Here are the notes. Sorry for the length (thanks to everyone who <snip>s!) (for us Digesters :-)
-------------------------------------
Microchase - easier adaptation of Anne Fallon's Microchasmic - 3 cpl longways
A1 8 Lines -- Forward & Back
8 Partners -- DoSiDo
A2 8 Right Corners --DoSiDo
8 Left Corners -- DoSiDo
B1 8 Partners -- Two Hand Turn
8 Top Cpl -- Cast Off / All Follow
B2 16 Arch & All Thru / Turn Single (spacer if needed)
I found it worked better to have everyone look to their Right (Left) Corner and DoSiDo with them. If no one there, don't do anything. Rather than think of it just in terms of the middle couple.
-------------------------------------
On-the-Fly-Circles -- longways mixer for 2, 3, or 4 cpls plus 1 extra person in one line, even at top (see notes next dance)
A1 8-8 All -- Circle Left / Circle Rt
A2 8-8 Cpls -- Right Hnd Turn / DoSiDo (extra at bottom rests or turns themselves)
B1 8-8 Cpls -- Left Hnd Turn / SeeSaw
B2 8 Top Cpl -- Cast to Bottom
8 Lines -- Forw & Back
-------------------------------------
On-the-Fly-Stars -- longways mixer for 2, 3, or 4 cpls plus 1 extra person in one line, even at top
A1 8-8 Top Cpls -- Rt Hnd Star / Lft HS
A2 8-8 Top Cpl -- Sashay Down & Back
B1 16 Cast / Follow / Arch / Thru (including extra)
B2 8 (Lines -- Forw & Back)* Even up Top
8 Cpls -- DoSiDo (extra at bottom rest or turn themselves)
* might skip F&B if 4 cpls or slow 3 cpls. I tried to drop the DoSiDo once but dancers who had done it before objected -- they LIKED the DoSiDo.
Both of these are highly adaptable, and likely have been 'written' by others, too. Made them "on the fly" at a snowstormed 5 person dance. They could probably use a better name but they stick in my head this way.
-------------------------------------
Three Track - circle mixer for 3 cpls (many similar dances, likely already named by someone else but this is what I call it)
A1 8-8 Circle Right / Left
A2 16 (Face partner, note Direction you're facing) Grand Chain - PASS Partner once
B1 8 When meet Partner 2nd time -- Right Hand Turn 1+
8 with next -- Left Hand Turn 1+
B2 8 with next -- Two Hand Turn
8 Promenade ... into ...
-------------------------------------
Two Track - circle mixer for 3 cpls (or 4) (easier than Three Track) (same note as above)
A1 8-8 Circle Right / Left
A2 16 (Face partner, note Direction you're facing) Grand Chain - PASS Partner once
B1 8 When meet Partner 2nd time -- DoSiDo
8 Pass them By
B2 8 with Next -- SeeSaw
8 Promenade ... into ...
Note: 4 cpl version don't Pass Partner, DoSiDo first time you meet.
-------------------------------------
Sheehana's Reel - circle mixer 3-4 cpls (5 works if dancers quick, or let it cross phrase) - variation of Roger Whynot's Sheehan's Reel
A1 8 Two's -- Forward & Back
8 Right Hand Star
A2 8 One's -- Forward & Back
8 Left Hand Star past partner to Next
B 32 New Partner -- DoSiDo / Swing or THT
Promenade
-------------------------------------
Cheers, Sue R., U.P.Michigan
.
