I’m think you both make good points — to that end I did whip up a script that will take json from the callers box website and output a markdown file in my template, I can share if there’s interest.
I think to me the difference between transcribing and understanding is the boilerplate — that is, I don’t want to rewrite my template, but I would rewrite the directions to, say, omit slurs and go from more of a positional point of view. But what’s not useful to me is rewriting my markdown table.
Sent from my mobile device, please excuse my brevity.
~James Slaughter
On Jan 12, 2025, at 4:02 PM, Erik Hoffman via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
From Louise Siddons:
Also, specifically in terms of programming (which someone mentioned), there are aspects of calling where experience is a key element of the learning process. Shortcuts will be detrimental to the caller’s experience even if the dancers don’t notice.
From me:
This is much like late Larry Jennings’ decision to transcribe dances in his book, Zesty Contras and Give-and-Take with abbreviations and in a form that was not common in the time. His thinking was people using his books would have to think about the dance they were planning to call had to think about the dance as they re-transcribed it. I recall the challenge of putting dances down on a card (remember those?) (and I know people still use cards…) from Zesty Contras and doing just what Larry intended: thinking a dance through as I put it down in my re-abbreviated cards.
Cheers,
~Erik Hoffman
Oakland CA
From: Louise Siddons via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2025 12:35 PM
To: Shared Weight Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] Re: Unifying contra dance formats with AI
AI is resource-intensive and an environmental disaster. Using it for trivial purposes feels worse than pointless to me.
Also, specifically in terms of programming (which someone mentioned), there are aspects of calling where experience is a key element of the learning process. Shortcuts will be detrimental to the caller’s experience even if the dancers don’t notice.
In the spirit of slow food, might we not consider ‘slow folk dance’ as taking a positive, sustainable position in relation to the climate crisis? There is no actual need to make anything related to contra dancing more efficient.
(I’m reminded of the joke that dancing is a very complicated way of going nowhere. Surely in some sense we embody the idea that the journey is the destination?)
Louise.
(Winchester, UK)
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Hello callers. I have been calling a dance I notated at a Swing into Summer
weekend at Pinewoods several (10+?) years ago, that has always been fun for
my advanced-beginner-to-intermediate contra community. I call it the
Mystery Dance, because I never did find out the name or source. Perhaps one
of you can identify it for me. Thanks!
A1 Bal. & Sw Nbr (16)
A2 M Allemande LEFT 1 ½ to Ptn (8)
Swing Partner (8)
B Balance the ring, petronella twirl 4X,
Pass through to new Nbr.
--
www.huntandallison.nethttp://thsmaritime.com/www.centralhallcommons.org
Please put this date on your calendar! The Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS) honors Tony Parkes with a Lifetime Contribution Award on Saturday, November 22, at the Scout House in Concord, MA. We'll heat up the hall with a dynamic evening of dance with amazing music by Stove Dragon and calling by Annie Kidwell, Ben Sachs-Hamilton, and Lisa Greenleaf. Also, an afternoon session of square dancing to Tony's recorded calls, potluck, and of course the award presentation. It will be a great celebration of dance in the past, present, and future!
Hello All,
I own the domain ContraDanceCaller.com and have listed it for sale. If you
are interested in acquiring the domain for your own website, please let me
know.
The list price is $500 obo. It is valued by the broker at $559.
Mary Keith Eustis
8 Tradewinds Way, Salem, SC 29676
864-710-5434
Keustis06(a)gmail.com
...to Barb and Sue, by David Kaynor.
At the end of the B2 Robins chain to their neighbor. Same neighbor,
correct? The A1 begins with a neighbor B&S. I think this is a NEW
nbr...... Which makes sense, since there's no other progression. Just
checking.
-Amy Wimmer
Seattle
Hi all,
David Christian is a long-time dancer and stalwart event producer here in
Moscow, Idaho. If you've ever worked here he undoubtedly ran the sound for
your gig. He has been trying his hand at writing some contras. This one
struck me as fun when we workshopped it, and worthy of trying out at a
dance, but I'd like to hear your thoughts before I plunge ahead.
"Going Dutch" by David Christian
Becket CW
A1. Slice left
Right & Left Through
A2. Robins Chain to neighbor
Long Lines Forward & Back - *Robins roll left and Larks step right on
the way back*
B1. Larks right hand chain to partner
Larks allemande right 1x
B2. Partners Balance & Swing
small question: Do you suppose the position swap at the end of A2 would
work better with Larks roll right and Robins step left?
large question: what do you think of the dance overall?
Thanks,
Joseph Erhard-Hudson
Moscow, Idaho
Hi All,
This one follows the path of “Summer of 84” and “Summer of 94”. We’ve skipped a couple of decades.
It must be similar to an existing dance, but here it is.
Summer of '24 – Rich Goss (11/01/24) Improper
A1: LLFB,
Robins pull by left, Partner alle Right 1.5
(wave of 4 across, Larks left in center)
A2: Bal Wave, walk fwd to new wave
(Larks left in center)
Bal Wave, 1/2 Hey (st pass rt on side)
B1: Partner Balance and Swing
B2: Circle Left 3/4, Neighbor Swing
Hi All,
I'm having trouble accessing the Caller's Box. I keep getting the message
that the site can't be reached, and I should check for a typo in
www.ibiblio.org. Anybody know what's up?
-Amy
A while back, my wife made us aware of a holiday she'd just heard of,
"World Toilet Day". Our daughter Raeden then immediately challenged me to
write a dance to commemorate it. ;-)
I got a chance to try it out recently and folks enjoyed it, so here it is:
Unflushable - Becket RT/REVERSE PROG*. - Don Veino 20241006
For World Toilet Day, November 19 2024
A1 GNT/LRK pass LT Full Hey *but they only* ricochet second time
[ALT: instead of ricochet, LRKs only MR swirl 1x after 1/2 Hey as RBNs
continue to hey]
A2 NBR Right Shoulder Around, Swing
B1 LT Diag. LDY/RBN RH Chain to shadow;
LDY/RBN pass RT Half Hey straight across, Look for partner along to
B2 PNR Balance and Swing
*(for the theme, I wanted it to "back up" - but it's otherwise = Becket
LT/CW regular progression)
The title was inspired by a scene from the first episode of the ~Y2K era
BBC sitcom "Coupling" (if you know, you know).
Happy World Toilet Day!
-Don
