Contra Callers

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4369 discussions

by Jeffrey Petrovitch

Hey Everyone! Looking for some help... Looking for interesting contra dances with a star promenades.? Also wondering if anyone has the dance sequence "Through The Looking Glass" by Wendy Greenberg. Thanks, j_petro

18 years, 1 month

New Friendship Reel

by Jeff Kaufman

The caller in Bethlehem called the New Friendship Reel tonight and I've been trying to figure it out enough that I could call it. I'm mostly unsure about the phrasing of the "X around through, Y cut though". I have the dance as: Aleman right 1.5 (#1 lady facing out) Gent around two, lady cut through Lady around two, gent cut through Circle left 3/4, swing partner Circle left 3/4, swing neighbor And would break it up as: A1: (8) Aleman R 1.5 (8) Gent around two? A2: (4) Lady cut through? (8) Lady around two? (4) Gent cut through? B1: (16) Circle L 3/4, swing P B2: (16) Circle L 3/4, swing N This seems weird, though. I I remember "X around through, Y cut though" as taking 8 counts. Am I forgetting a figure? Jeff -- Jeff Kaufman http://sccs.swarthmore.edu/~cbr/

18 years, 1 month

Re: [Callers] Star Promenade mechanics

by Jerome Grisanti

While we're on the subject of the Star Promenade move, I want to express an opinion on the mechanics of the move and ask for feedback. When I am dancing in the center of the star promenade, I prefer to place my hand behind the woman's back (as in the courtesy turn) and I prefer her to place her hand not on the small of my back but rather on my nearest shoulder. My contention is that this hold is much easier to release, particularly into a hey or something involving the next neighbor. I think a secondary benefit is that my shoulder tends to be dryer than the small of my back, particularly later in the evening, and thus should be more comfortable for her as well. When I suggest this to a female partner, I just tell her I find it more comfortable for me. I don't bother suggesting anything to neighbors, since the move is brief. And as a caller, I suggest that this placement of hands gives the woman more power or discretion. What I want feedback on is this: Does this rationale make sense, or am I just trying to sell my own personal comfort here? Thanks, Jerome -- Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 660-528-0714 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com

18 years, 1 month

Thanks!

by Rickey

Hi, Thanks to all of you who sent in tips for calling, thanks to all of you who sent in dances with star promenades and thanks to Richard and Jeff for asking. We all benefit!!! Rickey Holt.

18 years, 1 month

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by Gale T. Wood

HI Chris, it took 3 tries! I am able to dwnld! Thanks Gale

18 years, 1 month

Re: [Callers] Star Promenade

by richgoss＠comcast.net

Here are a few. Bevy of Butterflies is a wonderful dance that has two star promenades. I don't have "Through the Looking Glass" however. Rich Bevy of Butterflies - Bob Isaacs and Chris Page Improper A1: (Next) Gent alle left 1 1/2, Scoop up partner w/Partner Star prom across, butterfly twirl A2: Ladies gypsy right 1x Partner swing B1: R/L thru across, Ladies alle right 1 1/2 B2: Ladies Scoop up Neighbor (with ladys arm on top) Star prom, across, Neighbor swing Carols Delight Tom Hinds (1990) Becket A1: Ladies alle right 1 1/2 Scoop up N for Star Prom 1/2, Butterfly twirl* A2: Gents alle left 1 1/2, Partner Swing B1: Circle left left 3/4, pass thru, swing next B2: LLFB, Ladies Chain *Gents walk fwd, ladies back up Heart of Glass - Cary Ravitz Becket A1: Circle Left 3/4, pass thru across Neighbor swing A2: Gents Alle Left 1 1/2 Star promenade across B1: Full Hey (Ladies st pass rt sh) B2: Partner Balance and Swing Pedal Pushers - Bob Dalsemer Improper A1: Gents Alle Left 1 1/2, Scoop Up Partner Star Promenade, Butterfly Twirl A2: Ladies Dosido, Partner Swing (form ring) B1: Ring Balance, Pass Thru Across the Set Face Rt, Single File Prom 3 places, Gents turn back &... B2: Neighbor Balance & Swing

18 years, 1 month

Re: [Callers] New callers material [for a workshop]?

