Re: [Callers] Easy dances for teaching contra

Hello Joy, If you're going to be doing similar gigs with less experienced dancers, I'd suggest getting copies of Chimes of Dunkirk and Listen to the Mockingbird (New England Dancing Masters) plus Dudley Laufman's two books (with CDs)-- White Mountain Reel and Sweets of May-- as useful sources for lots of material. Marian Rose's books (the Step Lively series) also have some wonderful dances in them. (All available through Country Dance and Song Society.) Yes, it's an investment in resources, but armed with the material in these books (and CDs, too) you'll have plenty of excellent material-- contras, circles, squares, simple line dances, mixers, suitable for working with beginners of all ages. For your first dance coming up in early December, you have your hands tied-- "required by organizers to be all contra (no circles or squares)." WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? Is the next list of requirements going to be that they want lots of newcomers to be there and oh, by the way, they want the first dance of the evening to include a hey for four on the left diagonal? Have they told you that every contra has to have a partner swing and a neighbor swing? Or are they waiting to spring that on you later on? Sheesh. Okay, stepping back off my soapbox... In the meantime, here are two simple contras that work with folks who are new to this kind of dancing. Don't have to worry about proper/improper, just line 'em up across from a partner, set up your minor sets of four, and you're off. David Millstone P.S. It really is worth having a discussion with the organizers to see if you can come to a better understanding of how to build a dance series. I would suggest that contra contra contra is not the best recipe for success. ------- Family Contra (Sherry Nevins) A1 Balance ring 2x ("Go IN... and OUT... and IN... and OUT), circle left 1x A2 Balance ring 2x, circle right 1x B1 DSD with neighbor, DSD with partner B2 DSD 1.5 as a couple ------ Ellen's Green Jig (Roy Dommett) A1 Do-si-do neighbor Do-si-do partner A2 Ones balance and swing B1 Circle left Circle right B2 Square dance figure, Duck for the Oyster, Dive for the Clam: (Still joined in a circle, twos arch and ones duck partially under and then back up to place. Ones arch and twos duck under and then back up. Ones duck all the way through Twos' arch to meet new neighbors.) "Duck for the oyster, dive for the clam, duck through the hole in the old tin can" or similar patter