Contra Callers

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4417 discussions

Re: [Callers] Implied Messages in First-Timer's Orientation

by Marianne Tatom Letts

When I teach a newcomers' session, I focus on feeling that connection with the other dancers through shared weight. Generally we have 30 minutes scheduled but it takes enough time to get a quorum that I have only 15-20 minutes to teach the basics. 1. stand in circle, hold hands, raise toes to feel that the other dancers are helping support your weight 2. walk around the circle with slightly tensed arms, then noodle arms, to convey the difference 3. face partner around the circle and practice feeling the same kind of "positive tension" via allemandes (progress to new partner several times) 4. swing demo with experienced dancer in the middle so all can see that hands are on shoulder blades and right feet are lined up 5. if available, have trusted, experienced dancers go around to correct what people are doing in their swings (I do the same); progress several times; emphasize how to decline a fast swing by dragging feet slightly or using a walking step, or saying "I'm getting dizzy"; also emphasize hydrating and looking at a fixed point on the partner's face 6. if time permits, line up for a contra dance and go over progression with small circles rotating, then balancing, then passing through 7. if time permits, face across the set for ladies chain and R/L through (explained as "only the ladies change places" or "both couples change places"); this allows me to show the corkscrew twirl (with a trusted, experienced dancer I know won't hurt me) and how either party can decline a twirl At the end of the teaching session I tell them they've passed Contra Dancing 101 and it's time for a real dance. I like to call a dance with a hey for #3 on the program so I can give my famed hey tutorial. 1. take the place of someone in a set with otherwise experienced dancers 2. demo the hey with all weaving/looping 3. feign look of terrified new dancer, walk across in a straight line, turn and come back while the others weave around me, emphasizing that if you come back to where you started then you've done a hey 4. have the sets practice the hey once, then finish the walk-through and progress so they can practice with a new group; I almost always do two quick walk-throughs and then start the dance w/o rolling back. Cheers! -Marianne (Seattle)

14 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] Implied Messages in First-Timer's Orientation

by David.Millstone＠valley.net

Following up on posts by Greg and Michael, I, too, don't focus on figures. Careful introduction of figures during the course of the dance allows new dancers to learn gradually the vocabulary of figures. More important than figures at such a pre-dance session is: Welcome! We're delighted you're here! followed by some tips that will help folks have a good time. I try to keep the tone light, with lots of humor. "At some point in the evening, probably near the start, you'll find yourself being asked to dance by someone you don't know. You first instinct may be to protest, 'I don't know what I'm doing!' Believe me, they already know that. [inevitably leads to a laugh from the dancers] That's why they asked you to dance. That's how we all learned. No one in this hall was born knowing how to do this." "It's possible that some of you are thinking, 'I don't want to ruin it for everyone in the hall.' All I can say about that is that you must have a pretty strong ego, to think that you have the power to ruin this for everyone else!" "At some point in the dance, you may get completely lost. This happens to all of us at some point. Here's my three-step guide for what to do when that happens: Smile. Keep your head up and your eyes open. Hold out both hands like this. [demo] That makes it easier for the folks around you-- your partner or your neighbor-- to help you get to where you need to be." David Millstone Lebanon, NH

14 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] Heys Where Partners Meet

by David.Millstone＠VALLEY.NET

In Chris's extensive list, I noted Ted Sannella's dance "Bonny Jean." Named for Ted's wife, Jean, the dance was composed in 1975, and Ted said that as far as he knew it was the first modern contra dance to incorporate a hey for four. In my experience, heys didn't start to enter the contra repertoire very much until the 1980s, when it could take a very long time indeed to teach the unfamilar figure to dancers. Similarly, Ted's "Fiddleheads" incorporated a Petronella twirl decades before others started to explore that possibility. I'd recommend to any callers on the list who are not familiar with his two collections-- "Balance and Swing" and "Swing the Next"--that they obtain copies. They're available from CDSS and are very useful additions to any caller's library. David Millstone Lebanon, NH

