I doubt this exists, but thought I’d ask:
I have seen on-line apps that demonstrate just one particular move (a ravens chain or whatever) showing how each dancer moves in that single call/move.
But has anyone yet programmed something that allows you to put in all the moves of a full contra dance, so you can see how all the dancers in a contra line interact?
I’m trying to figure out movements and end effects using a magnetic whiteboard, moving magnets around, but it is both painstakingly slow and I keep screwing it up.
I know the ideal way to figure out end effects and make sure a dance works before calling it is to get a few friends together to walk it thru, but short of getting that many contra dancers in a room (I have one friend who offers them pie as incentive, but I’m no pastry chef!), has anyone figured out a better system for visualizing dancer interactions and end effects other than magnets on a whiteboard?
Assuming an on-line simulator doesn’t exist, I’m about to go that magnet/whiteboard route, so if anyone cares to suggest the least mind-boggling way to set that up (Lark 1A, Raven 1A, Lark 2A, Raven 2A, etc?) do chime in! I need some way to label each dancer so that when they leave their minor set, and then, say, do a left diagonal ravens chain back to their partner I can tell if it really IS their own partner or if I’ve screwed up again. :-(
I find online videos can sometimes help me visualize the interactions in the middle of the line (if the videographer will hold still long enough for me to see a whole run-thru of the dance with one minor set), but I can almost never see end effects in those.
Thanks for any suggestions!
Becky Liddle, Toronto
I'm so sorry to hear that Roger passed away. I only met Roger twice,
separated by something like 6-7 years, and both when I was in Harrisburg
calling the dance before going to Pinewoods. I didn't get a lot of time to
talk to Roger either time, but we talked long enough for him to give me a
dance (which I still have on an index card in his handwriting) and for me
to have a lasting impression of what a delightful gentleman he was. I
don't see it in Bob's collection, so I thought I would share it as well.
Jack
*Chain Against the Grain* – Roger Auman
*Becket*
CW/L
*A1* Circle Left ¾
N Sw
*A2* w/N Promenade across, shift right
after crossing the set, loop out to the right one place to face
new couple
Circle RIGHT *1x*
*B1* L Diagonal Ladies Chain to partner
Straight across, ½ Hey ladies start by R Shoulder
*B2* P B&S
On Fri, Jan 31, 2020 at 7:28 PM Bob Isaacs via Contra Callers <
contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Hi All:
>
> Most of you probably didn't know Roger Auman, who passed away earlier this
> week. Roger was a longtime avid contra dancer, a fine caller, an inventive
> choreographer, and most of all, as nice a person as you could ever hope to
> meet. We would cross paths at dances in Princeton, Philly, Bethlehem, and
> many other places, and for several years we had this routine; I would come
> up to him at the break, and ask "What do you have today?" and he would show
> me a new dance* every time*. It was fun to watch him progress from
> first-timer efforts to good to outright winners. Attached are some of the
> gifts he left us.
>
> Roger hailed from Reading, PA, and if you happen to be at the nearby
> Birdsboro contra dance tomorrow, we will dance several of his to remember
> him. For those of us in the Mid-Atlantic region who knew him well, he will
> be truly missed -
>
> Bob
> _______________________________________________
> Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>
I'd love to dance a bunch of these at Ralph Page next year. I wonder
if the committee would be willing to extend the border of New England
over to PA?
My mother was born and raised in Reading, I know a fair amount of the
city's history and current struggles. It's good to know it was the
home of someone like Roger. Thanks for sharing.
On 2/1/20, Diane Silver via Contra Callers
<contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Thanks Bob. I'm sorry for your loss, and I wish I had had a chance to
> know Roger.
> Thanks for sharing the dances. That's a nice way to remember him.
>
> Diane
>
> On 1/31/2020 7:27 PM, Bob Isaacs via Contra Callers wrote:
>> Hi All:
>>
>> Most of you probably didn't know Roger Auman, who passed away earlier
>> this week. Roger was a longtime avid contra dancer, a fine caller, an
>> inventive choreographer, and most of all, as nice a person as you
>> could ever hope to meet. We would cross paths at dances in Princeton,
>> Philly, Bethlehem, and many other places, and for several years we had
>> this routine; I would come up to him at the break, and ask "What do
>> you have today?" and he would show me a new dance*every time*. It was
>> fun to watch him progress from first-timer efforts to good to outright
>> winners. Attached are some of the gifts he left us.
>>
>> Roger hailed from Reading, PA, and if you happen to be at the nearby
>> Birdsboro contra dance tomorrow, we will dance several of his to
>> remember him. For those of us in the Mid-Atlantic region who knew him
>> well, he will be truly missed -
>>
>> Bob
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>> To unsubscribe send an email to
>> contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>
>
Thanks Bob. I'm sorry for your loss, and I wish I had had a chance to
know Roger.
