Contra Callers

contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net

39 participants
4354 discussions

by Chris Weiler

Hello everyone!! I was amazed at the response I got. Thank you to everyone who forwarded my message to people who might be interested. Some of those people contacted me to express their interest in being a part of the discussion. We have the new lists up and ready for people to join!! Here are the links to join each list: http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/admin/musicians http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/admin/organizers We are in the process of updating the main website. I'll make an announcement when it's ready. A few people contacted me expressing their interest and presenting their credentials to "qualify" to be on these lists. We don't block anyone from joining. All we ask is that you have an interest in the topic. We have several lurkers on the Callers list that have never called a dance. I'm looking forward to the discussions! Chris Weiler Goffstown, NH Original Announcement: I apologize if I sent this to anyone twice. Some of you know about an e-mail list that Seth Seeger and I have been running called Shared Weight. The list callers(a)sharedweight.net has been running for 2 1/2 years now and we consider it to be a great success. It was intended to be and has become a resource for people new to calling for traditional dance to come and learn from experienced people. If you are not familiar with the list, please check it out. The archives are public, so you can read what the posts are like: http://www.sharedweight.net/ I am considering starting two new lists on the website: organizers(a)sharedweight.net and musicians(a)sharedweight.net. It should be obvious that these new lists would be targeted at organizers and musicians for traditional dancing. We would hope to have a core group of experienced people and also new people to share information about these subjects. You have been included in this e-mail because you either subscribe to the callers list, or are an organizer or musician that I have an e-mail address for. Since I am a caller who is also an organizer and is working on jumping into the 3rd category, I have an interest in promoting the growth of all of these. Please take some time and consider whether or not you would be interested in joining either of these new lists. I welcome any comments or questions as well. Please feel free to forward this to anyone who you think might be interested. Thank you for your time. Happy Dancing!!! (and calling, organizing and playing!!) Chris Weiler Goffstown, NH http://www.sharedweight.net/ http://www.chrisweiler.ws/

17 years, 10 months

Re: [Callers] Low Numbers and No Partner Dances

by David.Millstone＠valley.net

Rickey asked, "I am wondering if you have any dances for low numbers of dancers (perhaps 6 or less), when most or all of the dancers are beginners and adults. I am also wondering if you have any dances (presumably different dances), that do not require choosing a partner and are good openers for beginner adults." I've missed some of this discussion, so apologies if I'm repeating. There are many good possibilities to be found in the English ceilidh repertoire. One useful source of such dances is Thomas Green's website: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/greenery/BarnDances/ Now, granted, 6 or less is a pretty small number of dancers, and many of the dances on this site need more than that, but there are plenty that will work well for the situation you describe. Triplets, of course, are a helpful part of your repertoire. With five people there, you can join in to make up a triplet, and that will keep your dancers moving for quite a while. They range, of course, from simple to very challenging, so pick carefully. One that you might find appropriate for this situation is David's Triplet #4," by David Smukler, which was written specifically to be relatively simple: http://www.davidsmukler.syracusecountrydancers.org/DSS.html#trip4 Good luck! David Millstone

17 years, 10 months

More on Low Numbers and No Partner Dances

by Rickey

Hi callers, Thanks for the suggestions. There were several. If you can, post the dances, or send them directly to me if you prefer, (holt.e(a)comcast.net). If that is too difficult can you point me towards some. Perhaps indicate some favorites. I try to do my homework but I am a bit overwhelmed. As far as just going home, when the numbers are low: Don't want to go home - not if we can still have some fun anyway, at least not for a while. Might only be for a bit. As far as Ted's Triplets, I do have several and I enjoy them. Most of those I have are challenging for me to teach to beginners Alan Winston asked "Does it have to still feel like a contra dance, or can it be generically one-night-stand?" I do not expect these dances to feel like contras, but they should be dances that can by done by contra dancers, especially dancers with little or no traditional dance experience. Walking steps best. Silly dances are ok. As far as using English dances, I have danced some English, mostly English Country Dance dances and can teach simple moves (Siding, Setting, etc). If it is something that these dancers can enjoy that night - great. I do not have Antony Heywoods's "X Marks The Spot". Would love to see it. For the partner free dances I did not expect a mixer, but a mixer would be fine - but roughly within the New England, Southern or perhaps Western traditional dance traditions, so as to stay within the limitations of the dancers - and of this caller. Alan, I would love to see some of those" 5-person ceilidh-type dances that don't require asking a partner to dance" that you mentioned. Mark Goodwin - you mentioned several interesting possibilities that I am not familiar with. Can you post some of these or point me towards them. They are all out of my experience at this point. They were: (1) Spanish Waltz (2) Domino Five, by David Haynes (3) Polka Dots (4) Steve Schnurr's dance Cottontail Rag (5) Simple Jack (6) Kentucky Reel, by Chris Brady (7) The Margate Hoy, by Thompson 1783 (8) The Weevil by Richard Mason (9) Susan Elberger's "Greenfield" Dudley How does the whole set longways Danse du Castor go. (Sounds like an oil.) I have the others you mentioned, but not that one Thanks to all of you - you are great. Rickey Holt Fremont, NH

17 years, 10 months

Personal Dance Database Needed

by Rickey

Ok, I can't put this off any longer. I have too many cards, dances in the computer, dances on scrapes of paper. I need a database! I would like to be able to enter the dance into it and some other information like author, or period or difficulty and then be able to ask it to show me all the dances that have ladies chain to hey transitions, or have a California twirl, God willing, or half promenade to half right-and-left through's, or that I once thought might be good for one night stands with mixed crowds by the seashore. It could also link back to showing me the entire dance. I know that this is very basic database stuff, but I'm not too database literate. I have Access and tried to do this there. I'm sure it can be done. Does anyone have an off the shelf suggestion, or an easy answer. Easy answers do exist for some things. Thanks, Rickey Holt (Overwhelmed-in-New-Hampshire) P.S. I have a pc running Windows XP and megagigas of ram and storage.

