18 Apr
2007
18 Apr
'07
9:20 a.m.
Jerome Grisanti's use of the "hands-across grip in several dances where
there is a
'balance the star' move before or after turning the star" immediately
brought to mind Michael McKernan's "Daybreak Reel" (which was often called
just before breakfast at the dawn dances that used to take place at the
beautiful old hall on Number 10 pond in Calais, Vermont).
Daybreak Reel, by Michael McKernan
(Duple Improper)
A1: Allemand L below 1-1/2; women dosido
A2: Men balance, dosido, allemand R 1-1/4 to form wave by joining L hands
with partners
B1: Balance wave, swing partners
B2: Women chain 1/2 to R-hands across star position; turn star 1/2 and
look for next neighbor
Following David Millstone's suggestion, went to David Smukler's discussion
of Dandy's Hornpipe at
http://www.davidsmukler.syracusecountrydancers.org/dandies.htm which was
so intriguing that it was hard to resist trying yet another tweaked
version. This is a totally spur-of-the moment conception with no time
spent researching, so if it's already been done, my apologies for
reinventing someone else's wheel. Comments and suggestions would be
extremely welcome.
Handy Dandy
(Duple Proper)
A1: Long lines forward and back; actives turn by R hand 1/2, allemand L
neighbor (till women are facing in again--will be less than a full turn in
men's line)
A2: Ladies chain over and back
B1: Star L; star R with NEXT couple down
B2: Actives swing; end facing up and cast off with original neighbor
If A1 is too rushed, what about
A1: Actives turn by R 1-1/2; allemand L neighbor, etc?
19 Apr
19 Apr
9:20 p.m.
New subject: Balance the star, etc.
Ok....the wave balance (with partner's left hand) into a swing seems
really awkward. I'm sure there's a way to make it flow, but I'm
missing it. Thoughts?
Jack
A2: Men balance, dosido, allemand R 1-1/4 to form wave
by joining L hands
with partners
B1: Balance wave, swing partners
B2: Women chain 1/2 to R-hands across star position; turn star 1/2 and
look for next neighbor
Following David Millstone's suggestion, went to David Smukler's discussion
of Dandy's Hornpipe at
http://www.davidsmukler.syracusecountrydancers.org/dandies.htm which was
so intriguing that it was hard to resist trying yet another tweaked
version. This is a totally spur-of-the moment conception with no time
spent researching, so if it's already been done, my apologies for
reinventing someone else's wheel. Comments and suggestions would be
extremely welcome.
Handy Dandy
(Duple Proper)
A1: Long lines forward and back; actives turn by R hand 1/2, allemand L
neighbor (till women are facing in again--will be less than a full turn in
men's line)
A2: Ladies chain over and back
B1: Star L; star R with NEXT couple down
B2: Actives swing; end facing up and cast off with original neighbor
If A1 is too rushed, what about
A1: Actives turn by R 1-1/2; allemand L neighbor, etc?
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20 Apr
20 Apr
9:50 a.m.
New subject: Balance the star, etc.
I thought about that too. You could twirl the lady under right into your
arms, but otherwise it seems a bit clumsy.
Rich
On 4/19/07 6:20 PM, "Jack Mitchell" <jamitch3(a)mindspring.com> wrote:
Ok....the wave balance (with partner's left hand)
into a swing seems
really awkward. I'm sure there's a way to make it flow, but I'm
missing it. Thoughts?
Jack
A2: Men balance, dosido, allemand R 1-1/4 to form
wave by joining L hands
with partners
B1: Balance wave, swing partners
B2: Women chain 1/2 to R-hands across star position; turn star 1/2 and
look for next neighbor
Following David Millstone's suggestion, went to David Smukler's discussion
of Dandy's Hornpipe at
http://www.davidsmukler.syracusecountrydancers.org/dandies.htm which was
so intriguing that it was hard to resist trying yet another tweaked
version. This is a totally spur-of-the moment conception with no time
spent researching, so if it's already been done, my apologies for
reinventing someone else's wheel. Comments and suggestions would be
extremely welcome.
Handy Dandy
(Duple Proper)
A1: Long lines forward and back; actives turn by R hand 1/2, allemand L
neighbor (till women are facing in again--will be less than a full turn in
men's line)
A2: Ladies chain over and back
B1: Star L; star R with NEXT couple down
B2: Actives swing; end facing up and cast off with original neighbor
If A1 is too rushed, what about
A1: Actives turn by R 1-1/2; allemand L neighbor, etc?
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22 Apr
22 Apr
3:44 p.m.
New subject: Balance the star, etc.
Jack, Rich, et al,
The way to make it flow is to balance left first, which is what the author
intended.
The first time I danced Daybreak Reel was to Michael's calling in
Brattleboro back in 1981. Starting balances on the left foot was the custom
in the Monadnock area of New Hampshire at the time. I wrote the dance down
and talked with Michael who said something to the effect that "we're
different from the rest of the country."
I'm curious if that's still the custom.
Keith
On 4/19/07, Jack Mitchell <jamitch3(a)mindspring.com> wrote:
Ok....the wave balance (with partner's left hand) into a swing seems
really awkward. I'm sure there's a way to make it flow, but I'm
missing it. Thoughts?
Jack
>A2: Men balance, dosido, allemand R 1-1/4 to form wave by joining L hands
>with partners
>
>B1: Balance wave, swing partners
>
>B2: Women chain 1/2 to R-hands across star position; turn star 1/2 and
>look for next neighbor
<snip>
4 p.m.
New subject: Balance the star, etc.
Hi,
In any balance in line, (i.e. in a wave), especially when followed by a
swing, the rule I was taught was to balance towards the person you are going
to swing with and then away. This allows you to pull easily into the swing.
