Contra Callers

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

35 participants
4386 discussions

by Emily Addison via Callers

Hello shared weight callers :) Knowing that callers do so much to support brand new contra dancers, as a dance organizer, I have a question for you! Ottawa Contra is working on a 1-pg handout to give to first time dancers. The goal of the handout is to provide tidbits that will help convince first timers to come back, that contra's accessible/they can be successful/climb that learning curve, and that contra's a great fit for them. Who knows if the handout will actually work but we want to try as part of our focus on increasing the retention of all the beginners we get. I have a few examples of other handouts but they often focus on explaining the specific moves. We're thinking more along things that speak to the spirit of contra/are inspiring PLLLUS great technical tips (nuggets!) that can make a huge different to their experience as beginners. If you have any ideas, please pass them along. They may be little messages you feel every beginner should know, or even tips you provide in the beginner/intro lesson before the actual dance. With much thanks! Emily Addison in Ottawa ON

9 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] caller suggestions for beginner handout

by Claire Takemori via Callers

Emily, as a relatively new dancer, I still remember my first dance and what made me want to come back. The music was awesome, Seth Tepfer was the newcomer’s lesson teacher!! We were welcomed and despite it being the Post-American-Week Gala dance, the dancers were kind to new dancers. We only made it to the break and had to get our son to bed, but we all wanted to go back. I don’t think anything written on paper would’ve made a difference if we were shouted at, pushed to get some place on time, or scowled at when we made a mistake. This did happen to me at a recent ECD (not local) and being new to ECD made me very leery of going back. just my 2 cents. Claire Takemori (SF bay area) On Apr 20, 2016, at 1:01 PM, via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2016 13:40:35 -0500 From: Emily Addison via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net <mailto:callers@sharedweight.net>> Subject: [Callers] caller suggestions for beginner handout Message-ID: <CAD7WKUUs4-9AC=2pWHf6MYZDZnEcaNRLkytVS+0vsirtNFZhTQ(a)mail.gmail.com <mailto:CAD7WKUUs4-9AC=2pWHf6MYZDZnEcaNRLkytVS+0vsirtNFZhTQ@mail.gmail.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Hello shared weight callers :) Knowing that callers do so much to support brand new contra dancers, as a dance organizer, I have a question for you! Ottawa Contra is working on a 1-pg handout to give to first time dancers. The goal of the handout is to provide tidbits that will help convince first timers to come back, that contra's accessible/they can be successful/climb that learning curve, and that contra's a great fit for them. Who knows if the handout will actually work but we want to try as part of our focus on increasing the retention of all the beginners we get. I have a few examples of other handouts but they often focus on explaining the specific moves. We're thinking more along things that speak to the spirit of contra/are inspiring PLLLUS great technical tips (nuggets!) that can make a huge different to their experience as beginners. If you have any ideas, please pass them along. They may be little messages you feel every beginner should know, or even tips you provide in the beginner/intro lesson before the actual dance. With much thanks! Emily Addison in Ottawa ON

9 years, 3 months

does this dance exist?

by Andy Shore via Callers

(Sent this to Chris Page a week ago and no answer!.. so I'm asking the hive mind.) Using the G-word until there's a widely accepted substitute that doesn't need a footnote to explain. from a dance-writing session led by Jeff Spero at a recent dance camp... This Was Your Idea by John Kelley, John Bartlett, Sandy Gabucan, Andy Shore Contra/ Duple Improper A1 ----------- (8) Gypsy Neighbor1 Right 1.5 (8) Gypsy Neighbor2 Left 1.5 A2 -----------. (8) Gypsy Neighbor3 Right 1x come back ... (8) Neighbor2 swing B1 ----------- (4) Give & Take to Lady's Side (12) Partner swing B2 ----------- (8) Right and left through (8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella) to face N2 Note that the progression happens in A2. The Petronella into a (right shoulder) Gypsy seems unusual. I don't have any dances in my collection that do that. Dancing it with a test group seemed to be fine. Thoughts? -- /Andy Shore http://site.andyshore.com/ best email - andyshore(a)gmail.com

9 years, 3 months

New (?) dance, with hey and no neighbor swing

by Luke Donforth via Callers

Hello all, I was flying home after some fun gigs in DC, and wrote out a dance sequence that I didn't recognize. It's fairly straightforward, so I wanted to see if it was already out there: Improper A1 (8) Neighbor Do-si-do 1x (8) Women allemande Left 1.5x A2 (16) Partner pass by Right for whole Hey for 4 B1 (16) Partner ____ & swing B2 (8) Ladies chain (8) Left hand star 1x The B1 could be a balance and swing, a do-si-do & swing, a walk-around & swing, etc. In the one I wrote, I went with a walk-around by right shoulder; but if someone had already written this with a Ptr B&S or such in the the B1; I wouldn't consider this a new dance. I house-called it for a small test group, and it went reasonably. The DSD only 1x in (8) and the overall flow means there can be a smidge of extra time by the end of the hey; hence going with a walk-around instead of a balance. Could also just be done to a slightly faster tune (I had music-in-a-box, instead of the easier to adjust tempo of live musicians). Looking forward to finding out if I've re-written someone else's dance again. I've unintentionally done it more times than I can count. Take care, -- Luke Donforth Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>

