Contra Callers

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

3 participants
4416 discussions

by Hgrastorf＠aol.com

If your ankles are the least bit liable to "turn" if you wear what costumers call "character shoes" -- a classic woman's dance shoe which has 2" or 2.5" heels that taper considerably toward the bottom -- then you might want to look for a character shoe with what is called a "Cuban" heel. They resemble tap shoe heels in that they are "squared off" and do not taper. I wear a Capezio style (now discontinued, alas) with a 1" Cuban heel, which I actually find less fatiguing than flats, and which gives terrific support. They have a strap which fastens to a buckle which is on a fold of elastic, which allows for a certain amount of "give." They are lightweight, but sturdy. If there's a dance supply store in your area, you should consider getting properly fitted for your first pair -- many dance shoes run a size or half a size smaller than "street" shoes. A store which also sells pointe shoes usually has expert fitters, carries more than one brand, and also has a range of useful accoutrements -- moleskin, etc. But once you've found a style and size that work for you, look online to get replacement pairs. Discountdance.com, for instance, usually runs about 25% less, although there's the shipping charge. If, like me, you wear orthotics, then it's crucial to make sure that the shoes accommodate the orthotics comfortably, and that the heel is not so high that it compromises the insert. If (like an acquaintance of mine at Glen Echo) you absotively posolutely insist on dancing contra and waltz in 2" heels and you wear orthotics, ask your podiatrist to fit a custom pair of orthotics which will accommodate the "lift" at the heel. Your insurance probably won't cover it, but they can be ordered that way. (Your podiatrist will have a thing or three to say about that, mind you.) The leather soles on my Capezios give me just enough spin for the floor at Glen Echo. I wear them only for dance, and I check the soles carefully and remove any build-up of floor product residue. I have two pair (one black, one taupe), which I try to use alternately. I have tried a wide range of other dance shoes (split-sole dance/jazz sneakers, leather jazz shoes, etc.) but I always come back to the Cuban-heel character shoes. April Blum **************Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007)

17 years, 5 months

Shoes

by Rickey

Hi, I am considering buying my first pair of shoes bought expressly for contra dancing. What do you recommend? What do you think of suede soles? I need good arch support. Whatever I buy would also need to be acceptable to dance organizers in need of protecting their venue's floors. Thanks, Rickey Holt.

17 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] suggestions for dancing on lawns, name calling and accidental gender reassignment... !

by The Witful Turnip

Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:19:57 -0400 The Witful Turnip wrote: >I have insurance for just about everything else car, condo, life, you name >it. I wholeheartedly believe in getting insurance if it's available. But I >couldn't seem to find out if I could actually get it. And then it just >slipped off the radar and I forgot about it. Ultimately, I believe that >Canucks are less litigious than you 'Mericans, so I hadn't gone back to >follow up. But every time someone mentions it, I wonder about it... I just wanted to formally and publicly apologize to all you Merkins. Jerome was kind enough to privately point out my error in name calling. So I thought I'd fess up. And since he's happy to listen to CBC <who wouldn't?!?> you can all witness my dubbing him an honourary Canuck! Bev ---------------------------- Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:56:38 -0700 JD Erskine wrote: >>The Witful Turnip wrote about insurance: >>snip > >Hi Bev et al > >Ben hope you don't mind I modified the subject line for this topic fork. No, not at all Jane. >I'm not in that position, yet (may never be) however had exactly the >same questions. I just deleted a bunch of guess work lines here to avoid >muddying the waters so will also see what response there is before >following it up more (other lists, CDSS directly, ..). Nice to see another Canadian posting on this list. Although I've been here since it's inception, I must confess to typically lurking. I just can't keep up with the volume. But do let me know if you find out anything and I'll do the same for you. You may be in the position of needing insurance soon. >Cheers, John > >J.D. Erskine >Victoria, BC Bev <not Ben> Toronto, ON ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:40:10 -0400 Amy wrote: > >and I agree with whoever suggested waiting on the cake: people think their >job as a guest is done once they eat it. I agree with both Beth and Amy on this. Dance before cake. Let them work up an appetite. In my experience, once they sit and have cake, you'll be hard pressed to get most people back up on the dance floor. >I like to lead from a toast, with everyone gathered round standing, to >taking hands in a circle for the first dance, and then having the cake >after the third or fourth dance. >Background music during the cake eating, then a few more dances for the >die-hards. I really like the toast idea! I have a wedding to call in July. I'll have to try that. Though, I try to go 4 - 5 dances before cake. Depends on the crowd. I typically start with what I call the Snake Dance, which is a simple single line of people holding hands weaving in and around tables adding people to the line as we go, like a conga line. I encourage people that they only need to walk to the beat of the music, one step for every beat, and they can dance. And I have the band play some really hot tunes. It's an easy way to get people who are reluctant and sitting in their chairs, up on their feet and participating. If they can walk, they can dance, and they all walked into the wedding. I eventually wind them into a big circle, stop the music and then teach a simple circle mixer like La Bastringue. I can usually keep them on the dance floor after that. >just my 1/50 of a buck. Worth the same amount of a Canadian loonie these days. Woo hoo! Bev