14 years, 3 months

Heys Where Partners Meet

by John Sweeney

My wife and I like spinning off each other in Heys. But we very rarely meet in the middle of a Hey :-( Flirtation Reel is a great example of a dance where you meet your Partner in the middle of the Hey, but I can't find any other dances where that happens. Does anyone know of any other good dances where you meet your Partner in the middle of a Hey? Thanks. Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk <http://www.contrafusion.co.uk/> for Dancing in Kent

14 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] Heys where partners meet

by Martha Wild

Hi, John, This isn't quite the same thing, but I like ricochet heys, and I thought it would be nice to be doing the ricochet with your own partner. So I wrote a couple of dances where partners meet in the hey. I suppose they could be done without the ricochet and the partners could spin off each other. In the first one, the 2s are doing the hey while the 1s ricochet. In the second the 1s hey while the 2s ricochet. The first is a little more difficult, but both 1s and 2s get to swing, even though it is unequal. The second has the ones swing and a neighbor swing. I first danced these heys in a dance called Huntsville's Queen Bee Hey by Jane Ewing, where the women walk the hey pattern while the men ricochet. I figured that if the men were doing the hey it would be a King Bee Hey (so I wrote one like that) and so I named these Worker Bee Hey #1 and #2. Didn't know they were called ricochet heys until later. I'm just copying these from a little book I put together, sorry if there is duplication of any details. It is also possible that version 2, if you leave out the ricochet hey aspect, may have been devised by someone else, as it is fairly straightforward. Worker Bee Hey #1 Martha Wild Duple improper September 24, 2006 A1 Down the set four in line (1s inside) Turn as couples and return*, face in^ A2 “Worker bee” hey@, 2s start passing right shoulder B1 2s gypsy and swing, end swing facing up! B2 Handy-hand allemande ~1 ½ times (2s on the inside to start) 1s swing and face down * A little odd as the men are on the right of the women for the turn. ^ The line is not bent, all just turn to face center, 2s facing each other, 1s behind. @ I thought it would be nice to do the push off of a “queen bee” hey with one’s own partner. In this case, the #2 couple does a full hey, passing right shoulders to start, while the #1 couple meets at the center and pushes off backwards in little counterclockwise circles. It helps to instruct the 1s to stand a little above the 2s while they swing so they see them when they end and are ready for the handy-hand allemande. Worker Bee Hey #2 Martha Wild Duple Improper September 24, 2006 A1 Do-si-do neighbor Swing neighbor A2 Four in line down the set Turn as couples, come back up B1 Face in, “Worker Bee” hey, 1s start^ B2 1s gypsy and swing ^ Worker bee hey is as described above. I like version 1 because both 1s and 2s get a partner swing. This is an easier version, but unequal. Martha Wild On Aug 21, 2011, 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. Heys Where Partners Meet (John Sweeney) > 2. Re: Callers Digest, Vol 84, Issue 15 (Tom Hinds) > 3. Re: Heys Where Partners Meet (Luke Donev) > 4. Re: 50% rule (Richard Hart) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 12:32:23 +0100 > From: "John Sweeney" <info(a)contrafusion.co.uk> > To: <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: [Callers] Heys Where Partners Meet > Message-ID: <21E3296A26AB4820B1BCF3FF5D672895@JohnT400> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > My wife and I like spinning off each other in Heys. But we very > rarely > meet in the middle of a Hey :-( > > Flirtation Reel is a great example of a dance where you meet your > Partner in the middle of the Hey, but I can't find any other dances > where that happens. > > Does anyone know of any other good dances where you meet your > Partner in > the middle of a Hey? > > Thanks. > > Happy dancing, > John > > John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & > 07802 940 574 > http://www.contrafusion.co.uk <http://www.contrafusion.co.uk/> for > Dancing in Kent > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 09:28:00 -0400 > From: Tom Hinds <twhinds(a)earthlink.net> > To: callers(a)sharedweight.net > Subject: Re: [Callers] Callers Digest, Vol 84, Issue 15 > Message-ID: <94D71EA1-0AA5-4F85-971A-35A3C71E6B7B(a)earthlink.