Sure they're all fun (we hope). I'm looking for a few dances that are particularly playful, quirky, silly....something that typically gets the dancers laughing.
Some examples would be "Over the Hill and Still Chased" with the lady round two/gent cut through figure, or Beneficial Tradition when the dancers throw their free arm up and shout "Wooo!"
You get the idea. What are your favorites?
Sue Gola
Princeton, NJ
Hello Shared Weight callers,
I know most of the conversation on this list is very much caller focused.
However, I did want to share the May issue of CDSS's Shop Talk as I know
many of you are also organizers and even if are not, you may still be
interested in some of the topics in this issue.
Take a look below...there are announcements about a web chat focusing on
creating safe dance communities as well as news about a collaborative
project between Shared Weight, some of the other traditional dance/music
listservs, and CDSS.
Here's a link to the issue: https://conta.cc/2HlZOXA
Shop Talk is free and you can sign up here to receive it:
https://www.cdss.org/resources/how-to/organizers#shop-talk
With thanks!
Emily Addison
*In the May issue:*
- Heads up regarding an article in the upcoming June CDSS News which
outlines *how to easily plan organizer discussions*.
- Announcing the *CDSS Web Chat: Building Safe Dance Communities* which
is happening on July 11th
- *CDSS Scholarships* still available for camp sessions!
- News about an *exciting collaboration among organizer, caller, and
musician listservs*
- A *survey for Open Bands* to support resource development.
- Heads up regarding the upcoming *CDSS Group Affiliates survey*
- A *call for volunteers *interested in developing organizer resources.
- *Join CDSS as an affiliate and individual member to help make
resources and supports like these possible!*
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Virus-free.
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Kamryn Wisner and I wrote a dance!
Does it exist?
“Techno fix” by Kamryn Wisner and Alexandra Deis-Lauby
A1 N b and swing
A2 Mad robin, Larks allemande left 1.5
B1 Partner b and s
B2 Circle 3/4 balance ring, CA twirl
Sent from my iPhone
I'm calling the Boston Gender-free dance on 11th June, and in preparation for this I've updated my Dance Organiser program so that
when you display the dance instructions full-screen you have the option of converting "man" to "lark" and "lady" or "woman" to
"raven", etc.
You can download the latest version and try it out free of charge:
http://colinhume.com/download
There may be one or two quirks - I noticed that the dance title "Les Manches Vertes" was displayed as "Les Larkches Vertes" but I
can live with that! If you find more serious problems please let me know.
Colin Hume
About a month ago, I asked for help and suggestions because I was calling a dance for visually impaired students. Thank you to all who responded. Well, the dance was last Saturday. The students ranged in age from 8-17. Many of the partnerships contained two visually impaired dancers. We started with a big circle dance with basic figures and without a progression. They did really well with the basics. We did the Snake dance and since the room had two doors opening out to a deck we took advantage of going outside during the dance. We danced Les Salute, Seven Jumps (modified version so we didn't have to lay on the floor), Bridge Dance, the Chicken dance, and ended with the Snake dance again because the kids loved that one. When we spiraled into the middle, they kept yelling, "Let's see how tight we can get it!" It was so much fun seeing all the smiles and I was told, it was the best Saturday evening activity in all the years they have had the Snowshoe Weekend. I found that they did best with large circles, no progression, and no specific partner. I hope to be able to dance with these kids again and try something maybe a little more challenging with them. Unfortunately, due to privacy concerns I am unable to share pictures. The photos did make me tear up. In all my years of calling, this was one of the best, funnest, and most rewarding gigs.
Helle
Hi Lenore,
I think part of the challenge with contra is that there is so little teaching done at dances. Technique is very rarely taught; people are just supposed to pick it all up as they go along. As a result people who can get through challenging dances consider themselves “advanced” while still having no basic dancing skills.
One of the most frustrating sequences for me is “Men Allemande Left 1.5; Neighbour Swing”. I like to spin out of the Allemande into my Neighbour’s arms for the Swing. But no-one ever teaches Allemande technique and very few dancers do it well (the ladies tend to be much better than the men). I get offered all sorts of strange hand positions; the dancers put their arms at strange angles which prevent you disengaging smoothly; many of the dancers seem to think that they are arm-wrestling instead of dancing; some of them have misunderstood the term “give weight” and lean away strongly so that I have to devote myself to stopping them from falling over (very tiring!); and, possibly as a result of all this poor connection, they don’t move fast enough - their steps are too small. All of this means that getting around 1.5 times takes too long and there is no time to add a spin out of the Allemande.
You can’t build on shifting sands.
Whenever I teach a Swing Variations workshop I always start by going over the basics of a good swing. It’s amazing how many people afterwards thank me and say they hadn’t realised that they could improve their basic swing. See http://contrafusion.co.uk/Contra.html#swinging for details.
You may also find some ideas you can use at http://contrafusion.co.uk/Contra.html#connection.
For improving technique in twirls (e.g. in and out of swings, and multiple twirls in a Ladies’ Chains), see http://modernjive.com/history/tension.html. Although this article was written for a different dance style, the technique points apply equally well to contra twirls. Note: this article refers to Lead & Follow which is not a fundamental part of contra dance. However, for many flourishes the Lead & Follow principles apply for the duration of that flourish.
Some flourishes that can be done easily by yourself are:
Spin into a Tidal Wave (long wavy line)
Twirl yourself going from Up The Hall in Lines of Four into a Circle Left
Spin yourself out of Allemandes - great fun if you can do all four in a Contra Corners
Do something on beat four of Long Lines Go Forward & Back: shimmy, stamp, hip bump the opposite person (if you know them well), bow…
I hope some of that helps.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com <mailto:john@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
From: Callers <callers-bounces(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:callers-bounces@lists.sharedweight.net> > On Behalf Of Lenore Frigo via Callers
Sent: 26 April 2019 22:45
To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] Easy flourishes or other "bonus" movements?
I would like to teach some of my more advanced dancers some flourishes or other embellishments to contra dance. I'd like to start with things that are easy and obviously that can be smoothly integrated into a dance.
Simpler is better and I am especially looking for "extras" that can be done singly rather than within a couple. For example, simply twirling during a do-si-do, or little "meanwhile" things you can do while waiting out as your partner allemandes with their diagonal.
I've found some YouTube videos, but they tend to be for more elaborate technique than I am interested in introducing at this time.
Thanks for any thoughts, tips, support, or warnings! :)
Lenore Frigo
I would like to teach some of my more advanced dancers some flourishes or
other embellishments to contra dance. I'd like to start with things that
are easy and obviously that can be smoothly integrated into a dance.
Simpler is better and I am especially looking for "extras" that can be done
singly rather than within a couple. For example, simply twirling during a
do-si-do, or little "meanwhile" things you can do while waiting out as your
partner allemandes with their diagonal.
I've found some YouTube videos, but they tend to be for more elaborate
technique than I am interested in introducing at this time.
Thanks for any thoughts, tips, support, or warnings! :)
Lenore Frigo
Here is another dance I do not have a title for.
Can anyone help?
Thanks,
Rich
Untitled Easy Dance
Contra D/I
Neighbor Dosido 1-1/2
Next Neighbor Left Shoulder Round
Original Neighbor Balance & Swing
- - - -
Circle Left 3/4
Partner Swing
Ladies Chain
Left Hand Star
New Neighbor Dosido 1-1/2
Anyone recognize this dance?
A1 Bal Wave Spin Right, Bar Wave, Spin L (Ladies all the way across)
A2 P B&S
B1 CL 3/4, N Swg
B2 F&B, Star Left
Thanks,
Rich
