Re: [Callers] My First Full Evening (Donna Calhoun)

A1: neighbour balance and wswing A2: forwards and back // L 1.5 gyspy B2: Partner balance and swing B1: ladies half chain // Star L to next couple

A1: neighbour balance & swing A2: long lines; ladies allemande left 1? B1: partner balance and swing B2: gents do-si-do (1/2 about); circle left ?; pass through (to new neighbour)

> I have my first dance this Saturday so I thought I would post my draft > program to see what some of you think. [Apologies for the VERY long email!] > > -If you have any suggestions on teaching tips, that would be lovely. I'm > working on those today (along with figuring out how I want to teach my first > beginners lesson ? yikes!!!). > -I love it when callers provide neat little facts (e.g., where the name of > the dance came from; when it was written; etc.). If you have ideas here, > please let me know! I also have four dances without authors and two dances > without names. > -And, of course, feel free to critique dance selection and order! > > A bit about the dance community ------------------- > -The dance is in Maberly Ontario, out in the countryside 1.5hrs from Ottawa. > The dance has been happening four times a year (Maberly Quarterly!) for > two years. > -Sheesham and Lotus always play the dance and Martha Cooper is usually the > caller. As context, S&L have lots of experience playing contras (both were > in Flapjack and one was in the Groovemongers). They play oldtime with > fiddle and banjo for the whole evening so it's driven' music with not as > much variety in sound as you would get with some bands. > -The local dance community is novice and while some Ottawa dancers come out, > dances need to be kept relatively simple. > -The hall is quite small and can get quite full. > -There is always a beginners lesson before the dance begins > -Timing of the dance 730 lesson, 8pm dance, break around 915/930, finishes > at 11pm > -Martha has traditionally called a mix of contras and squares with (I > think), more contras in the mix. > > A bit about my draft program--------------------- > -I'm aiming for fun, variety, and discovery/learning. > -I'm aiming for one walk through but will do two if needed ? I want to see > if I can help tweak the ear of local dancers to be picking up information on > the first time around as well as keeping that feeling of momentum. > -I haven't put any 'down the hall in a line of 4' within the programming. I > would try them another time in Maberly but it seems to be a challenging move > for that community. One reason is that the hall isn't very big so it's hard > to get a good feeling in that move. The other is that there are so many > beginners that it seems from previous dances that leaving their circle and > space could maybe cause confusion. I'm going to test whether keeping them > more within their home space on the dance floor will keep the beginners a > bit more grounded. > -I have also left out heys. I do like them but I have a lot of variety > coming in from other aspects of the program and I want to focus on other > aspects of dancing this evening. > -I'm trying to cater to both a large number of beginners locally as well as > those experienced dancers coming from Ottawa. The experienced folks from > Ottawa aren't the super aerobic dancers who want huge challenges so I think > they'll be ok as long as variety is there and there are fun surprises here > and there. > -Working with the driven' 4/4 old time sounds and thinking about what dances > would fit with that. > -I would have loved to have tried a square or chesnut but with it being my > first full dance, I want to focus on an overall successful evening. :) > -I'm aiming for 7 dances in the first half, 4-5 in the second + I have some > back up dances if needed. > > Draft program with comments ----------------- > 1. Swallowtail's First (DI) - ???unknown author to me > -Put first because of the neighbour swing so folks can practice swinging > with various people. No partner swing in this dance, the only one of the > evening without PSw. > -Getting dancers solid (hopefully) on LChain, Stars, and Circling > -staying within circle > > 2. Baby Rose (DI) - David Kaynor > -Introducing the balance (twice!) > -similar progression as previous ? nice for the very start > -staying within circle > > 3. New Fall Reel (Becket) - Susan Kevra > -Introduce a different formation > -beginners second chance to head towards a solid balance and swing > -long lines appear! Wooohooo! Good timing here (hopefully) + feel the > room/community > -Sequences of alemands gets a few quicker 'thinking' moments on people's > radar > -different progression, easy enough and feels great/different > -staying within circle > > 4. Mad Scatter (scatter mixer) - Rick Mohr > -I want to get the dancers mixing through dance and this is such a fun > mixer. Want the feeling of a bit of chaos but fun/controlled. > -Put this dance forth as I wanted to have the moves solidified above first > -First promenade of the night (just realized!)... that should be ok though ? > I'll cover it in the beginners lesson and revisit here. > > 5. Family Contra (DI) ? Sherry Nevins > -I know this dance can be used for the first of the evening but I thought > would save until a bit later. > -Bal the ring& couple DSD for progression are neat features that will make > this dance feel different from others at this point in the evening. > > 6. Lexington's Loss (DI) ? Carol Ormand > -R&Ls make this dance feel different > -This is my sacrificial dance of the first half (i.e., if I'm running low on > time, I'll cut this one) > > 7. ???Unknown name ? HELP!!! (DI) ? Author??? > -Wanted something simple and lively to end the first half. Also something > that would connect the community before the break (long lines :)). > -starts and finishes the same as Lexington's Loss. Not great in many ways > but maybe ok as people tired heading into the break? > > QUICK WALTZ > > ----BREAK----- > > 8. Snowball waltz > -What do folks think? This is very much a community contra dance and so I > thought by having a short waltz to end the first half, we could have a > second waltz at the start of the second half