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed > > Jim > > Although I can't answer your first question about keeping track of > all the dances, I can say something about what constitutes a new > dance. I remember Ted Sannella saying that a dance is new if it has > 50% new or unique choreography. By his definition if 50% or more of > the dance is different than any other dance then it's a new dance. > If a dance has less than 50% it's a variation. > > He didn't go into any more specifics and I wasn't wise enough to ask > any questions. But if you look at some of the old dances like > Petronella and Hull's victory, they have identical B parts and unique > A parts. The same applies to Chorus Jig and Rory O' More. > > Squares can also follow this 50% rule. For example there are a > number of squares like Queen's Quadrille that have unique A parts > while the B part is circle left half, swing corner, promenade. > > T > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 09:59:54 -0400 > From: Luke Donev <luke.donev(a)gmail.com> > To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: Re: [Callers] Heys Where Partners Meet > Message-ID: > <CAFrKOZY9sQXDyCnd5RPtG=4fJVYUFGr+WZrSW=8-Mpj1wEahPg(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > John Sweeney <info(a)contrafusion.co.uk> wrote: > >> Flirtation Reel is a great example of a dance where you meet your >> Partner >> in the middle of the Hey, but I can't find any other dances where >> that >> happens. >> > > Hi John, > > I think the structure of Flirtation Reel (*http://tinyurl.com/ > 3mlyrtm*) > highlights why it's uncommon. The down the hall of *A1* seems the > cleanest > way of setting up partners back to back at the start of a hey for > *A2*. The > *B1* neighbor swing flows well after the hey, which leaves you *B2* > to get a > partner swing and progression in. > > There are ways to gain the choreographic latitude you'd need. > If you're willing to spread a hey across phrases (I've met folks > who detest > that) you could shorted the neighbor swing and still end the swing > on phrase > (as opposed to interrupting a swing half phrase, which is > unpopular). For > example: > > *Restless Sunday Morning* > Improper > *A1* > 2s half figure eight and a little more to face their partner in the > middle > of a line of four > 2s start a hey for four passing partner by left > *A2* > finish hey for four, 2s have extra pass in middle > Neighbor swing on gent's home side* > B1* > Circle Left, > Partner swing * > B2* > Ladies chain across, > long lines forward and back > > The *B*'s have a lot more freedom for the partner swing and > progression, > those are just some of what you could do. > > If you're against splitting the hey, you could compress the > position results > of the line of four: > > *After the Honeymoon* > Improper > start with the 1s between the 2s, facing neighbor > *A1* > Pass Neighbor by Right to start a hey > *A2* > Neighbor balance and swing > *B1* > Give and (men) take > Partner swing (gent's home side) > *B2* > Circle Left 3/4 > Balance the ring > 2s make an arch, 1s duck through and move down to between new 2s, > facing > out. > > I think as a style point, I might teach the *B2*'s arch duck as the > 1s drop > partner's hand and are somewhat hand-casted through the arch by > their 2s. > Without a few folks to play with it in my living room, I'm not sure > yet. > > The *B1*'s give and take could be a Circle Left 3/4 for a simpler > dance, but > there's already a circle left in the dance, and I'm guessing this > wouldn't > be called in a situation where a give and take was problematic. > > I can't say that these are *good* dances where you pass your > partner mid-set > in a hey; but they're dances. Thanks for the question that got my > brain > choreographing. Hopefully others chip in (especially if I accidentally > re-wrote someone's dance). > > -- > Luke Donev > Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2011 10:50:04 -0400 > From: Richard Hart <rich(a)harts.mv.com> > To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: Re: [Callers] 50% rule > Message-ID: <4E511B1C.4050800(a)harts.mv.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > There's one dance variation that I've recently noticed. > > Recently, I've noticed that callers and dancers have slightly > changed some existing dances. In both cases that I remember (Trip > to Lambertville & Tica Tica Timing) a R&L over has been changed to > a promenade across. Rights and lefts do seem to be more difficult, > especially at bigger dances, and with a larger proportion of > beginners. The promenade does appear to make the dance smoother in > these cases. > > Is it really true that right & lefts are becoming less popular in > large MUCDs? Are other dances being modified in this way now? > > Rich Hart. > > Tom Hinds remarked on 8/21/2011 9:28 AM: >> Jim >> >> Although I can't answer your first question about keeping track of >> all the dances, I can say something about what constitutes a new >> dance. I remember Ted Sannella saying that a dance is new if it >> has 50% new or unique choreography. By his definition if 50% or >> more of the dance is different than any other dance then it's a >> new dance. If a dance has less than 50% it's a variation. >> >> He didn't go into any more specifics and I wasn't wise enough to >> ask any questions. But if you look at some of the old dances >> like Petronella and Hull's victory, they have identical B parts >> and unique A parts. The same applies to Chorus Jig and Rory O' More. >> >> Squares can also follow this 50% rule. For example there are a >> number of squares like Queen's Quadrille that have unique A parts >> while the B part is circle left half, swing corner, promenade. >> >> T >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 84, Issue 16 > ***************************************

