13 Jun
2015
13 Jun
'15
3 a.m.
I was inspired by the Blues Brothers version of Sweet Home Chicago to
write a 24 bar Contra recently:
Short But Sweet
Becket
A1 Circle left 3/4
Swing neighbour
A2 Balance the ring
Nevada twirl with partner (California twirl with other hands)
With next couple, balance the ring
Petronella turn one place anti-clockwise
B Half hey, starting with women passing left shoulders
Swing partner
There's an animation of the dance at
http://www.dancekaleidoscope.org.au/dance.html#ShortButSweet.
Are there many other 24 bar Contras?
Cheers
Keith
13 Jun
13 Jun
3:10 a.m.
Nit: a "California twirl with other hands" is traditionally called a "star
through".
On Jun 12, 2015 10:00 PM, "Keith Wood via Callers" <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
I was inspired by the Blues Brothers version of Sweet
Home Chicago to
write a 24 bar Contra recently:
Short But Sweet
Becket
A1 Circle left 3/4
Swing neighbour
A2 Balance the ring
Nevada twirl with partner (California twirl with other hands)
With next couple, balance the ring
Petronella turn one place anti-clockwise
B Half hey, starting with women passing left shoulders
Swing partner
There's an animation of the dance at
http://www.dancekaleidoscope.org.au/dance.html#ShortButSweet.
Are there many other 24 bar Contras?
Cheers
Keith
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3:25 a.m.
On Fri, Jun 12, 2015, Jeff Kaufman via Callers wrote:
Nit: a "California twirl with other hands" is traditionally called a
"star
through".
Really? I haven't seen Star Thru in contra much; in MWSD, at least, Star
Thru is normally done with partners facing each other, as opposed to the
California Twirl with partners facing the same direction. What's being
asked for here is a sashayed California Twirl -- I don't think I've ever
seen that before. However, "Nevada Twirl" does have plenty of hits when
I search, which suggests a clear provenance...
(You could argue that in a ring partners are sort-of facing each other,
but I think that's a wasted argument when people already have a clear
choreographic name for the concept.)
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
<*> <*> <*>
Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html
3:35 a.m.
Indeed, the only times I've seen “star thru” used in contra, it was
directly borrowed from MWSD.
This is what Callerlab says. Even in Tech Squares it's considered
incorrect to call it from other formations.
24. Star Thru
Starting formation: Facing Dancers (man facing woman)
Command example: Star Thru
Dance action: Man places his right hand against woman's left hand, palm to
palm with fingers up, to make an arch. As the dancers move forward the
woman does a one quarter (90 degrees) left face turn under the arch, while
the man does a one quarter (90 degrees) turn to the right moving past the
woman.
Ending formation: Couple
Timing: 4
Styling: Hands are joined in raised position at approximately eye level,
palm to palm, with fingers pointed up to form an arch. The arch will be
offset to the man's right and woman's left. The man's hand should be used
to stabilize as the woman provides her own momentum. As the call is
completed, the hand grip should be readjusted to couple handhold.
On Fri, Jun 12, 2015 at 11:25 PM, Aahz Maruch via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
On Fri, Jun 12, 2015, Jeff Kaufman via Callers wrote:
Nit: a "California twirl with other hands" is traditionally called a
"star
through".
Really? I haven't seen Star Thru in contra much; in MWSD, at least, Star
Thru is normally done with partners facing each other, as opposed to the
California Twirl with partners facing the same direction. What's being
asked for here is a sashayed California Twirl -- I don't think I've ever
seen that before. However, "Nevada Twirl" does have plenty of hits when
I search, which suggests a clear provenance...
(You could argue that in a ring partners are sort-of facing each other,
but I think that's a wasted argument when people already have a clear
choreographic name for the concept.)
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6
http://rule6.info/
<*> <*> <*>
Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html
_______________________________________________
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4:17 a.m.
Huh. If learned it as:
G right in L left: California twirl
G right in L right: box the gnat
G left in L left: swat the flea
G left in L right: star through
Or just tell people what hands to join and then "twirl to swap".
On Jun 12, 2015 10:40 PM, "Charles M. Hannum via Callers" <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Indeed, the only times I've seen “star thru” used
in contra, it was
directly borrowed from MWSD.
