Contra Callers

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

20 participants
4362 discussions

by beth＠hands4.com

I just noticed that I have gotten lots of messages this late summer/fall. But it has been quiet for the last couple of weeks. Sorry to mislead on my original post. Beth

12 years, 7 months

Quiet or am I no longer getting posts?

by beth＠hands4.com

I have not seen a post on this list since May. I'm wondering if I have been dropped or are you all just being very quiet? Or is something else going on? To keep this on topic just in case it gets posted: I had a wonderful one nighter last night. Three squares in a large garage. All circles and squares and the Virginia Reel. I would never try to do a duple minor at an event like that. The group was very, very happy. Squares rule! Beth Parkes

12 years, 7 months

mixers for regular dancers not ons

by Laur

I'm looking for interesting/ fun mixers to use at a regular dance series. I haven't had the opportunity to collect any mixers while dancing around this year (they are sometimes few and far between) and so - here I am! Thanks in advance. Laurie P West MI ~ When I dance, I cannot judge, I cannot hate, I cannot separate myself from life. I can only be joyful and whole, that is why I dance. ~Hans Bos~ ~

12 years, 8 months

Hull's Victory

by David.Millstone＠valley.net

[apologies for duplicate posting] Coming up in ten days is the 200th anniversary of Hull's Victory-- August 19, 1812. Callers who have a dance on that weekend might want to mark the occasion by calling the dance if it's appropriate for your crowd and if the musicians can play the name tune. There's a great story that goes along with the details of the battle between the USS Constitution and the British warship, HMS Guerriere. You can find it told in "Cracking Chestnuts," available through CDSS. If your dancers are up for it, you can spin the yarn, or tell it to those interested during the break. And in A1, I like to encourage dancers to balance forward and back, rather than the usual right and left; it's a physical remnant of the cannons firing and recoiling. David Millstone Lebanon, NH

12 years, 8 months

Re: [Callers] Hull's Victory/Sackett's Harbor

by David.Millstone＠valley.net

--- You wrote: Can anyone provide contact info for Tod whittemore? --- end of quote --- Done, off list. David

12 years, 8 months

Re: [Callers] Callers COmpuerized systems for Dnace Notes

by Carolyn Shearman

In response to Kalia and systems for ECD, I have been organizing the ECD program in Arkansas for the past two years and have a number if defining criteria for each program and I don't know if a computer system would help. Please let me know. I still use a spreadsheet for listing which dances were used in each program, a program lists of dance instructions and music, and cards for all the dances used to-date. First, our band insists that we only have 2 new tunes to learn for each monthly dance so I have to track what we have used in each program and not introduce more than two. Next, I need to have 8 main dances and two extras for each program. They need to include easier ones at the beginning and gradually work up to the experienced dances. I like to have variety in the formation so they are not all Longways, Duple Minor. Or start with Set and turn single. I try to include at least one USA dance and I end with a waltz. AND, I try to vary the music with peppy tunes, minor keys, modern music, and classic music. For each program I specify the tune, the dance instructions and a video link to a performance if I can find one. I have 3 additional people who call with me and we divide up the program so I think it helps if they can see "their" dances performed and especially if it is taught in the video as well. Meeting these criteria in each program is a tall order and I could use any help or suggestions you have. It takes me about 4-6 hours per program to set one up and then log everything in my personal system of spread, program list, and cards. Thanks, Carolyn > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers(a)sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers End of Callers Digest, Vol 97, Issue 7 **************************************

