Contra Callers

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22 participants
4374 discussions

by Ron T Blechner

Hi callers, I've been finding circle mixers extremely valuable for dances with newer dancers. They provide a way both to expose them to many different experienced dancers as well as to make them comfortable with the idea of dancing with different people all night. (We've all seen The Couple That Shows Up And Dances Just With Each Other that doesn't come back because they don't really meet anyone ...) I was looking for some alternatives to La Bastringue that I can do early in the evening, like 2nd or 3rd dance. Other mixers I've seen include doing things like Do-Si-Do or Allemande one person and coming back to another; I've found for new dancers that can often be confusing. ("Find another partner-less person in the middle of the circle" is only amusing so many times.) Also, I called this at MIT on Tuesday evening and it worked pretty well with a high percentage of new dancers. It's a variation on La Bastringue which I'm tentatively calling "La String Bean". If you've seen this or something really similar before, let me know so I can start calling it by its proper name. A1: Ladies to the center and back (4,4) Gents to the center, turnaround and back (4,4) A2: Current P Alle L 1.5x (8) New P DSD (8, forgiving) B1: Same New P B+S (4,12) B2: Promenade the ring CCW, Gents turn in Ladies so all face in (14,2) Optional: Make the promenade 8 beats and end the B2 with a courtesy turn once and a little more. One major point of this dance is to stealthily teach the Courtesy Turn from the Promenade, something I stole from a new-dancer-lesson from, if I recall correctly, Peter Stix. Critique / suggestions welcome. (Thanks to Mr. Bob Isaacs for initial suggestions earlier this week.) In dance, Ron Blechner contradances.tumblr.com

12 years, 7 months

Thanks to Bob Isaac

by Hgrastorf＠aol.com

I will be calling Vote With Your Feet tonight at Glen Echo. Thanks, Bob! April Blum

12 years, 7 months

Reminder: Callers workshop with Carol Ormand - Save the Date!

by Jack Mitchell

The Triangle Country Dancers Callers Collective will be sponsoring a callers' workshop with Carol Ormand, an amazing contra and square dance caller from Madison, WI. Carol has been calling traditional contra and square dances since the spring of 1990, and regularly calls at dances, weekends, and festivals all over the United States (and occasionally abroad). Since she moved to Madison, WI in 2005, she's also been playing fiddle for dances. The workshop will be held near Chapel Hill, NC the weekend of April 12-14. Carol will call for the 2nd Friday TCD dance in Carrboro (before which, I hope that many of the workshop participants can gather to have dinner and an informal conversation with Carol.) Saturday will be an all day workshop, followed by an evening contra dance, both of which will be hosted at Stephen Stiebel's house. Finally, on Sunday, we will have a wrap up and brunch to discuss what we've learned, how the dance went, and other topics that may come up. I will have a more complete description when I send out the official announcement in the next week or so. Right now, I just ask that if you're interested, you go ahead and get this on your calendar. I hope to see many of you there! Jack Mitchell

12 years, 7 months

Yet more mystery dances!

by Maia McCormick

Since my last mystery dance question got answered in a flash: I've been going through some old papers and finding all these dances I wrote down at various contras that don't have titles or authors attached. Any thoughts? 1) (improper: begin in long wavy lines with women facing in) A1: Rory O'Moore A2: (balance and?) swing neighbor (in RH) B1: men by L 1 1/2; partner swing B2: pass through to an ocean wave and balance (8) men go on; women allemande L 1/2 (4); new neighbor turn R into long waves (4) (was called at the most recent Dawn Dance) 2) (improper) A1: neighbor balance and swing A2: ladies chain; pull by partner L to gypsy shadow once B1: partner balance and swing B2: circle L 3/4; neighbor allemande R 1 1/2 3) (improper) A1: neighbor balance and swing A2: pass the ocean, balance; neighbor alle R 1/2, men alle L 1/2 B1: partner gypsy; partner swing B2: circle L 3/4; pass through, next neighbor do-si-do 4) (improper) A1: neighbor box the gnat (no balance), gents pull by L; partner swing A2: circle left once; partner dosido once B1: partner box the gnat (no balance), women pull by L; neighbor swing B2: right and left through; star L 5) (becket) A1: (slide left to) circle L 3/4; neighbor swing A2: right and left through; ladies chain B1: balance ring and spin to swap (2x) B2: partner balance and swing Also, does anyone happen go have the dances Baracky Mountain High (author unknown) or Young Adult Rose (David Kaynor)? Thank you for your lovely collective wisdom! Maia

