Hi,
I'm getting close to finishing a web page with my dance
sequences, and was wondering if anyone out there would be
interested in volunteering to check it in the near future?
It's about 35-40 dances of varying complexities, primarily contras.
Primarily I'm looking for someone to verify the sequences are
correct, and that the descriptions of the strange bits are
sufficiently complete. (Secondary is stuff like grammar, format,
links, and presentation, but I'm not as much worried about that.)
Any help, either partial or whole, would be greatly appreciated.
Please email me for details.
Thanks,
-Chris Page
San Diego
"I'm calling a dance with a band that is going to play tunes from the sixties. "
Kris - I am not a musician, but I have called a contra while the band played Tequila. It was fantastic for me and the dancers!
Jane Ewing
Huntsville, AL
Our band does a great (well, we think so) old-timey version of Lady
Madonna.....
Martha
On Dec 22, 2007, at 9:00 AM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Rock 'n' Roll Contras (Janet Levatin)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2007 07:52:29 -0500
> From: Janet Levatin <jlevatin(a)massmed.org>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Rock 'n' Roll Contras
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <13ee0b4b67804d0d81863c22aa8f3433(a)massmed.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
>
> I think some Beach Boys songs might work, for example "Help Me
> Rhonda."
> Janet Levatin
>
>
> On Dec 19, 2007, at 12:34 PM, Kris Jensen wrote:
>
>> I'm calling a dance with a band that is going to play tunes from the
>> sixties. We'll be doing several squares and I can easily call patter
>> to tunes like "Green Onions" and other instrumental hits. But I'm
>> looking for suggestions for tunes that might work for contras (well-
>> phrased, 64-count melodies?). And any other suggestions to make this
>> a fun dance.
>>
>> Thanks for your help!
>>
>> Kris Jensen
>> Albuquerque, NM
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
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>>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 40, Issue 11
> ***************************************
I'm calling a dance with a band that is going to play tunes from the
sixties. We'll be doing several squares and I can easily call patter
to tunes like "Green Onions" and other instrumental hits. But I'm
looking for suggestions for tunes that might work for contras (well-
phrased, 64-count melodies?). And any other suggestions to make this
a fun dance.
Thanks for your help!
Kris Jensen
Albuquerque, NM
> In response to the question posed by Beth about what I'd like to
> learn as a new caller.
Figures other than contras. E.g. squares, quadrilles, triplets. I've
had a brief introduction to these other forms, but would find it
helpful to understand their format more fully and to practice them.
I'm still getting used to the fact that as the caller "I am in
charge." As I call more dances, I'm facing new situations and
responding. Perhaps a session that poses "difficult" or atypical
situations and then talk about options for responding to them. E.g.,
you have a room that is way too crowded. What do you do?
Nancy Turner
Waitsfield VT
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 20:54:24 GMT
> From: "crunchymama(a)juno.com" <crunchymama(a)juno.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Callers discussion / workshop topics
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Message-ID: <20071207.145424.14416.0(a)webmail21.vgs.untd.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> I've been calling for a little over a year now, on a volunteer
> basis here in Memphis TN. What that works out to is calling at one
> or two dances a month, and programming and calling half that
> evenings dances- between 4-5 individual dances each time. So I
> don't feel like I have a year's experience with the limited
> opportunities to practice with an audience.
>
> What I am most interested in, that could possibly be taught or
> explored in that time frame, is teaching walkthroughs. IME some of
> the greatest dances just don't go well or are slow starters if I
> don't give a good walkthrough.
>
> Things I'm working on that aren't as easily taught:
> personality and presence in dealing with the crowd,
> enunciation,
> and matching music to the dance and the dance to the music.
>
> For that last one I found Amy Cann's long post a few months back
> very helpful!
