Contra Callers

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21 participants
4391 discussions

by Lisa Greenleaf

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 >>

6 years, 1 month

Larks and Robins

by Lisa Greenleaf

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

6 years, 1 month

Re: [Callers] Double Grand Square

by John Sweeney

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

6 years, 1 month

Re: [Callers] Double Grand Square

by Bill Baritompa

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

6 years, 1 month

Double Grand Square

by John Sweeney

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

6 years, 1 month

Re: [Callers] 101 Formations

by Bill Baritompa

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

6 years, 1 month

101 Formations

by John Sweeney

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

6 years, 1 month

The Caller's Extension, a browser extension for the Caller's Box

by Paul Morris

Greetings all, I'd like to announce a little project I've been chipping away at for some months now. It's a browser extension that works with the excellent Caller's Box website.[0] The extension provides an integrated user interface for searching and viewing dances from the Caller's Box. The main feature is you can bookmark dances. That allows you to focus on a more manageable personalized subset of dances. Also, dance data is cached locally for quick access and offline use. You can see a screenshot, find out more about it, and install it for Firefox here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/the-caller-s-extension/ (It should also work for Chrome/Chromium browsers, but I haven't had time yet to check this and submit it to the Chrome extensions site.) It is free and open source software.[1] I hope you'll give it a try and enjoy using it! Feel free to email me with feedback. (There are many ways it could be improved, time permitting.) Many thanks to Chris Page and Michael Dyck for their work creating and maintaining The Caller's Box, a truly amazing resource. Cheers, -Paul [0] The Caller's Box: http://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/ [1] Extension source code lives here, contributions welcome: https://gitlab.com/paulmorris/the-callers-extension

6 years, 2 months

Contraventional Corners Re: dances

by Don Veino

Hi Chuck, looking forward to meeting you at our dance this upcoming Monday! Seeing few responses and that you did ask for challenging... 😏 I was on a mission to fit two CC sequences (everyone gets to be active) in one 32-bar dance with the "desired" PNR/NBR swings and this resulted. I believe the sequence is unique? Will Mentor has called Rev 1 a few times, Rev 2 addresses his observations. The dance originally was Becket CW & started with new GNT/LRK reaching on left diagonal to start the reverse CC - dancers had difficulty with the resulting skew and ended up progressing differing amounts. Noodling on this during a dark highway drive home generated the fractional slice idea to align the action (eureka!) led to this revision. Note there are many alternate versions in both Becket CW & CCW, varying by: -the CC being by RH or LH in the center -which role starts -slice fraction -promenade indexing (whom ends opposite) and -slice or promenade first. The version below appears to be a good compromise on progression behavior, next hand predictability/flow and end effects - I believe it should be dependably single progression. There's a Becket CW variation which may get its own name, I'll write up the full set before posting the dance(s) as final to my site. Not heard if Will's tried Rev 2 yet nor had a chance to call it myself in public. Walked it through with dancers on a sideline and that went fine. Would love to hear should anyone give it a go - feedback welcomed overall. Thanks, Don PS: have other multi-CC 40-bar or systematically/automatically alternating (no need to keep track of actives) 32-bar CC dances drafted. Awaiting an opportunity to at least walk them through before calling/distributing. Or seeking a suitable choreography pen pal/review buddy to look them over & exchange feedback before greater exposure. *Contraventional Corners (DRAFT **Rev 2)** - Becket RIGHT/CCW Var. - Don Veino **20170117**, Rev'd 20190329* A challenging dance not for Contra Corners newbies! *A1* Slice Right 1+1/2x* (forward on right diag. until NEW GNT/LRK are face to face, fall straight back) GNT/LRK Turn 1/2x REVERSE Contra Corners (LH w/NBR1 GNT/LRK Center, RH with NBR1 LDY/RVN) *A2* GNT/LRK Turn 1/2x (finish full) Reverse Contra Corners (LH w/NBR1 GNT/LRK Center, RH with NBR2 LDY/RVN) (end facing back along side to) NBR1 Swing *B1* NBR1 Promenade Across (Pass PNR & Opp Role NBR1 by Left) w/tight Courtesy Turn to face back (ends w/LDY/RVN from NBR1 pairs directly opposite each other, a la the GNT/LRKs in A1 Slice) LDY/RVN Turn 1/2x Contra Corners (RH w/NBR1 LDY/RVN, LH with PNR) *B2* LDY/RVN Turn 1/2x (finish full) Contra Corners (RH w/NBR1 LDY/RVN, LH with Shadow) (end facing back along side to) PNR Swing *Slice in 1/2x increments puts same role dancers opposite. First time through could be Slice 1/2x so original foursome GNT/LRK face & start the A1 CC (using some ghost corners - e.g. for GNT2 and LDY2 at the top) & swing with the original NBRs. On Wed, Jul 17, 2019, 2:55 PM Charles Abell via Callers < callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > There was a recent discussion of easy contra corners dances on here. As I > have a nice body of beginner level CC dances, I am looking to add some more > challenging contra corners dances into my repertoire. What do you all got? > (Triplets are okay, but definitely some in contra formation ...) > > Chuck > > Sent from my iPhone > _______________________________________________ > List Name: Callers mailing list > List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net > Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/ >

6 years, 2 months

Moderately Experienced Caller, Seeking Mentor in Southeastern US.

by Jonathan Janzen

My name is Jonathan Janzen (though my friends call me JJ). I've been calling for about 4 years, and have been calling outside of my home dance for about 2 years or so now. I'm wanting to grow my skills in teaching, building programs, and also to work on getting more gigs outside of my home state. I have have asked questions of as many callers as I can, but I do not yet have a Mentor who can work with me individually. If anyone would be interested in Mentoring me as a Caller, please send me an Email at jcgj95(a)gmail.com. Many thanks in advance, JJ.

6 years, 2 months

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Contra Callers