying they're all dances from England; Bridge of > Athlone comes from Ireland and Virginia Reel comes from America though > the original was Sir Roger de Coverley which comes from England. > Every Saturday night hundreds of callers in England will be teaching > these at Barn Dances to people who may never have danced before: > school PTAs, Weddings, Scout or Guide parents, etc. > > I recommend http://barndances.org.uk/ where Thomas Green which gives > lots of good advice and instructions for lots of good dances. > > To find out what the terms mean, I recommend Hugh Stewart's book > "Elements of English Country Dance" which you can find online at > http://round.soc.srcf.net/dances/elements.htm > > Colin Hume > > Email colin(a)colinhume.com Web site http://www.colinhume.com > > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

9 years, 10 months

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