Contra Callers

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

8 participants
4417 discussions

Re: [Callers] Easy ONS dances and circle left, circle right

by Martha Wild

We have an introductory lesson before each contra and I always start with circle left and circle right and into the middle and out, exactly as Keith describes. I count during the movement, and call just before the counts, then I do it again and deedle a tune and prompt again. I use it to point out that you use a walking step during the dancing, that the dancing is in phrases of 8, that there is one step per beat, that I will prompt just before each move. I encourage the dancers to be connected to the other dancers with a bend to the arm and a bit of pull, tension, or "weight" in the hold. Even for new dancers that get this easily (and there are a few who don't) going through this may make those who are nervous about dancing feel confident that they'll be able to follow the teaching and do the dancing. I don't feel it is patronizing at all - it's an orientation. Martha On Apr 29, 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. Re: easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report > (Keith Tuxhorn) > 2. Re: easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report (Tina > Fields) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:25:19 -0500 > From: Keith Tuxhorn <keithlmt(a)gmail.com> > To: millstone(a)valley.net, "Caller's discussion list" > <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: Re: [Callers] easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report > Message-ID: <BANLkTinp4oHzWGeST2dO+QdD-Dg8PmNpmQ(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > I once had a caller say to me "I would never patronize a group by > teaching > them circle left and circle right." But he didn't really get the > point: I'm > not teaching circle left and circle right. The purpose of the first > dance of > the evening is to teach them to listen to the caller. > > Beth, whatever caller said this to you is probably not a very > observant > caller. Sounds like he's assume that hearing and hitting a beat is > something > inbred in us all, and just like breathing for anyone who's ever > danced, when > there's a huge percentage of people who either aren't raised with a > sense of > rhythm, or have to take time to learn it. > > I called a farmers' market dance two weekends ago. Because the > experienced > dancers arrived late, my first group dance was with 7-8 mothers and > their > 3-6-year-old kids who'd been hopping around to the band's warmups. > I called > "Circle Dance" at about 1/3 speed so the moms could lead the kids > around--it > was great! I did a few dances with the regular dancers, then the moms > requested another dance for the kids. I did the same dance, this > time with > the regular dancers included in the half-speed version. they all > enjoyed it. > > Beth, you said it (as did Tony, Dudley, and others): Make sure the > dancers > succeed, at whatever level they're dancing. Approaches should > change for > every audience you call for... > > David, great point about how to keep people involved. Make them > earn their > cake....! > > Keith Tuxhorn > Austin, TX > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:56:35 -0700 (PDT) > From: Tina Fields <tfields8(a)yahoo.com> > To: callers(a)sharedweight.net > Subject: Re: [Callers] easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report > Message-ID: <466613.87675.qm(a)web180101.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > Beth said, >>>> "I "teach" people to listen to me during the first dance. I >>>> start with a big >>>> circle. I teach the group the following: Walk to the left, walk >>>> to the right, >>>> go into the center 3 steps, come back and do-si-do. After that >>>> I start the >>>> music and call hash of those. I also add promenade on the fly >>>> during the >>>> dancing. I once had a caller say to me "I would never patronize >>>> a group by >>>> teaching them circle left and circle right." But he didn't >>>> really get the >>>> point: I'm not teaching circle left and circle right. The >>>> purpose of the first >>>> dance of the evening is to teach them to listen to the >>>> caller.  Since the >>>> dance is hashed, they never know what is coming and they must >>>> listen. Saying >>>> "listen" doesn't work, you teach them to listen with your >>>> voice. Making them >>>> listen is the key. If you get them on board at the beginning >>>> the evening >>>> everything else will go well."<<<<SNIP more good stuff >>>> > > Yes, I agree completely - and that's what I did. By saying I began > with a "hash > circle dance" I meant something very similar to your method: we did > circle L, R, > into the middle w/ a shout, do-si-dos w/N & P, plus allemande and > swing, with > variations. And they were into it. But still, a few dances later, > once the > dancers had been walked through a dance and also done it a couple > of times to > the music, one line got off & it was clear that they weren't > hearing my prompts > (due to sound glitches), or weren't heeding them if they did hear > them. Their > excitement fed their cheerful chattering, so that was overall an > okay thing - > after all, who wants a deathly silent barn dance? (Yeah, Beth, I'm > with you > about the 'tude!) So I didn't know what to do besides keep calling > and go over > there to physically prompt some big group moves like "head gent > leads gents > single file around the line of ladies now" as well, which I did. > > Their being off, plus talking a lot, plus the sound weakness is > what made me > think that it would have been a good idea, when I taught the next > one, to > overtly mention the importance of continuing to listen to the > caller. (I don't > know, though, as I didn't think of that till the dance was over.) > > Would you do something else in this case? Writing this after > musing over your > commentary, I think now maybe I should have initially hash-called > more over the > music in real time. I did it fully w/o music and a couple of times > through with, > but didn't do it long up to tempo, so maybe some of the dancers got > the idea > that once the music started, they were on their own. Hm. Thoughts, > ideas, more > strategies welcome. These little things can really affect a dance! > > David M. then brought up the shrewd strategy of not letting ONS > dancers sit down > (meaning they might stay away forever). Again, I agree - I've > experienced that > too, and am totally on board with the plan to continually "dance > for 45 minutes > before they cut the cake". Yet in this case, even though I held > that intent > (albeit with two planned halves as the organizers wanted 1.5 hours > of dancing), > a couple of times the dads bolted for the cool drinks in the > kitchen as soon as > a dance stopped! So I just let it go with their flow, then called > them back for > another dance after a little while when their faces seemed less red > again. :-> > And they came. Their daughters did need to earn their badges, after > all. > > Given that behavior, would you do something different? If so, what? > > Beth, also thanks for the tip about Marian Rose's books. > > Tina > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers(a)sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > > End of Callers Digest, Vol 80, Issue 14 > ***************************************