In most or all cases you will have right hand in right hand or left in left
with the person you are going to swing, so you need to transfer hands as you
do this, regardless.
Rickey Holt.
-----Original Message-----
From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net
[mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Keith Holmes
Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2007 3:45 PM
To: Caller's discussion list
Subject: Re: [Callers] Balance the star, etc.
Jack, Rich, et al,
The way to make it flow is to balance left first, which is what the author
intended.
The first time I danced Daybreak Reel was to Michael's calling in
Brattleboro back in 1981. Starting balances on the left foot was the custom
in the Monadnock area of New Hampshire at the time. I wrote the dance down
and talked with Michael who said something to the effect that "we're
different from the rest of the country."
I'm curious if that's still the custom.
Keith
On 4/19/07, Jack Mitchell <jamitch3(a)mindspring.com> wrote:
Ok....the wave balance (with partner's left hand) into a swing seems
really awkward. I'm sure there's a way to make it flow, but I'm
missing it. Thoughts?
Jack
>A2: Men balance, dosido, allemand R 1-1/4 to form wave by joining L hands
>with partners
>
>B1: Balance wave, swing partners
>
>B2: Women chain 1/2 to R-hands across star position; turn star 1/2 and
>look for next neighbor
<snip>
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11:19 p.m.
New subject: Balance the star, etc.
On Apr 22, 2007, at 3:44 PM, Keith Holmes wrote:
The first time I danced Daybreak Reel was to
Michael's calling in
Brattleboro back in 1981. Starting balances on the left foot was
the custom
in the Monadnock area of New Hampshire at the time. I wrote the
dance down
and talked with Michael who said something to the effect that "we're
different from the rest of the country."
Can't say that we do it that way any more. Seems like we mostly start
off on the right, unless it's the second balance in Rory O'More.
Lisa
23 Apr
23 Apr
12:01 a.m.
New subject: Balance the star, etc.
One other dance that makes use of that same idea (balancing towards
the folks you're with first, even if it's not to the right) is "Bow
Woman's Big Move" by Bill Olson. It has a set of stars that you
balance, and then twirl (as in petronella), forming alternating waves
of men or women down the middle, and holding onto stars with your
minor set. The footwork and balance doesn't quite work if you
balance right, then left, but works fine the other way.....
Jack
At 11:19 PM 4/22/2007, you wrote:
On Apr 22, 2007, at 3:44 PM, Keith Holmes wrote:
The first time I danced Daybreak Reel was to
Michael's calling in
Brattleboro back in 1981. Starting balances on the left foot was
the custom
in the Monadnock area of New Hampshire at the time. I wrote the
dance down
and talked with Michael who said something to the effect that "we're
different from the rest of the country."
Can't say that we do it that way any more. Seems like we mostly start
off on the right, unless it's the second balance in Rory O'More.
Lisa
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3:08 p.m.
New subject: Balance the star / left hands joined into swing
Keith Holmes wrote:
[ the flow into a swing from a left hands joined wave
balance ]
The way to make it flow is to balance left first, which is what the author
intended.
As a dancer I (believe I) automatically balance waves first towards the
person I'm doing something with next. So here I would balance left and
then right, and my momentum would be just right for the swing. The
awkwardness for me is in the hands; holding left hands with partner and
trying to pull in out of the balance into the swing is weird.
Still as a (male) dancer, I could try one of these:
* not worry about hands, just step together to swing
* pull together by the left, let go hands, step forward into a
standard swing hold.
* do a left hands joined swing (gender neutral or left hands joined
over the head).
* try some fancy leading (twirl under as Rich/Gale suggest? Or a
rory o more turn to join right and then a pull into the swing,
or ... ?)
None of these are that great. The first is unconnected, the second is
likely to uncontrolledly smash you together, the third requires the
other person to know the other swing position and put their hands in the
right place and the weight is a bit funny at first, and the last
requires leading and following which the caller can't count on.
So is there some way to make this work nicely? Ideally something that
can be simply taught by a caller?
Jeff
--
Jeff Kaufman
http://sccs.swarthmore.edu/~cbr/
6:06 p.m.
New subject: Balance the star / left hands joined into swing
You could actually do a variation on a rory o'more slide/twirl into a
swing.....don't have someone here to try it with, but it seems like
it might work.
J
At 03:08 PM 4/23/2007, you wrote:
Keith Holmes wrote:
[ the flow into a swing from a left hands joined
wave balance ]
The way to make it flow is to balance left first, which is what the author
intended.
As a dancer I (believe I) automatically balance waves first towards the
person I'm doing something with next. So here I would balance left and
then right, and my momentum would be just right for the swing. The
awkwardness for me is in the hands; holding left hands with partner and
trying to pull in out of the balance into the swing is weird.
Still as a (male) dancer, I could try one of these:
* not worry about hands, just step together to swing
* pull together by the left, let go hands, step forward into a
standard swing hold.
* do a left hands joined swing (gender neutral or left hands joined
over the head).
* try some fancy leading (twirl under as Rich/Gale suggest? Or a
rory o more turn to join right and then a pull into the swing,
or ... ?)
None of these are that great. The first is unconnected, the second is
likely to uncontrolledly smash you together, the third requires the
other person to know the other swing position and put their hands in the
right place and the weight is a bit funny at first, and the last
requires leading and following which the caller can't count on.
So is there some way to make this work nicely? Ideally something that
can be simply taught by a caller?
Jeff
--
Jeff Kaufman
http://sccs.swarthmore.edu/~cbr/
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8 comments
7 participants
participants (7)
-
Chip Hedler -
Jack Mitchell -
Jeff Kaufman -
Keith Holmes -
Lisa Sieverts -
Rich Goss -
Rickey