12 years, 8 months

Square Dance Weekend at Brasstown

by David.Millstone＠valley.net

There's another great Square Dance Weekend coming up. If you can't make it yourself. please spread the word! The John C Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC presents: Traditional Square Dance Weekend - October 26-28, 2012 Featuring internationally known callers Kathy Anderson, Bob Dalsemer, and Tony Parkes With amazing music by Sam Bartlett, Claudio Buchwald, Steve Hickman, John Devine Weekend highlights: Friday night square dance Saturday workshops: Modern New England Squares - Tony Kentucky Running Set - Bob Sets In Order: Squares of the 1960's - Kathy The Singing Squares of Otto Wood - Bob Lancers and Quadrilles - Tony New Squares with an Old Feeling. - Kathy Plus: Great Callers of the Past - presentation by Tony Stuntology with Sam Bartlett Saturday evening dance (including some contras) - Sunday morning Farewell Dance The Folk School offers good food, comfortable accommodations, and a beautiful mountain setting. For more information : 1-800-FOLK-SCH (1-800-365-5724) http://www.folkschool.org dance(a)folkschool.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bob Dalsemer Music and Dance Coordinator John C. Campbell Folk School One Folk School Road Brasstown, NC 28902 Phone: 1-800-FOLK-SCH (365-5724) or 828-837-2775 Fax: 828-837-8637 Visit our home page at http://www.folkschool.org

12 years, 8 months

Bouncy Swinging

by John Sweeney

John W Gintell said "Also emphasize that swinging is horizontal not vertical. I've often noticed beginners bouncing up and down which makes it harder and more tiring - this isn't Irish Set dancing." Hmmm... Sorry, but I have never seen any bouncy Irish Set dancing. Have a look at the swing 0:39 seconds in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj13osgy2M0 - looks pretty smooth to me! Yes, there is slight vertical movement when they are stepping, but, since they bend their knees and do it skilfully the movement is tiny. A much better example for bouncy swinging is English ceilidh dancing. Especially when the music is a slow hornpipe and you are supposed to bounce up and down :-) And of course I agree entirely that a good contra buzz-step swing should be smooth - I always tell people to relax and bend their knees slightly to help reduce the bounce. Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent

12 years, 8 months

Calling for Absolute Beginners?

by Maia McCormick

Hey folks, My name is Maia, and I'm new to this listserv, though I've been lurking around for a few weeks. I call college dances at my school in Western Mass, and every now and then I do an area dance. I've got two questions for your collective wisdom. The first: I'm curious how you all put together programs when calling for a group of complete beginners. What's generally the progression of moves that you teach? Do you think dances with the most basic of moves (say, a dance that's all circles, stars, and long lines, not even a partner swing) are helpful in getting people oriented to dancing, or are trivial and boring and will make people think contra is dumb? (People "thinking contra is dumb" is actually a bit more of a concern for me calling college dances, where most of the folks to turn out aren't necessarily of the 'contra mindset' and so it's important to hold their interest and make them think that what they're doing is exciting and worth their time--they're not necessarily going to stick with it for the evening, or even for more than one dance, if they're not immediately into it.) The second, which ties into the first: how do you teach good contra etiquette--*especially* how to swing properly--when you don't have experienced people in the crowd to show the way? At my dances at school, most of the swings are tensionless and/or an awkward sideways gallop; very few of us go to outside dances, so the overall experience level seems to be capped. Have you found an effective way to *teach* proper swinging, besides throwing a beginner into a crowd of experienced dances so that they eventually absorb it by osmosis? How can I get swings at my college dance up to snuff? Cheers, Maia

12 years, 8 months

Re: [Callers] Computerized organization systems for dance notes

by David.Millstone＠valley.net

I've used my iPad for English gigs, and I'm about to get Ralph Canapa's Dancing Master program after seeing Gene Murrow with it at Pinewoods. Gene said something to the effect that it's the greatest invention since "set and turn single." I'm not planning to go that route for contras and squares, simply because I have so many already on 3x5 cards going back over three decades, whereas my ECD material is more recent and is largely stored on my computer as PDFs or word processor files. In the past on my iPad, I've had to create new file for each gig and convert that to a PDF, which is not at all efficient. Ralph's program looks to do exactly what I want. (I like that it includes a database-- it'll be easy to reformat my own and import that-- that among other things will let me generate a list of tunes not in Barnes and will create a set of files that can be e-mailed to musicians. David Millstone

12 years, 8 months

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Contra Callers