Live in or visiting Oregon? Consider booking a date to perform for the 2009-2010 season near Coos Bay! We dance on the third Sat. of each month; open calling slots include:
September 19
October 17
November 21
December 5 (first Saturday, not third Saturday)
January 16
February 20
March 20
April 17
May 15
Now in its 11th year, this dance typically draws 30 to 50 enthusiastic dancers. If you've never called or played here, be aware that about half of the dancers are beginners, and children are welcomed into the lines. Callers are encouraged to be prepared with easy dances; it's a great opportunity to practice your patience and skill in teaching new moves. But our cadre of experienced dancers will welcome more challenging material later in the evening.
It may be a long trek here from wherever you are, and the pay may not excite you: $75 for the caller. But there are some benefits to calling and playing here.
The first benefit is the beautiful coast itself. Why not bring your family or friends for a long weekend?
Another benefit is our hospitality. We'll put you up in comfortable homes with friendly people. Eat, laugh, play music till all hours, and make new friends.
What we offer the most of is appreciation. If you play or call for us, you're helping make contra dancing happen in a community where it means a lot. Because we're far from larger communities, we don't have a lot of opportunities to contra dance other than our own monthly dance. We love to dance, and we can't do it without you. You'll be able to tell how much the dancers appreciate the music and the calling. Ask anyone who's played or called here recently. Thanks for considering!
Best regards,
Stacy Rose
rosecontra(a)yahoo.com
541.756.4701
1572 Grant St.
North Bend, OR 97459
Hi Will,
I am not familiar with the dance, but there are errors in the transcription that I think I can shed some light on. The dance as I have it diagrammed should read like this:
A1 (8) Pass through across to an ocean wave, balance the wave (ladies have lh, rh with partner)
(8) Walk forward to shadow and gypsy once around (or dosido,but I like the gypsy here much better)
A2 (8) Return to partner and taking RH w/partner in a wave, balance the wave
(8) Gents Allemande Left 1/2, balance the wave
B1 (4) Walk forward to new Neighbor
(12) Neighbor swing
B2 (4) Give & Take (go forward, women bring partner back to their side of the set)
(12) Swing Partner on Women¹s side
The diagramming of the choreography of the dance you described did not fit, but this fits the flow, and progresses. Unfortunately, I do not have the title or author of the dance. Perhaps someone else on the list will recognize it?
Dave Colestock
www.davecolestock.com
--- On Fri, 6/12/09, Will Loving <will(a)dedicationtechnologies.com> wrote:
From: Will Loving <will(a)dedicationtechnologies.com>
Subject: [Callers] Dance ID and corrections anyone?
To: "Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Date: Friday, June 12, 2009, 3:27 PM
I was going through some notes jotted down during various dances and I came
across a dance with no name that was attributed to Chris Ricciotti. I
thought it was from a night that Lisa Greenleaf was calling but I've checked
with both Chris and Lisa and neither one recognizes it.
It was an interesting dance, but when I try to work it out based on my
notes, it¹s clear that something is not correct, specifically the A2, plus
the end of B2 is a very short swing if you actually go Forward, can do a
G&T. Does this look familiar to anyone and can you help me out with
corrections, name and author?
Thanks,
Will Loving
Unknown Dance
Becket
A1 (8) Pass through to an ocean wave, balance
(8) Walk to shadow and DSD (or gypsy)
A2 (8) Return to original Neighbor (?!) taking LH in a wave, balance
(8) Women allemande Left 1/2, balance the wave
B1 (4) Walk forward to new Neighbor
(12) Neighbor swing
B2 (8) Long lines, forward and back
(8) Give & Take with partner, swing on Women¹s side
--
William M. Loving
Dedication Technologies, Inc.
7 Coach Lane
Amherst, MA 01002-3304 USA
will(a)dedicationtechnologies.com
Tel: +1 413 253-7223 (GMT 5)
Fax: +1 206 202-0476
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Nope, Salmonchanted Evening is the same in the A, but in the B it goes like
this:
B1 Ladies chain over and back
B2 Promenade across; circle left 3/4 & pass thru to next.
