Hi all,
I hesitate to make my first post to a new (to me) list be about culturally sensitive terminology because I fear that that sometimes stirs up controversy, but this is a remarkable coincidence:
I finally got around to joining this list yesterday because I wanted to ask the list whether anyone knows a less objectionable term for the Dixie Twirl move: I encountered the move in a dance I was interested in learning to call,
but I’d be unwilling to call using a dance term with the word “Dixie” in it. Then I realized I could just say “middles arch, rights lead under” and thus both avoid the term “Dixie” and avoid making my first post on this group be about culturally sensitive terminology. :-)
But then in receiving my very first Caller’s Digest, I see a recommendation for using the term Dixie in a dance name. So I’m getting up my courage to post, hoping that I’m not wading into a hornet’s nest...
I would recommend against using Dixie in a dance name or even using it as a dance term. Please allow me to explain:
I lived in Alabama for 14 years. In my personal experience, Dixie is a term that is nearly always used by white people with warped nostalgia for the antebellum South (choosing to ignore the fact that things weren’t so great for black residents back then). I find that glorifying “Dixie” is done by the same folks who glorify the rebel (confederate) flag: It’s done supposedly in the name of honoring heritage, but its closeted purpose is to express longing for the "Good Old Days" when whites were in charge and blacks were subordinate.
For those interested in the topic here’s an article that touches on the current controversy around the word: https://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/Heart-of-Dixie-vanishing-fr… <https://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/Heart-of-Dixie-vanishing-fr…>
I’ll just be avoiding it. I’m planning to go with “middles arch, rights lead under” unless someone can suggest a better term or phrase?
Thanks all, and lovely to meet you!
Becky
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: callers-request(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Subject: Callers Digest, Vol 64, Issue 5
> Date: August 7, 2019 at 4:07:07 PM EDT
> To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Reply-To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2019 23:36:49 -0400
> From: Luke Donforth <luke.donev(a)gmail.com <mailto:luke.donev@gmail.com>>
> To: Gregory Frock <gregfrock(a)gmail.com <mailto:gregfrock@gmail.com>>
> Cc: "Callers(a)Lists.Sharedweight.net <mailto:Callers@Lists.Sharedweight.net>" <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Riffing on "The Nice Combination"
> Message-ID:
> <CAFrKOZZzWN9mEB9_TJem06o_ebqttPXRs6HUU7Gf58KxK9mFGQ(a)mail.gmail.com <mailto:CAFrKOZZzWN9mEB9_TJem06o_ebqttPXRs6HUU7Gf58KxK9mFGQ@mail.gmail.com>>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> Good suggestion. And thank you all for the other variants and ideas :-D
>
> On Sat, Aug 3, 2019 at 9:05 AM Gregory Frock <gregfrock(a)gmail.com <mailto:gregfrock@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>> For title, might I suggest "The Dixie Combination"? The couple trading
>> figure is often called a Dixie Twirl, and there already exist "A New
>> Combination" and "The Nice Combination".
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 2, 2019 at 2:28 PM Luke Donforth via Callers <
>> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello all,
>>>
>>> I was programming for tonight, and looked at Gene Hubert's classic "The
>>> Nice Combination" (N B&S, Dwn 4, turn as cpls, C L 3/4, P S, Ld/robin
>>> chain, LHS); and wondered what the simplest variant that would flow well
>>> with a gents/larks chain instead of a ladies/robins chain.
>>>
>>> What I've come up with is below. Anyone got a prior on it? Anyone got a
>>> variant with a gents/larks chain they like more?
>>>
>>> The New Combination
>>>
>>> A1 -----------
>>> (4,12) Neighbors balance and swing
>>> A2 -----------
>>> (6) Down the hall four line
>>> (4) Pair on the right make an arch, gent/lark on the left lead through,
>>> lady/robin on the right walks to far side, inverting the line
>>> (8) Come back up the hall and bend the ends
>>> B1 -----------
>>> (6) Circle left 3/4
>>> (10) Partners swing
>>> B2 -----------
>>> (8) Gents/Larks chain (pull by left, courtesy turn with neighbor)
>>> (8) Right-hand star 1x
>>>
>>> I'm planning on using Gene's original tonight in Belfast (and probably
>>> the vast majority of the time, it's a great dance); but I thought an
>>> accessible gents/larks chain would be nice.