This is what Callerlab says. Even in Tech Squares it's considered
incorrect to call it from other formations.
24. Star Thru
Starting formation: Facing Dancers (man facing woman)
Command example: Star Thru
Dance action: Man places his right hand against woman's left hand, palm to
palm with fingers up, to make an arch. As the dancers move forward the
woman does a one quarter (90 degrees) left face turn under the arch, while
the man does a one quarter (90 degrees) turn to the right moving past the
woman.
Ending formation: Couple
Timing: 4
Styling: Hands are joined in raised position at approximately eye level,
palm to palm, with fingers pointed up to form an arch. The arch will be
offset to the man's right and woman's left. The man's hand should be used
to stabilize as the woman provides her own momentum. As the call is
completed, the hand grip should be readjusted to couple handhold.
On Fri, Jun 12, 2015 at 11:25 PM, Aahz Maruch via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
On Fri, Jun 12, 2015, Jeff Kaufman via Callers
wrote:
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Nit: a "California twirl with other hands" is traditionally called a
"star
through".
Really? I haven't seen Star Thru in contra much; in MWSD, at least, Star
Thru is normally done with partners facing each other, as opposed to the
California Twirl with partners facing the same direction. What's being
asked for here is a sashayed California Twirl -- I don't think I've ever
seen that before. However, "Nevada Twirl" does have plenty of hits when
I search, which suggests a clear provenance...
(You could argue that in a ring partners are sort-of facing each other,
but I think that's a wasted argument when people already have a clear
choreographic name for the concept.)
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6
http://rule6.info/
<*> <*> <*>
Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html
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9:15 a.m.
New subject: Box - Swat - CA - Jersey/Nevada
I learned several subtle distinctions. Back in the 80s, when Larry
Edelman was on staff at lots of our weeks and weekends, he'd drill us in
these figures:
These moves depend on where you're facing when you start, and which way
you face when you end.
Both Box the Gnat and Swat the Flea start facing the person you're doing
it with, and have you change places and end facing them
Box the Gnat starts facing the person you're boxing with, joining right
hands turning the woman or raven under, and swapping places, ending
facing each other and right hands are still joined.
Swat the Flea is the same, except you have left hands joining left hands
Both the California Twirl (also called the Frontier Twirl) starts
standing next to the person you're doing it with, woman or raven on
right, man or lark on left with near hands joined, and ends with the
couple about facing. That it, it results in the pair turning as a couple.
The Jersey or Nevada Twirl does the same, but with the man (or lark) on
the right, woman (or raven) on the left.
A star through starts with a pair facing each other with the man's
(lark's) right hand joined with the woman's (raven's) left hand and ends
with them swapping sides, but facing the same direction.
There are several contras that use it. A part might be
A1 facing your new neighbor: join inside hands (man's right, woman's
left), balance, star through (end facing partner); Women chain
I don't recall if there's a reverse star through: starting facing
someone, joining hands -- Man's left, Woman's right, and "reverse star
through (moon through?) -- ending side by side, woman on left, man on right.
And I don't think I've ever learned one where you start side by side, do
a swap to change, and end up facing each other....
~erik hoffman
oakland, ca
On 6/12/2015 9:17 PM, Jeff Kaufman via Callers wrote:
Huh. If learned it as:
G right in L left: California twirl
G right in L right: box the gnat
G left in L left: swat the flea
G left in L right: star through
Or just tell people what hands to join and then "twirl to swap".
On Jun 12, 2015 10:40 PM, "Charles M. Hannum via Callers"
<callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
<mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:
Indeed, the only times I've seen “star thru” used in contra, it
was directly borrowed from MWSD.
This is what Callerlab says. Even in Tech Squares it's considered
incorrect to call it from other formations.
24. Star Thru
Starting formation: Facing Dancers (man facing woman)
Command example: Star Thru
Dance action: Man places his right hand against woman's left hand,
palm to palm with fingers up, to make an arch. As the dancers move
forward the woman does a one quarter (90 degrees) left face turn
under the arch, while the man does a one quarter (90 degrees) turn
to the right moving past the woman.