Hi Rich,
Small numbers are common here, especially this winter. Here are some dances that have worked well for me:
LONGWAYS - even cpls
DoSiThree - Linda Leslie (3 - 5 cpls)
Snowball - Martin Hayes (3 - 4 cpls)
Waves of Tory, or Ted's Dip & Dive (Triplet #3) - Ted Sanella (3 - 6 cpls)
Cumberland Reel (3 - 6 cpls)
Weave the Top (3-7 cpls) (variation of "Over the Top")
OXO dances (3-6 cpls) (single cpls use Hand Turns instead of Circle/Star)
Microchase* (3 cpls) (easier version of Anne Fallon's Microchasmic)
MIXERS - even cpls
Lucky Six (3+ cpls) (Lucky Seven if 5, 7, or more cpls)
Two's Out (4+ cpls) (if 4 cpls works better if back to neighbor instead of back to center) (my favorite of the many Easy Circle Mixers)
Cabot School Mixer (4+ cpls)
Sheehana's Reel* (3 - 4 cpls) (variation of Roger Whynot's Sheehan's Reel) (a little crowded with 3 cpls but it works)
Three Track (3 cpl)* (variation of Three Stop which I miscalled but dancers liked so kept it this way)
Two Track (3 cpl)* (simpler version of Three Track as some dancers got disoriented with the turns) (many similar dances to these two)
OTHER and ODD Number
Gelding of the Devil (3 cpls, or 2 cpls plus one with ghost) (B variation with 4 cpls, or 3 cpls plus one and ghost -- F&B 2 x, cpls cross & cast as usual)
Sellengers Round (4+, easy to dance with a ghost)
Rufty Tufty (2 cpl) (not particularly easy but OK if the music isn't too fast) (variation 3-4 cpl longways)
On-the-Fly-Circles* (2, 3, or 4 cpls plus 1, longways mixer) (came up with this and the following one big snowstorm night when I had 5 and no dances to suit. Decided to keep them.)
On-the-Fly-Stars* (2, 3, or 4 cpls plus 1, longways mixer)
Raatikko (any number cpls - I haven't done this with small numbers but it works fine in a line as well as a circle so seems it would be good) (fun Finnish folk dance)
The Carding (from Dudley Laufman's book) (Quad but easy to include an extra couple or two or a single even) (Depends on how your folks are with sashays, my current group have too many knee and hip replacements to enjoy this one).
* I'll put the instructions in another post for those interested. Others all in the archives or common.
Big cheers for the small dances!
Sue R. , U.P.M.
Different genre but those working with seniors might find this book
helpful: http://www.cdss.org/product-details/product/dont-stop-calling.html -
from CDSS.
David Chandler
On Fri, Feb 28, 2014 at 12:00 PM, <callers-request(a)sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2014 08:01:29 -0800 (PST)
> From: rich sbardella <richsbardella(a)snet.net>
> To: "callers(a)sharedweight.net" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: [Callers] Three Couples or Less Dances
> Message-ID:
> <1393603289.48866.YahooMailNeo(a)web181503.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Friends,
> I have a small weekly dance session with seniors in CT and often lack
> dancers.? If anyone could share dances for 5 or 7 people, or two or three
> couples, I would?greatly appreciate it.? I often fall back on solo lines
> similar to the electric slide, or I dance them in squares with a phantom
> (not too successful).
> Thanks,
> Rich Sbardella
> Stafford, CT
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 114, Issue 63
> ****************************************
>
Tom,
You shared some of the concerns that have pretty much driven me from the
microphone. What a shame.
I began calling in 1981, after dancing and playing for two years. I began
calling as part of the music curriculum at a psychiatric hospital. Little did
I know how things would turn out.
I began as a "Mr. Microphone", like many of us have. This didn't last long.
Bill Alkire set me straight a few years later. He got me to think of my
role as a recreation leader. This changed my whole outlook about calling.
I have only called one gig to recorded music...and hated it! Oh, I taught
some classes to recorded music, by often had at least a fiddler play along.
There are many gigs that I turned down because they would not pay for a band.
I look at a dance as a three-legged stool. The legs are caller, band, and
dancers. The "legs" have to be even for the dance to work best for everyone.
I early on chose to work with mostly beginning dancers as everyone else
wanted to call for "real" dancers. Feedback showed me that my teaching and
calling styles were easy to follow and friendly.
Most of the bands I've worked with have been able and fun to work with.
Some were nationally known..some were beginner bands. When possible, I contact
a new band prior to the dance to make sure that we will be on the same page.
I worked with a few bands who needed little guidance from me, since we knew
each other so well.
I've been out-of-the-loop for a few years. The changes in many contra dance
series seemed to lose the sense of "community" I used to feel. It ceased to
be fun. I cut down my calling to a monthly family dance and the occasional
ONS.
I now live on an island that doesn't have much music or dancing. The local
band is great fun, but I hipe to have them learn some of the tunes I am used
to.
