Re: actual timing of calls for hey for four - Contra Callers

3 Mar 2020

Hmm. Not a fan of this way of calling heys—not really a fan of called heys at all. There’s
too much going on at once: I have to figure out (e.g., with me a raven) in quick
succession: now I’m being a raven, now I’m being a neighbor, now I’m not a lark so I guess
I don’t do anything, now I’m being a partner, now I’m being a raven...

I’ve concluded that a quicker version of what I do in a beginners’ workshop works fine as
a demo on the dance floor: find 3 others who can hey, plus me. I walk and explain what I’m
doing (ideally with quiet music behind me): “right in the middle, left on the end, right
with no one, left on the end, right in the middle, left on the end, right with no one, and
I’m home”: the rhythm of what I’m saying conveys the timing, “right with no one” is
memorable for explaining how you can think of it as R-L-R-L-R-L-R, and “right with no one”
explains the “big loop” timing. Have everyone do it, then demo it again, pointing out that
the lark is a couple beats behind because they start by taking a couple beats to move over
to the right while the raven moves in—but you really don’t need to have them repeat doing
it. There’s also no need to re-demo a left-shoulder hey: people won’t even notice that
it’s different from what they’ve already learned.

Read Weaver
Jamaica Plain, MA
http://lcfd.org

...
  On Feb 28, 2020, at 6:14 AM, Katherine Kitching via
Contra Callers &lt;contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote:

 hello - first time posting to this list so i'm sorry if I do it wrong (looked in
archives and couldn't see obvious answer)

  I am going to teach and call my first dance with a hey this Saturday.. (ie tomorrow)

 our group takes things slow so i'd like to cue every interaction for the first few
times, as our previous caller did.... I don't know how common this is but our previous
caller would actually say--

  ravens pass right
 neighbours pass left
 larks pass right
 partners left
 ravens pass right
 neighbours pass left
 larks pass right 
  partner balance and swing

 I'm wondering if someone can clarify for me about delivering the calls for this
hey....normally of course I deliver instructions so the last bit of instruction ends on
the beat prior to the figure starting.

 But in the case of the Hey, if I remember correctly the caller actually called out  the
actions *as* they were happening.... 

 Am I remembering correctly and if so is this the best approach?

 In essence-- do I start by calling "ravens pass right" just before they do it,
or while they are doing it?

 thanks muchly :)

 Katherine Kitching in Hfx NS Canada 
 _______________________________________________
 Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
 To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net 