9 years, 3 months

A2 progressions (WAS: does this dance exist?)

by Ric Goldman - Letsdance via Callers

On a completely different subject, I’ve recently heard term “mid-life crisis” used to describe dance that progress in the middle like this one. Has anyone else come across the term? Curious, Ric Goldman From: Callers [mailto:callers-bounces@lists.sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Andy Shore via Callers Sent: Monday, April 18, 2016 12:53 PM To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net> Subject: [Callers] does this dance exist? (Sent this to Chris Page a week ago and no answer!.. so I'm asking the hive mind.) Using the G-word until there's a widely accepted substitute that doesn't need a footnote to explain. from a dance-writing session led by Jeff Spero at a recent dance camp... This Was Your Idea by John Kelley, John Bartlett, Sandy Gabucan, Andy Shore Contra/ Duple Improper A1 ----------- (8) Gypsy Neighbor1 Right 1.5 (8) Gypsy Neighbor2 Left 1.5 A2 -----------. (8) Gypsy Neighbor3 Right 1x come back ... (8) Neighbor2 swing B1 ----------- (4) Give & Take to Lady's Side (12) Partner swing B2 ----------- (8) Right and left through (8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella) to face N2 Note that the progression happens in A2. The Petronella into a (right shoulder) Gypsy seems unusual. I don't have any dances in my collection that do that. Dancing it with a test group seemed to be fine. Thoughts? -- /Andy Shore http://site.andyshore.com/ best email - andyshore(a)gmail.com <mailto:andyshore@gmail.com>

9 years, 3 months

medley

by Laur via Callers

I'm debating if 6 or 8 times thru the dances during a medley make more sense. I've gone back and forth on this for years. Thoughts? If it matters this time I have 8 dances, in the past it's been 5. So either way it's still the same question. Laurie 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~ ~

9 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] medley

by Aahz Maruch via Callers

[the message I'm responding to was sent privately, I got permission to respond publicly] On Sun, Apr 17, 2016, Rod and Chris Krehbiel wrote: > On Sunday, April 17, 2016 10:12 AM, Aahz Maruch via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: >> On Sun, Apr 17, 2016, Laur via Callers wrote: >>> >>> I'm debating if 6 or 8 times thru the dances during a medley make more >>> sense. I've gone back and forth on this for years. Thoughts? >> >> That depends on your goal. I'm hearing-impaired, I dislike medleys in >> the first place, they combine the worst of contra and square dancing. >> For me, more times through is better, gives me more chance to dance >> trance. > > Since I have a goal of combining the BEST of contra and square dance, > I'm intrigued by your comment that medleys combine the worst of contra > and square dance. Could you expand and explain? The short version is that contra dance callers on average enunciate less clearly than square dance callers, contra calling in general assumes that they're calling under the music rather than over the music the way square dance callers do (or calling when no music is playing -- the walkthrough), sound engineering in contra halls emphasizes the music, contra dancers have much less training in responding to live calling, and contra vocabulary/grammar has less structure than square dance. Therefore -- and particularly for hearing-impaired people -- contra medleys represent a challenge that almost always combines the worst of square dance (live calling) with the worst of contra (poor ability to hear the calling). Obviously, it would be possible to combine the best of contra and square dance, but WRT hearing impairments, it would pretty much need to be approached from the square dance side (i.e. focusing on the voice and then working to get the dancers to follow the musical phrasing the way contra dancers do). -- Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/ <*> <*> <*> Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html

9 years, 3 months

Medleys

by Rod and Chris Krehbiel via Callers

I am assuming that a 'medley' in contra dancing means that the band will play a series of different songs--usually 3--in immediate succession with no noticeable break between them, but that the dancers will continue to dance the same figure that they began with the walk-thru. And that once the dancers have 'mastered' that figure, they eventually will not need any further verbal cues from the caller, even though the music changes. Is that correct, or do some have a different definition of "medley"?

9 years, 3 months

No walk thru

by Laur via Callers

blockquote, div.yahoo_quoted { margin-left: 0 !important; border-left:1px #715FFA solid !important; padding-left:1ex !important; background-color:white !important; } Looking for new ideas. No walk through at a dance weekend level. Ideas? ESP open to switching opportunities.. Laurie West MI Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

9 years, 4 months

Challenging Contras

by Playford1651 via Callers

You might like to try this one! Pink Pigtails by John Meechan Longways improper double progression 48 bar jigs (has own tune which I can send if you would like it) A1 Circle left (8); swing nbr (8). A2 Mad Robin men front of women (8); men start half hey passing RSh while women start the hey but ricochet back to place (8). B1 Balance and swing ptnr. B2 Take hands and balance the ring and Petronella a place (8); balance the ring again and California twirl ptnr to face new nbr (8). C1 Do si do new nbr once and a bit to form a wave (8); balance the wave and trade the wave (8). C2 Balance the wave again and trade the wave (8); balance the wave again and move on to a new nbr (8). Trade the wave is a MWSD move. In the wave you are facing the same direction as your partner. All walk forward to trade places with partner ( women on the inside), i.e a sort of U shape. Hope this suitable for you. The challenge is not only that it is a 48 bar dance but has the trade the wave move. The dance was written for Maureen Knight (my wife) on her 60th birthday. Graham

9 years, 4 months

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Contra Callers