12 years, 7 months

Need help with "Mr Know It All"

by Ben

Okay, I need some other perspectives on this. Last year we had a new couple move to our area, and start attending our local contra dance. They had danced "somewhere else" for several years, and the gentleman had obviously been involved in some of the dance organizing duties in their last location (web site upkeep, etc). First impressions were positive - he came to the dances for a few months and offered some worthwhile feedback, while also actually offering to take some action. He suggested we offer a waltz "lesson" for a few minutes before we have the first waltz, and he offered to "teach" the waltz, anytime and every time. So far, we have taken him up on this and it does seem to have encouraged more people to get up and waltz, which was the point. The emerging problem (I see..) is that he now wants to insert himself in the "contra dance lesson" before the dance, which we ask the caller of the evening to conduct. Several times over the last year, after I have done "the teach," (where I don't focus on new dancers learning moves, I focus on making them comfortable and getting them moving to music) Mr. Know It All has told me that several people "just weren't getting it" and he has offered to take them into a separate room to give them "more training" so that they "don't muck it up for everyone else." (Yes, these were his exact words). I have consistently declined his offers, as tactfully as I could. At our last dance, though, he had obviously made contact with the caller before hand, as he was taking the microphone during the teach and offering his "two cents worth" on contra dance set management, formations, etc. I don't think anyone died in the train wreck, but I see trouble ahead. (Didn't John Fogerty sing a song about this.??) My concern is that we have "given someone an inch, and now he wants to take a mile." This guy, due to his occupation, is used to coming into an organization and being the new sheriff in town, and I get the distinct feeling that he sees our dance group as one that he needs to "shape up." I am personally quite troubled by what I am seeing, but unsure of the best course of action. (In my view, he is a "bull in a China Shop" and he has broken quite a bit of china already...) I have seen other dance communities where a "dancer" does the beginner teach for every one of the dances, and when people in the community find that they need to make a change, they don't feel that they can, politically. (How do you "fire" a volunteer??) Have any of you had a similar experience? Any suggestions? Thanks!

12 years, 8 months

A Cat of Another Colour!

by John Sweeney

Martha Wild described "Black Cat Mixer" A1) Forward and back, repeat A2) Circle left; Single file back to the right! women TAP the person in front of them, who turns to face them B1) Do-si-do the person you are facing; Swing that person B2) Promenade, form a circle again. I have this one: The Yellow Cat Jig (by Jim Gregory) Circle Mixer (Start by moving Men one place right so that they get to swing their partner) A1: Circle Left; Single File Promenade to the Right - Lady taps man on the shoulder - he turns around A2: With this Neighbour: Dosido; Swing - this is your new Partner B1: Promenade AC around the Circle Promenade to the middle; Fall Back B2: Ladies into the Middle (Clap) & Back Men: Partner Gypsy (Lady stands still) Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent

12 years, 8 months

Melanie's-Microchasmic-Star Crazy?

by Edmund Croft

Here in England we have a scatter mixer very much like this that is common at ceilidhs. It's called either Borrowdale Exchange or Dunedin Festival Dance (with different A parts, depending on who you ask). Circle left. Dosido and swing. Six-person RH star. Pull out and scatter promenade. I've always come across it as RH star only (by 'which Star first', do you mean your dances have both a RH and LH star?). If the man pulls the lady through, RH probably feels better, as she wouldn't have to cross in front of him once she's through, to get to the right hand side in the couple for the promenade. RH would flow better out of a cross-handed swing. And I'd default to RH in general - even if you do both, it's unusual to begin with LH star or circle right (and I've hardly ever come across a Swat the Flea that wasn't the second half of a figure starting with Box the Gnat). Edmund Croft, Cambridge (UK) Sue Robishaw wrote: "Melanie's Triplet" and "Star Crazy" (with a note that it's also called "Six Hand Reel") that look to be the same (Circle / Star / Lowest pull out / promenade). And someone gave me yet another name… Also, on the "Lowest Pull Out" dance above, which Star first have you found to work best (Right Hand or Left Hand)?

