Interesting...

I try to avoid balances on one night stands - the dancers just don't seem to make the firm connections they need to make them feel good

Your program looks like fun - but does not contain any dances that I use for those events - so much good stuff available and variety is wonderful

Mac McKeever
STLouis

On Sunday, November 19, 2023 at 01:36:11 PM CST, Angela DeCarlis via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:


Hello all,

I called an awesome one-off gig on Friday night (honestly the most fun ONS ever for me) and used a lot of the dances mentioned in this thread — thanks everyone! I'll include my program below.

I also called a Circle Mixer that I've had in my box for a long time, but I don't remember where I got it and don't know its name or author — maybe one of y'all will recognize it? It goes:

A1: Ladies in 3 steps, clap on the fourth beat (4)
      While Ladies back out, Gents in 3 steps, clap on the fourth beat (4)
      Gents face out, return to place to form a wavy line (circle) (8)
A2: Balance wave R, L (4), Allemande R 1x (4)
      Balance wave L, R (4), Allemande L 1x (4)
B1: New Partner (the person you turned by the Right) Balance & Swing
B2: All promenade CCW (Gents in the Center), face in as couples to reform the circle

This dance was a little harder to teach than most of the other things I called (it was also the only dance I called with two roles) but was easily danced — the rhythm and timing makes sense, and if you emphasize who promenades on the inside/outside in the B2, then everyone stays in the same role regardless of the way the swing is done or where the dancers end it. The timing overall has a lot of cushion, giving dancers plenty of time to hit the beats in the A1 and (to a lesser extent) A2.

Here's the rest of my program:
  1. Lucky Number Seven
  2. Galopede
  3. Do Si Three
  4. Accretion Reel
  5. Waves of the Sea
  6. The Loon Dance
  7. [Circle Mixer above]
This got us through about 2 hours of dancing with some beefier-than-usual breaks in between each set. I walked through all the dances twice.

Best,
Angela

On Thu, Oct 12, 2023 at 7:25 AM Mo via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

I have noticed that this part of Shared Weight work differently from e.g. ECD

I see some messages twice, others not at all except as a reply.

I deduce that you need to use Reply to all, or it just goes to whoever posted last

 

From: Mo via Contra Callers
Sent: 12 October 2023 12:12
Cc: Shared Weight Contra Callers
Subject: [Callers] Re: Favorite One Night Stand Dances

 

Some good ideas in this thread

I like the drawbridge.

 

I use Galopde as a first dance and ask for well phrased music (with a 2bar,2bar,4bar feel to the A e.g. Winster Gallop) to get people dancing to the music. Though other dances particularly those with a Dip and Dive or Strip the Willow I’ll ask for a tune that can go out of time with the dance (some of the Irish tunes don’t seem to have a definite A or B, wouldn’t want a song tune).

 

Differing energy levels and balance can be a problem. It certainly was for my u3a group, us 80 yr olds do try to keep up with the fit 60s

 

Thanks Erik,

I offer a lead down the center in lieu of a sashay, and I ask the people at the end to accommodate those of us who are slow.

In Rural Felicity I teach: in the A1, if you don’t make it down to the bottom, just merge into the line to do the A2 F&B, since you then gig to sashay back to the top.

 

Cheers,

~Erik

 

From: Rich Sbardella via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>

One of my favorites does have arches but I let the dancers know the arches can be drawbridges to accommodate different heights.

 

Rural Felicity

B2 Top pair goes through the tunnel and remains at bottom.  Others move up.

 

When I call this at a wedding, I rename it to "The Tunnel of Love", and I ask the Bride and Groom to be the first top pair.

 

 

On Wed, Oct 11, 2023 at 7:50 AM Katherine Kitching via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

To add a bit more interest to these simple repetitive ONS dances, I do a Gallopede very similar to Mo's, but with a mixer element.
When it's time for the sashaying/galloping down the middle, I say "make way for the top Reindeer and the bottom Beluga!"

The top reindeer walks, skips, or does a silly dance down to the bottom of *their* line, while the bottom beluga comes up from the bottom of their line doing the same - sometimes they high five when they pass in the middle.

Once they reach the ends (of their own respective lines - no switching lines!), everyone adjusts the line till everyone is facing a new partner.

If you have a long line you can send the two tops and bottoms (walking in single file) together.

This is not to say I think arching dances are bad/shouldn't be used - but I am always trying in my ONS dances to produce the same joyous, amusement-ride feel of a true contra dance, so I personally like to favour figures that keep people flowing always.  My personal preference :)

KK

 

 

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