One addendum: I said “no duple minors.” Let me amend that a tiny bit:

My second dance at all my one-nighters, after a big circle with ad-lib calling, is Ed Durlacher’s Sanita Hill, done either as a Sicilian or a scatter. (Scatter if there are too few folks for a good pass thru, or if there are too many drunks or little kids.) It’s done by groups of two couples and gives people the feel of a duple with very little teaching.

A.1  Circle left, circle right

A.2  Dosido neighbor, dosido partner

B.1  Star right, star left

B.2  (original version) Forward and back, pass thru to a new neighbor couple

B.2  (modified) Scatter promenade, look for a new neighbor couple

It’s one of the very few “nearly bombproof” dances on my list, particularly in the scatter version.

Tony Parkes

Billerica, Mass.

www.hands4.com

New book! Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century

(available now)

From: Joe Harrington via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Monday, July 3, 2023 3:53 PM
To: Shared Weight Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] calling weddings

Any advice for calling weddings? I've been asked to call my first one and I don't see a lot of wedding-specific advice online. What do you ask them in advance, how do you approach it, what are good dances to call?

I'm assuming that a workshop is impractical, so it's barn dances and maybe working up to a contra by the end?  Try to teach a swing?  Some advice I've gotten so far:

Band - can they play contras, am I DJing instead, if so what kind of music, trad or pop?

Floor - make sure it's big enough, get length, width, and surface

Sound system - what is it and is there a sound tech?

Duration - how long they'll want to dance

Dancers - how many, any experienced guests?

Special dances - first, parents, bouquet, last?

Will the bride and groom dance? (If not, nobody will)

Will there be alcohol? (one person suggested doubling the fee if there is)

Will many women be in high heels?

I welcome any advice!  My main goal in taking wedding gigs is recruiting new dancers to our local scene, if that matters.

Thanks,

--jh--