Contra Callers

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

4404 discussions

by dje h

Hello, I'm presenting a conference paper soon with the topic of dancing in museum spaces. I've interviewed a NPS ranger and a few MWSD callers. Having developed a niche as a caller for reenactments, I've called in 20+ museums and historic sites over the past 30+ years, so I'll be sharing a lot of my own experience and thoughts. I would love to incorporate comments from any callers who have also performed in museum spaces. If you have thoughts on the following topics, I'd love to hear from you: the museum where you called, sound system issues and acoustics, dancer skill level, band considerations, costuming, floor surface, room obstacles, outdoor spaces, insurance, capacity, spectators, weather, historical accuracy, cultural sensitivities, fees, audience expectations, etc. Again, I'm focusing solely on museums and not other private gigs, but I would love to hear your thoughts. You are welcome to post here or email me directly. Thanks!--Deborah HylandFort Scott, KS

1 year

Any ideas for contras to include in a Halloween Program?

by Cheryl Joyal

Wondering if there are any dances with a fall or Halloween themed name …. Or that may be extra fun in costume ? TIA - Cheryl Sent from my iPhone

1 year

Re: Good dances for teens

by Rick Mohr

Thanks very much everyone for all the dance suggestions. I look forward to trying them out! And thanks to John Sweeney for suggesting the Forearm Swing <https://contrafusion.co.uk/SwingWorkshop.html#Linked>, we'll give it a shot. Rick On Thu, Sep 26, 2024 at 9:33 AM Rick Mohr <rickmohr2(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Hi all, > > Here in Philly we're restarting our Teen Barn Dance > <https://teenbarndance.net/>, which had a great four-year run before the > pandemic. (Here's the story <https://rickmohr.net/Contra/TeenDance/Story/> > if you're interested.) > > I love calling for the teens, and have been surprised to find that the > best dances for them don't overlap much with either my contra repertoire or > my barn dance repertoire. I've written up some of our favorite dances > <https://rickmohr.net/Contra/TeenDance/Dances/>, and I'm looking for > more! Specifically: > > 1) Barn dances that are slightly harder / more interesting than a typical > barn dance crowd can handle > > 2) Contra dances that are partner-role-free, and have no swing or just a > neighbor swing. > > Role-free dances are great because people can line up anywhere, there's > less anxiety about partnering, and there are no role terms to choose or > explain. And swings don't seem to have the same draw for teens as they do > for adult contra dancers -- they're intimate, and awkward to master. This > time around we're trying cross-hand rather than ballroom swings. These > goals rule out many contras (no chains for example), but contras have such > a rich figure palette that I think there's room for plenty of good ones. > > Do you know any good dances in those categories? If so I'd love to see > them, and I hope you like ours. > > Rick > > PS - I'd also encourage you to consider starting a teen dance! Ours has > been fantastic fun, and some of the teens from the first time around are > now pillars of our adult dance community. Happy to talk with anybody who's > interested. > >

1 year

Bob Green update 10/4

by Keith Tuxhorn

Hi all-- Here's the latest update on Bob, dance writer and caller, injured badly in a car accident a month ago., from his daughter Sarah... Update on Bob Green. So, today marks 4 weeks from the scary message that my sister received from Dad's iPhone saying that it had detected a car accident. While the orthopedic injuries are healing, the damage and then subsequent complications to his lungs are going to take a very long time (read months and months) to recover from. Dad was able to be discharged from the ICU to a long term acute care hospital that specializes in the specific type of care and rehab that dad needs. While this is a big step for him, he still has a lot of healing to do. I am grateful for all of the care he got at Mercy ICU. I am also very blessed to have the ability to use paid time off to continue to be with him. He is still not ready for in person visits but he loves when I read messages posted here. ... "here" refers to the Facebook page, St. Louis Contra Dancers, which you can subscribe to if you'd like to message him... I'll still continue to post any updates here. Keith Tuxhorn Springfield IL

1 year

(no subject)

by mjw＠mowaddington.plus.com

I’ll second those two. And add Two Birthdays and an Anniversary by Rhodri Davies. This is a Becket dance with a swing with your shadow. The end effects can confuse if neutral couples change sides too soon. Stand improper at the top, proper at the bottom, for A1 &2. Change sides after the Shadow swing and join in the second Petronella

1 year, 1 month

"No Role" dance

by Lisa Sieverts

I called in Putney, VT this past Saturday, for 25-30 dancers, including small children and many new dancers. I intentionally programmed the evening so I never had to teach roles at all. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was to skip a bunch of talking about who is on the Left and who is on the Right. I recognize that if those new dancers go to Greenfield MA, they will have to learn one more thing. But I think they'll be well prepared because they have already experienced dancing to music, progression, and having fun with other humans. Here's my program. Family dance for the first hour, Teens and adults for the second hour. 1. White Mountain Reel 2. Chimes of Dunkirk 3. Anything Goes 4. Kingston Flyer 5. Beaumont Boom 6. Haste to the Wedding Break 7. Redwing Square 8. Family Contra 9. Dog Branch Reel 10. On the Ball 11. Star Trek Phraser Lisa Sieverts Nelson, NH

1 year, 1 month

Good dances for teens

by Rick Mohr

Hi all, Here in Philly we're restarting our Teen Barn Dance <https://teenbarndance.net/>, which had a great four-year run before the pandemic. (Here's the story <https://rickmohr.net/Contra/TeenDance/Story/> if you're interested.) I love calling for the teens, and have been surprised to find that the best dances for them don't overlap much with either my contra repertoire or my barn dance repertoire. I've written up some of our favorite dances <https://rickmohr.net/Contra/TeenDance/Dances/>, and I'm looking for more! Specifically: 1) Barn dances that are slightly harder / more interesting than a typical barn dance crowd can handle 2) Contra dances that are partner-role-free, and have no swing or just a neighbor swing. Role-free dances are great because people can line up anywhere, there's less anxiety about partnering, and there are no role terms to choose or explain. And swings don't seem to have the same draw for teens as they do for adult contra dancers -- they're intimate, and awkward to master. This time around we're trying cross-hand rather than ballroom swings. These goals rule out many contras (no chains for example), but contras have such a rich figure palette that I think there's room for plenty of good ones. Do you know any good dances in those categories? If so I'd love to see them, and I hope you like ours. Rick PS - I'd also encourage you to consider starting a teen dance! Ours has been fantastic fun, and some of the teens from the first time around are now pillars of our adult dance community. Happy to talk with anybody who's interested.

