Re: [Callers] Callers Digest, Vol 106, Issue 2 - Contra Callers

1 Jun 2013

I'm sure there are others but here's my dance titled "Angry Birds"
A1: Circle left 3/4,
      Mad robin, facing neighbors with gents passing in front first
A2: Gents take right arm around each other's torso to do a U turn back to
their partner (spin optional)
      Partners swing
B1: Ladies cross the set by R shoulders, using right arms around torso to
spin each other into a twirl
      Neighbors swing
B2: Balance and spin to the right (Petronella)
      Balance and spin to the right again, spinning extra to face new
neighbors

It includes both the mad robin joke, and a catapult-style fling. I have not
tried this out in the wild; I'm sure it "works" but no idea how the gents
will react to the arm around, or whether it's actually fun.

On Sat, Jun 1, 2013 at 11:12 AM, &lt;callers-request(a)sharedweight.net&gt; wrote:

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 Today's Topics:

    1. Re: Sashay (John Sweeney)
    2. "Full sashay"/"MadRobin" (was Re: Arms Folded in Dosidos)
       (James Saxe)
    3. Re: "Full sashay"/"MadRobin" (was Re: Arms Folded in     
Dosidos)
       (Jonathan Sivier)
    4. Re: "Full sashay"/"MadRobin" (was Re: Arms Folded in     
Dosidos)
       (Charles Hannum)
    5. Re: "Full sashay"/"MadRobin" (was Re: Arms Folded in     
Dosidos)
       (Jonathan Sivier)
    6. Favorite Hot Weather Dances (Donna Hunt)
    7. Re: "Full sashay"/"MadRobin" (was Re: Arms Folded in     
Dosidos)
       (Ric Goldman (letsdance))
    8. Re: "Full sashay"/"MadRobin" (was Re: Arms Folded in     
Dosidos)
       (Andrea Nettleton)

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

 Message: 1
 Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2013 17:05:04 +0100
 From: "John Sweeney" &lt;info(a)contrafusion.co.uk&gt;
 To: &lt;callers(a)sharedweight.net&gt;
 Subject: Re: [Callers] Sashay
 Message-ID: <688B0730D2344A89B91D326A50EDF0BF@study>
 Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="us-ascii"

 Sorry - it changed chasse (with an accent) to "chass?"

 John

 ------------------------------

 Message: 2
 Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2013 09:10:17 -0700
 From: James Saxe &lt;jim.saxe(a)gmail.com&gt;
 To: Caller's discussion list &lt;callers(a)sharedweight.net&gt;
 Subject: [Callers] "Full sashay"/"MadRobin" (was Re: Arms Folded in
         Dosidos)
 Message-ID: &lt;B10FBC78-968B-48E2-8500-5B7BEB30A61B(a)gmail.com&gt;
 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes

 On May 31, 2013, at 12:50 PM, Aahz Maruch wrote:

  Bit of trivia I learned recently from square
dancing: what we call a
 Mad
 Robin is also properly called a sashay (as opposed to the usual
 half-sashay....). 
 I've mentioned this before on this list and I guess it's time
 to mention it again:  Check out the B2 part of the dance "Saint
 Paddy's Day" by Kirston Koths, as seen in _Zesty Contras_ or at

      http://www.quiteapair.us/calling/acdol/dance/acd_137.html

 The action that Kirston describes as a a "full sashay" (facing
 neighbor and maintaining eye contact as much as possible, walk
 clockwise around partner) is precisely the figure that has
 come to be known to contra dancers as a "Mad Robin", though in
 Kirston's dance it's done with dancers moving around partners
 across the set while looking up or down at neighbors.  Kirston's
 description of the action as a "full sashay" certainly derives
 from one of the historical uses of that term in square dancing
 (Ken Sweeney's observation that "full sashay" is not currently
 part of the approved MWSD terminology as codified by CALLERLAB
 notwithstanding).

 Kirston wrote "Saint Paddy's Day" in 1982.  The term "Mad Robin"
 entered the contra dance lexicon (for an action that only
 vaguely resembles something from the English country dance
 "Mad Robin") much later--perhaps in the late 1990's.

 Can any of you pinpoint who introduced term "Mad Robin" with
 it's current contra dance meaning, or when, or what dance they
 were describing?

 --Jim

 ------------------------------

 Message: 3
 Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2013 11:55:13 -0500
 From: Jonathan Sivier &lt;jsivier(a)illinois.edu&gt;
 To: "Caller's discussion list" &lt;callers(a)sharedweight.net&gt;
 Subject: Re: [Callers] "Full sashay"/"MadRobin" (was Re: Arms Folded
         in      Dosidos)
 Message-ID: &lt;51AA2771.6050001(a)illinois.edu&gt;
 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; format=flowed

 On 6/1/2013 11:10 AM, James Saxe wrote:
  Can any of you pinpoint who introduced term
"Mad Robin" with
 it's current contra dance meaning, or when, or what dance they
 were describing? 
     The name, and figure, almost certainly come from the English country
 dance Mad Robin (Playford 1687) as reconstructed by Cecil Sharp in 1922.
   In this dance the 1's do the figure of dancing around their neighbor,
 usually while maintaining eye contact with their partner, and then the
 2's do it.  In the figure as it has been imported into contra modern
 contra dances it is usually done with everyone moving at once.

