10 Feb
2020
10 Feb
'20
1:05 a.m.
Hi Becky,
I also use square glass magnets. I printed blue stickers for half and purple for the
others. I typed L1-L8, and R1-R8 for Lark Left, Robin Right.
I’ve also put the stickers on so a portion covers one side edge so I know which way a
dancer is facing, as that matter in some dances.
In case the automations are not helpful and you go back to magnets.
Also know that with time and practice, you get faster and better at seeing moves in your
head.
Good luck!
Claire Takemori, California
On Feb 9, 2020, at 9:00 PM,
contracallers-request(a)lists.sharedweight.net wrote:
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2020 13:57:01 -0500
From: Becky Liddle <beckyliddle(a)bell.net <mailto:beckyliddle@bell.net>>
Subject: [Callers] Is there an on-line simulator to visualize/observe
contra dance moves/interactions?
To: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Message-ID: <E068296E-877C-495D-B4C0-0895A6E565D0(a)bell.net
<mailto:E068296E-877C-495D-B4C0-0895A6E565D0@bell.net>>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
I doubt this exists, but thought I’d ask:
I have seen on-line apps that demonstrate just one particular move (a ravens chain or
whatever) showing how each dancer moves in that single call/move.
But has anyone yet programmed something that allows you to put in all the moves of a full
contra dance, so you can see how all the dancers in a contra line interact?
I’m trying to figure out movements and end effects using a magnetic whiteboard, moving
magnets around, but it is both painstakingly slow and I keep screwing it up.
I know the ideal way to figure out end effects and make sure a dance works before calling
it is to get a few friends together to walk it thru, but short of getting that many contra
dancers in a room (I have one friend who offers them pie as incentive, but I’m no pastry
chef!), has anyone figured out a better system for visualizing dancer interactions and end
effects other than magnets on a whiteboard?
Assuming an on-line simulator doesn’t exist, I’m about to go that magnet/whiteboard
route, so if anyone cares to suggest the least mind-boggling way to set that up (Lark 1A,
Raven 1A, Lark 2A, Raven 2A, etc?) do chime in! I need some way to label each dancer so
that when they leave their minor set, and then, say, do a left diagonal ravens chain back
to their partner I can tell if it really IS their own partner or if I’ve screwed up again.
:-(
I find online videos can sometimes help me visualize the interactions in the middle of
the line (if the videographer will hold still long enough for me to see a whole run-thru
of the dance with one minor set), but I can almost never see end effects in those.
Thanks for any suggestions!
Becky Liddle, Toronto