NYE dances and ideas for the stroke of midnight.... - Contra Callers

19 Dec 2006

Hi all,
For the last 4-5 years I've called at contra dances on New Years Eve, and
this year is no exception.  My typical MO is to ask the organizer how
they/their community would like to handle the stroke of midnight and what's
been done in the past.  I've done a couple of different things over the
years, none of which really seemed great for everyone, for one reason or
another. At a few dances, they wanted to stop right before and sing Auld
Lang Syne. So, I had them contra dancing right up until about a minute to go
and we made a big circle and sang. But then everyone wandered about to hug
and smooch and it seemed to take a while to get everyone back to dancing.
Not sure the dancer wanted to bother but the organizers wanted to keep
dancing ! I've also been at dances where they move to a waltz right before
midnight. But if you don't have a waltz partner (as I often do not) that's
awkward and leaves people out, in my ever so humble opinion.  I've been to
dances where they do a waltz mixer instead, and at a minimum, that works
better for the partner-less dancers like myself, and I've appreciated that.
But for the people who do have a waltz partner, they then want a second
waltz where they can *really* dance with the person, because they don't see
that as enough.

Personally, I'd like to contra dance right through the stroke of midnight
with no preamble stop, but that's just me. So, I'm wondering about this
idea...  Three Couple Mixer is granted, a silly family dance style, but also
very fun (again in my ever so humble opinion) mixer.  You do need a partner,
but it's never tied to the 3 couples, and the couples don't have to be mixed
gender. In fact, it's *way* more fun if it's more couples.  Here's the
dance:

a1. Circle Left
      Circle Right
a2. Hands across R hand star (with someone other than your partner who's
beside you)
      Hands across L hand star
b1. Raise hands*, starting with the lowest hands, gents/leads pull new
partner thru and swing
b2. Promenade with new partner to find new couples

* Everyone would shout Happy New Year when they raise their hands !

It's so simple that I could teach it a couple of minutes before midnight and
then get into the dance myself, which would be fun for me. I'd ask the band
to play their hottest tunes.  It's a mixer so it "should" get everyone in
and dancing thru the stroke of midnight. And that would leave the waltz for
the folks who have specific partners and others, but not have it right at
midnight, the "special meaning moment".....  I got this idea from some local
callers who run a NYE dance in a relatively small and newbie dance
community.  I really like the idea, but I wonder if a more/very experienced
dance community might find it so hokey that they would absolutely abhor it.

Often, I think that the way something is raised sets the tone for how it's
received.  I'd be very enthusiastic. But I'm concerned that while the
organizer might like the idea and may want to try something different, when
it came to the time, the dancers would hate it. You folks are the best test
audience I know. What do you think of this idea ?  What idea have you tried
at NYE dances ? What have you found to work ?

Thanks in advance !  And all my best wishes to everyone for the holiday
season. Be safe and healthy.
Bev
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The Witful Turnip              wturnip(a)sympatico.ca
"I'm 40-fucking-5, and I've got nothing to hide !"
                    - Samantha Jones (Sex in the City)
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