Re: [Callers] Dead Cats and Mellow Dances

Rickey asked when we schedule mellow dances in an evening. I'll put such a dance immediately after (or before) a single dance or series of dances that are more energetic. The more relaxed tempo acts as a breather, to give some dancers (think of folks who are older, for example) an opportunity to continue dancing and to catch their breath; such a dance/tune also makes an exciting dance that follows all the more exciting by contrast. Thus, for example, toward the end of a first set, I might program something at moderate tempo, then a dance with higher energy, then something more mellow, and then finish up with another high-energy (but not too complex) dance. One such tune that I often request for a particularly elegant dance that I like to call with experienced dancers is Coleman's March. We were discussing Erik Weberg's dance Joyride on this list not long ago, and that's another dance that, in my opinion, works nicely with a slightly slower tempo. Depending on how quickly dancers move through the hey, it can have a full 16-count swing, and the more relaxed pace allows dancers to enjoy the whole swing without racing. Keep in mind that the actual speed of a particular tune, measured in beats per minute, might be the same as another, but one might have lots of eighth notes or sixteenth notes, whereas the other could have many whole or half notes. The second one may strike dancers as more relaxed, in the same way that calls with fewer words may seem more relaxed than the same dance called with lots of busy patter. David Millstone ------ Dead Cat Bounce by Nathaniel Jack Formation: duple improper contra A1 Balance and swing neighbor A2 Men allemande left halfway, Partner allemande right 1x Men start hey for 4 (Men go halfway, but women ricochet back to the side where they start by meeting in the center and pushing back with both hands.) B1 Circle left Partner swing on the side B2 In long lines, forward and back Women gypsy once and a half