Ending formation: Couple
Timing: 4
Styling: Hands are joined in raised position at approximately eye
level, palm to palm, with fingers pointed up to form an arch. The
arch will be offset to the man's right and woman's left. The man's
hand should be used to stabilize as the woman provides her own
momentum. As the call is completed, the hand grip should be
readjusted to couple handhold.
On Fri, Jun 12, 2015 at 11:25 PM, Aahz Maruch via Callers
<callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
<mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:
On Fri, Jun 12, 2015, Jeff Kaufman via Callers wrote:
Nit: a "California twirl with other hands" is traditionally
called a "star
through".
Really? I haven't seen Star Thru in contra much; in MWSD, at
least, Star
Thru is normally done with partners facing each other, as
opposed to the
California Twirl with partners facing the same direction.
What's being
asked for here is a sashayed California Twirl -- I don't think
I've ever
seen that before. However, "Nevada Twirl" does have plenty of
hits when
I search, which suggests a clear provenance...
(You could argue that in a ring partners are sort-of facing
each other,
but I think that's a wasted argument when people already have
a clear
choreographic name for the concept.)
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
<*> <*> <*>
Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html
_______________________________________________
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<mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net>
http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
_______________________________________________
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9:12 p.m.
New subject: Box - Swat - CA - Jersey/Nevada
There are many others out there, as well. I can't name one where you
swap and then face, but I'm sure there was one. Take a look through
Burlson's Square Dance Encyclopedia to find it. With a squares group
I'd call it as "California Twirl/Partner Trade and Roll To Face,"
although I think Trade and Roll would suffice.
Lots of figures were developed (with multiple names) between the 1940s
and 1980s, but they are no longer on the active call lists.
CallerLab's preference in recent years has been to eliminate calls
that are mirror duplicates and go with the phrase "left." For
example, Swat the Flea is now known only as "Left Box the Gnat," a
"Nevada Twirl" is now "Left California Twirl," and "Seesaw"
(except in
the case of the combined "seesaw round your courner, dosado your own")
is now "Left Dosado." I learned THAT one when I tried to use Seesaw
in Arizona and the dancers got mad at me...I told them to just do it
anyway.
Other figures:
Curlique: As Box the Gnat, trading places, but only change facing by
1/4 right-face instead of 1/2. In a contra, this would set you up for
a box circulate if done along the lines or for a march along the
set/walk and dodge progression if done across. There was a left-hand
version of that, but I don't recall the name.
Left Star Thru: A Star Thru done with Men's left, Lady's right hands.
I'm sure it had an older name, but I don't know it. (As Erik said, in
a Star Thru the dancers make an arch with the indicated hands and pass
by with the lady going under the arch; while trading positions, they
also both turn their facing 1/4 in the direction of the joined hand.
This ends with them facing the same direction)
Interesting note: Star Thru is one of the few figures in modern
squares which by definition CANNOT be done by two facing people
dancing the same gender role. Box the Gnat is another, and possibly
California Twirl depending on the exact definition. The
gender-neutral replacements are Slide Thru and Partner Trade.
On 6/13/15, Erik Hoffman via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
I learned several subtle distinctions. Back in the
80s, when Larry
Edelman was on staff at lots of our weeks and weekends, he'd drill us in
these figures:
These moves depend on where you're facing when you start, and which way
you face when you end.
Both Box the Gnat and Swat the Flea start facing the person you're doing
it with, and have you change places and end facing them
Box the Gnat starts facing the person you're boxing with, joining right
hands turning the woman or raven under, and swapping places, ending
facing each other and right hands are still joined.
Swat the Flea is the same, except you have left hands joining left hands
Both the California Twirl (also called the Frontier Twirl) starts
standing next to the person you're doing it with, woman or raven on
right, man or lark on left with near hands joined, and ends with the
couple about facing. That it, it results in the pair turning as a couple.
The Jersey or Nevada Twirl does the same, but with the man (or lark) on
the right, woman (or raven) on the left.
A star through starts with a pair facing each other with the man's
(lark's) right hand joined with the woman's (raven's) left hand and ends
with them swapping sides, but facing the same direction.
