Fellow musicians,
Could someone please tell me how many beats per section are in a normal singing call? Are they normally all the same ( intro, heads heads, sides sides, end)? In patter calling, what do callers expect for length of song? Either time wise or total beats?
Thanks for your help,
George
Oooh I got one of these requests, yeah. The B2 was incorrect it is cirlce left all the way around.
The dance is Cure for the Claps, by Bob Isaacs. This if fun.
----- Original Message ----
From: Walter <walterdaves(a)alltel.net>
To: Callers(a)sharedweight.net
Sent: Thursday, September 11, 2008 7:13:24 PM
Subject: [Callers] Another Name That Dance
So, what's the name of this one? I saw it on YouTube, from All Soles
Dance, with the Great Bear Trio playing**
* *
*A1: Balance the ring; Petronella twirl, Swing partner
A2: Balance the ring, Petronella twirl, Swing neighbor
B1: Down the hall, turn single, return
B2: Circle left 3 places, balance the ring, California twirl
*
Thanks,
Walter Daves
**
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
So, what's the name of this one? I saw it on YouTube, from All Soles
Dance, with the Great Bear Trio playing**
* *
*A1: Balance the ring; Petronella twirl, Swing partner
A2: Balance the ring, Petronella twirl, Swing neighbor
B1: Down the hall, turn single, return
B2: Circle left 3 places, balance the ring, California twirl
*
Thanks,
Walter Daves
**
> Could someone please tell me how many beats per section are in a normal
singing call? Are they normally all the same ( intro, heads heads, sides sides,
end)?
They're normally the same.
Just Because:
You ALL do-si-DO with your CORner [PAUSE]
[This is 4 accented beats or 8 steps for the dancers]
with a RIGHT hand, go TWICE around your OWN [PAUSE]
ALLemande LEFT with the CORner [PAUSE]
and DO-si-DO round your OWN [PAUSE]
etc.
and for the verse:
HEAD two ladies CHAIN right on Over [PAUSE]
You TURN around and CHAIN them home aGAIN [PAUSE]
etc.
David Millstone
Greetings
This weekend past, I made my annual pilgramage to Gorham NH
to call the dance at Chapel Arts Center...
We had a great time for the first hr. We actually danced some easier
contras! As the evening progressed we lost some dancers, who had other
plans and still others who wanted to sit in with the band...
LSS by 9:30 there were 3-4 people dancing (myself included)
I made up some dances "on the fly" but soon the dances seemed to
resemble the previous "dance" We did some couple dances but the band
wanted to play Jigs and Reels. We danced LaBastrange with 6 people (wich
was interesting!and fast!)
My Q is: are there dances, created for just such situations (3-4 dancers)?
Once again, Gorham was a learning experiance!
Thanks
See ya Dancing
Gale
Thank you, folks, from the bottom of my heart. Your
responses made me realize how my current situation as a
caller is a shared one - indeed, a common one; and how it's
therefore something we all need to figure a way through
together so that all constituencies get served and the
dance continues to be a living, growing tradition that
invites and nurtures the new while also fostering and
enjoying excellence.
I have indeed been trying some of the strategies you
suggested (many before writing, actually) such as asking
for half-dances again, and of course continually working on
becoming the best caller I can be. Our local dancers have
been asking for me to call for months actually, as have a
few bands. It seems to be doing little good locally - but
since posting, band/dancer/fellow-caller intervention has
led to numerous far-flung programmers asking me to call
this fall. So it's on the road in my olde iron mule
(200,100 miles and counting).
Nancy, your offer in particular made me laugh out loud for
joy. I would love to call your dance. Vermont is a bit of a
walk from northern California, but I tell you, if I ever
get near there you will be the first to hear about it! Or
if you get some weird grant to further your dance
community's exposure to intermediate-level callers, I'm
willing to be brought. <g> Thank you for your chutzpah.
It's quite sobering to realize how strong the calling jones
can be when you haven't done it for a few weeks! That, plus
the support from you (both kind and pointed), makes me
realize I'm in this for the long haul. Thank you again. i'm
very grateful for this cybercommunity. (Thanks for forming
it, Chris & company!)
Tina
Tina R. Fields, Ph.D.
(707) 824-9318
"Hindsight Now!"
I'd like some comments about using the move, Down the Hall, Four in
Line, in the first dance of the evening.
This is often done, but two people have told me that when there are
newcomers, it is a confusing move, as it takes you out of your circle of
four, and away from the area in which you are dancing. It was felt that
this is disorienting. The suggestion was that it might be better used
AFTER a dance where the circle of four stays together.