So, the caller is still the "conductor" of the evening. The band may have
its preferences, but they are not more important than helping the dancers to
have a grea time.
John B. Freeman
We have a band in the LA area that does the looping thing, but they are able to change speed. It DOES mean that somebody has to step on the foot treadle to stop the loop, so the bass is live again, rather than recorded. In their case it is only the bass that gets looped, and as a caller I am aware of the fact that if I want them to change speed, it is a whole lot easier on everyone if I make that decision in the first 32 bars, before the guitarist hits the loop button and swaps his guitar for a mandolin. I can't say I like the arrangement, but I have learned to live with it, and being aware of how they operate helps a lot.
On Feb 27, 2014, at 9:00 AM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
> Send Callers mailing list submissions to
> callers(a)sharedweight.net
>
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> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
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> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Role Play (Ben Hornstein)
> 2. Contra Connections - Does this Dance Exist? (Ben Werner)
> 3. Re: Contra Connections - Does this Dance Exist? (Alan Winston)
> 4. Re: Contra Connections - Does this Dance Exist? (Michael Dyck)
> 5. Re: Role Play (Jeff Kaufman)
> 6. Re: Role play (Tim Klein)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2014 16:44:34 -0600
> From: Ben Hornstein <bhornstein5189(a)gmail.com>
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Role Play
> Message-ID:
> <CAG+H1oo3xrzo9dAHP7aj50s55aDV8jPaANvqgf16o-iUQdGFLQ(a)mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> As callers, it's our responsibility to be aware of the gig we booked. We
> should be familiar with the level of the dancers, the style of the band,
> and what this particular community expects. It is the band's responsibility
> to provide good music for the dancers, so they also need to be aware
> (albeit perhaps to a lesser degree) of the level of the dancers, the
> ability of the caller, and what this particular community expects.
>
> To your first story about looping, the band should have been able to slow
> down the next time through the dance, even though it may be a pain to redo
> the looping. It would have affected the sound, so they could have let you
> know that they would only slow down if you thought it was extremely
> necessary.
>
> To your second story about the band using a metronome, that sounds like a
> band that isn't very good. They need to practice being more responsive to
> the dancers' ability.
>
> For your last story, if the band wants a certain mix, that is their right.
> Perhaps their style is for the guitar to be louder than the fiddle (maybe
> they think the fiddler isn't that good, but don't want to hurt his/her
> feelings). As a sound guy, you can do a sound check, then suggest
> modifications for the monitors or house. Ultimately, I think it should be
> up to the band to decide how they want to sound.
>
> In the future, I think the role of the caller will not be different, but as
> bands get more complicated, so will dealing with them. The band and caller
> should do their best to work well with each other to provide the best
> possible dance environment for the evening.
>
> -Ben Hornstein
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2014 17:26:00 -0700
> From: Ben Werner <benknobi89(a)gmail.com>
> To: Callers(a)SharedWeight.net
> Subject: [Callers] Contra Connections - Does this Dance Exist?
> Message-ID: <1A38A3B6-F7A4-40B4-BDC4-660DBC36C8D1(a)gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
>
> Hey All,
>
> I'm a new caller in the group and just wrote a dance and wanted to see if my chosen title has been used or if the dance has been written.
>
> The neat thing about it is that number one couples can remain connected during their duration as ones.
>
> Thanks!
> Ben
>
> Contra Connection
> Beckett
> Ben Werner
>
> A1: (16) Balance Square through 2 Left hand over connection
> A2: (16) Petronella x 2
> B1: (16) Balance & Swing Partner Calie Swing
> B2: (8) Promenade fishhook left
> (8) Star left 1 time around w new neighbors
>
> Inspired by Carol Ormand?s Contra Connection set @ Stellar Days and Nights 2014 in Buena Vista
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2014 16:44:08 -0800
> From: Alan Winston <winston(a)slac.stanford.edu>
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Contra Connections - Does this Dance Exist?
> Message-ID: <530E8A58.2090403(a)slac.stanford.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
>
> Ben --
>
> Don't understand what you mean about the number one couples remaining
> connected during their duration as ones. Holding a hand?
> Are they holding on to each other during the Balance and square thru 2?
> How does that work?