14 years, 7 months

Re: [Callers] easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report

by Tina Fields

Becky Nankivell said, <snip> Depending on the event, the length scheduled, and the<BR>crowd, you could conceivably announce and establish at the start that<BR>there will be short sets of ~2-3 dances with breaks between, so they<BR>know that they'll have the breaks coming. >snip> That makes so much sense! Of course folks are more likely to fully stick around & participate when they know roughly what's coming - in this case, the breaks. It's the same with any kind of teaching. I'll do that in future. Thank you. Tina

14 years, 7 months

Re: [Callers] easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report

by Becky Nankivell

Concerning letting 'em sit or not -- I'd say that depends on the event. If it's billed as a dance event, then, counter-intuitively, I'd let them socialize more frequently because the socializing is really the point under it all, and the dancing is an excuse. They will have dancing in mind. Depending on the event, the length scheduled, and the crowd, you could conceivably announce and establish at the start that there will be short sets of ~2-3 dances with breaks between, so they know that they'll have the breaks coming. Even more than a couple of dances in a row will be stretch for folks who have come because of social obligation, rather than a particular enthusiasm for dancing. :-) If it's a wedding reception with some dancing, yes, do it all at once, because there are lots of other things to be accomplished. In the end throw away any expectations of the kind of continuous dancing you have at a regularly scheduled evening. ~ Becky Nankivell Tucson, Ariz. and Long Beach, Calif. Tina wrote: David M. then brought up the shrewd strategy of not letting ONS dancers sit down (meaning they might stay away forever). Again, I agree - I've experienced that too, and am totally on board with the plan to continually "dance for 45 minutes before they cut the cake". Yet in this case, even though I held that intent (albeit with two planned halves as the organizers wanted 1.5 hours of dancing), a couple of times the dads bolted for the cool drinks in the kitchen as soon as a dance stopped! So I just let it go with their flow, then called them back for another dance after a little while when their faces seemed less red again. :-> And they came. Their daughters did need to earn their badges, after all. Given that behavior, would you do something different? If so, what? Beth, also thanks for the tip about Marian Rose's books. Tina

