13 Sep
2024
13 Sep
'24
7:23 a.m.
I second what Ann says. I love Microcasmic Reel. It is a fabulous dance for introducing
contra corners. I've used it with groups with a large mix of first time dancers.
I've used it at our regular local dance group. It is a versatile, fun dance. Highly
recommended.
Seth Tepfer, MBA, CSM, PMP (he, him, his)
Senior IT Manager, Emory Primate Center
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From: Ann Fallon via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Friday, September 13, 2024 8:09 AM
To: contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>et>;
Peter Foster <pfoster(a)pcug.org.au>
Subject: [External] [Callers] Contra corners
Here is a triplet that I wrote years ago that works well for teaching the contra corners
figure.
I believe I used to program an evening by first teaching a dance with a half-figure 8
(can't remember which one specifically right now). A little farther on in the program
I'd use the triplet below for the contra corners figure. Ultimately I'd do a
longways modern contra corners dance.
MICROCHASMIC TRIPLET (Tune "Off She Goes" works well)
Active couple in center of line of 3
A1 F & B, DSD P
A2 Actives turn contra corners
B1 All B and S P, face up
B2 Top couple turn away from your partner, lead down the outside, everyone follow.
Top couple make an arch at the bottom, others come through the arch to the top, to make
new lines of three, with a new top couple ( as in Virginia Reel)
Here is a version of the same dance adapted to be more of an English dance:
OFF WE GO ....
Music, Off She Goes D 6/8 Three couple set
ECD VERSION of MICROCHASMIC TRIPLETT
Proper dance
A1 - Set towards your partner, turn single back
Back to back with partner
A2 - Center couple (#2) contra corners
B1 - All take R hand with P, balance, hold on and take L hand and balance
again, Cross-hand swing (as in Yellow Stockings) End facing up
B2 - Top couple turn away from your partner, lead down the outside, everyone
follow. Top couple make an arch at the bottom, others come through the arch to the top,
to make new lines of three, with a new top couple ( as in Virginia Reel)
On Friday, September 13, 2024 at 03:18:57 AM EDT, Peter Foster via Contra Callers
<contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
For Those Who Cared is a good dance, but the second circle left
makes it a bit too much clockwise for the actives. It also makes
for a fairly rushed start to the half figure 8.
Virtually the same dance is Fruit Harvest Reel by Luther Black
http://www.quiteapair.us/calling/acdol/dance/acd_277.html
This changes the second circle to LLFB, which is a lot nicer.
Peter
On 13/09/2024 3:20 pm, Jonathan Sivier via Contra Callers wrote:
The first hurdle in introducing contra corners to
dancers these days
is to get them to know which side of the dance is their proper side.
I've been trying to do a few proper dances when I call and many
dancers don't know how to handle it.
Here is a contra corners dance that I like. There are some aspects
that are a bit tricky for today's dancers. Circling all the way
around is a bit of a challenge. Half-figure 8 is unknown to most
contra dancers these days, though English and Scottish dancers will
have no trouble. Then there is the whole bit of doing the contra
corners figure while everyone is on their proper side.
For Those Who Cared
Tony Parkes
duple improper
1 - circle left 1 time
2 - swing neighbor, end facing across
3 - circle left 1 time
4 - actives half figure 8 above, around inactives
5-6 contra corners
7-8 actives balance and swing
Chorus Jig can certainly be done to a different tune, though if the
band can play the Chorus Jig tune you might as well use it. As I
mentioned above a proper dance is a bit of a challenge these days, and
no one knows how to cast off anymore. I've been trying to bring some
of those dances back and have had a little luck in doing so.
One suggestion I have heard is to use a triplet with contra corners to
get the dancers up to speed on the figure and then put it into a
longways dance.
Jonathan Sivier
Champaign, IL
On 9/12/2024 11:41 PM, Abbie Sorg via Contra Callers wrote:
> Any suggestions on contra corners dances? None have been called at
> our local dance for years now, and I want to try and re-introduce the
> move. I've been calling for a few years and think it's a good time to
> try, but I haven't collected any contra corners dances yet so I'd
> like to start with something as straightforward as possible.
>
> Chorus Jig seems like the natural choice, but I noticed that
> basically every video I could find of it uses the same tune. How
> rigid is this tradition? What if the band doesn't have this in their
> repertoire? Will the contra police raid the dance hall if I call this
> choreography to a different tune?
>
> Abbie Sorg
> Tucson, AZ
>
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