>>>
>>> I appreciate hearing your thoughts.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Luke Donforth
>>> Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <mailto:Luke.Donforth@gmail.com> <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com <mailto:Luke.Donev@gmail.com>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> List Name: Callers mailing list
>>> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net>
>>> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/ <https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/>
>>>
>>
>
> --
> Luke Donforth
> Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <mailto:Luke.Donforth@gmail.com> <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com <mailto:Luke.Donev@gmail.com>>
Hello all,
I was programming for tonight, and looked at Gene Hubert's classic "The
Nice Combination" (N B&S, Dwn 4, turn as cpls, C L 3/4, P S, Ld/robin
chain, LHS); and wondered what the simplest variant that would flow well
with a gents/larks chain instead of a ladies/robins chain.
What I've come up with is below. Anyone got a prior on it? Anyone got a
variant with a gents/larks chain they like more?
The New Combination
A1 -----------
(4,12) Neighbors balance and swing
A2 -----------
(6) Down the hall four line
(4) Pair on the right make an arch, gent/lark on the left lead through,
lady/robin on the right walks to far side, inverting the line
(8) Come back up the hall and bend the ends
B1 -----------
(6) Circle left 3/4
(10) Partners swing
B2 -----------
(8) Gents/Larks chain (pull by left, courtesy turn with neighbor)
(8) Right-hand star 1x
I'm planning on using Gene's original tonight in Belfast (and probably the
vast majority of the time, it's a great dance); but I thought an accessible
gents/larks chain would be nice.
I appreciate hearing your thoughts.
--
Luke Donforth
Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>
To clarify, the group of dancers I’ve been working with at Pinewoods has been a mix of older dancers who are new to this terminology as well as younger dancers who have been promoting the change.
Lisa
Sent from my iPhone
> On Aug 1, 2019, at 5:33 PM, Rich Goss <rich(a)richgoss.com> wrote:
>
> Lisa, thanks for sharing your observations.
>
> Seattle and Portland, OR dances seem to be moving to Larks and Robins as well. My next Portland dance on Aug 24th will be Larks and Robins. Not all dances are gender neutral terms at this point, but we do announce which terms will be used.
>
> Rich
>
>> On Aug 1, 2019, at 1:35 PM, Lisa Greenleaf via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>
>> Update: today at contra class at Pinewoods I tried Lakes and Rivers. Rivers is not a satisfying or clear word to say for me personally, and the dancers said it got lost over the sound system. They overwhelmingly prefer Larks and Robins.
>>
>> Lisa
>>
At the urging of dancers who were recently at Harmony Week at Pinewoods, I tried Larks and Robins today for role identifiers in contra, and it was great. I physically like saying the word Robins more than the word Ravens, and the dancers were fine with it, too, even with a dance that had a Mad Robin. Callers—experiment!
Lisa
Sent from my iPhone
I had these responses from trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com
<mailto:trad-dance-callers@yahoogroups.com>
= = = = = = = = = = = = =
Otto Warteman:
I had an exhibition group from 1975-1998 and we did it with 32 dancers, but
with 8 steps and turn and alternating couples turning.
You can have like spokes of a wheel four couples deep where all the heads
are facing the center or as alternating couples face their partner.
You can also do four different contras at the same time where to number one
couple is the furthest out from the center.
= = = = = = = = = = = = =
Jim Saxe:
There's a dance by Ted Sannella called "Ted's Double Quadrille No. 1" (or
"... #1") that includes a different (and, I think, simpler) version of grand
square for sixteen dancers than the one in the video John cited. The
starting formation is a square with two couples side-by-side on each side of
(as in Rod's Quads) and the action is simply for each couple to act the part
of an individual in a normal eight-person grand square. If I recall
correctly, when I danced to Ted's calling at Augusta Dance Week in 1985, he
had partners put our near arms around each other's backs as in a star
promenade, but it might also be done with partners simply holding near
hands.
Side couples begin by facing up or down the hall toward the other side
couple in their foursome and backing away, while heads begin by dancing
forward towards the opposite head couple. On the fourth beat each couple,
turns as a unit 90 degrees to face across the square. On the next four
beats, the original heads back out toward the side spots, while the original
sides advance toward the head spots, all couples turning on the last beat to
face uo and down. Etc.