12 years, 8 months

Re: [Callers] Circle mixers for newbies

by Martha Wild

I do a variation of La Bastrangue that I call Black Cat Mixer, but maybe it should just be La Bastrangue Variation: A1) Forward and back, repeat A2) Circle left Single file back to the right! - at end, women, or #2s (if you haven't got easily established genders, i.e. children, tons of women or men, etc., tell them when they start to choose someone to be #1 and someone to be #2, and then have the #1s on the left and #2s on the right to start) - anyway, women or #2s TAP the person in front of them, who turns to face them B1) Do-si-do the person you are facing Swing that person (or 2 hand turn, elbow swing depending on crowd) B2) Promenade (with the #1s on the inside and the #2s on the outside, that usually aligns them correctly) for 16 counts, swoop the 2s forward to form a circle again. I find the TAP is very useful in telling people who they are going to dance with. The #2s are always the tappers. In regular La Bastrangue, for newcomers, the swing is way too long since they don't know how to do it, and figuring out who is on your left and turning them under is sometimes confusing (some people have left-right issues, and the turning them under varies from person to person, wrenching arms as no one knows what to expect). This usually works pretty well. Martha On Oct 26, 2012, at 9:00 AM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote: > Send Callers mailing list submissions to > callers(a)sharedweight.net > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > callers-request(a)sharedweight.net > > You can reach the person managing the list at > callers-owner(a)sharedweight.net > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Circle Mixers for newbies (Linda Leslie) > 2. Mystery Triplet (Maia McCormick) > 3. Re: Mystery Triplet (Linda Leslie) > 4. Re: Melanie's-Microchasmic-Star Crazy? (Andrea Nettleton) > 5. Reminder (Chris Weiler (home)) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:36:06 -0400 > From: Linda Leslie <laleslierjg(a)comcast.net> > To: Laur <lcpgr(a)yahoo.com>, Caller's discussion list > <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: Re: [Callers] Circle Mixers for newbies > Message-ID: <045EA280-6C24-439C-8685-F05118D91D4D(a)comcast.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes > > EZ's Mixer is by Eric Zorn. I believe Eric is still in Chicago, which > where I first met him about 30 years ago! > Linda > > On Oct 25, 2012, at 8:40 PM, Laur wrote: > >> I have great success with EZ's Mixer. (Thanks Meg Dedolph) >> I'm sorry I don't have the author. >> >> I use it at festivals, with beginners during a dance as instruction, >> at weddings. >> >> Laurie P >> >> EZ's Mixer >> >> A1 >> P Rt hand turn >> P Lf hand turn >> >> A2 >> P two hand turn >> P do si do >> >> B1 >> P (Bal) Swing (leave out the bal if you think they can't get it or >> do an elbow swing) >> >> B2 >> P Promenade >> Ladies turn back (or gents move forward) >> >> For a non mixer change >> >> B1 >> Promenade >> >> B2 >> Into the middle and back 2x >> >> >> >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> Callers mailing list >> Callers(a)sharedweight.net >> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2012 22:43:45 -0400 > From: Maia McCormick <maia.mcc(a)gmail.com> > To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: [Callers] Mystery Triplet > Message-ID: > <CAHUcZGOWOAsW3gR1kgZ=Gnz6F58fhrCbj3VOPEbDRzuCtsRXGQ(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > Hi folks, > > Snagged the following lovely-looking dance from David Kaynor last week, > only he couldn't remember the name of it. Anyone know it? > > Thanks! > Maia > > ________ by Anne Fallon (triplet, proper) > > A1: forward and back; partner do-si-do > > A2: 2?s start contracorners > > B1: all partners balance and swing > > B2: peel the banana (1?s lead down, make arch, become 3?s) > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2012 23:15:36 -0400 > From: Linda Leslie <laleslierjg(a)comcast.net> > To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: Re: [Callers] Mystery Triplet > Message-ID: <55A692EF-0D29-46D4-9B69-CD40A6714DC2(a)comcast.