to bring the community back > together. > -Snowball waltz would accomplish a few things? (1) mix dancers up again in a > fun way, (2) get inexperienced waltzers dancing with experienced folks > (doesn't happen as often with waltzes), and (3) get everyone up on the > floor to start the second half. > -If you like the idea, do you think I should either (1) announce that it's a > snowball and get a few people with birthdays in Feb to start (2) get the > band to start playing and a couple of dancers to start dancing so the > snowball is a surprise (3) other??? > -I guess if it's announced, could even show what the waltz step is > quickly??? ??? > > 10. Feet in Flight (DI) --- Author????? > -many new moves: petronella, roll away (in pretty safe spot), gypsy, > California twirl > -I wanted a petronella dance and I really liked the look of this one even > though it's challenging. Open to suggestions though!) > > 9. Trip to Lamberville (DI) ? Steve ZA > -familiar moves except into the center to balance the wave. > -bit of standing around so if folks are tired, space to relax? maybe should > have thought of this aspect of programming for my first half. > > 11. Who's in the middle(DI) ? Al Olson > -new move is balance the wave > -have some fun with who ends up in the middle > > 12. ???unknown HELP!!! (DI) ? Unknown?? > -simple, all familiar moves to finish off the dance > > Final Waltz > > > The dances themselves ----------------- > > 1. Swallowtails?s First - ???? - Improper > A1: (8) neighbor do si do; (8) neighbor swing > A2: (16) ladies chain over and back > B1: (8) circle left; (8) circle right > B2: (8) right hand star; (8) left hand star > > 2. (The) Baby Rose - David Kaynor - Improper > A1: Neighbor Balance& Swing (16) > A2: Circle Left Three Places (8) // Partner Do-si-do (16) > B1: Partner Balance& Swing (16) > B2: Ladies Chain (8) // Left Hand Star (8) > > 3. New Fall Reel? - Susan Kevra - Beckett > A1: circle left 3 places (1/2); neighbour balance and swing > A2: long lines (1/2); ladies chain > B1: ladies allemande (full); partner allemande 1.5; gents allemande (full) > [keep talk flowing..watch as maybe bit space before gents allemande] > B2: partner balance and swing (3/4); slide left (this kind of happens at the > start of A1) > > 4. Mad Scatter Rick Mohr; March, 2010 ?. Mixer, Scattered circles of two or > more couples > Level: Easy/Intermediate > A1: Circle left (8) //// Dosido neighbor (8) > A2: Allemande right with partner 1 1/2 (8) //// Women star (or allemande) > left while men orbit clockwise (8) > B1: Balance and swing new partner (16) > B2: Promenade anywhere with new partner (16) (Find another group to circle > with) > In this mixer dancers form scattered groups with any number of couples. That > makes for fun chaos, less transition panic (compared with 2-couple scatter > mixers), and more flavors to enjoy as circle sizes vary. > The A2 allemande ends with women in the center facing counterclockwise and > men on the outside facing clockwise. If there are two women they allemande > left for 8 beats; if there are more than two they star left for 8 beats. > Either way, the men orbit clockwise around the women. Then all balance and > swing a new partner and promenade to a new group. > I tell the dancers it's a zero-stress dance. "If a couple wants to join your > circle, let them in!" And no problem if you happen to keep the same partner > now and then. > > > 5. Family Contra (Sherry Nevins) duple minor-- don't worry about gender, > proper or improper > A1 Balance ring 2x, circle left 1x ("Go IN... and OUT... and IN... and > OUT) > A2 Balance ring 2x, circle right 1x > B1 DSD with neighbor, DSD with partner > B2 Facing other couple and with inside hands joined with partner, DSD 1.5 > as a couple to progress > > 6. Lexington?s Loss - Carol Ormand - Improper > A1: Neighbour B&W > A2: R&L over // R&L back > B1: CL ? // Partner swing > B2: LLFB // CL ? and pass through up or down > > 7. ?????????????? Improper ??????? > A1: neighbour balance& swing > A2: long lines; ladies allemande left 1? > B1: partner balance and swing > B2: gents do-si-do (1/2 about); circle left ?; pass through (to new > neighbour) > > > 8. Snowball waltz > > 9. Feet in Flight -???- Improper > A1: Ring balance; women roll neigbor gent away with a half sashay /// > Ladies chain > A2: Women gypsy /// Swing P > B1: Circle L x3/4 /// Ring balance, Petronella twirl > B2: Ring balance, Petronella twirl /// Ring balance, California twirl > ? ? Not original version but ok > > 10. Trip To Lamberville - Steve Zakon-Anderson > A1: [8] Ladies into the center to a wave and balance /// [8] Gents into the > center to a wave and balance > A2: [8] Gents allemende left 3/4 to a wave across and balance //// [8] > Neighbors swing > B1: [8] Gents allemende left 1 ? //// [8] Partners swing > B2: [8] Right and left through ///// [8] Ladies chain > > 11. Who?s in the Middle? - Al Olson - DI > > A1- Circle left /// Allemande right your neighbor until someone is in the > center where they join left hands to form an ?ocean wave? > A2- Balance the wave, those in the middle allemande left once around /// > Swing neighbor > B1- Promenade across; right and left back > B2- Ladies chain, over and back > Notes from Syracuse callers gathering: This is a beginner dance, and fun. > It?s a game to play with the speed of your allemande. Eye contact can convey > whose turn it is to be in the middle. It can be reassuring to a beginner > that it doesn?t matter how fast one goes on the allemande right. The B-parts > also introduce a bunch of basic figures (also helpful for newcomers). The > caller should probably keep calling in the B-parts (especially for > beginners) because you are crossing back and forth. We talked about > replacing the chain with a hey-for-4, to move the B-parts a bit away from > solid ?glossary? figures. Call it, ?Who?s in the Hey?? This brought to mind > a dance by Gene Hubert, that has a hey and a similar game about taking turns > with who starts it: > > 12. ?? Improper ???? > A1: neighbour balance and wswing > A2: forwards and back // L 1.5 gyspy > B2: Partner balance and swing > B1: ladies half chain // Star L to next couple >