I am also concerned about the decibel levels at our area dances. In
some cases it can, over the long term, cause some hearing loss. I am
also concerned that the high sound levels contribute to a higher
stress level in the hall.
As a caller I work to address this problem with several tactics:
- I try to have the sound on my mike adjusted for more higher
frequencies so that I can be heard clearly.
- I work with the sound engineer to lower the overall volume.
- I give the dancers time to socialize.
- I try to never shout over the socializing but rather use other
attention-getting techniques.
- I establish a predictable routine so the dancers will know exactly
when it is time to quiet down and pay attention.
I would be interested in any other ideas.
- Greg McKenzie
***************
At 04:01 AM 5/27/2010, you wrote:
>Surprisingly it can be damaging over a prolonged time. Decibels are
>measured ( logarithmic scale) from a base line (the existing sound) Nelson's
>baseline for instance would be 40 to 45 decibels, add the crowd talking, add
>another 15-20 and the music and the caller.. total, a scary 95
>plus decibels. Standing at the microphone (next to the speaker
>is higher and is damaging week after week.
>I do contemplate earplugs.
>
>-don
>
>On Wed, May 26, 2010 at 10:50 PM, Chrissy Fowler <ktaadn_me(a)hotmail.com>wrote:
>
> >
> > does anyone on SW know how many decibels a typical contradance is?
> >
> > thx!
> >
> > Chrissy Fowler
> >
> > Belfast
> >
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does anyone on SW know how many decibels a typical contradance is?
thx!
Chrissy Fowler
Belfast
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Hello friends,
I received the following message from a local sound tech, and found to my dismay that my wireless mike, and many others, become illegal in three weeks. I encourage anyone with a wireless mike who isn't familiar with this imminent policy to follow the links below. Meanwhile, a quick plea for advice: I have been very pleased with my Samson Airline system, recommended to me by users of this listserv, and would love to know what Samson Airline systems you all would recommend that don't operate in the 698-806 MHz band. Thanks --Jeremy, Southern CA
In January 2010, the FCC announced that the operation of wireless microphones in the 700 MHz band (698 – 806 MHz) will not be permitted after June 12, 2010. These frequencies have been reallocated for new wireless communication services (cell phones and public service).
For more information: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/wirelessmicrophones/
To see if your wireless microphone operates on the 700 MHz band, go to; http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/wirelessmicrophones/manufacturers.html
Click on the name of the manufacturer and see if your model is listed.
If it is listed, it is a 700 MHz wireless microphone and can not be used (sold or repaired) after June 12, 2010.
If you can find your manufacturer’s name and your equipment is not listed, then you may continue using your wireless microphone because it does not operate in the 700 MHz Band.
If your manufacturer is not listed, please contact the FCC for additional assistance.
Some of the 700 MHz equipment can be modified and there are trade-in rebates available.
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I'm sorry that my posts have such odd, hard-to-read, extra formatting/spacing. I've asked Seth and Chris (our SW hosts) for advice. Hopefully we'll figure out a solution. -Chrissy Fowler
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I echo the sentiments of others who've noted how satisfying (and fun!) it can be to work w high school students. I've found them to be high-energy, quick learners.
It's great to see what others use for tried & true dances in this sort of situation. (Hooray for Shared Weight!)
Usually for a one-time session w total beginners, I don't even use lady/gent terms. It's not worth it. As others point out, it's better to use the time to dance.
That said... When I visit schools to teach high-schoolers near our local series (which has lots of dancers teens/20s) I purposely do dances that nominally have lady/gent roles because (a) the students may well come to a public dance, and (b) the roles are a part of this dance form's history & culture. I also give the teacher some free passes to our dance, in case students want to check it out. (Of course, to date, none if those passes have been redeemed...)
I point out that contra dancing is social dance, do a little "social graces" or "charm school" lesson in how to invite (I exaggerate this to the absurd, but it has the effect of increasing the smiles/cheerfulness/inclusivity of the invitation process), note that anyone can invite anyone else to dance, and that there are roles (lady, gent) which can be danced by either gender. I bring a bag of neckties (a big attraction!) to identify 'gents' in same gender couples.
I usually start w a variant of La Bastringue as a partner keeper, teaching these things: 8 count phrases, walking steps, connected circle, allemandes, do-si-do, a walking swing in ballroom position, leaving lady on right after swing, promenade, partner/neighbor. The rest of the dances I call as having roles, but if the roles get confused, it doesn't matter.
Here are some of the dances I choose from (obviously not all in one session!) If you don't already know them, they should be easy to find, esp if you have access to the NE Dance Masters resources. Note: Every one of these can be done w/o gender roles.
Longways sets:
Galopede
Sweets of May
Flat Tire (Amidon & students)
Le Brandy/123 Poussez
Sicilian Circle or Contra:
ZOM Out (Zoe, Olivia, Molly)
Haste to the Wedding
Family Contra (Sherri Nevins)
Mariposa (Fred Breunig)
Jefferson & Liberty
The Black Joke
Scattered foursomes:
Chaos Mixer
Duck for Oyster, Dive for Clam (variant)
Squares:
Cumberland Square 8
Other simple hash squares
Circles:
La Bastringue mixer (variant)
Heel & Toe Polka mixer (very popular!)
