Fairly new caller, first time poster here. In calling, I know there are
many ways you have to change your perspective from being on the dance
floor. As a dancer, I've had those many wonderful moments when the music
is so good that it feels like the tune is carrying you. You lose
yourself in the music. Have there ever been times when the music has the
same effect on you as a caller? How do you handle it? Do you have
separate yourself from the feeling, or do you go with it? Or a bit of both?
Stephanie Marie Voncannon
It seems that one of the fundamental basics of contra dancing is that at
the end of a swing, the lady (or person dancing the traditional lady's
role) ends on the right.
I've been thinking about calling in situations with a high percentage of
new dancers, especially where gender ratios are off or deliberately being
ignored.
I'm wondering about dances that still have the form of a longways contra
but where it doesn't matter who ends the swing where.
For instance:
Becket
A1
Long Lines Yearn to the Left
With Neighbor across from you, DSD 1x
A2
Circle L
Circle R
B1
Star L
Star R
B2
Partner DSD on side
Partner swing (or two hand turn), end facing across
If you and your partner switch who is on the right at the end of the swing,
it doesn't matter. You won't have to do any different moves, or
accidentally lose your partner.
It seems like if you want to avoid gendered rolls, you lose access to a
bunch of moves (chains and Neighbor swings coming to mind). The moves above
are valid, as are petronellas, allemandes, and promenades (R&L and heys
might technically work, but they're not ones I would shoot for in the
hypothetical situations I'm envisioning).
Does anyone out there have a collection of dances like this that they like?
Just a few months ago there was a discussion of some circle mixers for new
dancers (
http://www.sharedweight.net/pipermail/callers/2012-October/005152.html)
which I found really useful; but I'd like to flesh out options for that
level of crowd that aren't mixers and are swing forgiving.
Thanks
--
Luke Donforth
Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>
www.lukedonev.com
Luke Donforth said "I'd like to flesh out options for that level of
crowd that aren't mixers and are swing forgiving".
For that crowd you can always challenge another sacred cow and don't
have swings! All these work well with beginner contra groups:
Family Contra (by Sherry Nevins)
Contra; Improper
A1: Balance the Ring x2; Circle Left
A2: Balance the Ring x2; Circle Right
B1: Neighbour Dosido; Partner Dosido
B2: As Couples Dosido 1 & 1/2 to a New Couple
Finding Your Balance (by John Sweeney)
Contra; Becket (CW)
A1/A2: Four Changes of Right & Left with Balances Forward & Back before
each one - Start Right with Partner
B1: Balance the Ring; Men Cross
Balance the Ring; Ladies Cross
B2: Half Promenade
Yearn on the Left Diagonal to New Neighbours
(Or First & Second Corners for the crossings if you want to avoid
gender)
Duck! (by John Sweeney)
Contra; Improper; Double Progression
A1: Neighbour Dosido
Neighbour Two Hand Turn - open into a circle
A2: Circle Left; Circle Right
B1: Men Dosido
Ladies Dosido
B2: Balance the Ring; #2s Arch, #1s Duck Through to New Circle
(Turn (as a couple) quickly if you have reached the end and join
in again straight away)
Balance the Ring; #2s Arch, #1s Duck Through to face New
Neighbours
(Or First & Second Corners for the Dosidos if you want to avoid gender)
(I had intended to alternate the arching - but having all the arches
come up the hall is easier for beginners.)
Jefferson & Liberty
Contra; Improper
A1: Circle Left
Circle Right
A2: Star Right
Star Left
B1: #1 Balance & Swing - finish facing down
B2: Down the Hall in Lines of Four; #1s Arch
#2s through the arch to face New Neighbours
(I think the original B1 was #1s Separate, go down the outside (8)
Come back up the outside and into the centre (8))
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
Hey everyone,
I'd like to return to Michael's original thread, before it is forgotten.
The idea of posting our favorite 2 or 3 dances seems like a wonderful
chance to share resources and enrich our dance communities.