by Chip Hedler

Hi! Judging by the materials at http://www.quiteapair.us/calling (couldn't find resources.html, though), seems like you've got plenty to choose from. I doubt whether your workshop participants will be disappointed by whatever you decide on. I see you have material from Cary Ravitz. Have you also already considered material from his "Notes on Choreography for Duple Minor Improper Contra Dances"? Even though it's intended for dance composers as well as callers, it's loaded with little tidbits and not-so-little profundities that could help a new caller with choosing dances, deciding what's worth pointing out during the walkthrough, and generally developing the "big picture" about how dances work. I found it at http://www.concentric.net/~ravitz/dance/chor.shtml > > Message: 5 > Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 15:32:42 -0700 > From: "William Watson" <wjw1961(a)gmail.com> > Subject: [Callers] New callers material? > To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Message-ID: > <d97046180704121532xa1650e4nd9afa858f663a7f5(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > Greetings! > > I've been asked to lead a short workshop session for folks possibly > interested in starting calling. While I have a number of handouts from > callers' sessions at different camps I've attended, I don't really feel > that > I should hand out copies of those notes. I've started pulling together > some > material of my own, but thought I'd ask the list members if they know of > any > materials already on-line. I did check the "contra dance links" page, > did > a quick scan, and picked a few items from the list to include on mine. > > If you want to see what I have so far, you can look here: > http://www.quiteapair.us/calling/<http://www.quiteapair.us/calling/resources.html> > > > Please let me know of any materials you found helpful when starting, or > that > you recommend I suggest to new callers. > > Thanks! > > William > -- > wjw1961(a)gmail.com > William J. Watson >

18 years, 1 month

Re: [Callers] New callers material?

by David.Millstone＠valley.net

Hello William, I'd recommend adding Ted Sannella's books to your list of resources. The first two books provide a nice selection of dances, many of them less complex than some of the dances in Give and Take. I've found that one common problem that new callers have is selecting dances that are too hard for them to call well; they hope to make a big splash, showing that they can call hot dances that they have enjoyed dancing themselves, but all too often get tangled up in lengthy explanations orlet the timing slip on their calling. They would have done better to pick something more straightforward, teach it quickly, keep up with the calls, and get out of the way. In addition to Ted's collection of dances, what I like about his first two books (_Balance and Swing_ and _Swing the Next_) are his detailed notes on how he teaches the dance, sometimes offering specific wording, and a rationale for why he makes the choices he does. The careful reader can learn a lot about how to teach and how to program from reading Ted's comments. The third Ted publication, his notes on calling traditional New England squares, is valuable for many reasons. First, New England style squares are the easiest kind of squares for most callers to learn, and his notes, combined with the many squares presented in the first two books, are a helpful guide. Second, Ted pays a lot of attention attention to breaks, that bane of many contra callers. Finally, the booklet comes with a CD that offers 15 examples of Ted's calling. Callers wanting to call traditional New England style squares could do a lot worse than to pattern themselves on Ted Sannella's timing and diction. David Millstone

18 years, 1 month

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by Chris Weiler

Just testing whether or not attachments go through. I looked through the settings and don't see anything that wouldn't let a .doc or .pdf through. Chris P.S. The attached form is one that I use for working out the prompts for a dance. One line (Moves) is for what the dancers are doing. The lines represent one word or syllable. The form seemed to get more elaborate as I tried to call higher piece count dances. First I write down what I think will work, then I pound a beat on the table and try to read what I wrote, out loud, in time with it.

18 years, 1 month

Re: [Callers] Greetings from a new caller and some random questions about calling (Richard Green)

