Re: [Callers] My First Contra Dance!

As a general comment, better notation helps get across your dance. Cary Ravitz's web page shows some very good explanation of sometimes very tricky dances. In "Dizzy in the Hizzy," for instance, is confusing because it hints that the dance is both formations. Writing "Becket" or "Becket, Counterclockwise" helps a lot. Also, stating who things are done with helps a lot. Mentioning the moves in the A are done with partner. In the B2, it took a while to realize the allemandes were done with the same-sex neighbor on the diagonal, in an Eggbeater-like figure. Where are the shadows in the B2 stars? (The B2 sequence, by the way, looks like the inverse of Bill Olson's "Eggbeater." And the B2/A1 transition should be noted. Finally, the "Carolina twirl" details are cryptic, though at least the end position is clear. (Is the "Carolina Twirl" something you came up with?) As for the dance itself, Chris Lahey's comments are good. Some other things: The B2 is _very_ tight. 18 beats of moves in 16 beats, plus disorientation time, which then cascades into a fair rapid A1. (The B2 will also need lots of space in the set, to keep dancers from smacking into each other.) The roll-aways in A1 are very quick. Does the built-up momentum lead well into the promenade? Keep plugging away at it, -Chris Page San Diego