Thanks,
Paul
On Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 10:19 PM, Michael Fuerst <mjerryfuerst(a)yahoo.com>
wrote:
> If you had to choose one or two or at most three ...
Concerning Paul's suggestions, what is the sequence for Paul's suggestion "To Have & To Hold" ?
I found the sequences for the other two:
The second time around, Improper by Jim Kitch
A1 N gypsy & sw
A2 M almd left 1 1/2; 1/2 hey
B1. P gyspy & sw
B2. Long lines; Cir left 3/4, pass thru
Bowl of Cherries, Improper by Sue Rosen
A1 N Dsd & swing
A2 Promenade across, W ch to P
B1 W gypsy each other, then sw P
B2 Circle left, Cross Trails (pass thru across, pass N by left shoulder to face new N)
Michael Fuerst 802 N Broadway Urbana IL 61801 217-239-5844
________________________________
From: Paul Wilde <zenyente(a)gmail.com>
To: Michael Fuerst <mjerryfuerst(a)yahoo.com>; Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2012 1:19 AM
Subject: Re: [Callers] What is the best contra dance(s) ever written?
Hey all,
Three of my favorite contemporary dances are:
To Have & to Hold by Don Flaherty
The Second Time Around (apologies, author temporarily slipped my mind)
Bowl of Cherries by Sue Rosen
Not intentional, but there isn't a balance in one of them.
warmest regards,
Paul Wilde
The three I keep coming back to over and over are Butter, by Gene Hubert;
First Hey by Paul Baillett; and Kitchen Stomp by Becky Hill..
The thing I can't figure out is that I like to call First Hey, and I use it
often ... but it is almost the same as Delphiniums and Daisies (sorry; not
with my cards, so I can't explain that better), which I don't call as
often.
Anyway, there's my 2 cents.
Meg
(Chicago)
Maia pondered: What are the politics of dance rewrites/variations?
If within a year after calling your variation with a new name, a Fox News
commentator denounces you on the air, then you did indeed err.
After some thought, if I had to choose the best contra ever written
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Improper, by Bill Sudkamp
A1: Cir L 3/4; M1 and W2 sw, end facing down
A2: Cir L 1/2; W1 and M2 sw, end facing down
B1: Cir L 3/4; 1's sw, end facing down
B2: Cir L 1/2 w. a new couple; pass along the set to original couple (1's
moving up, 2's down)
Cir L 1/2 w. original couple, pass along the set back to the new
couple
One last observation about Chorus Jig, then I'll be quiet because I
certainly respect the fact that other people like this dance. However to
me it seems like all the arguments in its favor center around the fact that
it's so boring (oops-- I should think of a less judgmental word) that it
doesn't interfere with dancers who want to:
1: Listen to the music, and/or
2: Focus timing and technique, and/or
3: Play games with other dancers "outside" the dance.
And it's really old.
These are all things I value about contra, except for maybe the "old" part,
but they seem to me like strange reasons to consider this one of the best
dances ever.
One of the really good things about contra is there's something in it for
everyone. On the other hand hand, one of the challenges for a caller is
providing enough variety to accomodate all the different reasons the
dancers came. So I'll submit to an occasional Chorus Jig as long as I can
have some Three Thirty Three, some Delphiniums and Daisies, and some Manga
Tak enjoy.
Dale
Does or does not this dance have a balance before the partner swing in B1?
I think it makes a lot more sense with a balance there, but I danced it
recently to a caller who insisted that there's not supposed to be a balance
there, and that was how the author wanted it. What do people think? Does it
make more sense with or without a balance? (I'll admit, this is mostly just
a big excuse for me to write a "variant" where all that's different is the
balance before the swing, just so I can title a dance "Ecstasy Trip.")
(Which, admittedly, brings up another question: how different should your
dance be from the original to merit giving it a new name and calling it a
"variation"? What are the politics of dance rewrites/variations?)
Cheers,
Maia