A spreadsheet index of Ted's dances linked from
http://davidsmukler.syracusecountrydancers.org/ted-sannella-index/
lists the date of composition as 1965.
--Jim
= = = = = = = = = = = = =
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802
940 574
http://contrafusion.co.uk/KentCeilidhs.html for Live Music Ceilidhs
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive DVDs
Hi John,
Nice researching!
I checked Burleson’s SD Encyclopaedia but it’s not mentioned.
It would be fun to use both this move and the Dutch crossing figure in new dance.
Cheers, Bill
Hi all,
This post is all about Double Grand Squares. But just to justify it being
on a contra dance forum, here are a couple of nice Four-Facing-Four contras
that incorporate Grand-Square-like figures, and call them "Double Grand
Squares":
https://grandsquare.dk/alle/index.php?menu=5
<https://grandsquare.dk/alle/index.php?menu=5&id=2045> &id=2045
http://www.grandsquare.dk/alle/index.php?menu=5
<http://www.grandsquare.dk/alle/index.php?menu=5&id=2108> &id=2108
On with my query:
I've just seen the video of Seth calling a Double Grand Square (thanks Seth
- hope I can try it someday!):
https://www.facebook.com/seth.tepfer/videos/10204536010419503
Looks like the figure was created by Martha Edwards around 2009:
http://www.westendweb.com/doublegrandsquare/http://dancecaller.blogspot.com/2009/06/more-on-double-grand-square.html
But I found a number of earlier references to "Double Grand Square". Does
anyone know whether any other versions of a Double Grand Square exist?
Some of these may just be references to two sets doing Grand Square side by
side (maybe interlocked?), or to doing a Grand Square twice.
1955
https://newspaperarchive.com/bakersfield-californian-apr-13-1955-p-36/
"A double grand square, never before presented for a local audience, is
being prepared by B Squares under the direction of Bernice Braddon.
Precision timing is the keynote of the square..."
1959
http://www.folkdance.com/LDArchive/1959October.pdf
Exhibitions
Lariat Swingers
Director: Ace Smith
Dance - DOUBLE GRAND SQUARE - American
1978
http://doczz.net/doc/577224/american-square-dance-marcy-1978
"Keith does a fine job on his side, but the dancers felt that a double grand
square in the opener, middle break and closer were too many. "
1979
American Square Dance Vol. 34 no. 3 (search for ""double grand square"
dance")
"Bob has used a grand parade in his opener, and a double grand square in his
closer."
Note: "grand square" is italicized, "double" is not. So it might just mean a
Grand Square twice.
2005
http://squaredancehumor.blogspot.com/
"This was one big double square with six side couples and two head couples.
The other and even more difficult thing was I could not use my hands. To me
square dancing is hands. Every since I started it was right hand this and
left hand that. I can't remember anyone mentioning anything about my feet.
Patty was picking everything up just fine while I was slowly starting to get
some if it with many gentle pushes and endless pointing by the other
Stumblers. And of course there was the caller Ivan patient as ever saying,
"George - to the right, the right, the other right . . . very good!" Bill,
an experienced dancer, explained carefully how I was to count my steps,
especially for the double grand square. Eight steps and turn, repeated eight
times, that was the secret for my position."
This one may not be serious! :-)
Thanks,
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802
940 574
http://contrafusion.co.uk/KentCeilidhs.html for Live Music Ceilidhs
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive DVDs
Hi John,
Expanding Concentric Circles to add to your fantastic list:
https://youtu.be/XDDbPEmoTwQ
Not sure where I got the dance. Words very adaptable to other occasions.
Cheers, Bill
Thanks to all those who have contributed more formations since I started
this page with about 80 formations.
I was going to let you know when I hit 100.
But Carmen Giunta sent me Wheels Within Wheels this morning, and I found
Seth Tepfer calling Double Grand Square this afternoon.
So there are now 101 diagrams of different formations:
http://contrafusion.co.uk/Formations.html
That doesn't include all the ways of setting up partners or genders (e,g.
First Couples Improper is not a separate diagram).
I hope you find something you like!
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802
940 574
http://contrafusion.co.uk/KentCeilidhs.html for Live Music Ceilidhs
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive DVDs