by Jerome Grisanti

Richard, Welcome to calling! I will address a few of your questions, with the understanding that multiple approaches are what keep this folk art lively and interesting. Timing: As long as dancers understand you and get the call before the move, I don't believe it matters whether you phrase it "partners balance and swing" or "partners balance ... and swing." There are times when the pause is needed, either musically or acoustically, but there is no hard-and-fast rule. Once the dance is in its third or fourth iteration, I back off the calls considerably, reducing to "partners balance" or "partners" to saying nothing if the dancers are all on top of the dance. With some dances, I may prompt a tricky spot and nothing else. Listen to callers you like, they are the best tool to know about placing calls. I echo Mavis' advice about taping yourself, this is a real ear-opener but it can be hard on the ego. Playing and calling at the same time: It can be done, but I would encourage new callers to concentrate on that skill exclusively for a long period. Be aware of all the dancers, stand on the stage or elevated platform, get feedback on your audio, language, teaching, etc. There's a LOT of stuff to absorb, in real time, with people waiting for YOU to say the next thing. Varying the calls: Not necessary unless something is not working. For example, in Petronella some people will say "in a circle, balance and petronella turn," only to realize that at the word "circle" many of the groups started to circle to the left. So the next time, the caller might realize it would be better to say "in a ring, balance and petronella turn." In general, I vary the calls only as a way of reducing to no prompts. Ending the dance: Many callers like to end dances with a partner swing, and there are a number of "boilerplate" endings from the various positions. I'd encourage you to figure those out ahead of time and make notes for "final time thru." One move I don't enjoy is a partner swing stretching over both the B1 and B2, so I'll say "listen up, new call, long lines (or circle) ... partners swing again." From a neighbor swing you could circle three places. And with some "signature" moves you may just let the dances end as written. Judging Dancer's Level: Observe. Ask the dancers what they are comfortable with. I think it's a useful exercise to create a ranking of moves by difficulty. Your first list may not be entirely accurate. Things that are relatively easy for first-timers in a crowd of experienced dancers (chain) may prove very difficult indeed when the crowd is predominantly inexperienced, for example at a wedding. As you gain experience, you will find that your rankings change. You will also find ways to teach certain moves that are very effective, while others are less effective. Good luck, and have fun! Jerome Grisanti > Message: 3 > Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:24:06 -0400 > From: "Richard Green" < richard.a.green(a)hotmail.com> > Subject: [Callers] Greetings from a new caller and some random > questions about calling > To: "'Caller's discussion list'" < callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Message-ID: <BAY118-DAV6587B7A64A3ED5A887787B25E0(a)phx.gbl> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > Greetings to all of you! > > My name is Richard Green and I have decided to come out of the lurking > closet and announce my intention of learning how to call. I discovered > this > wonderful discussion list about a month ago and avidly read through the > multiple years of postings. Now, alas, I am up to date and finding it > hard > to adjust to having only an occasional new post to read. > > I live in Maine, and my calling interest began in January when I attended > John McIntire's calling workshops. At the time I thought it would be nice > to learn some calling skills because my wife and I have had some > opportunities to play music for some barn and family dances in the area, > and > on one occasion the caller was not present and we didn't know how to > proceed.(He did eventually show up). At the end of the caller's workshop > we > were given the opportunity to call at a live contradance, and despite a > rather anxious time spent worrying about the fiasco that was sure to > occur, > it went quite well and I really had a good time. It was a breakthrough > moment for me, and it was then and there that I decided I would like to > pursue calling more seriously. I am grateful to John for giving me that > chance. > > Since then I have doubled my calling experience by calling a mixer at a > recent family dance that we played at. John has also scheduled another > dance next month with guest callers which I will be one of. Other than > that > I have spent time preparing by transcribing several dances that I have > found > online,(several on this list), donning my mp3 player and practicing > calling > as I jog around the neighborhood. It is a pretty good way to become > familiar with the timing of the calls, but doesn't really do much for the > stage fright that I will still have to deal with, although I suppose that > running around the streets shouting contradance calls in cadence does make > me an object of attention. > > Despite my lack of experience I now have several gigs lined up to call. > They are all for family type and special dances that we have been asked to > > play at. Since it is not very likely that much of this dancing is going > to > be done to the phrasing of the music it takes a little pressure off the > need > to be precise with timing, but in general I think that calling these types > > of dances is actually more difficult in some ways because teaching, as > well > as just maintaining the dance, can be a challenge. > > I would like to say that I will be satisfied with calling these family > dances, but I really harbor a secret desire to make it to the big time and > > call a "real" dance. I have always been pretty impressed by how the > callers > could stand up there and make a dance happen, and now that I know more > about > what goes into it I am even more in awe of you all. > > Since it is too late to avoid being long-winded, I would like to add a few > random questions which I will throw out to see if they generate any > discussion: > > Timing issues- I think that I have a pretty good handle on the eight and > sixteen beat figures, but how do you keep track of others? For example, > the > petronella balance & spin are 4 & 4, I think. Do you call them together, > like a balance and swing, or try to separate the call a little? And for > that matter, for a balance and swing call, is it better to call that all > at > once, or would it be good to call balance......and swing, with a > separation. > And what about these dances that have other timing. Sometimes I see > timing > of 7 or 9, or other odd numbers. Does the timing of the calls have to > change to reflect this? > > Calling and Playing - Does anyone call and play an instrument at the same > time? Are you able to call and play simultaneously or do you do some > calling and then join the band when the calling is no longer needed. Any > hints on how to share these tasks? > > Ending the Dance - Do most callers change the call at the end of the dance > so that you swing your partner or something to close the dance? I know > Bill > Olson does, but I can't really remember if it is the common thing to > do. If > so, do you have some special ending already prepared or do you just > develop > something on the fly or with experience. In transcribing dances and I > have > not included anything like that. > > Varying your Calls - Is it a good thing to vary the words that you use > when > calling a dance or is it better to use the exact same words each time > through? It seems like it would be a nice to avoid repetition, but on the > > other hand it also seems like it would be easier to be consistently > understood if you stick to the same phrases. Also, should you always call > using the same phrases from dance to dance? It seems like the dancers > would > get used to hearing things in the same way and understand them better, but > I > wonder if it would make you seem limited or boring as a caller. > > Judging the Dancer's Level - Any tips on how to judge the ability of the > dancers in order to introduce more complex dances? Is this something that > is obvious or does it take some special skills to observe, or is it > something that you develop over time? > > Thanks in advance for your help. > > Richard > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers(a)sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > > End of Callers Digest, Vol 32, Issue 4 > ************************************** > -- Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 660-528-0714 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com

18 years, 1 month

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