>
> -Alison Murphy
> Memphis TN
>
>
> "If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land,
> it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
> ~ James Madison
> HTTP://WWW.RONPAUL2008.COM
>
>
> -- "Beth Parkes" <beth(a)hands4.com> wrote:
> A question for newer callers:
>
> Since this is a list specifically to support new callers, I thought
> I'd ask
> what you would like to have covered in a callers discussion workshop.
> Specifically, a single session of not more than a couple of hours, so
> there's really not time to do a lot of serious teaching. I have
> lots of
> ideas, but it's been a long time since I was a new caller and I
> want to know
> what YOU want to know.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Beth
>
>
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>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2007 17:18:48 -0800 (PST)
> From: mavis mcgaugh <yankeecalls(a)yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Major Hey
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <766503.87706.qm(a)web36411.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Erik Hoffman has a dance called Major Hey.
> Done as Becket 40 Bar
>
> A1 Circle Left 3/4 Pass through up & down
> Swing neighbor you meet
>
> A2 long lines forward & back
> Men Left AL 1 1/2 end in waves of eight Men
> Have Left hands joined - and ALL have Right hand w/
> Partner - ladies in center have left with each other
>
> B1 Rory O Moore balances
>
> B2 Half Hey for eight
>
> C1 Partner Balance & Swing
>
> Very clear description of all the unusual moves in his
> book Contradictations
> --- Chris Page <chriscpage(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On 12/5/07, Bob Isaacs <isaacsbob(a)hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi All;
>>>
>>> I'm looking for the moves and author of a 4 facing
>> 4 named Major Hey, which has a 1/2 a hey for 8 in
>> it. Any teaching points would also be helpful.
>> Thanks, and a Happy Holidays to everyone -
>>> Bob
>>
>> "The Devil's Duty" by Al Olson, hidden in Zesty
>> Contras, also has a
>> hey for eight. It also has both swings ending in the
>> middle of the
>> phrase, so this past Friday I tried the following
>> clean-up, and it worked
>> pretty well:
>>
>> The Dancer's Duty
>> Chris Page variant of an Al Olson dance
>> Four-face-four
>>
>> A1 Lines of four forward and back [1] [2]
>> Neighbor (person across from you) allemande right
>> 1 & 3/4
>> to line of eight
>> A2 Half hey for eight, start by pulling past that
>> neighbor by right
>> B1 Swing same neighbor [3]
>> B2 Circle left 1/2 in groups of four [4]
>> Swing partner, face next
>>
>> [1] Stretch out the lines of four a little to make
>> room for everyone
>> allemanding and swinging in the center.
>> [2] At this point, you can tell the dancers to turn
>> ninety degrees left.
>> Then remember which wall they'll be facing for the
>> end of the allemande
>> and entry into the hey.
>> [3] To shorten the swing length, make it a gypsy and
>> swing. Or if you
>> want the hey to be an exercise in timing, make it a
>> balance and swing.
>> [4] You face your partner coming out of the swing.
>> There's other
>> variants for the circle left 1/2 -- for instance
>> balance the ring and
>> roll away your neighbor.
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>>
>
>
> Mavis L McGaugh
> 510-814-8118 (answering machine-leave message)
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
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>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 40, Issue 3
> **************************************
Coras Reel Gale Wood (2006)
Duple Proper
Jigs
A1 Cir 3 (L) W1 Orbit(R) 8
Cir 3 (R) W1 Orbit(L) 8
A2 Dwn Hall 3 x 1 (MMW, W) 8
(or: 4N Line MM, WW)
M turn Alone W turn as Coup
Up Hall 8
Cast Around (Proper)
B1 1s Pull by Across Set 16
Sw Neigh (Original)
B2 Act B&S 16
(End Proper!)
A1 Cir 3 is #1 man (between) with #2s
#1 Woman ends in original position
A2 #1 Man in-between #2s (MML)
For Cora Hasler, The best dog ever!
I penned this dance to honor a hiking buddy, who finished the NH 4000
footers
Cora is a Bernease mountain dog who is very dear to me. Her partner
organizes
the Gilmanton NH 2nd Saturday Contra Dance.
