For someone who is calling a square for the first time, I would suggest that you
first make sure the figure works and that you understand the dance inside and
out. Draw out the dancers at each stage of the dance. Pick a break that uses
movements that are different than those used in the figure. Check to make sure
that the ending and beginning of the break meshes well with the ending and
beginnings of the figure and visa versa. Example: You may find a break that
ends with promenade once around and a figure that begins with heads promenade
half (or all) of the way around. Not the end of the world here but do you want
the heads to promenade once and a half? Other transitions may just not work or
be awkward.
If this is your first time calling a square, call something that is different
for your group BUT is bomb proof. You want the dancers to win. The dancers want
you to win. I want you to win and call squares for a living! Practice calling
the dance all the way through (breaks and figures) without cards to music.
Don't practice the day of the dance only. Practice maybe a week before, a
couple of days before and the day of and WITHOUT CARDS.
Music- for the most part music for squares is happy. This means that you'll
want to use music in a major key. But break the rules. I do. If you want,
you can create different moods with minor tunes. But make sure it fits into the
program so that minor tunes are over used. Many of the CDs out there are
terrible to practice calling to. They're meant for listening not dancing. You
can't beat New England Chestnuts (Rod and Randy Miller) for NE style music.
Old time music can be what I call the 'drone' type which some people love and
others hate. This type of music is hard for some people to hear the A and the
B music because it lacks much of a melody. I would suggest A. Robic and the
Exertions as an excellent recording to practice to. The cuts are long and there
is a melody. One cut has a crocked tune. Quebec Pure Laine (French-Canadian
music) is a recording that has two long cuts (atleast the cassette has two cuts-
one on side A and the other on side B) but no 4 beat intro.
Tom
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Re: Dance organization? (Lisa Greenleaf)
> 2. Re: OK, I'll start off with a question. (Lisa Greenleaf)
> 3. (no subject) (Jenna Watson)
> 4. Crooked Tune (Clark Baker)
> 5. Re: (no subject) (Lisa Greenleaf)
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2004 12:04:12 -0400
> From: Lisa Greenleaf <greeny(a)rcn.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Re: Dance organization?
> To: The Witful Turnip <wturnip(a)sympatico.ca>,
> <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <BD898FBC.16A4A%greeny(a)rcn.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
> > One other thing I do, which I've found helpful, is to note on the back of
> > the card the date I called the dance. I found that in the beginning, I was
> > calling the same dances over and over again for a while.
>
> Keeping track of dance frequency is a good idea. I don't write on the card,
> but I do have a little notebook in which I write down the program, the band
> and the pay. Lisa
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2004 12:10:38 -0400
> From: Lisa Greenleaf <greeny(a)rcn.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] OK, I'll start off with a question.
> To: Chris Weiler <chris.weiler(a)weirdtable.org>,
> <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <BD89913E.16A4B%greeny(a)rcn.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
> > Is it difficult to find music that
> > is good for practicing? What is the same or different between practicing
> > for squares and practicing for contras (besides the material and talking
> > a whole lot more)? 8^)
>
> Squares tend to be a bit faster than contras, but it really depends on the
> square. If you have a 32 bar square, then any lively contra music should
> be enough for you to practice to. It also need to have a very good downbeat
> drive; syncopated tunes aren't great for calling squares.
>
> There's also the question of patter. If you want to build excitement by
> inserting patter in a square, that takes practice. Again, it's just a
> matter of picking motivating music and getting into a rhythm.
>
> Lisa
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 02:48:47 -0400
> From: Jenna Watson <watsonj75(a)earthlink.net>
> Subject: [Callers] (no subject)
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Message-ID: <F09E08C3-182C-11D9-AB30-0050E4797B04(a)earthlink.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
>
> I have a question about music that an aspiring caller could practice
> to? What is something that would be a good beginner band to listen to
> while practicing at home?
>
> What signifies a "crooked tune"?
> Jenna
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 23:39:14 -0400
> From: Clark Baker <cmbaker(a)tiac.net>
> Subject: [Callers] Crooked Tune
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Message-ID: <200410070339.XAA01543(a)localhost.localdomain>
>
> > From: Jenna Watson <watsonj75(a)earthlink.net>
> > Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 02:48:47 -0400
> >
> > What signifies a "crooked tune"?
>
> For contra dance purposes, a tune that isn't in the usual AABB (or A1,
> A2, B1, B2) form, especially one that doesn't repeat in 64 beats.
> Almost all of our dances expect the music to be phrased in 8-beat
> phrases and to repeat every 64 beats.