     An idea for a workshop.  Do a variety of older dances, ECD and early
 American, with various figures now considered to be standard in contra
 and square dance as well as modern dances with those figures.
 Possibilities would be Hunsdon House (1665) with a grand square and Mad
 Robin as well as any one of several different dances from the 1600's and
 1700's with heys and contra corner type figures.  I think I will propose
 this as a possible workshop for our local dance group, though it will
 have to be in the fall since our summer schedule is already set.

 Jonathan
 -----
 Jonathan Sivier
 Caller of Contra, English and Early American Dances
 jsivier AT illinois DOT edu
 Dance Page: http://www.sivier.me/dance_leader.html
 -----
 Q: How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
 A: It depends on what dance you call!

 ------------------------------

 Message: 4
 Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2013 13:11:01 -0400
 From: Charles Hannum &lt;root(a)ihack.net&gt;
 To: "Caller's discussion list" &lt;callers(a)sharedweight.net&gt;
 Subject: Re: [Callers] "Full sashay"/"MadRobin" (was Re: Arms Folded
         in      Dosidos)
 Message-ID:
         <CAEqW=hPXPvKKb1NtYJbUKB=wt+0kdEk3PNgPkgMfJ=
 7w3NCccg(a)mail.gmail.com&gt;
 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

 I've been trying to rename it to "Angry Bird", but I haven't got much
 buy-in yet.

 On Sat, Jun 1, 2013 at 12:55 PM, Jonathan Sivier &lt;jsivier(a)illinois.edu
 wrote: 
  On 6/1/2013 11:10 AM, James Saxe wrote:

  Can any of you pinpoint who introduced term
"Mad Robin" with
 it's current contra dance meaning, or when, or what dance they
 were describing?

    The name, and figure, almost certainly come from the English country
 dance Mad Robin (Playford 1687) as reconstructed by Cecil Sharp in 1922.
  In this dance the 1's do the figure of dancing around their neighbor,
 usually while maintaining eye contact with their partner, and then the  2's
  do it.  In the figure as it has been imported
into contra modern contra
 dances it is usually done with everyone moving at once.

    An idea for a workshop.  Do a variety of older dances, ECD and early
 American, with various figures now considered to be standard in contra  and
  square dance as well as modern dances with those
figures. Possibilities
 would be Hunsdon House (1665) with a grand square and Mad Robin as well  as
  any one of several different dances from the
1600's and 1700's with heys
 and contra corner type figures.  I think I will propose this as a  possible
  workshop for our local dance group, though it
will have to be in the fall
 since our summer schedule is already set.

 Jonathan
 -----
 Jonathan Sivier
 Caller of Contra, English and Early American Dances
 jsivier AT illinois DOT edu
 Dance Page: http://www.sivier.me/dance_**leader.html< 
http://www.sivier.me/dance_leader.html>
  -----
 Q: How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
 A: It depends on what dance you call!

 ______________________________**_________________
 Callers mailing list
 Callers(a)sharedweight.net
 http://www.sharedweight.net/**mailman/listinfo/callers< 
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers>

 ------------------------------

 Message: 5
 Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2013 12:26:04 -0500
 From: Jonathan Sivier &lt;jsivier(a)illinois.edu&gt;
 To: "Caller's discussion list" &lt;callers(a)sharedweight.net&gt;
 Subject: Re: [Callers] "Full sashay"/"MadRobin" (was Re: Arms Folded
         in      Dosidos)
 Message-ID: &lt;51AA2EAC.7090005(a)illinois.edu&gt;
 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"; format=flowed

 On 6/1/2013 12:11 PM, Charles Hannum wrote:
  I've been trying to rename it to "Angry
Bird", but I haven't got much
 buy-in yet. 
     How about "Crazy Crow", "Wrought-up Wren", "Disturbed
Duck", "Insane
 Ibis", "Passionate Pigeon" or others along the same lines?  ;-)

 Jonathan

 ------------------------------

 Message: 6
 Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2013 13:43:10 -0400 (EDT)
 From: Donna Hunt &lt;dhuntdancer(a)aol.com&gt;
 To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
 Subject: [Callers] Favorite Hot Weather Dances
 Message-ID: &lt;8D02D069E172234-21F0-46857(a)webmail-m213.sysops.aol.com&gt;
 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

 Hi
 As the summer is beginning (nearing 90 degrees today!) I'm wondering if
 any of you have favorite dances that you call that are not all action all
 the time.  Please share modern dances that have interesting choreography
 and will help to keep the dancers cool or at least give them a break from
 the action for some of the dance.

