6 Feb
2008
6 Feb
'08
6:29 p.m.
Jack wrote:
[proposes this way of teaching contra corners]
So, here's the idea:
Get proper
Point out corner number 1 -- across the set and to the right.
#1 w/ partner allemande R 1/2. Turn a little farther to form short
waves on the diagonal with a person of the opposite gender (this is a
chance for the caller to see that everyone has the right person)
Let go of partner, All L 1x w/ 1st corner, reform wave
All R exactly 3/4 to someone ELSE of opp gender (#2's face across and
left to look for that person coming at you, #1's you may have to tap
this other person on the shoulder to get them to turn in)
Catch them by the Left Hand to Form Wave
W/ Corner #2, All L 1x back to P
#1 B&S
I know that there is more information there than I
would want to
actually *say* in a walk through, but some of it (like which way the
#2 corners are going to end up facing) is stuff I want to be aware of
and maybe stuff that would be a problem for this way of teaching
contra corners.
Haven't tried this. I like the wave idea for orientation, and I really like
that this approach is constructed to function in the duple minor format.
("First corners" and "second corners" as we have them for contra
corners is
really a triple minor or triplet idea laid on top of a duple-minor set. Action
goes outside your set but without giving you a familiar face, which is also
confusing.)
Explicitly having them allemande L 1x is *guaranteed* to leave the
inactives facing the wrong way, so maybe you can say something like "flip
around" or "you're done with those actives; turn your backs on them and
welcome
new actives" or some such thing.
I'm a little worried that experienced dancers programming will kick in and as
soon as you get them in waves they'll start balancing, but maybe if you tell
them it's contra corners before you start doing it, that'll take care of the
problem.
Having come up with this, I also thought that this
series of moves
could (or possibly has been) make a good dance: Wave with first
corners, balance, allemande L, balance, allemande R, wave with 2nd
corners, balance, Actives swing. Anyone know of a dance already like
that that I should be aware of?
Not me. There are some trad English dances where you balance in lines across
and then balance in lines up and down and the actives swing, but they're not
*that* similar to this.
Minor technical problems in laying your sequence onto a 32-bar AABB tune, if I
have this right:
1s allemande R 5/8 into wave: (4)
balance the wave (4)
Allemande L 1x reform wave (4)
balance the wave (4)
1s allemande R 3/4 into wave (4)
balance the wave (4)
Allemande L 1x reform wave (4)
balance the wave (4) (32 counts, typically two phrases)
Actives swing (8 or 16)
This sequence needs to start on a phrase boundary, I think, because the music
coming around again reminds dancers that they need to do something. You need
to get the actives progressed, or tolerate having the top active couple having
to fake having upstream neighbors during the first time through the dance.
So you might need tunes that don't drastically change character from A to
B, or end the dance with the balance in the second wave, or something.
[I'm really tempted to keep futzing with this, but it's your sequence, so
I'll
stop now.]
-- Alan
===============================================================================
Alan Winston --- WINSTON(a)SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone: 650/926-3056
Paper mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 99, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park CA 94025
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