Cool. I definitely have danced Uncommon Corners before.

So, people have tried the "Contra Corners with your neighbor from Becket" before. (Kinda what I assumed).

This one is neat because it also includes the partner swing each time.

I still think the value of adding in Kitch's skipping of the swing-in-center opens up a lot of choreography freedom.

I'll report in after calling this.
Maybe other callers want to give a shot at filling in the A-part of my original suggestion, and coming up with cool new CC dances?

Julian

On Wed, Apr 19, 2023, 11:08 AM Tepfer, Seth <labst@emory.edu> wrote:
Julian and Chris,

Seems very similar to "Uncommon Corners" by Don Flaherty

Figures:

A1

(16) Man one and woman two turn contra corners

A2

(4) Man one and woman two balance

(12) Man one and woman two swing; face down

B1

(6) Shadow mirror allemande 1 (Man one and woman two split others)

(10) Partner swing

B2

(8) Circle left 1

(8) Slice left

2A1

(16) Woman one and man two turn contra corners

2A2

(4) Woman one and man two balance

(12) Woman one and man two swing; face up

2B1

(6) Shadow mirror allemande 1 (Woman one and man two split others)

(10) Partner swing

2B2

(8) Circle left 1 [with N2]

(8) Slice left



Seth Tepfer, MBA, CSM, PMP (he, him, his)

Senior IT Manager, Emory Primate Center

From: Julian Blechner via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2023 9:53 AM
To: Shared Weight Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: [External] [Callers] Re: Choreo q - contra corners variations
 
I heard from Chris Page, on a FB post in a choreo group.

He thought of the contra-corners-from-Becket, with:

Twirly Corners
Becket 
A1 Slice left while partner roll away
    Top/Bottom pair do-si-do in center
A2 Top/Bottom pair turn contra corners
B1 Top/Bottom pair balance and swing
B2 Partner balance and swing

I'll add this to my box, too, but, what I think is the interesting thing to play with is integrating Jim Kitch's contra corners exit where you skip the swing in the middle and swing your partner instead.

This means we can have a contra corners dance which:
- solves the issue of "many dancers don't like it when you only get to swing your partner half the time" with contra corners dances where partners are doing the move
- leaves _half_ of a square tune for other choreo. Normally, we spend 3/4 of a dance setting up contra corners, doing them, and having the swing at the end. I think this is why we all have Alternative Corners and Labor of Love in our boxes, and anything else is advanced level.
- has the partner as an anchor, mitigating the issue of "new dancers have trouble with this move and can't recover quickly after it doesn't go well"

I'm going to give my original a whirl at a dance this week. (Buttered Corners - circle L 3/4, NS, Chain, Lines, CC, P B+S, slide left progression)

I'd love to hear more thoughts and feedback.

In dance,
Julian Blechner


On Tue, Apr 18, 2023, 10:21 PM Julian Blechner <juliancallsdances@gmail.com> wrote:
So... it occurred to me that it'd be really easy to do a mixed-role contra corners from Becket position. 

A few weeks ago, I danced Jim Kitch's Equinox, which had a fun setup and you finish Contra Corners by passing R , but ... do people know any simpler ways? Like, for example, dance below. I can't possibly have been the first to figure this out, eh?

(If not written yet: Buttered Corners)
Becket

A1. Circle L 3/4
       NS
A2. Robins Chain
       LLFB*
B1. Bottom couples Contra Corners**
       Same Couples Pass R, to P
B2. P B + S
       ... slide L to New Ns

* opportunity in the lines for partners to rollaway to swap roles
** and can alternate top couples, bottom couples, doing bottom couples - who were original 1s - first. This way, the top of the set has corners for people, always.

Like, literally this gives 16 measures to progress and have a neighbor swing if you want. If we opened up to the idea of contra corners with a neighbor from Becket, it opens up immense numbers of dances that can be written.


In dance,
Julian Blechner