17 years, 10 months

Book or web site?

by Gale T. Wood

If posting to the web (website) please be sure all information is correct I have pulled dances from internet sites that sound fun to dance, or that I have danced, only to find that the choreography was not notated correctly. This has accounted for glaring sessions from dancers and my reputation has suffered. Needless to say if I am not familiar with a dance that I have found on the internet, I will take it to a 'house' session and try it out before calling it at a regular dance. With very few exceptions 'notations' from books are a more reliable source. Perhaps if posting in 'web' form, employ an editor to double check all information. Happy calling! Gale Wood

17 years, 10 months

Re: [Callers] Book or web site?

by Dan Black

Gang, On this topic, if people choose to put dances on the web, please include your name by the dance title. I have printed out dances from the web to be put on cards later and had to go back to sites to get the name correct or at all. Some sites have the name at the top or bottom of the printed out page. For this technophobe if chorographers could put their name by the title, procrastinaters like me,( am I alone in this?), will at least spell your name correctly. Pronunciation is a whole different aspect. As I have been taught, progress not perfection. See ya on the floor, Dan Black (Jersey Guy) ____________________________________________________________________________________ Park yourself in front of a world of choices in alternative vehicles. Visit the Yahoo! Auto Green Center. http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/

17 years, 10 months

Book or web site?

by Chris Page

A question about publishing new dances. (Let's assume for this argument that the dances are good, and a significant number of other callers would be interested in them. Publishing bad dances is a whole other issue.) Is it better to publish them in a web site, or in book format? (This is two sub-questions -- which is better for the person publishing the dances, and which is better for the contra dance community.) Advantages of a web site: -You don't lose money, or storage space with boxes of unsold books. (I don't see anyone ever making money by published a contra dance book.) -It takes much less time to produce. -It's not permanent, so you can update or fix it over time. -It's free, supporting more the folk aspect of transmission. Advantages of a book: -It's permanent. -It's more exclusive (you need to pay and order), so hence it must be more valuable. -There are fewer of them, so they stand out more. -Hence, it's more prestigious. (note that if they're a bad or lackluster collection of dances, these advantages quickly become disadvantages) Are there other reasons? I've run across web sites (like Gene Hubert's or Rick Mohr's) that rival the best of the individual printed books. Then again, you can probably name books that have fallen far short of expectations. Thoughts? This is more than a theoretical question for me. -Chris Page San Diego

17 years, 10 months

Slippery Swing (attn. Rick Holt)

by Gale T. Wood

Hay Rickey Here's Slippery Swing thought I would share with everyone This is an interesting dance as the progression is in A1 not at the end of B2 I hope Ted Crane does not mind this posting as I found The dance on his web site. (and danced in VT) Much fun to call, more fun to dance! A plug for the 1st Thursday Dover NH dance guest callers Are welcome! Dance goes throughout the summer Dover city hall 8:00 - 10:30 See ya on the floor! Gale 'Slippery Swing' Ted Crane Becket A1: Circle L 1X 8 With part slide left and Cir L with new Neighbors 3/4. (Prog) 8 A2: DSD this neighbor, 8 Swing this neighbor 8 B1: full H44 across the set: 16 Women pass R B2: Women cross again, passing Right, 16 Swing Part.

17 years, 10 months

Oddville

by lynn ackerson

The dance is now up on Erik's website: http://www.kluberg.com/eriksdances.html#Oddville I second Seth's endorsement of Erik's dances. He's written some really good ones. Lynn

17 years, 10 months

Oddville (Ad Vielle) dance link

by Tina Fields

Hi folks - You might recall that I was looking for the dance Oddville (Ad Vielle) by Erik Weberg. Karen Fontana asked me to post it here when I found it. Well, thanks to your collective knowledge, I was able to write to Erik directly. He sent back a very kind response stating that he's now updated his website to include the dance, and wishes me joy in calling it. You'll find it at http://www.kluberg.com/erikcalls.html It's a terrific dance, and one I hope many of you will try out and enjoy calling too. I suspect, though, that part of its wonderfulness that I felt as a dancer is the way it totally fits the music it turns out the dance was written FOR... this was an excellent learning moment for me when I realized that. And it makes me ponder how we can more often identify & request tunes (as callers) or choose tunes (as musicians) specifically for certain dances... have any of you IDed good pairings like that to suggest? --Or is this line of questioning getting too Englishy for comfort? <g> Tina Tina R. Fields, Ph.D. (707) 824-9318 "Hindsight Now!"

17 years, 10 months

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