>
> Also, it's "ceili swing", not "Calie". (It's an Irish Gaelic word -
> Scots Gaelic is 'ceilidh'.)
>
> Anyway, haven't seen the dance before. Title sounds maybe kinda generic.
>
> -- Alan
>
>
> On 2/26/2014 4:26 PM, Ben Werner wrote:
>> Hey All,
>>
>> I'm a new caller in the group and just wrote a dance and wanted to see if my chosen title has been used or if the dance has been written.
>>
>> The neat thing about it is that number one couples can remain connected during their duration as ones.
>>
>> Thanks!
>> Ben
>>
>> Contra Connection
>> Beckett
>> Ben Werner
>>
>> A1: (16) Balance Square through 2 Left hand over connection
>> A2: (16) Petronella x 2
>> B1: (16) Balance & Swing Partner Calie Swing
>> B2: (8) Promenade fishhook left
>> (8) Star left 1 time around w new neighbors
>>
>> Inspired by Carol Ormand?s Contra Connection set @ Stellar Days and Nights 2014 in Buena Vista
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2014 17:13:19 -0800
> From: Michael Dyck <jmdyck(a)ibiblio.org>
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Contra Connections - Does this Dance Exist?
> Message-ID: <530E912F.5060606(a)ibiblio.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
>
> On 14-02-26 04:26 PM, Ben Werner wrote:
>> Hey All,
>>
>> I'm a new caller in the group and just wrote a dance and wanted to see
>> ifmy chosen title has been used or if the dance has been written.
>
> If you go to http://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/index and do a Title
> search for "Contra Connection", you'll get two hits:
> "Contra Connection" by Peter Baker
> (in 'Great Contras and Squares from the Great Lakes State')
> and
> "The Contra Connection" by Dale Rempert
> (in 'Hill Country Contras')
>
> The sequence of figures doesn't match anything in my personal collection.
>
> -Michael
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2014 17:25:31 -0800
> From: Jeff Kaufman <jeff(a)alum.swarthmore.edu>
> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Role Play
> Message-ID:
> <CAK36jCNQ_9YH_KTG0Y7iDo79QyfLGVpVYqtSppkMy9TLenQXzA(a)mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> On Wed, Feb 26, 2014 at 2:44 PM, Ben Hornstein <bhornstein5189(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>> For your last story, if the band wants a certain mix, that is their right.
>> Perhaps their style is for the guitar to be louder than the fiddle (maybe
>> they think the fiddler isn't that good, but don't want to hurt his/her
>> feelings). As a sound guy, you can do a sound check, then suggest
>> modifications for the monitors or house. Ultimately, I think it should be
>> up to the band to decide how they want to sound.
>>
>
> What mix is appropriate will depend on the hall. At the very least
> there's a difference between small venues where you're going to hear
> the instruments mostly acoustically and large ones where people are
> mostly hearing via the PA system. The sound person needs to be able
> to change relative levels, and maybe put eq or compression on
> individual instruments, to make the band sound best for the situation.
>
> But what makes what Tom described worse is that this band was relying
> on the hall sound system for monitors. This meant that if their needs
> for hearing themselves were different from the hall needs there just
> wasn't a way to make both sound right.
>
> If a band wants to supply a single mix to the hall PA system I think
> they need to at least (1) run it by the sound person in advance, (2)
> make it clear they're happy to make changes when requested to fit what
> the hall needs, and (3) send the hall a separate mix for the monitor.
>
> Jeff
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2014 08:20:34 -0800 (PST)
> From: Tim Klein <mrtimklein(a)yahoo.com>
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Role play
> Message-ID:
> <1393518034.70435.YahooMailNeo(a)web160602.mail.bf1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Tom wrote: "In the future will the role of the caller (and sound dude) change for?the worse or the better or will it just be different?"
>
> For the recent Knoxville contra dance weekend, "Cabin Fever", we built a robot "C.H.A.D." that called a contra dance Friday night.
>
> It's not going to take our jobs anytime soon, but there's a precedent now.
>
> Tim Klein
> w/ Earl McGill
>
> P.S. Chad loops too, but has a dial to adjust his speed.
