Hi: One of the newer additions to the contra dance repertory, and one that
I like, is the pousette -- in all its variations. I'm interested in
gathering dances with pousettes in them and would like to receive
suggestions/recommendations. Thanks, George Mercer
Does this dance have a name?
(16) neighbor balance and swing
(16) circle left, partner swing
(16) ladies chain, star left
Yes, it's a 24 bar dance. It's an attempt at being the most
predictable dance at every point except for the length.
Hi,
thomasjsenior(a)gmail.com wants to follow you.
****** Is thomasjsenior(a)gmail.com you friend? ******
If Yes please follow the link below:
http://invites.flipmailer.com/signup_e.html?fullname=Caller's+Discussion+List&email=callers@sharedweight.net&invitername=Marble&inviterid=36644577&userid=0&token=0&emailmasterid=73fcc322-e24f-4c57-8940-77e0354c7211&from=thomasjsenior@yahoo.com&template=invite_reminder_b&test=AA&src=txt_yes
If No please follow the link below:
http://invites.flipmailer.com/signup_e.html?fullname=Caller's+Discussion+List&email=callers@sharedweight.net&invitername=Marble&inviterid=36644577&userid=0&token=0&emailmasterid=73fcc322-e24f-4c57-8940-77e0354c7211&from=thomasjsenior@yahoo.com&template=invite_reminder_b&test=AA&src=txt_no
Follow the link below to remove yourself from all such emails
http://invites.flipmailer.com/uns_inviter.jsp?email=callers@sharedweight.ne…
Oo! That sounds neat. Do you, or anyone here, have the card to share?
Tina
> On Jun 11, 2015, at 2:05 PM, via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> From: Alexandra Deis-Lauby via Callers
>
> If you get mostly advanced square dancers, Bill Olson called a great contra
> at Brattleboro that had a mini-grand square on the diagonal. It was cool!
> You sacrifice the neighbor swing I think, but it was a cool figure.
I have an interesting dance coming up this Saturday!
The regular Phoenix 2nd Saturday Contra is having a contra dance with
the Desert Valley Squares Club (an LGBT MWSD group). In addition, the
Desert Valley Squares have been advertising this dance heavily in the
local LGBT community as part of their recruitment drive.
Any suggestions as to how best to handle this mix (regular contra
dancers, MSWD dancers and non-dancers) would be most welcome.
--
Michael Barraclough
michael(a)michaelbarraclough.com
www.michaelbarraclough.com
Hi all, Anybody going to be in mid-coast Maine on July 18 and want to call the 3rd Saturday dance at Bowdoinham Town Hall?? We'd love to have a new face there! Let me know, thanks!!
bill
The recent discussions on this topic inspired me to try an experiment in
gender free calling. Last night I called the contra dance in St. Louis
using gender free calling without telling anyone. The experiment was a
great success. I received lots of positive feedback on the evenings
dance. At the break and after the dance I made a point to ask several
dancers, some were callers as well, if they noticed anything different or
unusual about the dances or how I taught them. One person noticed that
there were more dances that included a swing in the center for couple 2
than usual. No one I talked to noticed that the calls and teaching were
gender free.
It took some extra time to construct a fun, diverse 3 hour program, but it
is certainly possible. Re-labeling the dancers is not the only way to call
gender free.
If you are interested in the program I used or the larger collection of
gender free dances I chose the program from, send me an email,
arcadian35(a)gmail.com.
Thanks,
Jim Hemphill
So, what do dancers need to know in order to progress through a duple contra dance?
(1) At the end of a swing, who finishes on which side. Thus we need some words and concept of these two roles, whether men and women, larks and ravens, or P's and Q's. (This seems really important when neighbors swing, and less important in ECD.)
(2) The identity of their current and future neighbors. (Tells dancers which way they are progressing.)
(3) A consistent way to designate positions within a group of four. For the moment consider "first corners" to be the positions of woman 1 and man 2 at the start of the a duple improper dance.
Prudent use of all of these seems important over the various contra formations: improper, proper, becket (progressing left or right), indescent (2's crossed), and dances where the "1's" (those moving away from the music) start below the "2's."
For beginning and intermediate dancers, callers' use of (1) is often easier than (3). In dances with unusual end effects, caller's use of (3) can be difficult. In general using (1) is clearer, because (a) it is easier to find a person, and (b) one's position changes throughout the 32 seconds or so of a contra.
I can think of quite a few dances which become much more difficult to convey to the dancers when (1) is avoided. For example: (a) "Second corners chain on the left diagonal" will always seem obscure.(b) Who rolls in front during a roll away, or moves in front during a Mad Robin(c) dances with partial heys (d) Many proper dances
Michael Fuerst 802 N Broadway Urbana IL 61801 217 239 5844
Andea asked, "I would love to hear from those who have danced Morris or
other single gender sets in hands four whether they use numbered corners or
some other designation."
Most Cotswold Morris is six men - two lines of three. And, yes, we say
First Corners for the long right diagonal (what ECD would call First Long
Corners) and Second Corners. The two men in the middle of the two lines of
three are Third Corners.
I use the same nomenclature (Third Corners) when calling dances like Black
Nag.
There are not many situations where you have the equivalent of "hands four"
in Cotswold Morris. One exception is the Lichfield Hey - Lichfield is an
8-man dance. You will hear the men chanting, "First, Second, Pause,
Change". First and Second here refer to POSITION, so you alternate between
being a First Corner and a Second Corner.
= = = = = = = = = = =
I notice that neither
http://heatherandrose.org/terms.shtml
nor
http://lcfd.org/gf-ecd-calling-conventions.html
seem to have the word "Swing" anywhere on the page!
This seems to me to be a major omission!
There do appear to be people who think that ECD doesn't include swings, and
maybe in some American ECD clubs they don't.
But country dancing in England most definitely includes swings in all sorts
of styles.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
This discussion of ECD just made me realize that the one move that is usually specifically gender related -- Ladies Chain -- is actually 2nd corners chain. If the idea of first and second corners is introduced to contra dancers than there would be no problem with most of the moves: chains, allemandes, heys. It all becomes position oriented.
Bob