14 years, 7 months

Re: [Callers] easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report

by Tina Fields

Beth said, >>>"I "teach" people to listen to me during the first dance. I start with a big >>>circle. I teach the group the following: Walk to the left, walk to the right, >>>go into the center 3 steps, come back and do-si-do. After that I start the >>>music and call hash of those. I also add promenade on the fly during the >>>dancing. I once had a caller say to me "I would never patronize a group by >>>teaching them circle left and circle right." But he didn't really get the >>>point: I'm not teaching circle left and circle right. The purpose of the first >>>dance of the evening is to teach them to listen to the caller.  Since the >>>dance is hashed, they never know what is coming and they must listen. Saying >>>"listen" doesn't work, you teach them to listen with your voice. Making them >>>listen is the key. If you get them on board at the beginning the evening >>>everything else will go well."<<<<SNIP more good stuff >>> Yes, I agree completely - and that's what I did. By saying I began with a "hash circle dance" I meant something very similar to your method: we did circle L, R, into the middle w/ a shout, do-si-dos w/N & P, plus allemande and swing, with variations. And they were into it. But still, a few dances later, once the dancers had been walked through a dance and also done it a couple of times to the music, one line got off & it was clear that they weren't hearing my prompts (due to sound glitches), or weren't heeding them if they did hear them. Their excitement fed their cheerful chattering, so that was overall an okay thing - after all, who wants a deathly silent barn dance? (Yeah, Beth, I'm with you about the 'tude!) So I didn't know what to do besides keep calling and go over there to physically prompt some big group moves like "head gent leads gents single file around the line of ladies now" as well, which I did. Their being off, plus talking a lot, plus the sound weakness is what made me think that it would have been a good idea, when I taught the next one, to overtly mention the importance of continuing to listen to the caller. (I don't know, though, as I didn't think of that till the dance was over.) Would you do something else in this case? Writing this after musing over your commentary, I think now maybe I should have initially hash-called more over the music in real time. I did it fully w/o music and a couple of times through with, but didn't do it long up to tempo, so maybe some of the dancers got the idea that once the music started, they were on their own. Hm. Thoughts, ideas, more strategies welcome. These little things can really affect a dance! David M. then brought up the shrewd strategy of not letting ONS dancers sit down (meaning they might stay away forever). Again, I agree - I've experienced that too, and am totally on board with the plan to continually "dance for 45 minutes before they cut the cake". Yet in this case, even though I held that intent (albeit with two planned halves as the organizers wanted 1.5 hours of dancing), a couple of times the dads bolted for the cool drinks in the kitchen as soon as a dance stopped! So I just let it go with their flow, then called them back for another dance after a little while when their faces seemed less red again. :-> And they came. Their daughters did need to earn their badges, after all. Given that behavior, would you do something different? If so, what? Beth, also thanks for the tip about Marian Rose's books. Tina

14 years, 7 months

Re: [Callers] easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report

by David.Millstone＠valley.net

I'll just add one thing to Beth's comments: She said, "Short teachers are important" and she cited Tony saying, "Keep them moving." Part of the "keep them moving" idea, in my mind, is to follow one dance immediately with another. Don't let 'em sit down. They just finished a dance and applauded the band... get 'em lined up /squared up / circled up right away while the energy is there. I learned from Dudley when booking wedding gigs to insist on 45 minutes of dancing before the cake is cut... after that, who knows if you'll be able to gather up enough for the dancing to resume. David Millstone