Do any of you have comments on that?
Thanks
Jo Mortland
Chicago
Hi folks
I seem to have hit an interesting wall in my newish calling
career, and would love to know your thoughts and strategies
about how best to deal with it. Ive been calling contra
for two years, the first year learning through guest spots,
classes, and half-dances. Since last November Ive called
full dances, averaging 2-3 dances/month, mostly contras
with a few barn dances.
My problem is this: Im having trouble getting a couple of
our local programmers to book me.
In their defense, we do have a lot of good callers around
here vying for the few slots. And one of our local
programmers is trying to run a consistently high-powered
dance, booking many world-class callers and bands. I have
never asked her about calling that dance, and in fact
aspire to become a caller she seeks out some day in the
future.
But the other dances are a different story. The one that
prompted me to reach out to you here is a medium-sized
hometown type dance featuring lots of different callers and
bands. I dance there often; its one of my home venues. I
have called one half-dance there, to great reviews from
both the dancers and the other caller. The band said they
enjoyed working with me too. Unfortunately, the programmer
was away at a camp that evening. He has only seen me call
guest spots all of which he says he thoroughly enjoyed
but only one full evening elsewhere, and heres the rub:
wit wasnt my best evening. It was a special 4-hour dance,
the longest gig Ive ever done solo. I made a few minor
mistakes. And the band was a primarily English band which
meant very nice music, but mild, not at all zesty.
The programmer in question is a friend of mine in the
dancing community. Were fond of each other as both dance
partners and people. When I realized he might not be asking
me to call his dance because he doesnt think Im a good
enough caller, it felt devastating. But I got up the guts
to approach him at the end of last nights dance after the
fiddler, notorious for his curmudgeonly pickiness, asked
when I was calling next and announced that he and his
girlfriend are my biggest fans. (I was quite floored,
and grateful. An ego boost can do wonders at moments like
that.) So I approached the programmer. Can I ask you a
question? I asked. I dont know if I want to answer, he
replied, looking very nervous and obviously knowing what
was coming. Well, Im gonna ask it anyway, I told him,
and took his arm as we walked away from the others in the
room. If, as I now suspect, you dont like the way I
call, what is it about it you dont like so I can work on
improving that? He looked relieved then, and was kind
enough to respond very honestly.
He named a number of things he hadnt liked about the one
full dance hed been at. He gave the hairy eyeball to my
inclusion of a particular mixer. He also said at one point
in a contra, one knot of folks was having trouble and I
came down on the floor to help them, but that left the rest
of them floundering awhile with no prompting. His memory
was astounding I dont remember that at all. Perhaps I
didnt think anything of it at the time, or perhaps I was
even proud of myself for being able to then get back up on
the stool and call to everyone correctly after helping like
that. I definitely still have a LOT to learn. I believe
the biggest mistake he pointed out (and rightly) was that I
didnt seem perfectly familiar with how to teach one of the
dances, and dancers had to ask a question to clarify. Its
likely true: I try to call one dance thats new to me each
evening, in order to expand my repertoire, and every time I
call one I seem to learn some new nuance about how to lead
it better.
He said he therefore thinks I need more practice. I
heartily agreed with that, and then pointed out that the
way to get it is by having gigs that allow me to do more
calling! He then said that thats what the tiny venues are
for.
But I feel troubled by this answer. Ive been calling those
venues, and will gladly continue to. However, it seems to
me that if a caller is only exposed to small halls
half-full of beginners, s/he will learn to call to that
level very well, but not to call dances appropriate for
more advanced dancers. How will I ever gain that skill if
Im not given the chance to try it? Its a catch-22. These
venues also often book very inexperienced bands, who dont
know what Im talking about when I try to discuss pairing
dances/tunes. So I have ideas of how Id like to become a
better caller, but these circumstances are keeping me from
achieving that.
I also strongly believe that its every dance
organizations responsibility to foster new talent, if they
want the group to stay alive. My local group has acted on
this seriously in the past, in fact giving me and others
matching scholarships to go to CDSS camps calling classes.
(In my case, perhaps they figured out I wasnt going to go
away, so it was in their best interest to help me learn to
do it better. <g>) Whats happening now, though, is that
Ive hit some sort of glass ceiling. Im like in my calling
adolescence: no longer the cute beginner but also not yet a
rock star. If given the opportunity to call at a more
high-powered gig, I will not be perfect at it, no. But I
will get better and better, given the chance.
Hearing some programmers talk about callers and bands, I
have the sense now that a problematic gig like the one
Chris described in his recent growth post could be a
death sentence around here. That caller might never be
invited back.