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Tom Hinds <twhinds(a)earthlink.net>
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2014 8:49 AM
> Subject: [Callers] Role play
>
>
> I've come to the conclusion that in an effort to please and wow the?
> dancers the contra movement may at times change in ways I don't feel?
> comfortable with.
>
> Several years ago I called with "the latest rage band".? At one point?
> I asked the musicians to slow down.? "No can do" was their reply.?
> Turns out they were doing this thang called looping.? This country?
> boy ain't never heard of no loopin'.
>
> How about warning me ahead of time?
>
>
> My wife recently called to a band where, after several times through?
> the dance she asked them to slow down.? "No can do" was their reply.?
> Turns out they were using a metronome to keep a steady beat.? And?
> they have a drummer!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????
>
> How about warning her ahead of time?
>
> A couple of months ago I was doing sound for a band that has copied?
> "a couple of the latest rage bands" and they handed me a cord.? "This?
> is our mix" they said.? For years we've been balancing the volume of?
> the monitor mix independently from the house mix.? Not that night.?
> So what if the guitar is louder than the fiddle.
>
> In the future will the role of the caller (and sound dude) change for?
> the worse or the better or will it just be different?? Maybe you've?
> had similar experiences.
>
> Tom
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 114, Issue 62
> ****************************************
>
As callers, it's our responsibility to be aware of the gig we booked. We
should be familiar with the level of the dancers, the style of the band,
and what this particular community expects. It is the band's responsibility
to provide good music for the dancers, so they also need to be aware
(albeit perhaps to a lesser degree) of the level of the dancers, the
ability of the caller, and what this particular community expects.
To your first story about looping, the band should have been able to slow
down the next time through the dance, even though it may be a pain to redo
the looping. It would have affected the sound, so they could have let you
know that they would only slow down if you thought it was extremely
necessary.
To your second story about the band using a metronome, that sounds like a
band that isn't very good. They need to practice being more responsive to
the dancers' ability.
For your last story, if the band wants a certain mix, that is their right.
Perhaps their style is for the guitar to be louder than the fiddle (maybe
they think the fiddler isn't that good, but don't want to hurt his/her
feelings). As a sound guy, you can do a sound check, then suggest
modifications for the monitors or house. Ultimately, I think it should be
up to the band to decide how they want to sound.
In the future, I think the role of the caller will not be different, but as
bands get more complicated, so will dealing with them. The band and caller
should do their best to work well with each other to provide the best
possible dance environment for the evening.
-Ben Hornstein
Hey All,
I'm a new caller in the group and just wrote a dance and wanted to see if my chosen title has been used or if the dance has been written.
The neat thing about it is that number one couples can remain connected during their duration as ones.
Thanks!
Ben
Contra Connection
Beckett
Ben Werner
A1: (16) Balance Square through 2 Left hand over connection
A2: (16) Petronella x 2
B1: (16) Balance & Swing Partner Calie Swing
B2: (8) Promenade fishhook left
(8) Star left 1 time around w new neighbors
Inspired by Carol Ormand’s Contra Connection set @ Stellar Days and Nights 2014 in Buena Vista
Hi,
I'm looking for a few interesting circle (or longways) mixers for 5-10 cpl size group who are beyond Lucky 6/7 but still learning. Along the lines of Cabot School Mixer maybe. I have plenty of easy mixers for new dancers, and many nice ones for 3-4 cpls, but could use a few more in the middling range. Recommendations appreciated!
Thanks, Sue Robishaw, U.P.M.
Callers list members,
First, let me apologize. Due to my health problems and the recent
arrival of my infant son, I have not been able to give this list the
attention it deserves. I have not been on top of moderation requests and
have not kept up with conversations. The most I've been able to do, most
of the time, is read the subject lines.
Now, I was very concerned when the tread titled "A Call For Civility"
hit my inbox and read it. Shortly after, I received Greg McKenzie's
unsubscription notification. I now have been able to read the
conversations leading up to that thread. I've been struggling with how
to respond to the callers list community about this, but I can't let
this go any longer, so I'm just going to have to go with my gut and stop
trying to puzzle it out with my head.