14 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] Callers Digest, Vol 84, Issue 15

by Tom Hinds

Jim Although I can't answer your first question about keeping track of all the dances, I can say something about what constitutes a new dance. I remember Ted Sannella saying that a dance is new if it has 50% new or unique choreography. By his definition if 50% or more of the dance is different than any other dance then it's a new dance. If a dance has less than 50% it's a variation. He didn't go into any more specifics and I wasn't wise enough to ask any questions. But if you look at some of the old dances like Petronella and Hull's victory, they have identical B parts and unique A parts. The same applies to Chorus Jig and Rory O' More. Squares can also follow this 50% rule. For example there are a number of squares like Queen's Quadrille that have unique A parts while the B part is circle left half, swing corner, promenade. T

14 years, 3 months

multitides of dances

by Jim Phillips

1 I've always wondered how one can know if choreographers are duplicating some dance that's already been done? Is it pretty much always callers comparing notes or is anyone out there making attempts to catalog dances move by move, maybe in a spreadsheet or something like that? 2 Comparing dances, how much variation between sequences qualifies a dance as an individual separate dance, or is custom that rigid? My question is prompted by: In another thread Linda Leslie wrote about "Rollin To The Grey Eagle" "I have this same dance in my collection with the name "32 Seconds" by Tom Calwell. I don't know who might have written it first." Thanks Jim, Not a caller just lurking.

14 years, 3 months

Contact information for Hank Morris

by Bob Green

Two questions: Does anyone have an email address or contact information for Hank Morris? (please send off-list, thanks) I have the name of his dance as *Rollin' to the Grey Eagle, *but I believe this might not be exactly right, does anyone know for certain? I have rendered a video of the dance for the dance archive that I would like to get his permission to use. thanks, Bob Green

14 years, 4 months

david giusti...

by Laur

David, I know you were on shared weight at one time. Is Contra House your dance and can you post it here for clarification? Thanks - Laur

14 years, 4 months

Non-Alternate Formats

by John Sweeney

In a recent post I defined a contra dance as: - longways for as many as will - first couples Improper, or Becket formation - flowing choreography - no-one stationary for more than 16 beats (e.g. First Couple Balance & Swing, finish facing down to make Lines of Four) - containing at least one swing - 95% of the moves to be from a set of well-know moves that they know already Is that what most Americans understand by a "contra dance"? I asked: Are you allowed to do Proper dances at a "contra dance"? Or a four-couple dance that has all the other characteristics listed above? Or a Sicilian Circle (space allowing)? But got no answer. Taking it a step further - this is a popular dance over here in the UK: Childgrove (Playford 1701) A1: Partner Siding; Partner Dosido A2: Neighbour Siding; Neighbour Dosido B1: Neighbour Two-Hand Turn 1 & 1/2 (skip step) Partner Two-Hand Turn B2: #1s Full Figure Eight up through the #2s (who can cast to turn it into a double-figure-eight if they like) (skip step) It has all the characteristics defined above apart from the swing being replaced by a skipped two-hand turn. And of course the moves may not be all familiar to contra dancers. If I called that at an American contra dance, to great music from a live band, what reaction would I get? Thanks. Just trying to understand. :-) Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent

14 years, 4 months

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