My experience of hitting a wall didnt only happen that one
time. Earlier this month, trying to be proactive, I
inquired about potentially calling at a venue a bit more
than one hour from my home, another medium-sized/level
dance Ive danced at many times in the past but not
recently. That programmer asked the very good question,
what sort of program do you do, and is it suitable for our
dancers? I sent him a sample program I successfully called
at a similar venue, along with an offer to discuss his
current communitys particular dance level and to craft my
program accordingly. I have not heard back. Some say that
he likes to call most of the dances there himself, so may
be reluctant to share.
It feels so disheartening to be kept out, Im now
considering whether its worth it to continue trying to
call. Really, its been through frequent repetition that my
skills have improved so far. Ive popped a new level of
understanding in terms of how to envision the moves in
space, how to teach geometrically and in terms of people
the dancers will encounter, and how to really work with the
band to create a synergistic ball o fire. These skills
have recently grown exponentially. I enjoy doing it, and
have gotten some excellent positive feedback from dancers,
bands, and other programmers some of it even in writing,
so I can prove it. But if I have to fight to get one gig
every few months, I never will get better. Ill forget the
nuances of how to do it. Instead of building on each
other, every dance evening will be a singular struggle. And
I doubt its worth it. I love giving to the dance community
through calling, but also love dancing and that I feel
unquestioningly welcomed to do.
Thoughts? Strategies? Commiseration? How to best handle
this situation? Is there a way to encourage programmers to
nurture local talent? How did you manage to wrangle
getting gigs that allowed your skills to continually grow?
Sorry for the length of this post and the woe is me tone.
But I figured some detail might help in this case, and Im
really feeling at a loss.
Thank you, comrades, for any insight you might offer.
Tina Fields
Some thoughts:
If there's room in the general community, or interest, or other wanna-
be callers, or an underserved area in these days when driving is
getting expensive, start your own dance. Three of us in San Diego did
that years ago as we were learning to call. We had dance parties in
our driveways, invited people in the summer to the park for dance
parties (invited anyone who walked by to join in), usually only had
one acoustic musician playing (a dulcimer, a fiddle, a banjo, even a
penny whistle solo) finally found a small rec hall and some aspiring
musicians, and shared the dance until we got good enough to call half
each and then full dances. Start an infrequent dance if running a
regular one seems too onerous - every fifth Friday or something like
that, you run it, you can call at it. You have more control perhaps
of the bands you get to call with. Also, make sure others know that
you are available for emergencies - one never knows when a caller
will get sick or have a flat tire and someone will ask if you brought
your cards. Dance communities vary - some are run by callers, some
by dancers. And if you aren't involved in the managing of the dances,
in volunteering to do set-up, take-down, decoration at special
events, sitting at the door, etc. - if all you do is call, and others
are doing all the work, then get in there and put in more than just
dancing. Sweat equity, though it may have nothing to do with your
ability as a caller, will make others more willing to help you
towards your goals. Yes, it is important to encourage new callers,
but as an organizer, now, too, I know I don't want to do that at the
expense of confusion and dissatisfaction on the floor, especially if
other callers are ready, willing and able. One thing we did here was
to pair a new caller with an established one - split the evening. See
if there is an established caller willing to let you take part of the
evening at the mid-sized dance and if the organizer will go for it.
Go back to square one and ask to call three dances in the first half
- maybe the first three. When those go well, branch out and do just
the second three so you get more experience doing harder dances. And
if you can teach clearly to beginners, you can teach clearly to
advanced dancers. Just faster and with fewer walkthroughs. If you
play an instrument, play in a community band if there is one just to
get more familiar with what tunes go with what dances. But basically,
don't wait for (or expect) other people to make your own dreams
happen. I don't mean that as a slam, it's just the way it is. Most of
them are busy with their own dreams - like the caller who runs his
own dance and likes to call at it - why shouldn't he?
Good luck to you in branching out and finding ways to call more.
Martha
On Aug 18, 2008, at 9:00 AM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
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> 1. Trouble Getting Gigs (very long) (Tina Fields)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:25:46 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Tina Fields <tfields8(a)yahoo.com>
> Subject: [Callers] Trouble Getting Gigs (very long)
> To: "callers@ sharedweight.net" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <50006.55506.qm(a)web83207.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Hi folks ?
>
> I seem to have hit an interesting wall in my newish calling
> career, and would love to know your thoughts and strategies
> about how best to deal with it. I?ve been calling contra
> for two years, the first year learning through guest spots,
> classes, and half-dances. Since last November I?ve called
> full dances, averaging 2-3 dances/month, mostly contras
> with a few barn dances.
