It may be more than you want to go into for a walk-through, but it can be a good opportunity to teach (or remind) dancers that a shadow is always a dancer in another set who is in the same position as your partner is in, in your set.  Usually, the shadow with whom you actually do something is just one set adjacent, so you can ID shadows at the beginning of the dance by facing your partner across the set (if it's improper) and looking to the diagonal (either left or right diag -- you have to predetermine that as the caller and have it in your notes) and wave at that person on the diagonal.  "Note what they're wearing. You're going to meet them later." Your idea ("your shadow is the person across and two to the left of you") is the same thing, but just a little harder to process the words. Seth's method is more immediate, and therefore probably a bit more effective; it's just not universally applicable. As you astutely noted, if you're on the end and don't have a diagonal, then your shadow happens to be your current neighbor.  I would say it that way, rather than "if you don't have anyone in your left hand...."

(If the dance is Becket, then your partner is in the same line as you, and therefore, your shadow is also in your line, usually in the other hand (or across the set if on the end).

Also note:  you can help dancers find their shadow successfully in the first walk-through if you break down the allemande.  Many dancers don't REALLY know how far 3/4 is.  So I would say, "Robins allemande right 1/2-way, over to your partner; Partners allemande left halfway to change places, then go two steps more -- the next one along the line is your shadow!" And I would call it that way as well, the first few times through.  I often use "1/2-way and two steps more" rather than  "3/4" (for allemandes) or "3 places and 2 steps more" rather than "7/8" (for circles or stars).

Hope this helps.

-- Diane 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Diane Silver
Asheville, NC
dance@diane-silver.com

On Dec 6, 2021, at 4:03 PM, Tepfer, Seth <labst@emory.edu> wrote:



Ted,

Great questions. Here's the dance: https://contradb.com/dances/951

1. Finding shadow: Here's what I'd do. "Neighbor swing. Robins allemande right to in front of your partner. give left hand to your partner. Everyone freeze. Look over your left shoulder - there is someone looking at you - wave at them with your right hand. That's your shadow." Now, with your partner, Allemande Left 3 places. There's your shadow!"
2. When you are out, your shadow is across the set from you. Your choices are to either wait out at top until partner swing or allemande shadow, then slide back to P for swing. Teaching end effects is always a crap shoot. What percentage of the room will remember all those words you said after the music starts and they have been having fun for 6x through the dance? 
3. Yep, standard progression (technically) in the neighbor swing of A2. Or B2.

Seth Tepfer, MBA, CSM, PMP

Manager of Software Engineering, Oxford College

Schedule an appointment: oxford.emory.edu/SethBooking

770-784-8487

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Pronouns: he, him, his

---

From: Ted Sims via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Monday, December 6, 2021 2:54 PM
To: Shared Weight Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: [External] [Callers] teaching Naked in California

 

Hi everyone
This is kind of a newbie question. I've never called Naked In California [Nils Fredland] before and I'm thinking about how to teach it. I think I've mostly figured it out, but I welcome your comments on my thoughts below:

(1) I would like for everyone to identify their shadows straight away. I think the best way is to have everyone take hands in long lines then "If you are on the end and your left hand is free, your shadow is the person in your right hand (introduce yourselves). Everyone else, your shadow is the person across and two to the left of you".   Is there a better way? 

(2) After the partner allemande, if the dancers on the ends have no one in the right hand, it seems to me that they have to stay put (there is no wrap around etc.). Is that correct?

(3) It looks like people out on the ends need to swap in the usual way.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Ted

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