--Katy
-----Original Message-----
From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net
[mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Jack Mitchell
Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 10:26 PM
To: Caller's discussion list
Subject: Re: [Callers] Recognize this dance?
Yup....that's the dance that was just above it in my file. I think
it's possible that it might be the original, Salmon Chanted Evening.
BTW: Just for accuracy, Steve Z-A and Louie Cromartie co-wrote
Salmonella Evening....she was playing around with Salmon Chanted
evening.
Thanks....suspect that it is Salmon Chanted Evening, and I had just
neglected to label it when I inserted it.
J
At 10:33 PM 5/31/2009, you wrote:
Well, it appears to be a variation of Steve Zakon-Anderson's
Salmonella
Evening. Everything is the same except the second part of B1. In
Steve's
dance, that's another balance & turn.
--Katy Heine
-----Original Message-----
From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net
[[1] mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Jack
Mitchell
Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 9:57 PM
To: Caller's discussion list
Subject: [Callers] Recognize this dance?
I just discovered this dance in my word processor file of
dances....without a title. Any ID?
A1: Neighbor Alle R 1½
Gents Alle Left 1½
A2: Partner Gypsy and Swing
B1: Balance Ring, Petronella Twirl right into your N's arms
N Sw
B2: Balance Ring, Petronella Twirl
Balance Ring, Pass Thru Along the Set
Jack
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References
1. mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net
2. http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
3. http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
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Well, it appears to be a variation of Steve Zakon-Anderson's Salmonella
Evening. Everything is the same except the second part of B1. In Steve's
dance, that's another balance & turn.
--Katy Heine
-----Original Message-----
From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net
[mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Jack Mitchell
Sent: Sunday, May 31, 2009 9:57 PM
To: Caller's discussion list
Subject: [Callers] Recognize this dance?
I just discovered this dance in my word processor file of
dances....without a title. Any ID?
A1: Neighbor Alle R 1½
Gents Alle Left 1½
A2: Partner Gypsy and Swing
B1: Balance Ring, Petronella Twirl right into your N's arms
N Sw
B2: Balance Ring, Petronella Twirl
Balance Ring, Pass Thru Along the Set
Jack
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A musician friend of mine ask me if I knew any callers in the DC are who
would be interested in calling at a wedding. I don¹t know any other details
but if you are interested, please contact Dan, dpi00 at hampshire dot edu
(just replace the at, dot and spaces to create a real email address).
Will Loving
A very knowledgeable pro audio person just gave me a mini-course on how to
do basic sound setup for a mike, something I¹ve always wanted to know more
about. At many dances there is a sound person who will do this for you but
sometimes there isn¹t and this little bit of info may be of help. It
certainly demystified things for me. I wrote this up and then edited it a
bit more after getting his feedback. Others may have additional comments.
How to ³Ring Out a Channel² for a microphone
You overall goal is to adjust the sound coming out of the house speakers to
get as much volume as you can without any ringing¹ sound. Every room is
different in terms of what frequencies it absorbs and reflects, so the
necessary settings will differ from place to place. Different mikes will
also require different settings. The adjustment described below can be done
systematically and in just a few minutes.
1. Setting Initial Gain from the Mic (aka input level or ³trim²)
> * Turn house volume (for your mike) completely down usually the last knob or
> slider
> * Set all EQ controls to flat (middle position)
> * Turn up Gain - usually the first control knob or slider for your microphone
> channel¹ - while speaking into mike until you see levels on the meter or the
> clipping light flashes. Adjust gain to just below clipping or 0db (same thing)
> depending on what kind of feedback level meter or clipping light - is
> available on the sound board.
2. Setting EQ (balancing the sound for the room by getting rid of the
ringing)
> * Turn up house volume on the mic channel until you hear a ringing along with
> your voice
> * Reduce level on first EQ slider/dial (often labeled highs¹) to see if it
> reduces or eliminates ringing. If it does, increase house volume again until
> ringing is again apparent. If no change, reset to flat and go to next EQ
> range.