If I can see a group more than once, and it's a large group, I sometimes include the Fan Dance (aka hat/flower/broom dance), which is also usually quite popular. And, if it's lots of time or several sessions w the same students, I might do an unequal contra, such as one with full ladies chain (eg Lady of the Lake - which has a long tradition in Maine) or more complicated progression (eg Broken Sixpence)
Cheers!
Chrissy Fowler
Belfast, ME
Message: 2
Date: Fri, 21 May 2010 10:33:42 -0400
From: "Grunzweig, Noah C." GRUNZWEI(a)mail.etsu.edu
(...) call a contra dance for a highschool class of about 30-40 students. I would like to reach out for advice on working with not only youth, but total groups of non-dancers. (...) the dance will only be one hour and i was asked to do contra dances. (...)
Noah Grunzweig
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I'm looking for a family dance called Zodiac. I've checked the books
I have on hand and have not found it. Does anyone know it, and can it
be shared?
Thanks,
Nancy Turner
Waitsfield VT
In case you don't have the lyrics, here's the version I've done with
motions. I always do it with a partner as part of the dance because
they see what I'm doing and do it along with, no explaining necessary.
People line up with a partner across from them, and take crossed
hands to start, facing across the set. The hands pump back and forth
(sort of a sawing motion) while the first line is sung. There are
movements for each set of lyrics in the song - I'll put them under
the words.
The tune for some of the lyrics is like the first part of Shortnin'
Bread (Mama's little baby... etc.), the tune for others is like the
second part (Called for the doctor, doctor said.....) I'll write Tune
A or Tune B
1) Here comes Zodiac, Zodiac, Zodiac, here comes Zodiac all night
long. (Repeat). (Tune A)
Hands crossed with sawing motion across set as mentioned above.
2) Step-back Sally, make a little alley, step back Sally all night
long. (One time on all the rest)(Tune A)
Drop hands, hold hands up to sides (like stick-em-up) and rotate
hands back and forth rapidly while stepping back away from partner to
make an "alley" down center of set.
3) Here comes Sally, walking down the alley, here comes Sally, all
night long. (One time) (Tune A)
The top couple saunters hand in hand down the set, while everyone
puts one hand out toward them, palm up and follows them down the set
with it (usually right on right hand side and left on left - you
don't have to say, just show, and it usually happens that way)
4) I looked down the alley, and what did I see? A big fat man from
Tennessee (Tune B)
Hand flat above eyes as if looking far off up the alley for first
part, then hands delineate a large belly.
5) I betcha five dollars, you can't do this: (This part is first part
of Tune B) Front, back, side side side, front back, side side side
(this part is essentially chanted while it's done)
Hold up five fingers for the five dollars, then drop hands and jump
forward, backward, and then to right left and right again rapidly in
time with saying it, and do that jumping again.
6) Called for the doctor, the doctor said, "Ooh, aah, I've got a pain
in my head!" (Tune B mostly)
Hands to mouth as if calling, then point to head. This word can
optionally be changed during the dance - elbow, neck, knee, toe,
whatever and point as appropriate
7) Everyone says "Ooh, Aah, Ooh, Aah, Ooh, Aah, Ooh, Aah" as they
move one step at a time towards their partners again and take hands.
Dance repeats with new people walking down the alley. Goes as long as
seems appropriate. If you make the motion for each part really big
everyone knows what you'll be doing.
> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 23 May 2010 07:35:27 -0400
> From: Nancy Turner <nancyturner(a)madriver.com>
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: [Callers] Looking for Family Dance called Zodiac
> Message-ID: <3E7F4D8D-D5D5-4B0D-8DB1-4A4622FDCAD0(a)madriver.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
>
> I'm looking for a family dance called Zodiac. I've checked the books
> I have on hand and have not found it. Does anyone know it, and can it
> be shared?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Nancy Turner
> Waitsfield VT
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Sun, 23 May 2010 09:26:24 -0400
> From: "Beth Parkes" <ebay(a)hands4.com>
> To: "'Caller's discussion list'" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Looking for Family Dance called Zodiac
> Message-ID: <00cc01cafa7b$8ad55a80$a0800f80$(a)hands4.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> It's in Paul Rosenberg's "Peel the Banana"
> http://www.homespun.biz/peelcd.htm
>
> The dance is based on an old jumprope rhyme, which uses the tune of
> "Shortnin' Bread."
>
> If you google "here comes zodiac, zodiac, zodiac" you may find some
> versions
> of lyrics.
