21 Apr
2010
21 Apr
'10
3:07 p.m.
Martha,
You've been given a lot of great advice, and there is always more to know about
calling squares. One thing I have noticed lately is that, since fewer squares have been
called at contra dances (at least in my community in Seattle), contra dancers have a
harder time with the different spacial awareness that is required to dance in a square
formation rather than a contra formation. I find that even some dances that I consider
"simple" are not executed easily by contra dancers simply because the formation
is new to them.
All this is to say that you do not need to call a square dance that you consider
complicated for it to be somewhat challenging for your dancers as they start to learn how
to dance squares. Visiting couple square dances are fun and accessible, and not to
difficult to learn to call. The timing can be forgiving, and as Tom mentioned, you can
call in fours, starting on the 1 or the 5.
One trick that has been adopted by a number of callers is to have a visiting couple figure
danced by both head couples at the same time, which allows more people to be dancing at
one time. So you would have couple 1 visit couple 2, and couple 3 visit couple 4, then the
two head couples dance together, then couple 1 visits couple 4 and couple 3 visits couple
2. It tends to work well, and there is not much standing-around time.
There are certainly a number of visiting couple square dances that you can find on YouTube
for some examples. A fellow in Tucson, Fred Feild, has put some easier visiting couple
square dance videos up on YouTube and they might be some dances that you could start with.
There are certainly lots of other resources available. I started with Sandy Brandley's
recording "Potluck and Dance Tonight" which is unfortunately unavailable. It had
the calls and music on the record (yes, "record") with the calls on an enclosed
booklet. Calling along with Sandy was how I got used to the calls, as well as some of the
timing.
Perhaps you can have a house dance with some friends to try this new skill out. At the
very least, you'll have a fun party! Hope this helps.
Suzanne Girardot
Seattle, WA
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Hinds <twhinds(a)earthlink.net>
Sent: Apr 21, 2010 1:34 PM
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Subject: Re: [Callers] calling squares
If you're going to start calling squares, Martha, I suggest you do
what is comfortable for you. Unless of course this challenge is
like, "how many beers can you drink", and you're a real risk taker.
I think that if you call contras, New England squares would be the
next logical type of square to call.
No matter what kind of square you call, you should have (or develop)
good skills in watching the dancers. That means no cards. For
example, when you call an allemande left, grand right and left, you
should be able to follow a couple around the set. While you are
calling a square you need to be constantly watching. Your mind will
be working much harder calling a square than when calling a contra.
If you're interested in checking out the various styles of square
dancing, I suggest reading Ralph Sweet's book, Let's Create Old Tyme
Dancing. Don't know if it's still in print.
For many non New England squares, calling in fours is the way to go.
You can start on one or start on 5. But I would suggest to be
prepared to abandon that from time to time as things happen on the
dance floor.
Tom
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21 Apr
21 Apr
3:53 p.m.
New subject: calling squares
These are great suggestions.
An added note: We occasionally do a square or two at our contra dance. We
had it out with each other about squares in a local discussion group a
couple of years ago, where everyone got a chance to say why they just hated
squares. The end result, amazingly enough, is that we all enjoy squares a
lot more now. For myself, instead of trying for my usual "see if there's
anyone new who might appreciate my dancing with them" that I do for contras,
I look for the best partner in my nearby vicinity, head for the top of the
hall looking for other good dancers and hope that none of the perpetual
beginners find their way into "my" square. Shockingly uncivilized behavior,
of course, but in the long run, less uncivilized and better for the
community than hiding on the porch pouting. Occasionally it doesn't work and
I find myself assisting newcomers after all. And enjoying it.
And yes, the squares we do are incredibly simple, though I didn't know that
until I started doing Western Squares (woo! woo! Load the Boat!)
So why am I not supposed to do New England Squares? The challenge is to do
something different from contra, something less...structured. I think it
must be a "how many beers can you drink" sort of challenge, so I may go with
Tom's suggestion and just call a New England square and when the dancers get
off, be ready with some remedy. That ought to be little enough structure for
anybody.
And Suzanne - great idea to get friends together - we've been having
"Calling Parties" at my house for the last two years or so every Wednesday
night. So I'll look for something interesting but simple and try it out and
let you know how it goes.
Anybody know what a "Southern Square" is?
M
E
On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 2:07 PM, Suzanne Girardot <suzanneg(a)wolfenet.com>wrote;wrote:
Martha,
You've been given a lot of great advice, and there is always more to know
about calling squares. One thing I have noticed lately is that, since fewer
squares have been called at contra dances (at least in my community in
Seattle), contra dancers have a harder time with the different spacial
awareness that is required to dance in a square formation rather than a
contra formation. I find that even some dances that I consider "simple" are
not executed easily by contra dancers simply because the formation is new to
them.
All this is to say that you do not need to call a square dance that you
consider complicated for it to be somewhat challenging for your dancers as
they start to learn how to dance squares. Visiting couple square dances are
fun and accessible, and not to difficult to learn to call. The timing can be
forgiving, and as Tom mentioned, you can call in fours, starting on the 1 or
the 5.
One trick that has been adopted by a number of callers is to have a
visiting couple figure danced by both head couples at the same time, which
allows more people to be dancing at one time. So you would have couple 1
visit couple 2, and couple 3 visit couple 4, then the two head couples dance
together, then couple 1 visits couple 4 and couple 3 visits couple 2. It
tends to work well, and there is not much standing-around time.
There are certainly a number of visiting couple square dances that you can
find on YouTube for some examples. A fellow in Tucson, Fred Feild, has put
some easier visiting couple square dance videos up on YouTube and they might
be some dances that you could start with. There are certainly lots of other
resources available. I started with Sandy Brandley's recording "Potluck and
Dance Tonight" which is unfortunately unavailable. It had the calls and
music on the record (yes, "record") with the calls on an enclosed booklet.
Calling along with Sandy was how I got used to the calls, as well as some of
the timing.
Perhaps you can have a house dance with some friends to try this new skill
out. At the very least, you'll have a fun party! Hope this helps.
Suzanne Girardot
Seattle, WA
-----Original Message-----
--
For the good are always the merry,
Save by an evil chance,
And the merry love the fiddle
And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats
From: Tom Hinds <twhinds(a)earthlink.net>
Sent: Apr 21, 2010 1:34 PM
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Subject: Re: [Callers] calling squares
If you're going to start calling squares, Martha, I suggest you do
what is comfortable for you. Unless of course this challenge is
like, "how many beers can you drink", and you're a real risk taker.
I think that if you call contras, New England squares would be the
next logical type of square to call.
No matter what kind of square you call, you should have (or develop)
good skills in watching the dancers. That means no cards. For
example, when you call an allemande left, grand right and left, you
should be able to follow a couple around the set. While you are
calling a square you need to be constantly watching. Your mind will
be working much harder calling a square than when calling a contra.
If you're interested in checking out the various styles of square
dancing, I suggest reading Ralph Sweet's book, Let's Create Old Tyme
Dancing. Don't know if it's still in print.
For many non New England squares, calling in fours is the way to go.
You can start on one or start on 5. But I would suggest to be
prepared to abandon that from time to time as things happen on the
dance floor.
Tom
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http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
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Martha Edwards -
Suzanne Girardot