17 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] suggestions for dancing on lawns...

by David.Millstone＠valley.net

> I may toss it out as a suggestion to the bride and groom who really want to have their guests up having a good time. I know that when Dudley Laufman does a wedding gig, he insists as part of the pre-party negotiations that he be given 45 minutes or so for dancing before there's cake cutting or some other intermission. He knows from long experience that this may be all the dancing that happens in the course of the evening, and he wants to get in more than one or two dances. If after the cake / break folks come back for more, great! By the way, when I'm discussing a dance with the happy couple, before the event, I remind them that the single biggest factor in whether folks will dance and will have a good time is whether the wedding couple is out there on the dance floor. If they're there, it's MUCH easier to get others to join in. If they're saying goodby to great-aunt Tillie, somewhere off in a corner, forget it. It's going to be really hard to entice others onto the floor. (or lawn, as the case may be...) David Millstone

17 years, 5 months

suggestions for dancing on lawns...

by Laur

Hell all, looking for support and any suggestions for calling an outside wedding dance. Since I am dealing with a wedding dance I don't have to worry about fast dancing. Although I keep thinking about that unsteady dancing thing that is already present with non-dancers, and their over exuberance. I also think about letting that caller insurance lag this year. I'm open to anything anyone can offer. Wedding is Sunday. Trying to rethink today and tomorrow. Thanks - Laurie, Grand Rapids, MI ~ What the heart has once owned.....it shall never lose. ~ ~ Henry Ward Beecher~ ~~

17 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] suggestions for dancing on lawns... and question about caller insurance

by The Witful Turnip

I've called many a wedding and/or event dance on grass and have never had a problem. Like Beth, I agree with most everything that's been said, particularly Rich's comment about using elbow swings, Tom's comment about using mixers, and her comment about wedding timing. All absolutely true in my experience. I don't like the idea of dancing on cardboard boxes taped together. [I can just see Lindsay rolling his eyes at me right now! <wave>] That strikes me as potentially slippery (especially if women are wearing heels) and more dangerous than just dancing on the grass. But your mileage may vary. In my experience at weddings, women are often wearing high heels. I typically walk around on the grassy area of the dance to look for particularly uneven terrain in order to try to steer clear of it. And assuming the grass is clean or debris and other potential assorted muckiness, I often suggest that women dance barefooted rather than in heels. If the grass is soft, they have a tendency to get stuck/caught anyway. Laurie, I'm calling the dance in Lansing this Saturday. Come to the dance and we can chat more about this. About caller insurance, I heard about it a couple of years ago, and it may have even been on this list. My recollection is that it's offered by or related to CallerLab, the modern western square dance folks in the US. I also seem to remember that the link to the forms was on the CDSS website. I'm certain I got the forms and emailed someone then to find out the answers to some questions, and never got any. Perhaps you folks can answer them. I'm a Canadian caller. Can I even apply to get this insurance? Will it cover me if I'm calling dances in Canada? Will it cover me if I'm calling dances in the US, even though I'm Canadian? Are there any Canadians on this list that have purchased it? Has anyone had to actually use it (e.g. make a claim)? I have insurance for just about everything else car, condo, life, you name it. I wholeheartedly believe in getting insurance if it's available. But I couldn't seem to find out if I could actually get it. And then it just slipped off the radar and I forgot about it. Ultimately, I believe that Canucks are less litigious than you 'Mericans, so I hadn't gone back to follow up. But every time someone mentions it, I wonder about it... Thanks, Bev

