Depending on your equipment, it's not that hard to do yourself, assuming you
have a way to play the records. Hook up a connection from an amplifier to your
computer-- I use RCA lugs into an adapter that takes two RCA inputs (L & R
channel, though most of those old recordings are mono) and ends in a mini-plug,
which goes into my computer. (Note: you do better go through your amplifier than
directly from the record player.)
Use Audacity
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
to record the program and to trim the scratches at either end. Audacity is free,
and has audio editing capabilities that allow you to clean up the sound.
I also recommend ClickRepair:
http://www.clickrepair.net/software_download/clickrepair.html
as a wonderful program-- though not free--for getting rid of clicks and crackles
that come with old records.
It's also worth checking iTunes or Amazon's music downloads to see if any of the
material in question is already available. A surprising amount of older material
is already available in digitial format. At $.99 a cut, it's often simpler to
pay the money and let others have done the work for you.
David Millstone
Lebanon, NH
Hi all,
Wondering if anyone out there in Shared Weight land has suggestions for ways (or places) to have music transferred from 45 rpm recordings to CD/digital.
I'm asking on behalf of a community of folks here in Maine who are reviving a generations-old tradition of square dancing, and for many of the people who grew up in the tradition, hearing the particular familiar version of the music is a big part of their connection to (and nostalgia for) the various dances.
Thanks!
Chrissy Fowler
(Belfast, ME)
Donna Hunt mentioned the possibility that CDSS has resources on starting a
new contra dance series. They have a wide range of material, much of it at:
http://www.cdss.org/advice-howto.html
The "college" and "community" links lead to much more information.
David Chandler
On Mon, Feb 28, 2011 at 12:00 PM, <callers-request(a)sharedweight.net> wrote:
> <snip>
> On 2/25/2011 12:47 PM, Dhuntdancer(a)aol.com wrote:
> >
> > Hi:
> > Someone asked me how to go about starting new contra dance? series.?
> Rather
> > than start from scratch making a list of everything to? consider when
> > starting out, I'm wondering if any of you have a list or if? there is an
> online
> > resource for this.? Perhaps CDSS has something?
> >
> > Donna Hunt
> > "Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while? we're here we should
> > dance." -unknown
> > _______________________________________________
> > 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
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
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>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 78, Issue 28
> ***************************************
>
Cast Off variations:
In my experience as a dancer & caller (mostly in northern New England) it's called a cast off when someone approaches another person from a disconnected position (as in actives coming up the center of the set and walking around the inactives). Sometimes it's done w arms around back, sometimes no hands w the connection just eye-contact. In this case, active always walks forward, inactive backs up.
I think of a hand cast as being a similar figure, but starting from a connected position (as in line of four down center, return, hand cast to face across.) In this case it's done w a hand hold (nicely elastic tension) and the center people walk forward while the ends back up (giving the center folks a great whoosh/momentum sensation, sometimes w a bit of a crack-the-whip feel).
I think of a wheel around as being either the hand hold or the arm around the back. Somehow I think of that term more in squares, although I use 'wheel around' when explaining how to (a) turn as a twosome for a same gender R&L thru or (b) turn as a couple midway through a four in line down the hall & back.
Pivot Point:
In all of these cases, I think of it as both people moving, but with the person who's moving forward doing more of the moving (so their path is longer) especially on the hand cast. The backer-upper moves in a circular track/arc too (they're definitely not the pivot point) but it's unequal... they move in a smaller arc than the mover-forwarder, again especially on the hand cast. And I think that if you took a long exposure photo of a hand cast and had a light on the joined hands, that connection would also be an arc. But who knows!
There must be a physics concept to illustrate this pivot point thing. I'd love to see the formula. Or, alternatively, the time release photo.
Fun to explore language concepts!
Chrissy Fowler
Belfast ME
Query: How do you do the Cast Off in your area?
I am surprised that the only variation mentioned so far is where the
pivot point is (and I would agree with Colin on that - it is always
intended to be between the two dancers, but anything can happen!).
Depending on the background and skills of the dancers I also see
variations such as:
- the gatepost faces in the opposite direction to the active dancer
instead of the same direction
- connection can be via hand-hold, elbow-hook hold or arm around the
back
- if connection is with the hand then it can follow the convention of
man offering from below, or gatepost offering from below
The face-opposite-directions and elbow-hook hold is great for doing an
extra half turn and switching partners if the dance allows for it :-)
There is also variation in naming - Cast Off, Hand Cast, Wheel Around,
Gate, etc.
I am not sure it is a regional thing - more a matter of where and how
you first learnt to do it.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 &
07802 940 574
http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events, Instructional DVDs and
Interactive Maps
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Contra Dancing in Kent
Hi:
Someone asked me how to go about starting new contra dance series. Rather
than start from scratch making a list of everything to consider when
starting out, I'm wondering if any of you have a list or if there is an online
resource for this. Perhaps CDSS has something?
Donna Hunt
"Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should
dance." -unknown
I'll be touring in North America October next year. If your group
might be interested in booking me to run dances or workshops, please
see http://www.colinhume.com/tour.htm
Colin Hume
Jeff Kaufman asked where dancers dance the cast off with the twos
acting as the pivot point. One place for sure is the Washington DC
area (that's my original dance community). But I'm talking more
about the past when we did the older dances.
Some dancers responded to me directly. Two dancers from the same
dance community reported completely different answers. One caller
made the point that it's very rare for a caller to go over the fine
points of a cast off. I think this is a good point since there are
so many other things to teach, like safety (safe allemandes), timing,
how to do the more common moves well etc. The finer points of a cast
of are relatively speaking not that important.
Thanks to all of you for helping me out on this.
I wrote a couple dances to fill gaps in the program at this evening's
Pittsburgh dance, and they both went quite well. But since they were
inspired by a number of other dances there's a good chance they already
exist. Anybody recognize either of these?
Dance A
Becket (ccw)
A1:
(8) Long lines forward; on the way back, men roll partner away
(8) Pass through across. Each person turns 1/4 to their right and everyone
walk single file around the set to the next neighbors
A2:
(8) Right hand star once around with new neighbors (hands across)
(8) Gents drop out, Women allemande right 1 1/2
B1:
(16) Balance and swing neighbor
B2:
(8) Men allemande left 1 1/2
(8) Swing partner
Note: The single file promenade flows nicely into the hands across star if
the gents take right hand as they pass each other and the women fall in
behind them.
Dance B
Becket (cw)
A1:
(8) Long lines forward and back
(8) Right and left through
A2:
(8) Circle left 3/4
(8) Neighbor swing
B1:
(8) Ladies chain on the left diagonal (to shadow)
(8) Give right hands to the person across the set, balance, pull by right.
Pull by shadow left. [like a piece of an interrupted square through]
B2:
(16) Balance and swing partner
Thanks,
Bronwyn
I'm in the process of writing a book on the ins and outs of
choreography. The last chapter is a glossary of uncommon moves used
in contras. I remember, maybe 15 years ago, someone wrote a dance
that used a move called a hockey stick. Does anyone know the dance/
know the move? My memory is that dancers walk across the set single
file and then turn a quarter and move either up or down.
Also, I may have discovered some regional differences in the move
cast off. I realize that cast off isn't done as much as it was many
years ago, but I wanted to know how you do it in your area. Say the
ones go down the hall, return and cast off with the twos. Do the
twos act as a pivot point? Or do the twos back up while the ones
cast (the pivot is between the dancers).
Thanks for you help!!!!
Tom