Thanks for sharing the dances. That's a nice way to remember him.
Diane
On 1/31/2020 7:27 PM, Bob Isaacs via Contra Callers wrote:
> Hi All:
>
> Most of you probably didn't know Roger Auman, who passed away earlier
> this week. Roger was a longtime avid contra dancer, a fine caller, an
> inventive choreographer, and most of all, as nice a person as you
> could ever hope to meet. We would cross paths at dances in Princeton,
> Philly, Bethlehem, and many other places, and for several years we had
> this routine; I would come up to him at the break, and ask "What do
> you have today?" and he would show me a new dance*every time*. It was
> fun to watch him progress from first-timer efforts to good to outright
> winners. Attached are some of the gifts he left us.
>
> Roger hailed from Reading, PA, and if you happen to be at the nearby
> Birdsboro contra dance tomorrow, we will dance several of his to
> remember him. For those of us in the Mid-Atlantic region who knew him
> well, he will be truly missed -
>
> Bob
>
> _______________________________________________
> Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net
I'm supposed to be working this morning, but there are so many contras here that I wanted to add to my collection!
I call mainly in England, usually a mixed programme, so I already have far too many contras for my needs, but these are
so interesting and varied. And it's great to have some contras with just one swing. I know dancers in the States
expect two swings in every dance, but in England we tend to prefer interesting choreography rather than two swings and a
few allemandes or whatever just to glue them together. I have quite a different repertoire when I'm calling in the
States or Canada.
In "Roger's New Contra" it's worth noting that if you reach the end of the set at the end of A1 you need to face in and
be ready for the diagonal ladies chain in A2. And although the hey is described as (LR, N2L, GR, PL) it's a full hey.
And a note to the Administrator - the subject line should start [Contra Callers] rather than just [Callers] since we
have the Traditional Dance Callers list as well.
Colin Hume
Email colin(a)colinhume.com Web site http://colinhume.com
Such a lovely way to remember a dance friend. I will add these to my box
and call them with love. Thanks Bob.
On Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 7:27 PM Bob Isaacs via Contra Callers <
contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Hi All:
>
> Most of you probably didn't know Roger Auman, who passed away earlier this
> week. Roger was a longtime avid contra dancer, a fine caller, an inventive
> choreographer, and most of all, as nice a person as you could ever hope to
> meet. We would cross paths at dances in Princeton, Philly, Bethlehem, and
> many other places, and for several years we had this routine; I would come
> up to him at the break, and ask "What do you have today?" and he would show
> me a new dance* every time*. It was fun to watch him progress from
> first-timer efforts to good to outright winners. Attached are some of the
> gifts he left us.
>
> Roger hailed from Reading, PA, and if you happen to be at the nearby
> Birdsboro contra dance tomorrow, we will dance several of his to remember
> him. For those of us in the Mid-Atlantic region who knew him well, he will
> be truly missed -
>
> Bob
> _______________________________________________
> Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>
Thanks for sharing these!
Sent from my iPhone
> On Jan 31, 2020, at 7:27 PM, Bob Isaacs via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>
> Hi All:
>
> Most of you probably didn't know Roger Auman, who passed away earlier this week. Roger was a longtime avid contra dancer, a fine caller, an inventive choreographer, and most of all, as nice a person as you could ever hope to meet. We would cross paths at dances in Princeton, Philly, Bethlehem, and many other places, and for several years we had this routine; I would come up to him at the break, and ask "What do you have today?" and he would show me a new dance every time. It was fun to watch him progress from first-timer efforts to good to outright winners. Attached are some of the gifts he left us.
>
> Roger hailed from Reading, PA, and if you happen to be at the nearby Birdsboro contra dance tomorrow, we will dance several of his to remember him. For those of us in the Mid-Atlantic region who knew him well, he will be truly missed -
>
> Bob
> <Roger Auman.docx>
> _______________________________________________
> Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Oh, yeah, that’s part of the charm, everyone watching what happens. The little kid who gets the gorilla and hugs it to themself and refuses to part with it. The three men who end up at the top, in the days when they were more hesitant to dance with each other, and then two just go for it and dance. If you don’t get chosen - well, you get to do the choosing the next time! Very old dancers can be gently escorted down the line. Little ones bound and leap. Adults pick a child way up high and run down the line with them. It works for young and old, all the time.
Martha
> On Jan 31, 2020, at 2:20 PM, Robert Livingston via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> From Cal - many authors and names - Jump Start Circle Dance to Bill Bailey
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ERLxubaP7w <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ERLxubaP7w>
>
> Mac McKeever noted creativity with the "Fan Dance". I've used a teddy bear. Once a lady in the center looked at the gents
> on either side of her, rejected both and danced down center with the bear. Also a gent in the center ended up with his two
> daughters on either side. He took them both; left the bear.