  Thanks

 Donna Hunt

 ------------------------------

 Message: 7
 Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2013 14:03:34 -0400
 From: "Ric Goldman \(letsdance\)" &lt;letsdance(a)rgoldman.org&gt;
 To: "'Caller's discussion list'" &lt;callers(a)sharedweight.net&gt;
 Subject: Re: [Callers] "Full sashay"/"MadRobin" (was Re: Arms Folded
         in      Dosidos)
 Message-ID: &lt;002201ce5ef2$5731c860$05955920$(a)rgoldman.org&gt;
 Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="us-ascii"

 There's a Morris dance which uses the figure called Belligerent Blue jay.
  :-)

  -----Original Message-----
 From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:  callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net]
On Behalf Of Charles Hannum
  Sent: Saturday, June 01, 2013 1:11 PM
 To: Caller's discussion list
 Subject: Re: [Callers] "Full sashay"/"MadRobin" (was Re: Arms Folded
in  Dosidos)

I've been trying to rename it to "Angry Bird", but I haven't got much
 buy-in yet. 

   > On Sat, Jun 1, 2013 at 12:55 PM, Jonathan Sivier
&lt;jsivier(a)illinois.edu
 wrote: 
   > > On 6/1/2013 11:10 AM, James Saxe wrote:
 >   > >> Can any of you pinpoint
who introduced term "Mad Robin" with
 > >> it's current contra dance meaning, or when, or what dance they
 > >> were describing?
 > >>
 >   > >    The name, and figure,
almost certainly come from the English country
 > > dance Mad Robin (Playford 1687) as reconstructed by Cecil Sharp in
 1922.
  >  In this dance the 1's do the figure of
dancing around their neighbor,
 > usually while maintaining eye contact with their partner, and then the 
2's
 > > do it.  In the figure as it has been imported into contra modern contra
 > > dances it is usually done with everyone moving at once.
 >   > >    An idea for a workshop. 
Do a variety of older dances, ECD and early
 > > American, with various figures now considered to be standard in contra
 and
  > square dance as well as modern dances with
those figures. Possibilities
 > would be Hunsdon House (1665) with a grand square and Mad Robin as  well as
  > any one of several different dances from the
1600's and 1700's with  heys
  > and contra corner type figures.  I think I
will propose this as a  possible
  > workshop for our local dance group, though
it will have to be in the  fall
 > > since our summer schedule is already set.
 >   > > Jonathan
 > > -----
 > > Jonathan Sivier
 > > Caller of Contra, English and Early American Dances
 > > jsivier AT illinois DOT edu
 > > Dance Page: http://www.sivier.me/dance_**leader.html<
 http://www.sivier.me/dance_leader.html>
 > > -----
 > > Q: How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
 > > A: It depends on what dance you call!
 >  
 >   > > ______________________________**_________________
 > > Callers mailing list
 > > Callers(a)sharedweight.net
 > > http://www.sharedweight.net/**mailman/listinfo/callers<
 http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers>
 >   >
_______________________________________________
 > Callers mailing list
 > Callers(a)sharedweight.net
 > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

 ------------------------------

 Message: 8
 Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2013 14:11:47 -0400
 From: Andrea Nettleton &lt;twirly-girl(a)bellsouth.net&gt;
 To: Caller's discussion list &lt;callers(a)sharedweight.net&gt;
 Subject: Re: [Callers] "Full sashay"/"MadRobin" (was Re: Arms Folded
         in      Dosidos)
 Message-ID: &lt;0D466FA5-ABDF-40A1-B5F3-D3CEE0CF9F77(a)bellsouth.net&gt;
 Content-Type: text/plain;       charset=us-ascii

 But Mad Robin is a nickname for a Puck-like character, in literature.
  Also known as Robin Goodfellow, a player of  harmless pranks, random doer
 of little good deeds, a bit mischievous and secretive, given to pinching a
 sleeping queen of a night.  I think perhaps the author of the ECD thought
 the flirtatious nature of the move was a bit Puckish.  So alternate bird
 names wouldn't be proper substitutes.  I have also hard the move called a
 shuttle, which I think diminishes the flirty part too much.  Mad Robin
 works, even if less descriptive than we might like.  Playful Parallels just
 doesn't quite cut it.  But if we think of Mad Robin as Robin Goodfellow,
 aka Puck, maybe it sits a little more easily as a name for that very
 playful move.
 Andrea

 Sent from my iOnlypretendtomultitask

 On Jun 1, 2013, at 1:26 PM, Jonathan Sivier &lt;jsivier(a)illinois.edu&gt; wrote:

 > On 6/1/2013 12:11 PM, Charles Hannum wrote:
 >> I've been trying to rename it to "Angry Bird", but I haven't
got much
 >> buy-in yet.
   >   How about "Crazy Crow",
"Wrought-up Wren", "Disturbed Duck", "Insane
 Ibis", "Passionate Pigeon" or others along the same lines?  ;-)
   > Jonathan

 > _______________________________________________
 > Callers mailing list
 > Callers(a)sharedweight.net
 > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

 ------------------------------

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 End of Callers Digest, Vol 106, Issue 2
 ***************************************