Contra Callers

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4404 discussions

Puttin’ On The Dance::: Get ready - registration opens March 1st!

by Puttin' on the Dance Team

Hello Dance Organizers, It’s happening! Puttin’ On The Dance 3: Dancing Forward Together will be May 2-4, 2025 in Belfast Maine. This conference is for YOU - the people who plan and run traditional dance events and series across the Northeastern US and Eastern Canada. And it is by YOU. Conference attendees will share best practices, participate in group discussions, help peers solve problems, and learn new skills. And, of course, we’ll make music and dance together! Friday we’ll join the Belfast Flying Shoes community dance and contras and Saturday we’ll throw a conference-only dance party. We’ll be gathering at the Fireside Inn & Suites, Ocean Edge, Belfast, Maine where every room has an ocean view and the amenities include a heated mineral pool, hot tub and sauna. But, DON’T reserve your room. This is a residential conference where everyone will stay at the hotel; lodging is included in the registration fee. We’re still working on the final costs for catering and securing sponsorships, but we expect the full conference fees to be in the range of $250-$315 USD per person if sharing a room. Plan ahead now! POTD1 and POTD2 sold out. Registration opens on March 1, 2025. Watch the website over the next few weeks for more information <https://www.puttinonthedance.org/potd-3/> including ideas on how to fund your conference participation. Please share this information with new organizers who might not be on this distribution list. See you in Maine! Chrissy Fowler - Belfast ME Emily Addison - Ottawa, ON Patty Giavara - Montpelier, VT -- puttinonthedance.org facebook.com/PuttinOnTheDance *You're on the POTD email list because we think you're interested in conferences for dance organizers. Let us know if you want your address removed. *

9 months

Valentine dances

by Mary Collins

Looking for a few simple, maybe not so simple (nothing advanced plz) dances in a valentine's theme. Go - Many thx Mary Collins Formerly of Buffalo

9 months

Re: Sicilian circle to tame end effects?

by Ben Werner

My complaint about Sicilian circles (as a dancer) is you only dance with half the hall unless you find neighbors that you can switch directions with. Ben W ABQ, NM Sent from my iPhone > On Jan 27, 2025, at 6:04 AM, John Sweeney via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > > > Hi Claire, > You can see the Zia formation at https://contrafusion.co.uk/Formations.html#other if you scroll down a bit. It is a square with contra lines radiating from the sides. There are some example dances there as well. > > I set Sicilian Circles up by getting the dancers to make a Circle, then tell one couple to face another couple and work around the circle telling each couple which way to face. Experienced dancers will see what is happening and quickly start sorting themselves out. > > 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 > _______________________________________________ > Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net > To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net

9 months, 1 week

Fwd: Re: Sicilian circle to tame end effects?

by Mo Waddington

-------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: Re: [Callers] Re: Sicilian circle to tame end effects? Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2025 14:57:10 +0000 From: Mo Waddington <mjw(a)mowaddington.plus.com> To: Ben Werner <benknobi89(a)gmail.com> Yes I also dance at a club with 20 -24 dancers each week. You start meeting the same couples. But (ceilidh) dances like lucky 7 or circle waltz are worse, you might only dance with 2 or 3 partners. On 27/01/2025 14:28, Ben Werner via Contra Callers wrote: > My complaint about Sicilian circles (as a dancer) is you only dance > with half the hall unless you find neighbors that you can switch > directions with. > > Ben W > ABQ, NM > > Sent from my iPhone

9 months, 1 week

Sicilian circle to tame end effects?

by Rick Mohr

Many good contras where you leave the minor set aren’t too hard, but have challenging end effects. One could eliminate the end effects using a Sicilian circle. I haven't tried it, but wonder whether disorientation from the curved set would offset the advantages. If you’ve actually tried it, how did it go? Rick (...ignoring for the moment that Sicilian circles don't fit every hall or size of group...)