>
> My problem is this: I?m having trouble getting a couple of
> our local programmers to book me.
>
> In their defense, we do have a lot of good callers around
> here vying for the few slots. And one of our local
> programmers is trying to run a consistently high-powered
> dance, booking many world-class callers and bands. I have
> never asked her about calling that dance, and in fact
> aspire to become a caller she seeks out some day in the
> future.
>
> But the other dances are a different story. The one that
> prompted me to reach out to you here is a medium-sized
> hometown type dance featuring lots of different callers and
> bands. I dance there often; it?s one of my home venues. I
> have called one half-dance there, to great reviews from
> both the dancers and the other caller. The band said they
> enjoyed working with me too. Unfortunately, the programmer
> was away at a camp that evening. He has only seen me call
> guest spots ? all of which he says he thoroughly enjoyed ?
> but only one full evening elsewhere, and here?s the rub:
> wit wasn?t my best evening. It was a special 4-hour dance,
> the longest gig I?ve ever done solo. I made a few minor
> mistakes. And the band was a primarily English band ? which
> meant very nice music, but mild, not at all zesty.
>
> The programmer in question is a friend of mine in the
> dancing community. We?re fond of each other as both dance
> partners and people. When I realized he might not be asking
> me to call his dance because he doesn?t think I?m a good
> enough caller, it felt devastating. But I got up the guts
> to approach him at the end of last night?s dance after the
> fiddler, notorious for his curmudgeonly pickiness, asked
> when I was calling next and announced that he and his
> girlfriend are my ?biggest fans?. (I was quite floored,
> and grateful. An ego boost can do wonders at moments like
> that.) So I approached the programmer. ?Can I ask you a
> question?? I asked. ?I don?t know if I want to answer,? he
> replied, looking very nervous and obviously knowing what
> was coming. ?Well, I?m gonna ask it anyway,? I told him,
> and took his arm as we walked away from the others in the
> room. ?If, as I now suspect, you don?t like the way I
> call, what is it about it you don?t like so I can work on
> improving that?? He looked relieved then, and was kind
> enough to respond very honestly.
>
> He named a number of things he hadn?t liked about the one
> full dance he?d been at. He gave the hairy eyeball to my
> inclusion of a particular mixer. He also said at one point
> in a contra, one knot of folks was having trouble and I
> came down on the floor to help them, but that left the rest
> of them floundering awhile with no prompting. His memory
> was astounding ? I don?t remember that at all. Perhaps I
> didn?t think anything of it at the time, or perhaps I was
> even proud of myself for being able to then get back up on
> the stool and call to everyone correctly after helping like
> that. I definitely still have a LOT to learn. I believe
> the biggest mistake he pointed out (and rightly) was that I
> didn?t seem perfectly familiar with how to teach one of the
> dances, and dancers had to ask a question to clarify. It?s
> likely true: I try to call one dance that?s new to me each
> evening, in order to expand my repertoire, and every time I
> call one I seem to learn some new nuance about how to lead
> it better.
>
> He said he therefore thinks I need more practice. I
> heartily agreed with that, and then pointed out that the
> way to get it is by having gigs that allow me to do more
> calling! He then said that that?s what the tiny venues are
> for.
>
> But I feel troubled by this answer. I?ve been calling those
> venues, and will gladly continue to. However, it seems to
> me that if a caller is only exposed to small halls
> half-full of beginners, s/he will learn to call to that
> level very well, but not to call dances appropriate for
> more advanced dancers. How will I ever gain that skill if
> I?m not given the chance to try it? It?s a catch-22. These
> venues also often book very inexperienced bands, who don?t
> know what I?m talking about when I try to discuss pairing
> dances/tunes. So I have ideas of how I?d like to become a
> better caller, but these circumstances are keeping me from
> achieving that.
>
> I also strongly believe that it?s every dance
> organization?s responsibility to foster new talent, if they
> want the group to stay alive. My local group has acted on
> this seriously in the past, in fact giving me and others
> matching scholarships to go to CDSS camp?s calling classes.
> (In my case, perhaps they figured out I wasn?t going to go
> away, so it was in their best interest to help me learn to
> do it better. <g>) What?s happening now, though, is that
> I?ve hit some sort of glass ceiling. I?m like in my calling
> adolescence: no longer the cute beginner but also not yet a
> rock star. If given the opportunity to call at a more
> high-powered gig, I will not be perfect at it, no. But I
> will get better and better, given the chance.