14 years, 7 months

Re: [Callers] easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report

by Tina Fields

"Let us know how it goes!" Alan Winston requested, after so many of you kindly expounded on your favorite ONS dances that are not mixers. So here's the report: The "Me and My Cowboy" Girl Scout father-daughter dance was unlike anything else I'd ever called before. The hall was packed with 130 parent-child couples wearing nominal cowboy gear (bandanas, cowboy hats/boots, checked shirts). It was decked out like old west movies, with hay bales, cow horns, and a "Wanted!" booth where you could stick your face in for a photo. (That was great - our fiddler, Jon Berger, looked like a rabbi on the lam.) The band was one I've worked with numerous times before - fiddle, piano, & horns. It was so wonderful to be able to provide employment for my friends! Our planned sound man couldn't make it, but he loaned us the equipment anyway. I transported it and our pianist set it up & ran it, having been a professional sound engineer for 6 yrs in times past. The participants were really into it. I felt touched by the sight of these dads gleefully dancing with their daughters. What a blessing in these girls' life. And they earned a badge! (I want a dancing badge now, don't you?) I opened with a little hash circle dance which I led from the floor, to get them out there and teach them the basic moves. The program then went: 1. Circassian Circle (altered to be a Sicilian keeper) 2. Sicilian Circle of Fun 3. Weaver Jig (longways set) 4. I Want to Be Near You (singing square) 5. White Mt Reel (longways set) Break (had a few brief ones already too) 1. Sasha! (scatter mixer) 2. Four Around Four (longways set) 3. Le Brandy (longways set with a goofy component) I had originally planned to also include Galopede, Do Si Three, and/or Virginia Reel in the second half. The program wound up being shortened and simplified, as (1) they needed more short breaks than I'd anticipated, and (2) problems ensued: my mic sound left something to be desired, plus (3) the dancers, excited, kept talking through the teaching and dancing both, which made it rough to move the dance forward and to keep them together. For example, one of the longways sets lost the sequence of moves, and even though I kept calling, they wouldn't do what I said; they just floundered around making up a new one. They had fun and likely never even knew they were screwing up, but I felt somewhat frustrated by my inability to get them back on track. In hindsight, I wish I'd simply made the overt point that it's very important to still listen to the caller after the dance begins. That's my biggest takeaway for future ONS gig improvement. They really might not have known to do that. Ultimately, the evening was a success. The girls and their dads all had fun. The Girl Scouts organizers were happy with us, and to show it, they gave us a very sweet tip - each of the envelopes containing our pay were taped to boxes of Thin Mints!

14 years, 7 months

Re: [Callers] FInding a Source for Dutch Crossing

by David.Millstone＠VALLEY.NET

The original Dutch Crossing was written by Ernst van Brakel and was first published in Colin Hume's "Dances with a Difference 3." The dance was originally set to a tune "The Merry Lads of Ayr" from the RSCDS book #1, but then Colin Hume composed a tune for it. That version of dance has directions on Colin's website here: http://www.colinhume.com/inst6.htm#DutchCrossing You can find Joseph Pimentel's variation, "Yankee Dutch Crossing," in his Cardinal Collection book, which is available from CDSS. In most camp settings, callers set aside an hour or so for a Dutch Crossing Workshop. At one camp, I had already taught many dancers Rod's Quad #2 (Rod Linnell), another 8-couple dance, and th other caller who taught Dutch Crossing felt that it went much more quickly because people had experienced the other one first. David Millstone Lebanon, NH

14 years, 7 months

FInding a Source for Dutch Crossing

by Sarah Ziegi

Hello all, I'm new to the listserve- I'm a caller from Syracuse, NY and was wondering if anyone out there could help me out. I've been meaning to learn to call Dutch Crossing for a while now, and an upcoming dance weekend that I'll be at is hoping to include it in their program. I've danced it and watched videos of it and I have a pretty good idea how I'm going to teach it, but I was wondering where to find a hard copy source for the dance. I found one online by Colin Hume that seems to be the English version, which I guess is the original? Is the version typically taught at contra weekends Joseph Pimentel's Yankee Dutch Crossing? Is there a website or a book out there that has a written form of the dance? Thanks for any help, Sarah VanNorstrand

14 years, 7 months

Fwd: Callers Insurance 2011-2012

by Chris Weiler

-------- Original Message --------Hello callers! CDSS Caller's Liability Insurance forms and fees for they year beginning May 1 2011-2012 are now online at http://www.cdss.org/callers-liability-insurance.html. Please, if you have events you need covered in the first three weeks of May, use the e-mail form/pay by credit card option. Fees for basic insurance have not been increased this year, but there is now a $10 fee per additional insured. Thanks, Jeff Martell Sales and Group Services Manager

14 years, 7 months

What makes a caller a great caller?

by Will Kruse

Hello from Seattle! I'd love to hear your thoughts on what separates good callers from great callers? Is it their selections of dances? That they call their own dances? Their ability to compose an evening of dancing? Their personal charm? Their connection with the band? Their intimate knowledge of how the dance, the music, and the dancers all flow together? I'm especially interested to hear from dance organizers what they look for when they consider booking a caller? I suspect this second question may have a separate answer from the first :-) Curiosity abounds as my mind begins to explore the calling space :-) Will "now, from Seattle!" Kruse

14 years, 7 months

Jump to page:

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Contra Callers