Re: [Callers] Questionable Figure Transitions

Lynn: I think that dance transitions and progressions is one of the most interesting things about the whole subject of contra dance choreography. As a dancer, I think the transition from a “ladies chain” to a “circle left” is an interesting changing of momentum, i.e. there is more responsibility on the gents/leaders to position the ladies/followers for the next dance movement. If this transition is awkward, I think that the gents/leaders are positioning the ladies/followers in the “wrong position” for the next dance movement. For example: Too much spinning equals too much disorientation, which equals poor timing, which equals “awkward transition”. I think that each transition has a different set of options with that transition, and depending on the skill of the dancer, the dancer is going to be more or less comfortable with the different set of options with that transition. Also if a transition seems awkward, I like to think of different transitions that are similar, but do not feel as awkward, for example the transition from a “ladies chain” to “ladies do-si-do”. In the dance, “Scout House Reel” by Ted Sannella there is the transition from a “ladies chain” to a “ladies do-si-do”. As a gent/leader, the lead from my right hand to my lady’s/follower’s left hand after the “ladies chain and courtesy turn” would be a slight pull by my right hand to her left hand, in this case a pull into the center for the “ladies do-si-do”. In the case of the transition from a “ladies chain” to a “circle left”, it would still be a slight pull from my right to her left hand into the “circle left”. Scout House Reel – Ted Sannella Duple Improper Formation A1: (8) Down the hall four in a line (active couples in the center) (8) Turn alone and return A2: (8) Circle left (8) Ladies chain B1: (8) Ladies do-si-do 1 ½ (8) Neighbors swing B2: (8) Long lines forward and back (8) Active couple swing I think the transition from a “right and left through” to a “circle left” is very similar, because it is not so much the transition from a “ladies chain” to a “circle left” or a “right and left through” to a “circle left”, but the transition from a “courtesy turn” to a “circle left. I think the transition from a “swing” to a “star left” or “star right” is at least in my opinion not the best transition. “In some dances, depending on what follows the star, I can replace the star with a long line forward and back, which fixes it.” – I would like to think that every dance is a certain way, because the dance composer wanted the dance that certain way, so I do not think it is the place of anyone, caller, dancer, dance composer to “fix” another dance composer’s dance. My only advice about dance collecting is something that was passed on to me from my friend, Lisa Sieverts, which was passed on to her from Larry Jennings, and that is that the caller should be intimately familiar with the dance he or she is calling. There are a lot of callers that walk around with a box of three hundred dances in them, and I find it very hard to believe that, that caller is intimately familiar with three hundred dances, and when I say intimately familiar I mean that the caller should have those dances memorized. The dance card is there for a reminder… If you have your head stuck in a card, you are missing perhaps the best part of calling, in my opinion. So, that may be a little off base from where you were going with your question, but that is just my take on it. There are a lot of good dances out there, there are a lot of good dance composers out there, but how many dances do you remember off the top of your head, how many dances to you love to dance, even if the dance is called three times in one night. There are always going to be dances that stand out in your head, and of course there is always a certain level of personal preference that comes into play… Respectfully submitted, Jeff Petrovitch