On this new dance, Name Impending, it’s interesting, and it took me 5 minutes to figure this out but:

 

It can start either improper or reverse-improper. That’s because, either way, three Petronella turns put you on the Lark’s side with your partner (one with the Lark on the left, the other with the Robin on the left). Then the partner swing puts everything in order. So you can start this dance improper, then let it flow. When couples come in on the end they can stand “crossed over” or not. It might be confusing, if one doesn’t cross over, to do the Petronellas in a Lark-Lark-Robin-Robin circle, but it’ll, as noted, straighten out momentarily.

 

As I’m considering this, we may note that, when circling left ¾ into a swing, it’s far smoother for the Robin to draw into that swing with the Lark on the right. Using Petronella turns makes it smooth either way.

 

An aside: I’m not sure if others feel this way but, I really don’t like calling the reverse-improper formation “indecent.” I think using that name is, well, sort of ugly and, to me, not funny. Maybe I’ve finally made it to being an old curmudgeon… At any rate, I’ll continue to call it reverse-improper.

 

~Erik Hoffman

   Oakland, CA

 

From: Gregory Frock via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 3, 2020 9:17 AM
To: Chet Gray <chetgray+calling@gmail.com>
Cc: contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net
Subject: [Callers] Re: First composition! Has it been written?

 

Hi Chet,

I probably missed something in the instructions, but it looks to me like the dance is indecent (robins left, larks right facing up and down). Due to a peculiarity of the choreography, it can start improper, but will end indecent every time after that. Is that correct? Can anyone else confirm?

If I am correct, I would label the dance as "indecent" with a note that the dance can start from improper or indecent position.

Regards,

Greg

 

On Tue, Mar 3, 2020 at 11:39 AM Chet Gray via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

The Louisville Callers Collective, at our meet-up this past Sunday 3/1, collaboratively wrote our first dance! I searched for homologous choreography in ContraDB and The Callers Box, and to a reasonable extent via Google, and couldn't find any extant dances. Anybody know of something I missed?

[name pending]

hook: stompy A, circle > progress > circle B

by: Louisville Callers Collective

formation: improper

A1

8

balance & petronella

8

balance & petronella

A2

8

balance & petronella

8

Partners swing

B1

8

Robins chain

8

circle right 4 places

B2

2

turn alone to face Next Neighbors ⁋

4

circle left 2 places

10

Neighbors swing

2020-03-01 Louisville Callers Collective meeting collaboration.

Co-coreographers: Bob Crawford, Callie Allison, Chet Gray, Elisabeth Monica, John Murner, Nedra McNeil, Susan Pope.


We began with a blank whiteboard, and brainstormed some of our favorite elements of dances, among them: circle > progress > circle, group balances, good flow, swings with partner and neighbor. We then divided the whiteboard into space for A1 A2 B1 B2, put a partner balance & swing in the B2, and began expanding from there, diagramming where each dancer was after each figure. Alright, what can go into a circle right? A right hand chain. Let's put it after the partner swing. That trades the Robins' places, so circle once around will put couples ready to progress to new neighbors. Circle left from there. Now, where can we put a neighbor swing? Well, unless we want to end it mid-phrase, either after the circle left or before the partner balance and swing. We need to get partners to the same side for that, so that might be awkward. Circle left into swing, then. Is this the hand that flows into the swing? It is! How far, then? Oh, only circle halfway. Not the usual, might need to emphasize that calling. Okay, now to get the Larks across for the partner swing, and we have 16 counts to do it. Hmm. Hey? Allemande? Petronellas move people around. Maybe with a give and take? Petronella into a swing? Let's try it. Ah-ha!

 

We tested it out, with music, beginning in three different places: the circle left, the chain, and the Petronellas. Each had some things we like and disliked about the flow (and we named each rotated variation in succession), but we thought that beginning with the Petronellas was the most generally successful version.

 

Anyway, maybe it's been written before, maybe not. We're really proud of our group (and, I think, rightfully so), which includes some brand new rising callers. I look forward to seeing where we all go from here.

 

— Chet Gray

  dance caller

  Louisville, KY

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