One of the things, actually it's the thing I love the most about the
contra dance community is it's inclusive and tolerant nature. When I
started dancing, I was socially awkward and bumbling. The community
welcomed me each week. I made friends. I got better at social
situations. I found a home. I found love there on the dance floor. I
have seen it over and over again at dances: socially marginal people
being welcomed, tolerated and accommodated in ways that they had never
experienced anywhere else. This is the ideal that makes our community
special. This is why I dedicate myself to creating this community
wherever I live, dance or call. It's why I started this list, so we
could learn how to make it better together.
That's why I've been so disappointed with how Greg was treated by this
community. We are supposed to be the leaders. We are supposed to be the
bearers of the ideals and show our dance communities how it's done. I've
never really understood the problems that people had with Greg. Yes, he
has strong opinions. Yes, he is socially awkward and doesn't always
communicate his intentions clearly. But I've always found him to be
straightforward with his opinions, positive in his criticism, creative
in his thinking and open to feedback. He and I butted heads many times
early in the list history and over on trad-dance-callers. I've learned a
lot in my discussions with him and reading his posts. I never took any
of his criticisms personally, because he criticized my ideas, not me. He
challenged my thinking on this list and I came out better for it. Not
because he convinced me, but because I thought through my ideas better
and understood why they were right. Although a lot of times, he
convinced me to change my ideas, too.
As part of his social awkwardness, sometimes he crossed the line in a
post. Every time, when people pointed it out to him, he apologized. Yes,
he crossed the line when he criticized the calling of people in an
easily identifiable video. But he apologized for it. Twice. And then was
repeatedly taken to task afterwards. Then talked about derisively in the
third person on-list. And he was right - other people added the
identifying names, not him. A valuable voice in this community was
driven out because his intentions were misunderstood. Several
disapproved of his "tone". I'm not sure how people can interpret "tone"
in an e-mail. It's a medium fraught with opportunities for
misinterpretation. To think that you understand the "tone" that the
author was intending seems crazy to me. We have to give each other the
benefit of the doubt if we are going to continue to be a healthy and
supportive community.
Now, I'm very sad to hear that people have decided not to post because
of Greg. I understand how hard it is to have your ideas challenged and
criticized. But I don't think that I ever read a post of his that was
purposefully mean-spirited or an individual attack. If you have an
example of such and instance, then please forward it to me off-list.
Let's not start another public bash-fest. If you have solid, factual
criticisms of him, then I do want to hear them. It's just that what is
being said now isn't justified by my experience with him.
I encourage people to put their ideas forward. We're here to find the
best ideas here and make the dancer's experience the best it can be. To
become the best callers we can be, we need ideas to be shared,
discussed, challenged and debated so we can find the best ones. We also
need this to be a safe place for people to ask their questions and share
their ideas, so keep being the positive, supportive community I know you
can be.
We're better than this. We can have the free exchange of ideas with the
same acceptance and tolerance that we have on the dance floor. This is
what has made this list special for the last 9 1/2 years. Let's not
loose sight of what's important.
Chris Weiler
SharedWeight co-founder/moderator
Craftsbury, VT
Greetings fellow callers,
My graduate school's social dance club is going to be having a Contra
night, which I will be calling. I was hoping to get some advice on how to
structure the evening. Here's what I'm expecting:
Two 2 hour events, on March 3 and 10
20-30 people, with maybe 5-8 who have danced contra before at all, 1-3 who
I would consider experts
The second week will most likely have people who did not come the first week
Minimal live band (who I have worked with before)
Here's what I'm thinking so far:
1st dance: something simple without any swing to teach a few of the most
basic moves
2nd dance: teach the swing, do an easy dance
remaining dances: teach one new move before each dance, then do a dance
that incorporates that move
2nd week: plan a generally easy program, but review moves as they come up
(for those who missed the first week)
I'm hoping for suggestions of specific dances that I should use, and ways
to teach and handle a group with very few experienced dancers. How do I
prevent the whole thing from falling apart? In general, I think they'll be
more tolerant towards additional teaching time because it's billed more as
a lesson than a dance. (Last month they had a salsa lesson which went on
for 2 hours before they turned on the music.) I'm hoping that the fact that
these are mostly graduate/medical students who have done other forms of
social dance before will help greatly, but any and all advice is welcome.
Sincerely,
Ben Hornstein
