Linda Leslie's Corner Triplet is the dance that I'll often use to teach Contra Corners. I call it every year or two.

That said, I call Chorus Jig at roughly every other dance I call (so roughly 3-4 times per year), often as the second-to-last dance of the evening, and I don't really worry about prepping the dancers with anything other than just a careful walk through.

Here are my tips for teaching contra corners, for whatever they're worth:

I'll often start by pointing out that although the 1s do most of the moving, it is having engaged 2s that really makes the figure work. (Might have learned that from Erik Hoffman, but I'm not sure.) The 2s have time to think about who should be coming to them next, and assist to make that happen. There really is more to being a 2 than just holding up your left hand.
I'll have 1s identify the corners by pointing both hands at his or her P, then spreading them apart to point at the people next to the P (rt hd is 1st corner, lf hd is 2nd corner). I try to make sure that not only does the 1 identify the corner, but that each corner also connects with the active. Yes, it's exceedingly hokey. I nonetheless do it every single time, because it seems to help.
I'll sometimes walk it through again with the previous 2s being actives, so everybody gets to have the experience before the music starts. I'm on the fence on whether or not that does more harm than good. With Linda's triplet, I'll just walk it through 3 times, and there's something to be said for that.
For reasons I've never understood, my experience has been that new dancers often seem to find Sackett's Harbor easier to dance than Chorus Jig, even if it's their first triple minor dance, and even though the timing for the forward-and-back after the contra corners is so much tighter than the 1s swing in Chorus Jig.

Regards,

Grant

On Wed, Feb 20, 2019 at 9:30 PM Don Veino via Callers <callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

I used this dance again just the other night for a mixed capabilities crowd. It has so few moving parts that it's easy to focus on the CC sequence.

-Don

Corner Triplet - Proper - Linda Leslie

A1 1st couple down the center (the lady will be on the left going down the set)
Turn alone, return
Cast off with same role neighbor #2
A2 Ones Contra corners

B1 Ones Balance & Swing

B2 Ones up the center to the top, separate, go down the outside
Lines of three forward & back

Linda said: "Written to have a dance for teaching contra corners."

On Wed, Feb 20, 2019 at 4:38 PM Hannah Chamb via Callers <callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Hi all, first time posting here!

I'm new-ish to calling and I've yet to call contra corners. I think I'm up for the challenge and could teach the figure itself, but I still think it's a tricky one for dancers in all but the most experienced crowds. A few callers I know have advised me to build up to a challenging figure like contra corners over the course of an evening by calling dances that echo the skills the dancers will need later.

With that in mind, what dances would you call early in the evening in a mixed-level group that would help "teach" dancers the skills they need to be successful at contra corners?

I've been thinking I should include an easy proper-ish dance, and maybe a dance with allemandes outside the minor set... anything else come to mind?

Thanks in advance,
Hannah Chamberlain
Westbrook, ME
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