There are several contras that use it. A part might be
A1 facing your new neighbor: join inside hands (man's right, woman's
left), balance, star through (end facing partner); Women chain
I don't recall if there's a reverse star through: starting facing
someone, joining hands -- Man's left, Woman's right, and "reverse star
through (moon through?) -- ending side by side, woman on left, man on
right.
And I don't think I've ever learned one where you start side by side, do
a swap to change, and end up facing each other....
~erik hoffman
oakland, ca
On 6/12/2015 9:17 PM, Jeff Kaufman via Callers wrote:
--
Neal Schlein
Youth Services Librarian, Mahomet Public Library
Currently reading: *The Different Girl* by Gordon Dahlquist
Currently learning: How to set up an automated email system.
Huh. If learned it as:
G right in L left: California twirl
G right in L right: box the gnat
G left in L left: swat the flea
G left in L right: star through
Or just tell people what hands to join and then "twirl to swap".
On Jun 12, 2015 10:40 PM, "Charles M. Hannum via Callers"
<callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
<mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:
Indeed, the only times I've seen “star thru” used in contra, it
was directly borrowed from MWSD.
This is what Callerlab says. Even in Tech Squares it's considered
incorrect to call it from other formations.
24. Star Thru
Starting formation: Facing Dancers (man facing woman)
Command example: Star Thru
Dance action: Man places his right hand against woman's left hand,
palm to palm with fingers up, to make an arch. As the dancers move
forward the woman does a one quarter (90 degrees) left face turn
under the arch, while the man does a one quarter (90 degrees) turn
to the right moving past the woman.
Ending formation: Couple
Timing: 4
Styling: Hands are joined in raised position at approximately eye
level, palm to palm, with fingers pointed up to form an arch. The
arch will be offset to the man's right and woman's left. The man's
hand should be used to stabilize as the woman provides her own
momentum. As the call is completed, the hand grip should be
readjusted to couple handhold.
On Fri, Jun 12, 2015 at 11:25 PM, Aahz Maruch via Callers
<callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
<mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:
On Fri, Jun 12, 2015, Jeff Kaufman via Callers wrote:
Nit: a "California twirl with other hands" is traditionally
called a "star
through".
Really? I haven't seen Star Thru in contra much; in MWSD, at
least, Star
Thru is normally done with partners facing each other, as
opposed to the
California Twirl with partners facing the same direction.
What's being
asked for here is a sashayed California Twirl -- I don't think
I've ever
seen that before. However, "Nevada Twirl" does have plenty of
hits when
I search, which suggests a clear provenance...
(You could argue that in a ring partners are sort-of facing
each other,
but I think that's a wasted argument when people already have
a clear
choreographic name for the concept.)
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
<*> <*> <*>
Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html
_______________________________________________
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<mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net>
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14 Jun
14 Jun
3:09 a.m.
New subject: Box - Swat - CA - Jersey/Nevada
On Sat, Jun 13, 2015, Neal Schlein via Callers wrote:
Interesting note: Star Thru is one of the few figures in modern
squares which by definition CANNOT be done by two facing people
dancing the same gender role. Box the Gnat is another, and possibly
California Twirl depending on the exact definition. The
gender-neutral replacements are Slide Thru and Partner Trade.
The flip side of Slide Thru and Partner Trade is that because they are
no-hands, they change hand availability significantly and body flow
somewhat. Some MWSD callers argue that we should drop California Twirl,
Box the Gnat, and Star Thru because we have the no-hands versions, but
those of us who have field-tested that discovered that the hands versions
really work better for a lot of choreography. (The gender-neutral
sequence for Box the Gnat is Touch 1/4 and Roll, which does have hands
but significantly different body flow.)
NOTE CAREFULLY: Slide Thru is not gender-neutral because it has specific
turning instructions based on gender; it's just the no-hands version of
Star Thru that allows same-gender operation (i.e. same-gender ends up
facing opposite directions instead of same direction). However, Partner
Trade is a genuinely gender-neutral dance figure.
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
<*> <*> <*>
Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html
4:48 p.m.