>
> HTH,
> Beth
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-
>> bounces(a)sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Nancy Turner
>> Sent: Sunday, May 23, 2010 7:35 AM
>> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> Subject: [Callers] Looking for Family Dance called Zodiac
>>
>> I'm looking for a family dance called Zodiac. I've checked the
>> books I
> have on
>> hand and have not found it. Does anyone know it, and can it be
>> shared?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Nancy Turner
>> Waitsfield VT
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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 69, Issue 16
> ***************************************
So, i hope this is being sent to the appropriate network. I was asked recently to call a contra dance for a highschool class of about 30-40 students. I would like to reach out for advice on working with not only youth, but total groups of non-dancers. in my experience, youth picks up rather quickly, but the last time i worked with a summer camp i spent waaay to much time instructing, so i wanted to see if i could get some pointers. any dance selections that you folks have found particularly friendly? the dance will only be one hour and i was asked to do contra dances. i am, at this point, planning on circle dances or mixers and a whole set dance like VA Reel; though, i would like to do a contra. dog branch reel or a dance where there is little or no crossing the set and pleanty of forgiving moments should there be confusion (which obviously should be mediated in the walkthru/lesson). so, that is where i am. any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciate.
peace.
Noah Grunzweig
I called for 200 high school girls at a Catholic girls school once,
and I've frequently called for the Waldorf School in San Diego (50 or
more elementary school age kids). Definitely work up to a contra by
doing other things first and the Virginia Reel before it. For the
younger ones I do some play-party dances like Jump Jim Joe and Zodiac
as I work up to contras.
I have called one contra numerous times and had it work quite well:
Ellen's Green Jig (duple improper)
I don't have my cards with me as I'm on a business trip so I
apologize for forgetting the author at the moment, maybe someone else
can provide it)
A1 Do-si-do neighbor
1's do-si-so
A2 #1's balance and swing
B1 Circle left with couple below
Circle right back
B2 Duck for the oyster etc. (2's arch, 1's peek to start, reverse,
last time 1's go all the way through to face a new couple)
This can be altered to a shorter swing if desired (sometimes a long
swing is hard for new people):
A1 Do si do neighbor
Women do si do
A2 Men do si do
1's swing
(rest same)
The alteration is courtesy of Graham Hempel, a caller from San Diego.
One potential snag is to be sure to instruct people that they need to
be back in their original orientation for the dip and dive - I have
seen people do it perpendicular to the line of the dance.
This has the virtue that you are touching people a lot so as not to
get lost, and the progression is supremely obvious. In addition, it
is remarkably gender neutral - if people open up on the wrong "side"
after the swing, who cares, just do-si-so the next - at least for the
first version. For the second it is written gender wise, but you
could just say 1st corners do si do and 2nd corners do si do if you
give them an idea what that means. The first version worked pretty
well with 200 high school girls. I modified the swing a bit - had
them do a two hand turn instead.
Good luck.
Martha Wild
On May 21, 2010, at 1:19 PM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
> (Greg McKenzie)
> 2. Re: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
> (Lewis Land)
> 3. Re: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
> (JD Erskine)
> 4. Re: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
> (Barbara Groh)
> 5. Re: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
> (Jon Southard)
> 6. Re: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
> (Richard Hart)
> 7. Re: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
> (Delia Clark)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> ***************************************
I have a challenge coming up next month, and I'm hoping that some of the
folks out there who have experience both in the MWSD and contra worlds
may be able to help me out. The issue: What's the best way to introduce
contra to current MWSD folks.
I was invited to call contras for a local MWSD group whose caller is out
of town at the national convention. As things have turned out, the
group decided to combine with another local club (whose caller is not
going out of town) for the evening, so I'll be doing 90 minutes of
contras and then the regular caller will do the rest of the evening of
squares. I'll be working with recorded music, but much of it will be
recordings done at live dances, which hopefully will give some of the
feel. I'm also hoping to import some of our regular contra dancers both
So... Does anyone have thoughts on what I should/will need to emphasize
in teaching to get MWSD folks doing contras? From what I've been
reading/watching, most of the moves that we have in common take *about*
the same amount of time, but generally will be on the shorter side. I'm
hoping that I'll be able to get them feeling not just the beat but the
phrase of the music so that we don't have the move wait call move wait
call that I see in so many MWSD videos.
I also know that they're not going to be used to longer swings, so I'm
planning to talk about that, and the connection to partner and neighbor,
and the opportunity for flourishes that longer swings (and slightly more
time on the moves in general can allow).
Then we get into allemandes, waves and such, all of which they're used
to doing hands down, rather than hands up elbows down like you generally
do in a contra dance. When you get into things like balances, rory
o'mores and such, they're really going to need the weight that you can
get more easily with a hands up allemande/wave, but how likely am I to
be able to overcome training and muscle memory?
Do folks have suggestions for any other problem moves (in that they mean
one thing in MWSD and a completely -- or just enough to be troublesome
-- different thing in contra)? Any things that might work particularly
well? Anyone done this already and have war stories (or better still,
success stories)?
Thanks!
Jack Mitchell
Durham, NC