>
> Hearing some programmers talk about callers and bands, I
> have the sense now that a problematic gig like the one
> Chris described in his recent ?growth? post could be a
> death sentence around here. That caller might never be
> invited back.
>
> My experience of hitting a wall didn?t only happen that one
> time. Earlier this month, trying to be proactive, I
> inquired about potentially calling at a venue a bit more
> than one hour from my home, another medium-sized/level
> dance I?ve danced at many times in the past but not
> recently. That programmer asked the very good question,
> ?what sort of program do you do, and is it suitable for our
> dancers?? I sent him a sample program I successfully called
> at a similar venue, along with an offer to discuss his
> current community?s particular dance level and to craft my
> program accordingly. I have not heard back. Some say that
> he likes to call most of the dances there himself, so may
> be reluctant to share.
>
> It feels so disheartening to be kept out, I?m now
> considering whether it?s worth it to continue trying to
> call. Really, it?s been through frequent repetition that my
> skills have improved so far. I?ve popped a new level of
> understanding in terms of how to envision the moves in
> space, how to teach geometrically and in terms of people
> the dancers will encounter, and how to really work with the
> band to create a synergistic ball o? fire. These skills
> have recently grown exponentially. I enjoy doing it, and
> have gotten some excellent positive feedback from dancers,
> bands, and other programmers ? some of it even in writing,
> so I can prove it. But if I have to fight to get one gig
> every few months, I never will get better. I?ll forget the
> nuances of how to do it. Instead of building on each
> other, every dance evening will be a singular struggle. And
> I doubt it?s worth it. I love giving to the dance community
> through calling, but also love dancing ? and that I feel
> unquestioningly welcomed to do.
>
> Thoughts? Strategies? Commiseration? How to best handle
> this situation? Is there a way to encourage programmers to
> nurture local talent? How did you manage to wrangle
> getting gigs that allowed your skills to continually grow?
>
>
> Sorry for the length of this post and the ?woe is me? tone.
> But I figured some detail might help in this case, and I?m
> really feeling at a loss.
>
> Thank you, comrades, for any insight you might offer.
>
> Tina Fields
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 48, Issue 9
> **************************************
Hi all,
Interesting discussion. I've excerpted some of these emails (stripping names and email addresses) and sent the question on to the organizers list.
I could understand feeling frustrated with a desire to have more gigs than one is getting. But I also can see
the point of the organizers, whose first responsibility is not
necessarily to cultivate growth in the caller/musician community but is
rather to run a series that meets the expectations of the dancers and
the organizers themselves.
I am a caller who also is a founding co-organizer of our local series. We have a certain mission and standards for skill/expertise/style of performers. Ours is one of those with only 12 slots per year, and I generally call about half of those. This leaves 6 caller slots and 12 band slots. And frankly, that's not a lot of room for "giving someone a chance" (given the aforementioned responsibility to dancers/organizers over caller/musician cultivation.)
That said, our committee does support caller/musician growth in other ways.
We have an open, all-comers band for our community dance (modeled on bands I'd witnessed with David Kaynor's All-Comers Band dances in western Massachusetts and The Lamprey River Band's open stage policy in Dover, NH) We also do some homework, asking around about bands who come to us wanting to be booked (checking with trusted organizer colleagues or other dancers, listening to demo recordings, going with our gut feelings, etc.) and have sometimes booked bands that were new to us.
We have run additional dances in our hall (on off nights) including one for a group of developing callers in Maine, in conjunction with a short workshop/discussion the next day. As a caller I have occasionally offered a slot in my program to developing callers who I think have particular promise. (Which is to say, they seem like they might be becoming a caller I could stand behind - a subjective analysis to be sure.)
So, back to your question, as a new caller I benefited from open mic and multi-caller nights as well as dance camps. In my experience it was most important to develop trusted relationships with mentors and colleagues. As has been said, they should be people who are willing to give you honest feedback on your calling (and from whom you are willing to receive such honest feedback) and given this, they will be more likely to refer you for gigs that they can't do, or to vouch for you as references, etc. I've played both roles, as mentee/colleague and mentor/critic. Good for all concerned.
And I agree completely with Seth's pithy comment. Excruciating to listen to recordings or to watch video, but enlightening and invaluable.
And finally, I'd say that as I've grown more as a caller, I've found myself having just as much fun calling for family/community/school/small dances with clueless clientele as I do calling for the hot urban-style dances with highly skilled clientele. I'd caution anyone against dismissing the delights and satisfactions of the former in favor of the glory of the latter.
Chrissy Fowler
Belfast, ME
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