> * Reduce level on next EQ slider/dial to reduce/eliminate ringing. Increase
> house volume again until ringing occurs.
> * Repeat for each subsequent EQ range available on sound board some may just
> have highs, mids and lows, others may have multiple mid-range adjustments. You
> may not need to adjust all the EQ¹s, e.g. the low frequency in particular,
> just keep running up the volume and adjusting out the rings until you have
> plenty of volume. Your objective is to get as much volume as you need for the
> performance without ringing.
3. Fine-tuning: If time permits after you¹ve rung out the channel you can
then play with the EQ to adjust for sound quality. Keep talking into the mic
and make very subtle adjustments to the EQ until you get a smooth natural
sound.
Will Loving
Amehrst, MA
hmmmmm why not medley with:
A1 Gyp N 1.5
Join hands
Cir L .75
A2 Gyp P 1.5
Join hands
Cir L .75 (back where you started)
B1 DSD N
And Swing N
B2 Pass N RT
Pass the Next N Left
Swing the (3rd) Next N
Will be calling Thursday night in Dover NH!
Thought I'd call the variation: What's the Pig Deal?
Thanks
Nice dance...but I hope you don't run it too long! Maybe a medley is
in order so you can add a swing or two as the dance progresses.
The pandemic panic could have a big impact on contra dancing. On
Friday, here in Felton, CA, we put up a sign on the table at the door
that said:
For the comfort and safety of others,
as well as your own, Please
Wash Your Hands!
Before entering the dance hall
and upon leaving!
It might have made some folks feel more comfortable. In spite of the
disease distress, the dance was full. Apparently contra dance is not
yet a victim of the scourge scare.
Greg McKenzie
********
Tom wrote:
>Hi Folks, Tonight i get to call a dance here in Chicago, and as a JOKE, i
>will start out with this dance:
>
>N1H1
>A1 Gypsy N 1.5, single file circle L 3/4
>A2 Gypsy P 1.5, single file circle L 3/4
>B1 Do Si Do N, swing yourself (turn single several times), end facing N
>B2 Pass N by rt, next N by Lft,
> Swing yourself again to face 3rd N to start again.
>
>Don't touch anyone!
>
>I hope there will be some turn out tonight, since, with luck, the phobia of
>H1N1 is waning.
>
>Have fun,
>
>Tom
>
>--
>Tom Senior
>Dance while you can.
>_______________________________________________
>Callers mailing list
>Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
Hi Folks, Tonight i get to call a dance here in Chicago, and as a JOKE, i
will start out with this dance:
N1H1
A1 Gypsy N 1.5, single file circle L 3/4
A2 Gypsy P 1.5, single file circle L 3/4
B1 Do Si Do N, swing yourself (turn single several times), end facing N
B2 Pass N by rt, next N by Lft,
Swing yourself again to face 3rd N to start again.
Don't touch anyone!
I hope there will be some turn out tonight, since, with luck, the phobia of
H1N1 is waning.
Have fun,
Tom
--
Tom Senior
Dance while you can.
Well, I have an entirely different and positive perspective on
headset mikes.
We have a nice headset mike here in San Diego. I love using it, and
our sound engineers set it up nicely so that I have no trouble with
feedback. I have to remember to keep it a little ways from my mouth
so that it won't pop on Partner and Promenade and any other P sounds,
but as long as I do that, it's great.
I call up on some steps here because I'm short and like to see the
whole hall while I'm calling - and they can see me. I don't usually
run around the hall while calling. During the beginner sessions, a
handheld mike that is attached to a cable is a nightmare - my voice
is not big, and I have a hard time teaching a large group without a
mike. Trying to demo a ladies chain with a cable following you around
is a recipe for disaster, and I hate having to use one when I'm
calling elsewhere. During walkthroughs here I am no longer tethered
to the stage, and can hop down to demonstrate a move, though I often
just ask regulars to do it. I can move down once a dance gets going
and briefly consult with the musicians without worry (I usually just
move the mike away a little and then back, and don't worry about the
mute). I can keep calling even if I need to quickly flip through my
cards as I realize that the next dance might be too difficult or too
easy and another would be better.
