[Callers] Re: Basic Beckets for Beginners

Thanks for giving the new dance a spin! I haven't even tried it with people yet :-) Robert, I'm reminded of George Wilson's beginner lesson where he talks explicitly about the connection between the music and the dancing, and makes the timing explicit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14nxFdcaKWA Thanks again all, Luke On Tue, Sep 24, 2024 at 3:25 PM Robert Matson via Contra Callers < contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote: > Like Harris recently did, we plan to try Star Trek Phaser for our > beginner-heavy college contra next week. Thanks for writing and posting > it, Luke. > > We often find that our dancers get off-phrase, especially with flowy > dances, like this one. Is that what causes the challenge with the oval in > this dance? > > We have the benefit of choosing our music program at the same time as > our dance program. So, our Plan A for flowy dances is to choose a tune set > with clear differentiation between the 8-bar phrases and some sort of > punctuation at the start or end of each phrase. (Maybe a tune set > like this one. > <https://youtu.be/ADQq_nqqHik?si=UX83w43tUtd8pw6x&t=151>) > > From the perspective of callers, what would be a few tips that help > ensure flowy dances don't get off-phrase or would help in a case like > Harris'? > > Thanks, > Rob > > - - - - - - - - - - - - > > Robert Matson > Cell: (917) 626-2675 > > > > On Tue, Sep 24, 2024 at 12:51 AM Harris Lapiroff via Contra Callers < > contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote: > >> I called Star Trek Phraser at a beginner-heavy college dance last >> weekend and it worked quite well! The only thing I noticed was that I had >> to keep jumping in to keep the oval on time (dancers kept trying to shift >> it to A2) and even still it got pretty messy. But it's a nice whole-set >> moment that I think is worth it. (And for attentive beginners I think it >> also reveals something to them about the structure of the dance.) I was >> surprised and pleased by how well beginners were able to handle the >> star-to-star transition, quick though it is! >> >> Thanks for that one, Luke! >> >> Harris Lapiroff >> >> Dance Caller and Organizer >> Boston Intergenerational Dance Advocates Board (Cambridge MA) >> Pinewoods Camp, Inc Board (Plymouth MA) >> https://chromamine.com/contra/ >> >> On Mon, Sep 9, 2024, at 8:08 PM, Luke Donforth via Contra Callers >> wrote: >> >> Thanks all. >> >> I continue to turn this one over in my head, and I think I've got a >> new one (borrowing heavily from Bob Isaac's *To Turn a Phrase* and >> the star-to-star transition of Mick Richardson's *Star Trek*) >> >> Star Trek Phraser >> by Luke Donforth >> Contra/Becket-CCW >> >> A1 ----------- >> (8) Left hand Star >> (8) Whole set oval right >> A2 ----------- >> (8) whole set oval Left >> (8) Groups of 4 Circle Left 1X >> B1 ----------- >> (8) Partner Do-si-do >> (8) Partner swing >> B2 ----------- >> (8) Long lines, forward and back >> (8) Left hand Star 1x, walk on to next star >> >> On Sun, Sep 8, 2024 at 7:55 PM &lt;sjapartments(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote: >> >> https://aptsg.org/Dance/dances.html#Balter >> >> On Sun, Sep 8, 2024 at 11:50 AM Luke Donforth via Contra Callers < >> contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote: >> >> Hello all, >> >> Oftentimes at One Night Gigs, I'll do a mix of circle and longways >> set dances. With scatter mixers and specialty dances, I can fill an >> evening. But sometimes I get a group that "wants contras" or is looking to >> grow their familiarity with the dance form. >> >> I think Becket dances without lark/robin distinctions and no neighbor >> swing are AN easy option into "hands-four" contras. There are other ways >> in, but I'm looking for more Beckets that match that description. For a >> while I've had "Pluck It" in my box as a friendly option: >> >> Pluck It >> Contra/Becket-CW >> >> A1 ----------- >> (8) Circle Left >> (8) Circle Right >> A2 ----------- >> (8) Left hand Star >> (8) Right hand Star >> B1 ----------- >> (8) Partner Do-si-do >> (8) Partner swing >> B2 ----------- >> (8) Neighbor Do-si-do across set >> (8) Long lines, yearn left >> >> This is, in my opinion, pretty close to the traditional mixer Scatter >> Shot but done as a keeper in Becket. (It does have a DSD across the set, >> which in a recent thread was listed as a no-no for some callers. While I >> wouldn't use that move at a dance weekend, for One Night gigs I think it's >> accessible and acceptable). You don't have to teach ballroom swing, and if >> folks want to elbow swing and swap roles with their partner it doesn't >> really impact the dance (this is a small advantage of Becket over improper >> for this type of dance; different position on the side is less disorienting >> than different side of the set). >> >> What other Becket dances do folks have that don't rely on roles? No >> larks allemande or robins chain, etc. >> >> On the drive home from my gig last night I came up with this one >> (which may already exist), written for Naomi who organizes the community >> dance I was at: >> >> A Pillar of Weathersfield >> Contra/Becket-CW >> >> A1 ----------- >> (8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella) >> (8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella) >> A2 ----------- >> (16) Partner balance and swing, end facing down the hall >> B1 ----------- >> (8) Down the hall, four in line (turn as couples) >> (8) Return and face across >> B2 ----------- >> (8) Long lines, forward and back >> (8) Promenade across the Set, turn as a couple and progress >> (Go between the ones you danced with, passing by left shoulder, and >> the new couple on your right, turn to take hands with new couple) >> >> I'd be curious what else folks have that they use for entry-level >> contras when you don't have a critical mass of experience for improper >> dances with neighbor swings. >> >> Thanks! >> Luke Donforth >> Burlington, VT >> _______________________________________________ >> Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net >> To unsubscribe send an email to >> contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net >> >> >> >> -- >> Luke Donforth >> Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com &lt;Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com&gt; >> _______________________________________________ >> Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net >> To unsubscribe send an email to >> contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net >> To unsubscribe send an email to >> contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net >> > _______________________________________________ > Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net > To unsubscribe send an email to > contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net > -- Luke Donforth Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com &lt;Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com&gt; _______________________________________________ Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net