>
> --
> Clark Baker, Belmont, MA
> cmbaker(a)tiac.net
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Thu, 07 Oct 2004 11:19:58 -0400
> From: Lisa Greenleaf <greeny(a)rcn.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] (no subject)
> To: Jenna Watson <watsonj75(a)earthlink.net>, <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <BD8AD6DE.16A9C%greeny(a)rcn.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
> > I have a question about music that an aspiring caller could practice
> > to? What is something that would be a good beginner band to listen to
> > while practicing at home?
>
> Any contra dance band CD that has a good beat and clear melody line: Rodney
> Miller, Nat Hewitt, Larry Unger. Frank Ferrell. Note that these are all
> classic New England musicians. If you want to practice to old time,
> The Horseflies CD "In the Dance Tent" is a good one. Lift Ticket and other
> new bands have very nice CDs out, but some of the tunes are very syncopated
> and may not be easy to practice to, although listening to that kind of music
> makes for good ear training.
> >
> > What signifies a "crooked tune"?
>
> Contra tunes are 32 bars/64 beats. A crooked tune has more or fewer bars,
> usually just within one part of the tune (the A or the B). You can feel a
> crooked tune because it's like a hiccup. Ruthie Dornfeld plays a lot of
> crooked tunes; there's one on her "Egyptian Dominoes" album. Old time bands
> love crooked tunes, so Bruce Molsky and Dirk Powell play them on their
> respective CDs.
>
> Lisa
>
> ------------------------------
>
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> End of Callers Digest, Vol 2, Issue 5
> *************************************
I'm wrapping up the next booking cycle at the VFW in Cambridge, and
as a result have thought of some more music to recommend for practice
calling. Again note that most of these are New England-style, which means
they will have clear phrasing:
Moving Violations
Latter Day Lizards
Groovemongers
And most of the CDs being produced by Great Meadow Music,
a production company (actually 2 dancers from NH/Greenfield)
who are passionate about well-phrased New England dance music.
Lisa
I have a question about music that an aspiring caller could practice
to? What is something that would be a good beginner band to listen to
while practicing at home?
What signifies a "crooked tune"?
Jenna
Hello everyone,
It's a little early for me to be thinking of this, but I'm curious about
how to practice calling squares. Is it similar to practicing for a
contra (write out the words, find some recorded music to practice
calling with)? How do you make the leap from calling contras?
Thanks!
Chris
Hi all,
Regarding Seth's question about dance collection organization, here's my
method. I guess on a grand scale, I organize my dances into mixers,
improper/proper dances, beckets, double progressions and triplets/triple
minors/other unusual formations. Within those grand categories, I organize
dances by first figure, as I try not to have two dances in a row that start
with the same figure. Within each first figure category, I roughly organize
them from easy to hard. I have some double progression and mixer beckets,
but I file them under beckets.
One other thing I do, which I've found helpful, is to note on the back of
the card the date I called the dance. I found that in the beginning, I was
calling the same dances over and over again for a while. Now I try to
include dances I haven't called yet or called less frequently in my
programs. I also write any teaching notes to myself on the back of the
card.
Hope that helps,
Bev
(p.s. I'm getting the digest version of the list. I notice that when I
reply, I don't get a copy of the original post. That's fine with me, as I
just copied the subject line into this email. Hopefully, It's not a problem
for anyone else.)
*****************************************
The Witful Turnip wturnip(a)sympatico.ca
"If you're gonna eat shit, don't nibble."
- said by Tom Hinds re: calling square dances
*****************************************
As a new caller, I'm starting to put my small (but growing) collection
of dances together. I'm trying to figure out how to best organize
them. I'd love hear from other callers about how they organize their
dance cards.
Thanks!
Seth
Just in case folks are not aware of another very active list of about 150 subscribers,
the "traditional dance callers" list at yahoo groups may be of interest. In includes contra, and modern western squares callers, as well as a few people who call english, and a few who are not-yet-calling, like me.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Traditional Dance Callers List: For participatory dance callers, teachers, leaders
and interested friends. Subscribe by sending a blank e-mail message (no subject,
no message) to: trad-dance-callers-subscribe(a)yahoogroups.com
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
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I just wanted to send a quick note welcoming you all to the list! Both
Seth and I are excited by the response. Around half of the people we
invited have signed up so far. We have a good mix of experienced callers
and beginners. I hope everyone finds this a useful tool.
Once again, welcome!
Chris Weiler
Hey everyone,
I just joined the list and I was wondering if anyone could tell me about
any dances not too far from Boston where a beginning caller could call, or
any more experienced callers who would let a beginner call one dance at
one of their events.
Thanks,
~Nathaniel
--
============
Nathaniel A. B. Jack