I find that a handheld mike hurts my hand if I hold it all night.
It's just too darned heavy and a real inconvenience. When I call in
places that set up a mike in a stand, I find that I often stand in
such a way in front of it that I'll end up with a backache or my feet
or legs aching by the end of the night. Not fun.
As far as connecting with the dancers, I really don't see how
juggling a stupid mike in one hand or being constrained by a mike in
a stand in front of you, inhibiting your ability to look around you
at the dancers or at the musicians while calling, is in any way
helpful. Those of you who enjoy having your hands cramp up and
tripping over cords can keep doing it, but for anyone who hasn't been
thrilled with the experience, I recommend you get a good "Madonna
mike", as we call it, and free yourself from the tyranny of a tether.
Enjoy!
Martha Wild
On Apr 23, 2009, at 9:00 AM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
> Send Callers mailing list submissions to
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Earset microphone recommendations (gregmck(a)earthlink.net)
> 2. First Dance Weekend (David Millstone)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:30:15 -0700
> From: gregmck(a)earthlink.net
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Earset microphone recommendations
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <7.0.0.16.0.20090422091957.01dc13f8(a)earthlink.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
>
> Will wrote:
>> I am in the process of buying a Shure PGX1/PGX4 transmitter/
>> receiver system
>> with the intention of using it with an earset microphone, the
>> small, nearly
>> invisible 'rice grain' style.
>
> Well, now that you mention it, here is another perspective on this
> technology. Before making the investment you might want to consider
> all of the implications.
>
> Regards,
> Greg McKenzie
>
> ************
>
> Un-tethered from Reality: Some Thoughts on Wireless Microphones
>
> I have tried using a wireless headset microphone and found the
> experience wanting. I owned one for several years and used it
> regularly. I abandoned it for several reasons. Not primarily
> because of the increased instances of feedback--something I find
> devastating to the sense of safety and community spirit in the
> hall. And not because of the monetary and environmental cost of
> batteries, the extra trouble of setting up the mike and receiver, the
> complications of switching the mike off and on again to make "off
> mike" comments, or the feeling of being wired and walking around with
> an electronic device attached to my head. My decision was also not
> primarily based on concerns about exposing myself and others to
> high-frequency electromagnetic radiation--though I recognize that
> some people are very sensitive to the idea of such exposure.
>
> My primary reason for giving up on the wireless headset was because I
> saw that it was interfering with my ability to connect with the
> dancers, musicians, and others in the hall.
>
> Any speaker at a public event needs to be in a position where the
> entire audience can see them. This is a very basic
> principle. People naturally prefer to watch someone who is speaking
> to them. When someone hears a voice hailing them the most natural
> reaction is to turn one's head toward the source of the sound. It
> can be disconcerting to look toward the sound source and see an empty
> stage. The natural reaction is to feel a little bit silly, and to
> look around to try to find the source of the voice. This is a
> relative small matter but keep in mind that there are probably dozens
> of people going through this reaction whenever a speaker is not in
> the spot where the audience is accustomed to seeing them. That means
> that for at least a few seconds a big part of your audience is
> feeling silly and disconnected. Those people are not feeling
> confident or relaxed. They cannot listen carefully to what the
> speaker is saying.
>
> As an aside here I would point out that an "off-stage mike" is
> commonly used in theatre and stagecraft. Please note, however, that
> the purpose of the "off-stage mike" is always to build suspense and
> tension. Something that I, personally, try to avoid when calling
> because I want people to feel relaxed and sociable. The off-stage
> mike is, therefore, usually accompanied with a visual cue (such as a
> spotlight at the edge of the stage during an introduction) to direct
> the audience's attention in the absence of a physical speaker they
> can see.
