Greeting callers!
I'm putting together a program of challenging contras for an upcoming gig.
This is an area where I'm still developing - hooray for new horizons!
Would anyone be willing to share a favorite challenging dance or two from
their repertoire?
Many thanks,
Hannah Chamberlain
Westbrook, ME
Hi folks, I'd love your 2 cents for a "barn dance" I'm leading tonight.
I'll get (just a little) more complex towards the end, but the first 5-6 dances will be very simple and high energy. This will be a mixed group of people (many new to dancing, some may have done contras or related things before), at a large, open, community event (where there may be some drinking, sigh).
My question is: *how many times would you run through each dance?*
I'm thinking 8-10 times, but would love to hear others' instincts.
I've included 3 examples of the dances I'll be calling below.
1. /*Simple circle mixer*/
_A part_
Circle left
Circle right
Balance the big circle x2
Into the centre all say "Hey"
_B part_
All "explode" - break hands and wander around the hall
When you meet someone, take right hands, balance once and pull by them
(Do this at least once, but if you are coordinated you may manage 2-3 different times!)
Reform the circle in no particular order, start again.
2. */Simple line mixer/* - dancers start in long lines facing their (temporary) partner - I will divide the lines into shorter sets based on how many times the dance will run through (TBC!)
(Designate each side of the line with a name e.g. Porpoise line and Ostrich line.
Remind them that they must always come back to their home side and never join the other line)
_A part_
LLFB
With partner left hand allemande
LLFB
With partner right hand allemande
_B part_ (I demo this part with a small group to show people how it goes, prior to the walk through!)
All in the set join hands to make an oval - "oval left"
Oval right
Top Porpoise and bottom Ostrich dance up the middle (i.e. the Porpoise dances down the line, while the Ostrich dances up the line) - Porpoise rejoins their own line at the bottom, Ostrich rejoins their own line at the top.
Lines readjust themselves so that everyone is facing a new partner (I tell everyone to point to their new partner and wave to them, so everyone is clear on who their new partner is- have done this dance many times before and people have no problem figuring it out) - if additional time, clap along to the music.
/*Scatter Dance in "floating *//*duples*//*"*/
Circle left
Bal ring x 2
Circle right
Bal ring x 2
Do si do P
Left allemande neighbour
All bow to each other then skip off with partner to form a new duple
Thank you!
Kat Kitching
Halifax NS
Hi Dorcas,
Relating to your new found enjoyment of maths, you might checkout Chris
Page's wrote article "The twenty-four duple minor formations". This relates to
rotations of a cube. At the BIDA contra dance of May 19, 2013, Linda Leslie
called Simplicity Swing. Here is a video with animations of the cube
superimposed: https://youtu.be/V_9rr49KIdE?si=Zxqyv3KGdPjgAdbd
Links to Chris's article and other maths related items here:
http://danceofmathematics.com
Cheers, Bill
Hello Callers!
I wanted to reach out to let y'all know that I'll be leading a callers'
workshop with the lovely folks at Boston Open Contra next month. The
workshop will be followed by a dance where participants will be invited to
call to warm bodies with live music!
Boston Open Contras is a relatively new group that fosters new callers, new
musicians, and new choreography. They're very committed to inclusivity and
accessibility — admission to this workshop is offered on a sliding scale of
only $15-$40, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
So if you know anyone within driving distance of Cambridge, MA who's been
curious about calling for contra dances, but who'd be best served by a
low-cost, low-pressure learning opportunity, please connect them to this
workshop! The link to register is here.
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdZHj6naqDrPYpFW9SfWSP6AIHWgekFNzb…>
Yee haw,
Ang
[my Instagram <www.instagram.com/angdecarlis>]
Good afternoon all,
It was suggested/requested that I share my program used for a recent gig at
MASS MoCa.
Event description: Thursday night, 1 hour dance session taking place during
one of the venue's summer Chalets. The Chalet is held 6-10 and
traditionally includes a beer garden, outdoor games, and live music from
local performers. Attendees vary depending on the day. All ages, little to
no experience.