>
> Bob Livingston
>
> On Thursday, January 30, 2020, 6:41:36 PM EST, Rich Sbardella via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>
> I call a super easy dance called "The Cat's Meow", usually to "Cry of the Celts" , from Lord of the dance. It teaches phrasing quite well. With a circle of 40+ children, they all seem to clap together. (This dance came from Cal Campbell, but I am not sure of the author.)
>
> A1 Walk in Four Steps, Clap Four Times
> Walk Out Four steps, Clap Four Times
> B1 Circle Left Eight Steps, Circle Right Eight Steps (or Circle Left 16)
>
> This dance might seem too easy, but it success brings many smiles and builds a foundation for the rest of the program.
>
> https://youtu.be/EmwDsd_yf10 <https://youtu.be/EmwDsd_yf10>
>
> Rich Sbardella
> Stafford Springs, CT
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 30, 2020 at 1:16 PM Jonathan Sivier via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:
> While that looks like a fun dance I don't think it is really appropriate for kids ages 4-10.
>
> You should check out the books from the New England Dancing Masters. I have Chimes of Dunkirk, Sashay the Donut and Listen to the Mockingbird. These have several good dances for kids.
>
> Here are some that I use at an annual dance I call at our local library. The event is called the Fairy Tale Ball and I often feel like I'm standing in a sea of knee-high princesses.
>
> The Blobs
> Boston Tea Party
> Chimes of Dunkirk
> Circassian Circle - no-swing, non-mixer
> Cumberland Reel
> Duckpins
> The Duke of York
> Galopede
> Heel and Toe Polka Promenade/Reel - longways, non-mixer
> Jacob's Potato
> Margate Hoy
> Over The Top
> Sasha
> Snake
> Traffic Jam
>
> Some are better than others depending on the age of the kids. I like to have some suitable for slightly older kids in the list.
>
> I do a version of Circassian Circle with no swings and no mixing. The kids (and some parents) get in a circle in groups. Sometimes they are pairs, sometimes it is an adult with 3 or 4 kids. All go into the center and back twice. Then have different groups go in in A2, boys, girls, talls/smalls, those wearing red, etc. Then the pairs/groups two-hand turn or circle and then everyone promenades around the big circle. It can be hard to get very small kids to hold hands in a circle so I don't usually worry about trying to get them to do that.
>
> Jonathan
> -----
> Jonathan Sivier
> Caller of Contra, Square, English and Early American Dances
> jsivier AT illinois DOT edu
> Dance Page: http://www.sivier.me/dance_leader.html <http://www.sivier.me/dance_leader.html>
> -----
> Q: How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
> A: It depends on what dance you call!
>
> On 1/30/2020 7:49 AM, Luke Donforth via Contra Callers wrote:
> > Hi Sandy,
> >
> > Happy to share Frannie's Alarm Clock.
> >
> > https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=12216 <https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=12216>
> >
> > Most of them aren't as good as that one, but the vast majority of my dances are now up on The Callers Box.
> >
> > Thank you Chris Page & Michael Dyck!
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
> > To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:contracallers-leave@lists.sharedweight.net>
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
> To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:contracallers-leave@listssharedweight.net>
> _______________________________________________
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> To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:contracallers-leave@lists.sharedweight.net>
> _______________________________________________
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> To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Hi All:
Most of you probably didn't know Roger Auman, who passed away earlier this week. Roger was a longtime avid contra dancer, a fine caller, an inventive choreographer, and most of all, as nice a person as you could ever hope to meet. We would cross paths at dances in Princeton, Philly, Bethlehem, and many other places, and for several years we had this routine; I would come up to him at the break, and ask "What do you have today?" and he would show me a new dance every time. It was fun to watch him progress from first-timer efforts to good to outright winners. Attached are some of the gifts he left us.
Roger hailed from Reading, PA, and if you happen to be at the nearby Birdsboro contra dance tomorrow, we will dance several of his to remember him. For those of us in the Mid-Atlantic region who knew him well, he will be truly missed -
Bob
May Heydays - the successor to Eastbourne International Folk Festival - is urgently in need of a Publicity Manager.
The Festival is basically being organised by just three people (not me - I'm only in charge of the website) and they
simply can't do it all.
If you would be interested in taking this (responsible though unpaid) position, please contact Mecki Testroet -
director(a)mayheydays.org.uk - and she will be very pleased to give you more information.
I'm sending this to the four lists I subscribe to: ECD, Trad Callers, Contra Callers and Contra Corner, but please pass
the request on to anyone else you think might be interested.
Read all about the Festival at http://mayheydays.org.uk/
Colin Hume
Email colin(a)colinhume.com Web site http://colinhume.com