New subject: Box - Swat - CA - Jersey/Nevada
The hands vs. hands fee dichotomy is an interesting one for contra
dance callers. Contra dane callers are calling for halls filled with
some combination of experienced dancers and absolute beginners. With
hands free moves, some absolute beginners can be in the next set
before anyone notices the problem. When I see that the room is filled
with beginners, I try to avoid hands free moves (allamande L rather
than do-si-do, for example).
I've considered writing an entirely hands free dance, as an example,
along with a very similar dance that used hands for the corresponding
moves. The hands free dance would certainly need to used only at an
expert-only dance.
On Sat, Jun 13, 2015 at 11:09 PM, Aahz Maruch via Callers
<callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
On Sat, Jun 13, 2015, Neal Schlein via Callers wrote:
Interesting note: Star Thru is one of the few figures in modern
squares which by definition CANNOT be done by two facing people
dancing the same gender role. Box the Gnat is another, and possibly
California Twirl depending on the exact definition. The
gender-neutral replacements are Slide Thru and Partner Trade.
The flip side of Slide Thru and Partner Trade is that because they are
no-hands, they change hand availability significantly and body flow
somewhat. Some MWSD callers argue that we should drop California Twirl,
Box the Gnat, and Star Thru because we have the no-hands versions, but
those of us who have field-tested that discovered that the hands versions
really work better for a lot of choreography. (The gender-neutral
sequence for Box the Gnat is Touch 1/4 and Roll, which does have hands
but significantly different body flow.)
NOTE CAREFULLY: Slide Thru is not gender-neutral because it has specific
turning instructions based on gender; it's just the no-hands version of
Star Thru that allows same-gender operation (i.e. same-gender ends up
facing opposite directions instead of same direction). However, Partner
Trade is a genuinely gender-neutral dance figure.
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
<*> <*> <*>
Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html
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15 Jun
15 Jun
11:13 p.m.
New subject: Box - Swat - CA - Jersey/Nevada
On 6/14/2015 9:48 AM, Richard Hart via Callers wrote:
I've considered writing an entirely hands free
dance, as an example,
along with a very similar dance that used hands for the corresponding
moves. The hands free dance would certainly need to used only at an
expert-only dance.
I'm a caller married to a dance musician. As a result I almost never
get to dance with my husband. A few years back, he was the high bidder
in a camp auction where Alan Winston was offering to write a dance to
the winner's specs. Jon asked him for a dance with no hand contact so
that he and I could dance together while he played the tune. It's an
English dance in waltz time, and it's quite lovely. At a recent
Pasadena ECD ball Jon and I took advantage of wireless mic technology to
call and play it from the floor as we danced together. It's called The
Fiddler's Wife. I wouldn't spring it on brand-new dancers, but it's
fine for an intermediate crowd.
And at the other end of the spectrum, I wrote another 3/4 ECD for some
longtime members of our local Sebastopol dance, one of whom was starting
to need a little more help on the floor (she had some balance and
mobility issues). For them, I wrote a dance where you only let go of
your partner for 2 bars during the whole sequence. It's a great one for
new dancers.
Kalia
13 Jun
13 Jun
7:56 p.m.
On 6/12/2015 9:17 PM, Jeff Kaufman via Callers wrote:
Huh. If learned it as:
G right in L left: California twirl
G right in L right: box the gnat
G left in L left: swat the flea
G left in L right: star through
I recently encountered the ML/WR twirl under the name of Jersey Twirl,
in the context of a dance called Raedan's Twirls (I think that's right).
Kalia
4:17 a.m.
If you mean twirl to swap with Gent starting on right of Partner, I believe
this has been named a Jersey Twirl in prior work. Or so I was informed when
writing my dance featuring two of them - Raeden's Twirls.
-Don
On Fri, Jun 12, 2015 at 11:00 PM, Keith Wood via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Nevada twirl with partner (California twirl
with other hands)
3483
days inactive
3485
days old
contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net
11 comments
9 participants
participants (9)
-
Aahz Maruch via Callers -
Charles M. Hannum via Callers
-
Don Veino via Callers
-
Erik Hoffman via Callers
-
Jeff Kaufman via Callers
-
Kalia Kliban via Callers
-
Keith Wood via Callers
-
Neal Schlein via Callers
-
Richard Hart via Callers