9 months, 1 week

Help ID a dance

by David Kirchner

Hi all, A contra I used to call reasonably often 10-15 years ago popped into my head the other day. I can't find it in my cards, which makes me think the reason I stopped calling it is that I lost the card. Can someone ID it, and tell me what the B2 is? (I'm gonna guess R&L through, circle 3/4, pass through, but there are lots of possibilities.) duple improper A1 Current neighbors right hand star; previous neighbors left hand star A2 Dosido current neighbor 1-1/4 to wavy lines; balance wave; allemande R 1/2; allemande L 1/2 B1 Balance and swing partner B2 ?? David St. Paul, MN

9 months, 1 week

Caller nightmare

by Gary Shapiro

I haven't been a contra caller for many years, but last night I dreamt I was at a dance and the caller did not show up. There were no other callers in attendance. So I got up there wondering what dances I knew by heart. I think I knew how A Nice Combination went. Then I woke up and thought about it some more. I decided that every dance venue should keep a dance program, with instructions, somewhere. Gary in Santa Barbara

9 months, 1 week

Identify another dance?

by Allison and Hunt Smith

Hello, all. I am mentoring a wanna-be caller who took notes when she first went to dances 40 years ago and wants to try one of those dances. She thinks it went like the following. Can anyone identify it? Thanks!! *A-1 Neighbor balance and swing (16)A-2 Circle left (8) Partners do-si-do (8)B One's swing in center (end up where you started!) (8)* * Chain over and back (16) Star Right - around to NEW neighbor (8)* -- www.huntandallison.net http://thsmaritime.com/ www.centralhallcommons.org

9 months, 1 week

Searching for Title & Author

by Jerome Grisanti

Hello, I've got a circle mixer that I collected 15-20 years ago. The caller may have been Becky Hill, maybe not. It's for a 32-bar waltz. I'm searching for the title and author. Starts with a ring of couples all facing the center: A1 Balance forward & back, roll away (ladies/robins moving in front from Left to Right), Repeat A2 Repeat twice more B1 As couples, face center connected by usual hands (gents/larks right, ladies/robins left). Balance while turning away back (together), then (letting go) turn symmetrically away to face out and take other hands. Balance away and together, turn symmetrically away to face each other B2 Take the ballroom position, take two waltz steps (step, close, step, close) into circle, then two steps out, then free waltz four waltz steps, ending by unfolding to reform a circle. Thanks for whatever help you can provide! Jerome Grisanti Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com "Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

9 months, 2 weeks

Basic Beckets for Beginners

by Luke Donforth

Hello all, Oftentimes at One Night Gigs, I'll do a mix of circle and longways set dances. With scatter mixers and specialty dances, I can fill an evening. But sometimes I get a group that "wants contras" or is looking to grow their familiarity with the dance form. I think Becket dances without lark/robin distinctions and no neighbor swing are AN easy option into "hands-four" contras. There are other ways in, but I'm looking for more Beckets that match that description. For a while I've had "Pluck It" in my box as a friendly option: Pluck It Contra/Becket-CW A1 ----------- (8) Circle Left (8) Circle Right A2 ----------- (8) Left hand Star (8) Right hand Star B1 ----------- (8) Partner Do-si-do (8) Partner swing B2 ----------- (8) Neighbor Do-si-do across set (8) Long lines, yearn left This is, in my opinion, pretty close to the traditional mixer Scatter Shot but done as a keeper in Becket. (It does have a DSD across the set, which in a recent thread was listed as a no-no for some callers. While I wouldn't use that move at a dance weekend, for One Night gigs I think it's accessible and acceptable). You don't have to teach ballroom swing, and if folks want to elbow swing and swap roles with their partner it doesn't really impact the dance (this is a small advantage of Becket over improper for this type of dance; different position on the side is less disorienting than different side of the set). What other Becket dances do folks have that don't rely on roles? No larks allemande or robins chain, etc. On the drive home from my gig last night I came up with this one (which may already exist), written for Naomi who organizes the community dance I was at: A Pillar of Weathersfield Contra/Becket-CW A1 ----------- (8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella) (8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella) A2 ----------- (16) Partner balance and swing, end facing down the hall B1 ----------- (8) Down the hall, four in line (turn as couples) (8) Return and face across B2 ----------- (8) Long lines, forward and back (8) Promenade across the Set, turn as a couple and progress (Go between the ones you danced with, passing by left shoulder, and the new couple on your right, turn to take hands with new couple) I'd be curious what else folks have that they use for entry-level contras when you don't have a critical mass of experience for improper dances with neighbor swings. Thanks! Luke Donforth Burlington, VT

9 months, 3 weeks

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