>
> I have attended dances where the caller has used a wireless headset
> mike off-stage freely during the evening. I always found it
> disconcerting to have to look for the caller in the room. It also
> seemed a bit creepy to think of a live microphone moving around the
> hall without warning. Callers sometimes use these mikes while
> speaking to individuals or small groups of dancers who are
> confused. This is unprofessional because it draws the entire hall's
> attention to the confused dancers and exacerbates the situation by
> creating even more tension.
>
> I quickly learned that when using a wireless headset it is the
> speaker's duty to alert the audience whenever they change
> locations--particularly if they move off stage. I would say
> something like: "Ladies and gentlemen. Please direct your attention
> to the center of the hall," before stepping off the stage. This is
> the courteous thing for a speaker to do. This helped a lot, but it
> also complicated the process of moving away from my regular
> location. Ultimately I found that the headset mike was more trouble
> than it was worth.
>
> I can see that these headset or "earset" mikes are very appropriate
> for entertainers who dance or move while singing or speaking and, in
> particular, when they have a spotlight to keep the audience cued as
> to their location. They also work well for instructors who must
> gesture or handle props while talking, such as in demonstrations. I
> think such mikes are of particular use to exercise instructors such
> as Jazzercise leaders who generally remain in the same location
> while teaching.
>
> At calling gigs the sound engineer will often offer me a wireless
> mike to use. My response is that I am happy to use any mike that
> delivers a good range of high-frequency sounds so that my voice can
> be clearly understood. Wireless mikes are acceptable, as long as
> they are securely fastened to a mike stand where I will leave them
> during the entire dance.
>
> ########
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: 23 Apr 2009 09:59:59 -0400
> From: David.Millstone(a)VALLEY.NET (David Millstone)
> Subject: [Callers] First Dance Weekend
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Message-ID: <117429638(a)retriever.VALLEY.NET>
> Content-Type: text/plain
>
> Jack Mitchell wrote: "I've gotten to the point in my calling that
> calling for a
> weekend in the next few years is something that I'd like to set as
> a goal for
> myself, but don't have a good idea of how to go about it."
>
> Lynn Ackerson followed with many excellent suggestions. I'd like to
> add one
> other: Diversify.
>
> Many years ago, I was in the position that Jack is in. I looked
> around at folks
> being hired for prestigious dance camps and wondered, "Why not me?"
> I took a
> harder look-- I remember sitting down and drawing up a list of
> every caller I
> could see listed at a camp advertised in the CDSS news. I soon
> realized that
> just about everybody on that list could offer more than simply
> calling contra
> dances. Some taught tango, or waltz, or swing. Some had honed their
> ability to
> teach a special dance that would appeal to avid dancers; "Dutch
> Crossing" is one
> popular example. Some were crackerjack square dance callers. Some
> had lots of
> experience leading caller workshops, or had written many themselves
> and had led
> sessions on how to write dances. Some had lots of experience
> teaching children
> or novice dancers. Virtually everyone had something to offer a
> programmer in
> addition to their ability to call contras.
>
> I already had lots of experience with kids-- decades as an
> elementary school
> teacher, including teaching longsword, morris, and country dance,
> and I had lots
> of family dances on my resume. But I decided that I would hone my
> skills as an
> English country dance caller; I already enjoyed dancing ECD and was
> eager to
> share that dance form with others. Looking around, these seemed to
> be relatively
> few callers who taught both American and English. (That's still the
> case, though
> the numbers have grown in the past 15 years.)
>
> Today, my gigs are pretty evenly split, with about one third of my
> jobs being
> English country dance, one third contras and squares for the hard-
> core dance
> crowd, and one third family dances. I've also developed
> presentations on dance
> history, something that relatively few others offer. Each of these
> items have
> been helpful at special dance events, whether weekends or weeklong
> camps.
>
> Good luck!
>
> David Millstone
> Lebanon, NH
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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> End of Callers Digest, Vol 56, Issue 8
> **************************************
