7 Oct
2004
7 Oct
'04
4:03 p.m.
For someone who is calling a square for the first time, I would suggest that you
first make sure the figure works and that you understand the dance inside and
out. Draw out the dancers at each stage of the dance. Pick a break that uses
movements that are different than those used in the figure. Check to make sure
that the ending and beginning of the break meshes well with the ending and
beginnings of the figure and visa versa. Example: You may find a break that
ends with promenade once around and a figure that begins with heads promenade
half (or all) of the way around. Not the end of the world here but do you want
the heads to promenade once and a half? Other transitions may just not work or
be awkward.
If this is your first time calling a square, call something that is different
for your group BUT is bomb proof. You want the dancers to win. The dancers want
you to win. I want you to win and call squares for a living! Practice calling
the dance all the way through (breaks and figures) without cards to music.
Don't practice the day of the dance only. Practice maybe a week before, a
couple of days before and the day of and WITHOUT CARDS.
Music- for the most part music for squares is happy. This means that you'll
want to use music in a major key. But break the rules. I do. If you want,
you can create different moods with minor tunes. But make sure it fits into the
program so that minor tunes are over used. Many of the CDs out there are
terrible to practice calling to. They're meant for listening not dancing. You
can't beat New England Chestnuts (Rod and Randy Miller) for NE style music.
Old time music can be what I call the 'drone' type which some people love and
others hate. This type of music is hard for some people to hear the A and the
B music because it lacks much of a melody. I would suggest A. Robic and the
Exertions as an excellent recording to practice to. The cuts are long and there
is a melody. One cut has a crocked tune. Quebec Pure Laine (French-Canadian
music) is a recording that has two long cuts (atleast the cassette has two cuts-
one on side A and the other on side B) but no 4 beat intro.
Tom
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Re: Dance organization? (Lisa Greenleaf)
2. Re: OK, I'll start off with a question. (Lisa Greenleaf)
3. (no subject) (Jenna Watson)
4. Crooked Tune (Clark Baker)
5. Re: (no subject) (Lisa Greenleaf)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2004 12:04:12 -0400
From: Lisa Greenleaf <greeny(a)rcn.com>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Re: Dance organization?
To: The Witful Turnip <wturnip(a)sympatico.ca>ca>,
<callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Message-ID: <BD898FBC.16A4A%greeny(a)rcn.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
One other thing I do, which I've found
helpful, is to note on the back of
the card the date I called the dance. I found that in the beginning, I was
calling the same dances over and over again for a while.
Keeping track of dance frequency is a good idea. I don't write on the card,
but I do have a little notebook in which I write down the program, the band
and the pay. Lisa
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2004 12:10:38 -0400
From: Lisa Greenleaf <greeny(a)rcn.com>
Subject: Re: [Callers] OK, I'll start off with a question.
To: Chris Weiler <chris.weiler(a)weirdtable.org>rg>,
<callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Message-ID: <BD89913E.16A4B%greeny(a)rcn.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Is it difficult to find music that
is good for practicing? What is the same or different between practicing
for squares and practicing for contras (besides the material and talking
a whole lot more)? 8^)
Squares tend to be a bit faster than contras, but it really depends on the
square. If you have a 32 bar square, then any lively contra music should
be enough for you to practice to. It also need to have a very good downbeat
drive; syncopated tunes aren't great for calling squares.
There's also the question of patter. If you want to build excitement by
inserting patter in a square, that takes practice. Again, it's just a
matter of picking motivating music and getting into a rhythm.
Lisa
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 02:48:47 -0400
From: Jenna Watson <watsonj75(a)earthlink.net>
Subject: [Callers] (no subject)
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Message-ID: <F09E08C3-182C-11D9-AB30-0050E4797B04(a)earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
I have a question about music that an aspiring caller could practice
to? What is something that would be a good beginner band to listen to
while practicing at home?
What signifies a "crooked tune"?
Jenna
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 23:39:14 -0400
From: Clark Baker <cmbaker(a)tiac.net>
Subject: [Callers] Crooked Tune
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Message-ID: <200410070339.XAA01543(a)localhost.localdomain>
From: Jenna Watson
<watsonj75(a)earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 02:48:47 -0400
What signifies a "crooked tune"?
For contra dance purposes, a tune that isn't in the usual AABB (or A1,
A2, B1, B2) form, especially one that doesn't repeat in 64 beats.
Almost all of our dances expect the music to be phrased in 8-beat
phrases and to repeat every 64 beats.
--
Clark Baker, Belmont, MA
cmbaker(a)tiac.net
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Thu, 07 Oct 2004 11:19:58 -0400
From: Lisa Greenleaf <greeny(a)rcn.com>
Subject: Re: [Callers] (no subject)
To: Jenna Watson <watsonj75(a)earthlink.net>et>, <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Message-ID: <BD8AD6DE.16A9C%greeny(a)rcn.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
I have a question about music that an aspiring
caller could practice
to? What is something that would be a good beginner band to listen to
while practicing at home?
Any contra dance band CD that has a good beat and clear melody line: Rodney
Miller, Nat Hewitt, Larry Unger. Frank Ferrell. Note that these are all
classic New England musicians. If you want to practice to old time,
The Horseflies CD "In the Dance Tent" is a good one. Lift Ticket and other
new bands have very nice CDs out, but some of the tunes are very syncopated
and may not be easy to practice to, although listening to that kind of music
makes for good ear training.
What signifies a "crooked tune"?
Contra tunes are 32 bars/64 beats. A crooked tune has more or fewer bars,
usually just within one part of the tune (the A or the B). You can feel a
crooked tune because it's like a hiccup. Ruthie Dornfeld plays a lot of
crooked tunes; there's one on her "Egyptian Dominoes" album. Old time
bands
love crooked tunes, so Bruce Molsky and Dirk Powell play them on their
respective CDs.
Lisa
------------------------------
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