People have been trying adding flutterwheel for decades, but it's never
stuck. I've only danced it at MWSD contra events.
Some people who've written flutterwheel contras:
Cary Ravitz (Butterflies)
Seth Tepfer (Swingin' on a Star, Split Tree Flutterwheel)
Ken Bonner (several)
Tom Hinds (Ova's Dance, Mixing Bowl, Double Take)
along with a number of lesser known choreographers.
Flutterwheel isn't quite the same as gent's chain, as the initial momentum
need is different. And it's not a strongly connected figure.
So maybe it's just that it's not really needed, and it's not that exciting
a figure. Or it could be because it comes from MWSD.
It also may appear more in British contras, where there's more
cross-pollination of moves.
-Chris Page
San Diego
On Sat, Feb 8, 2014 at 9:28 AM, rich sbardella <richsbardella(a)snet.net>wrote;wrote:
I am curious, why isn't the Flutter Wheel being
used in contras today. It
basically accomplishes what a men's chain does but generally has good
flow. I believe that Roget Whynot wrote several contras with a
flutterwheel many years ago.
Basically flutterwheel is an 8 beat call where the right hand dancer, most
often the lady, go into the center and turn by the right. When they move
adjacent to the original opposite dancer they take that dancer and continue
together to the RH dancers original side and turn in to face the center.
Rich
Stafford CT
________________________________
From: Bill Olson <callbill(a)hotmail.com>
To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Sent: Saturday, February 8, 2014 12:05 PM
Subject: Re: [Callers] Flow & Glide Contras
In "sort of' a similar vein.. here's one I wrote that I think flows really
well.. (well once you get over the discomfort or unfamiliarity of a gent's
chain...) Here's the dance and the notes from the original posting on my
web page. PB&J, A duple improper contra by Bill Olson
A1 M allem R x 1.5 (8), Sw Partner (8) A2 Cir L 3/4, Sw N (16)
B1 1/2 MEN'S chain (8), Star R (hands across) (8)
B2 1/2 W chain (8), Star L (hands across) (8) (M look for new gent in next
star for R allem)
This dance was written Aug 11, 1999, on the way to a gig at the Rock
Gardens Inn in Phippsburg, ME. It originally started with a Men's HALF
right allemand. I figured the dancers would get more partner swing that
way. In real life however it seemed confusing and the allemand once and a
half goes pretty quickly anyway so there is plenty of swing. The B1 B2
figures are the "reason" for the dance. I like how a chain flows into a
star so I figured mirror image chains and stars would flow doubly well.
Since most dancers are used to coming out of a chain into a cloverleaf
star, it takes a little while for them to adjust to the hands across but it
flows really nicely after they do. For my band PB&J (now T-Acadie)!
Here's a video that gives you some idea of the flow.. Ignore the part
where the dancers are confused and doing it improperly - hah hah..
http://youtu.be/8utAPj7Gu_g
bill
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