15 Feb
2012
15 Feb
'12
6:23 a.m.
LOL, this is quickly becoming a game of "how would YOU do a dance like this?"
I'm going to add my vision into the mix. I do a lot of family dances, and I envision
this as a mixer for a family group who would be comfortable with a mixer (not all groups
would be.)
And to satisfy the "every dance must have a name" crowd*, I'm calling it
"Catch for Three" and it should be done to jigs.
Promenade in threes
Innie face an outie, Clap: together, right, together, left, quickly turn to other outie,
clap: together, right, together, left, repeat
Innie figure eight around outies (or just walk, run, skip around them, or whatever)
Pick one of them, make a two hand arch while the other one becomes the new innie. New
innies walk (reverse LOD) through arches. Catch one, all promenade.
* I am concerned about the current cult of "every dance must have a name and an
author." I've met a caller who proudly said "I've written a new dance. I
call it Virginia No Reel." Every caller I know who does family dances does a Virginia
No Reel when needed. This is not something that anyone can claim to have written, exactly.
I know that callers are an egotistical bunch, but let's try to reign it in a bit.
Actually, come to think of it, I'm less concerned about the "every dance must
have a name" thing than I am about the naming of new dance MOVES. If you can't
describe it with plain English, or it isn't traditional, don't use it. Certainly
don't add a new name!!! Case in point (from the 1980's just in case you think
I'm picking on new callers) The move "Fish hook" (introduced, I believe, in
"Bees in the Shower.") I now simply call that as "pass through, loop to the
right." It simply works better. The fancy name wasn't necessary; it did nothing
to help the dancers.
Soap box? What soap box?
Beth Parkes
-----Original Message-----
From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf
Of Richard Fischer
Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2012 5:55 PM
To: Caller's discussion list
Subject: Re: [Callers] New Dance for Threes
Great! Please report back if you try it out, Amy.
Richard
On Feb 12, 2012, at 4:47 PM, Amy Cann wrote:
I *love* this.
On Sun, Feb 12, 2012 at 4:31 PM, Dale Wilson <dale.wilson(a)gmail.com> wrote:
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Hi Richard,
I took the liberty of "adapting" your dance a bit then called it last night
at a dance in Elsah, Il. The crowd of about thirty dancers was a fairly
even mix of experienced dancers and first or second timers with a
wide range of ages (Teens to 80's).
The revised instructions I used were:
Make groups of three people--gender doesn't matter. If it doesn't come
out even, make one or two groups of two people so everyone gets to dance.
Make a big circle holding hands with the people in your group, then turn
your group of three together to face right. Like spokes on a wheel.
Notice who's closet to the middle of the big circle. That's the
INSIDE person.
Everybody walk forward (promenade holding hands).
Make a circle of three and circle to the right.
Circle left. End with the inside person facing both partners. [Note it
doesn't matter which way the group as a whole is facing]
Inside person with right hand partner: Clap (self); clap (self); Clap
both hands with right hand partner; pause a beat.
Inside person with left hand partner: Clap(self); clap(self) Clap
both hands with left hand partner; pause a beat.
Inside person with left hand partner: Allemande right (about 3/4ths)
Inside person with right hand partner: Allemand left once.
Repeat the allemand's until the caller says "Swing" then inside
person swing (or two hand turn, or...) the one they are with.[*]
Extra people go to the middle of the circle and mess around with each
other (that got a laugh) Mingle; Improvise.
When caller says "Promenade" the swinging couples make the spokes of
the wheel again and extra people join in as the new inside person.
[*] Last time through the caller says "As a group of three, Swing" to
end the dance.
There was mild confusion particularly at the transition from clapping
to allemandeing. There was also a lot of laughing and smiling. I'd
say it's a hit.
Thanks,
Dale
On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 4:54 PM, Richard Fischer <
richardallenfischer(a)verizon.net> wrote:
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Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers Actually I've just recently written a dance
for threes. It meets
only
some
of Rickey's criteria, and I haven't yet
tried it out on my kids at
school,
but I will soon. I'll paste it below, and if
you give it a try, I'd
love
to
hear how it went!
Richard
Mixer for Groups of Three
Tentative Title "Near and Far"
to the tune Beaumont Rag
Richard Allen Fischer
(numbers refer to beats)
A1 (first time through) Promenade CCW in groups of three (16)
(Note who the inside-track person is.)
A2 Circle left (8) and circle right (8) in groups of three End in a
spoke-like line with inside-track person facing out of the
circle
to their partners, and their two partners facing
in towards them
B1 (Clapping pattern: clap, clap, clap, rest. First two claps with
one's
own hands, last with a partner)
All clap own hands twice, then inside-track person with
nearest
partner (4)
All clap own hands twice, then inside-track person with
distant
partner (4)
All clap own hands twice, then inside-track person with
nearest
partner (4)
Boogie/Clog/Improvise (4)
B2 Caller says "Choose Near" or "Choose Far." Inside-track person
swings
one partner, and the other partner goes to the
center. Folks in the
center
are encouraged to improvise on their own and
with each other during
B2.
Dance begins again with (and proceeds with)
A1 Promenade CCW with partner; folks in center join a couple as the
inside-track person.
Dance ends with
B2 Caller says "Choose Both!" Swing all three.
Notes: Some playfulness/dodging/blocking expected with the
clapping in B1. Center dancers are discouraged from rejoining their
old group. In my school setting I would use the calls in B2 to avoid
awkwardness about choosing; in other setting calls might not be
needed. Again, in my school setting, swing can be a two-hand turn,
elbow turns, ballroom position swing, etc.
--
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