17 years, 5 months

Insurance

by David.Millstone＠valley.net

The CALLERLAB policy that Bev mentioned does not appli to Canadian or overseas callers. CALLERLAB says, "We urge Canadian and overseas callers to contact their local organizations for their insurance needs." Alas. It's a good deal. Purchased through CDSS, it costs $48/year: http://cdss.org/membership/2008_caller%20insurance%20application.pdf And no, I don't know of anyone who's had to file a claim. However, I often have had to present a certificate of insurance to be able to hold a dance in a town hall or a school building, and it's worth carrying the policy just for that. David Millstone

17 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] suggestions for dancing on lawns...

by richgoss＠comcast.net

That was my understanding of ONS and MUC. Could it be anything else??? Obvious. Rich -------------- Original message -------------- From: Greg McKenzie <gregmck(a)earthlink.net> > > Callers, > > Some people may not be familiar with the jargon we use. Just to clarify: > > ONS stands for "Old Ninnie's Shuffle" a dance done at retirement > homes in southern New Mexico. > > MUC stands for "Mucilaginous Uphill Crabwalk" which is a popular > dance amongst college students on the East coast. > > Just thought that might help. > > Sincerely, > Greg McKenzie > > ******** > > At 12:43 PM 6/17/2008, you wrote: > >Dancing on grass works just fine. Stick with an elbow swing, which > >I usually do for a ONS dance anyway. > >I'm assuming that this is a dance with mostly novice, one-time > >dancers. We did play for a MUC dance once that was in the grass and > >the dance seemed to work just fine too, except for the mosquitos. > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers(a)sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

17 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] suggestions for dancing on lawns...

by Greg McKenzie

Callers, Some people may not be familiar with the jargon we use. Just to clarify: ONS stands for "Old Ninnie's Shuffle" a dance done at retirement homes in southern New Mexico. MUC stands for "Mucilaginous Uphill Crabwalk" which is a popular dance amongst college students on the East coast. Just thought that might help. Sincerely, Greg McKenzie ******** At 12:43 PM 6/17/2008, you wrote: >Dancing on grass works just fine. Stick with an elbow swing, which >I usually do for a ONS dance anyway. >I'm assuming that this is a dance with mostly novice, one-time >dancers. We did play for a MUC dance once that was in the grass and >the dance seemed to work just fine too, except for the mosquitos.

17 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] suggestions for dancing on lawns...

by richgoss＠comcast.net

Dancing on grass works just fine. Stick with an elbow swing, which I usually do for a ONS dance anyway. I'm assuming that this is a dance with mostly novice, one-time dancers. We did play for a MUC dance once that was in the grass and the dance seemed to work just fine too, except for the mosquitos. Rich -------------- Original message -------------- From: Laur <lcpgr(a)yahoo.com> > Hell all, looking for support and any suggestions for calling an outside wedding > dance. > > Since I am dealing with a wedding dance I don't have to worry about fast > dancing. Although I keep thinking about that unsteady dancing thing that is > already present with non-dancers, and their over exuberance. I also think about > letting that caller insurance lag this year. > > I'm open to anything anyone can offer. Wedding is Sunday. Trying to rethink > today and tomorrow. > > Thanks - Laurie, Grand Rapids, MI > > > ~ What the heart has once owned.....it shall never lose. ~ > ~ Henry Ward Beecher~ > ~~ > > > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers(a)sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

17 years, 5 months

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Contra Callers