When Cora is in the hall she thinks it is her job to heard the dancers,
thus the 1st
Woman circling the other 3 in A1 and escorting in A2
I have called the dance on a couple of occasions to Experienced Dancers
And it does work
Of course the dance needs to be called to Jigs (as a play on Chorus Jig)
Original Message:
-----------------
From: Tepfer, Seth LABST(a)emory.edu
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:52:35 -0500
To: gtwood(a)worldpath.net, callers(a)sharedweight.net
Subject: RE: [Callers] weird contra dances
I'd love that dance if you have a chance!
Seth Tepfer
Director of Administrative Computing
Oxford College of Emory University
seth.tepfer(a)emory.edu
770-784-8487
> -----Original Message-----
> From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-
> bounces(a)sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of gtwood(a)worldpath.net
> Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 4:44 PM
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: Re: [Callers] weird contra dances
>
> HI Seth
> Sounds like fun but.... please refine notation
> or possibly its just my browser???
> If I have time tomorrow I'll send a dance that
> I created.
> Thanks
> Gale Wood
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I have also found that simple circle mixers can be great for "dance
education." 1) They get to swing with lots of different folks 2) if
a few couples are late, they get swept up in the next move 3) the
circle left/right and in to the center and promenade figures get them
listening to the music since, if they miss when the next figure
should start, once again, the group will "help them along". I also
try to ask for a tune or set with nice clear phrases to make it
easier for the dancers to match movements to music.
Jack
At 03:50 PM 12/14/2007, you wrote:
>Many experiences with enthusiastic teens dancing for the first time
>has taught me the importance of training them to listen for each
>successive call. They can lapse into autopilot on any figure--I've
>had teens who take forever to get a star rotating, then just keep
>going to indulge their success through two or even three subsequent calls.
>
>Starting out with longways dances (such as the many variants of the
>Virginia Reel) with several 8-count figures ending in long lines
>facing across can establish good listening behavior especially if
>you insist they wait for each call before launching into the next
>figure. I try to get them to really notice how dynamic it is when
>the whole set of dancers moves together so they are thinking more
>about the big picture. I also tell them if they realize they're
>really late on a figure, skip it if they can and wait for the next
>call (and I try to pick dances that tolerate that well).
>
>As far as contras go, dances with 16-count swings actually have
>worked better for me because the dancers usually wear themselves out
>more quickly and settle down into a more energy-conserving mode. But
>in the walkthrough and while the dance is in progress, I almost
>always insert a warning such as "end the swing and face across" (or
>whatever) before I give the call for the next figure.
>
>Chip Hedler
>
>Content-Type: application/ms-tnef;
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> Hi everyone,
This week, I called a dance for 50 enthusiastic highschool juniors
who were celebrating the end of their semester together. All
beginners. The organizer asked that we do contras and so I picked
ones that had very obvious transitions and slowly introduced new
moves. I wasn't prepared for their enthusiasm! By the fourth dance
they settled a bit and better understood the contra format and we all
got into a good grove. I found that initially, the kids embraced the
swings with gusto. The dances that I picked included both neighbor
and partner swings -- and once they got going, there was no stopping
them within the 8 measures. So we proceeded off-tempo and everyone
had a good time. I'm wondering if anyone knows of any swingless
contras. For this type of audience, I might consider adding in one or
two such dances near the beginning. Any other tips that you've
learned for calling for enthusiastic teens would also be appreciated.
Nancy Turner
Waitsfield VT
Many experiences with enthusiastic teens dancing for the first time has taught me the importance of training them to listen for each successive call. They can lapse into autopilot on any figure--I've had teens who take forever to get a star rotating, then just keep going to indulge their success through two or even three subsequent calls.
Starting out with longways dances (such as the many variants of the Virginia Reel) with several 8-count figures ending in long lines facing across can establish good listening behavior especially if you insist they wait for each call before launching into the next figure. I try to get them to really notice how dynamic it is when the whole set of dancers moves together so they are thinking more about the big picture. I also tell them if they realize they're really late on a figure, skip it if they can and wait for the next call (and I try to pick dances that tolerate that well).