1 year, 1 month

Bob Green update 9/27

by Keith Tuxhorn

Hi all-- STL caller and dance writer of contras and ECDs Bob Green was in a bad accident three weeks ago. This afternoon, his daughter Sarah posted another encouraging report... We have officially hit the 3 week mark since dad's (Bob's) accident. He is celebrating by sleeping all morning, something his body desperately needed. His prognosis remains hopeful but he has a very long road ahead of him. We continue to be thankful that he was wearing his seat belt and his iPhone detected the crash and called 911. He has had some amazing people caring for him in the ICU but we are nearing time to move to the next phase in his recovery at a Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH). We don't have an exact timeline on that but probably sometime next week. I have become decent at reading his lips as that continues to be the easiest way for him to communicate. Continued prayers and well-wishes are appreciated. His physician daughter and sped teacher daughter, who specializes in students with complex access needs, (read also part ot/pt/slp provider) are on top of his care and therapies. So, please be assured that we are ensuring that he is well taken care of. Going forward, updates will likely be infrequent as progress is anticipated to be slow. ... and that means I'll be posting reports less frequently. However, once Bob is able to take visitors, I'll make sure you get personal reports from me. I don't live in STL, but am there at least once a month... I'll try to find out about when and how to contact Bob yourselves, and pass that on when I know it's okay.... So glad that it's looking like he'll be able to reclaim much of his "being" from before the accident. Keep thinking positively, friends. Keith Tuxhorn Springfield IL

1 year, 1 month

Puttin’ On The Dance 3 ::: A gathering of trad social dance organizers!

by Puttin' on the Dance Team

Dear organizers! Exciting news: Plans are afoot for Puttin’ on the Dance 3: A weekend gathering of traditional social dance organizers. We hope you’ll… - READ this message - FORWARD it to anyone who might be interested + let us know about these folks - SAVE THE DATE - May 2-4, 2015 WHAT? Puttin' On the Dance <http://www.puttinonthedance.org/> convenes dance organizers from across the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. The objective of this weekend event is to provide resources and opportunities for learning, sharing, renewal, and fun! POTD3 will strengthen networks for sustaining dance organizers, who in turn sustain important traditions of participatory social dance throughout our region. Visit our website <https://www.puttinonthedance.org/> to learn more about what happens at POTD conferences including testimonials from past participants <https://www.puttinonthedance.org/testimonials/>. WHO? For organizers of various forms of North American and British Isles social dance traditions (e.g., barn, Cape Breton, community, contra, English, family, Irish, Quebecois, Scottish, and square). ALL dance organizers are welcome to attend! We prioritize organizers in our catchment area: Eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S. (i.e., Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, New Hampshire, New York, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Rhode Island, and Vermont); however, space permitting, others are welcome. HOW MUCH? Attending POTD is an excellent investment in your dance’s future! That said, we strive to make POTD as affordable as possible and details on cost and registration will be available in the winter. Meanwhile, start talking with your dance community: Here are some tips <https://www.puttinonthedance.org/register/fund-your-attendance/> on how to fund your attendance, including travel costs. WHERE? The first POTD conference was in White River Junction, Vermont and the second POTD conference was in Ottawa, Ontario. This time we are heading to Waldo County, Maine where local dance organizers are keen to put on Puttin’ On the Dance 3! WANT TO HELP? Want to help POTD happen? Let us know! QUESTIONS? Email puttinonthedance(a)gmail.com. PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD. Forward this message to… - Other members of your community who might want to come - People who organize dances near you that we may not have on our list - ANYONE you know who might be interested. + To help us build our contact list, email puttinonthedance(a)gmail.com with organizer info (name, email, and dance series details). Stay tuned for updates via the POTD email list and the POTD website. Want to be on the POTD email list? Email puttinonthedance(a)gmail.com and tell us your name, where you organize, and what type of tradition. We look forward to learning, dancing, and having lots of fun with many of you next May! Emily Addison (Ottawa, Ontario) and Chrissy Fowler (Belfast, Maine) POTD Advisory Board -- 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. **. *

1 year, 1 month

Bob Green Update 9/23

by Keith Tuxhorn

Hi all- an encouraging update on Monday from Bob's daughter Sarah... Update on my dad (Bob Green): He has been making small steps of improvement each day. He was awake and alert most of the day today. He knows where he is at although he did communicate to the OT today that he wishes he was at the grocery store. What can I say, he loves Trader Joe's. His lungs continue to need a lot of support and his muscles are very weak. Now that he is awake and alert, he is trying to communicate more. I can usually guess what he is trying to mouth but it can be frustrating when I can't figure it out. Our project this week will be to build a better communication system for him. -For the latecomers, Bob is a St. Louis caller, and writer of contra and English dances, who had a bad auto accident a month ago. Keith Tuxhorn Springfield IL

1 year, 1 month

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Contra Callers