While planning my program I chose dances that incorporated very forgiving
figures and timing. Only one dance required role terms (and only barely at
that). I demo'ed the do si do during the second dance, the rest was able to
be taught from the stage. I explained several variations of the swing (two
hand turn, elbow turn, ballroom hold) and let them choose their own
adventure (all swings were done with a partner). Each dance was walked
through once.
*Circle Circassian (balfolk dance)*
*Formation: Circle mixer, modified to be a keeper*
Circle Left (8)
Circle Right (8)
Robins (I used moons) into the center and clap, come on back (8)
Larks (I used stars) into the center and clap, come on back (8)
Partner swing (16)
Partner promenade (16)
*Summer Sun Shine*
*Formation: Longways Set*
Long lines forward and back (8)
Partner RH allemande 1x (8)
Long lines forward and back (8)
Partner LH allemande 1x (8)
Partner do si do 1x (8)
Partner swing (8)
Top couple sashay to bottom, everyone else slide up (16)
*Scatter mixer, modified to be a keeper*
*Formation: two couples in rings of four*
Circle left 1x (8)
Circle right 1x (8)
RH star 1x (8)
LH star 1x (8)
Neighbor two hand turn (8)
Partner swing (8)
Partner promenade around the room (8)
Find a new couple, take hands four (8)
*Family Contra by Sherry Nevins, with a modified progression*
*Formation: Improper contra (roles don't matter)*
Balance ring 2x (8)
Circle left 1x (8)
Balance ring 2x (8)
Circle right 1x (8)
Neighbor do si do (8)
Partner Do si do (8)
As couples do si do (8), take hands four
Balance right, pass through to new rings (8)
--
*Liz Nelson*
*She/Her*
Watching dancers play around at a recent dance, I had the following idea for a “choose your own adventure” variation.
The idea is that you do a full hey, but any or all crossings can be replaced by ricochets, with no pattern or requirements (other than that both people have to agree on the choice made at each stage.) They can then straighten things out by circling left until every body is on the side where they belong.
For example, here is the modification of Gene Hubert’s Butter along these lines
Becket
A1 Progress left to the next couple, circle left 3/4,
Neighbor swing
A2 Long lines
Robins chain
B1 Robins start a full hey by the right, with ricochets permitted, but not required at each of the 4 crossings
B2 Circle left until everyone is on their original side with their partner
Partner swing
I don’t know whether the variable circle length and resulting shorter or longer swing will be a source of fun or an annoyance, but it looks worth trying.
I think if everyone ends up where they started at the end of the hey, they probably should do a long swing, rather than requiring a circle left all the way, but that’s a detail.
At this point, I am calling dances only occasionally, so I won’t be trying it out any time soon.
Please let me know what you think, and how it goes if you try it out.
Thanks,
Russell Frank
Monterey, CA
These are my table top contra dancers.
I move them around, and they help me visualize tricky end effects, etc. Is there an app for this purpose? Thanks,
Stacy Rose
541.808.1002
rosecontra(a)gmail.com
www.stacyrosedance.com
Hi all,
I frequently hear people talking about "Giving Weight" when they want
dancers to make a good connection. Unfortunately, since the term is not
well-defined, a common reaction is for people to interpret it as "Pull" or
"Lean". I really don't want you to pull me or lean away from me or give me
your weight!
Please have a look at this article and see if I can persuade you to talk
about "Connection" instead.
https://contrafusion.co.uk/Connection.html
Thanks.
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
I was studying my dance collection yesterday, prepping to call a 60th Wedding Anniversary dance, when I (re)discovered “Downtown Stroll” by Linda Leslie. What a great dance! You barely have to teach anything. Role doesn’t matter.
Downtown Stroll #2 by Linda Leslie
Circle Mixer/Beginner
Begin with a partner
1. Promenade, turn alone
2. Promenade back
3. (Face Partner) Poussette in & out
4. Repeat
5. Partner do si do
(Face on the left diagonal)
6. New partner do si do
7&8. This Partner Balance & Swing (or 2-hand turn)