As far as contras go, dances with 16-count swings actually have worked better for me because the dancers usually wear themselves out more quickly and settle down into a more energy-conserving mode. But in the walkthrough and while the dance is in progress, I almost always insert a warning such as "end the swing and face across" (or whatever) before I give the call for the next figure.
Chip Hedler
HI Seth
Sounds like fun but.... please refine notation
or possibly its just my browser???
If I have time tomorrow I'll send a dance that
I created.
Thanks
Gale Wood
Original Message:
-----------------
From: Tepfer, Seth LABST(a)emory.edu
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:48:35 -0500
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Subject: [Callers] weird contra dances
A friend in Seattle (Alan Cheetham) has written a contra dance with
substantially weird end effects called broken corners. The dance is below,
but the gist of the hook is you start contra corners, but with your first
corner you allemande left 1.5 to have the TWOs complete the contra corners.
I'm gathering some people together tomorrow night to walk through that
dance. I've got a couple of other weird dances, but while I've got some
dancers gathered together for some experimental dancing, do YOU have any
weird contras you've had hanging around and you need an in-depth, fully
studied, deliberated upon walk thru?
If so, please send them on. Tomorrow is a great time for us to work on your
dance for you!
Also, if you happen to be in Atlanta Wed, stop on by Janet's house from
7:45 - 9 to help us parse this and other dances out!
Note: I have neither danced nor called this dance. I can make no
recommendations about it being callable, danceable, understandable. It
should be danceable. I just haven't proven it yet.
Broken Corners
Author: Alan Cheetham
Start: Beckett O=men, X=women
[After hands-four improper rotate right 1 / 4 so the "Ones" are on the
right (men's proper side)]
X
O
X
O
X
O
"Ones"
O
X
O
X
O
X
Circle Left 3/4 (8)
O
X
O
X
O
X
A1a
X
O
X
O
X
O
Swing Neighbor (8)
X
O
X
O
X
O
A1b
O
X
O
X
O
X
Long Lines F&B (8)
X
O
X
O
X
O
A2a
O
X
O
X
O
X
"Ones" half Figure 8 up around Twos (8)
X
X
X
X
X
X
A2b
O
O
O
O
O
O
First broken corner - part 1 (part of 8)
"Ones" start contra corners - Alamand partner by the right ½ to first
corner (standard contra corner first corner)
X
X
X
B1a-1
OX
OX
OX
O
O
O
First broken corner - part 2 (rest of 8)
Alamand corner by the left 1 ½ (which will end in a position to send the
corner "Twos" into the middle)
X
O X
O
X
B1a-2
O X
O X
O
X
Second broken corner - part 1 (part of 8)
Former corners alamand the one you meet in the middle ¾ (to go to what
would have been the standard second corner for the original people in the
middle)
O
O
B1b-1
OX
OX
OX
X
X
X
Second broken corner - part 2 (rest of 8)
Alamand second corner position person by the left once around (to head back
along the side)
O
X
O
X
O
X
B1b-2
X
O
X
O
X
Along the set gypsy the one you meet by the right ½ to ¾ changing places
(part of 8)
O
X
O
X
O
X
B2a-1
O
X
O
X
O
X
Men gypsy across the middle by the left ½ ending facing your partner (rest
of 8)
X
X
O
X
B2a-2
O
O
O
O
X
X
X
X
O
X
O
X
O
B2a-2
O
X
O
X
O
X
Swing partner (8) (may need to swing slightly to the right, or remember the
circle will be with the couple slightly to the right)
X
O
X
O
X
O
X
O
B2a-2
O
X
O
X
O
X
Seth Tepfer
Director of Administrative Computing
Oxford College of Emory University
seth.tepfer(a)emory.edu
770-784-8487
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