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed; > delsp=yes > > The dance is Microchasmic by Ann Fallon. > Linda > > On Oct 25, 2012, at 10:43 PM, Maia McCormick wrote: > >> Hi folks, >> >> Snagged the following lovely-looking dance from David Kaynor last >> week, >> only he couldn't remember the name of it. Anyone know it? >> >> Thanks! >> Maia >> >> ________ by Anne Fallon (triplet, proper) >> >> A1: forward and back; partner do-si-do >> >> A2: 2?s start contracorners >> >> B1: all partners balance and swing >> >> B2: peel the banana (1?s lead down, make arch, become 3?s) >> _______________________________________________ >> Callers mailing list >> Callers(a)sharedweight.net >> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2012 10:43:20 -0400 > From: Andrea Nettleton <twirly-girl(a)bellsouth.net> > To: "sue(a)manytracks.com" <sue(a)manytracks.com>, Caller's discussion > list <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: Re: [Callers] Melanie's-Microchasmic-Star Crazy? > Message-ID: <717C06ED-B6BA-4D5E-B32C-D8E826CE92CA(a)bellsouth.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > I like the pull out to be from a star R, as the tug then gives you the correct clockwise rotation to swing. > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Oct 25, 2012, at 8:57 PM, Sue Robishaw <sue(a)manytracks.com> wrote: > >> Hi, >> In trying to organize my dances I have "Melanie's Triplet" and "Star Crazy" (with a note that it's also called "Six Hand Reel") that look to be the same (Circle / Star / Lowest pull out / promenade). And someone gave me yet another name. But in searching online and on this list to see if they indeed are the same, I also found a different "Melanie's Triplet" that is the same as one I have as "Microchasmic" (with Contra Corners). >> I know dances often have many names and no matter what you call them they're both great dances, but I'd like to get the names right if possible. Any help sorting this out would be appreciated! >> Also, on the "Lowest Pull Out" dance above, which Star first have you found to work best (Right Hand or Left Hand)? >> Thanks much, >> Sue Robishaw, U.P. MI >> _______________________________________________ >> Callers mailing list >> Callers(a)sharedweight.net >> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 5 > Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2012 10:54:29 -0400 > From: "Chris Weiler (home)" <chris.weiler(a)weirdtable.org> > To: Shared Weight <callers(a)sharedweight.net>, A list for dance > organizers <organizers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: [Callers] Reminder > Message-ID: <508AA425.7090009(a)weirdtable.org> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > Just a reminder to be kind to our digest receiving friends. Please make > sure the subject line is relevant to your post and trim away any > non-relevant portions of the previous posts from the bottom of your message. > > There's a lot of traffic this week, so it makes for very long digests. > > Thanks! > > Chris Weiler > your friendly neighborhood admin > Craftsbury, VT > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers(a)sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > > End of Callers Digest, Vol 98, Issue 19 > ***************************************

12 years, 8 months

Reminder

by Chris Weiler (home)

Just a reminder to be kind to our digest receiving friends. Please make sure the subject line is relevant to your post and trim away any non-relevant portions of the previous posts from the bottom of your message. There's a lot of traffic this week, so it makes for very long digests. Thanks! Chris Weiler your friendly neighborhood admin Craftsbury, VT

12 years, 8 months

Melanie's-Microchasmic-Star Crazy?

by Sue Robishaw

Hi, In trying to organize my dances I have "Melanie's Triplet" and "Star Crazy" (with a note that it's also called "Six Hand Reel") that look to be the same (Circle / Star / Lowest pull out / promenade). And someone gave me yet another name. But in searching online and on this list to see if they indeed are the same, I also found a different "Melanie's Triplet" that is the same as one I have as "Microchasmic" (with Contra Corners). I know dances often have many names and no matter what you call them they're both great dances, but I'd like to get the names right if possible. Any help sorting this out would be appreciated! Also, on the "Lowest Pull Out" dance above, which Star first have you found to work best (Right Hand or Left Hand)? Thanks much, Sue Robishaw, U.P. MI

12 years, 8 months

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Contra Callers