29 Apr
2008
29 Apr
'08
3:12 p.m.
I'm looking for a circle dance called, I believe, "Shoofly Swing". Cubby
Whitehead used to end every evening with it in Bradenton Florida in the late 1980s. It
involves one couple starting with an allemande right, lady then allemandes next gent by
left, then partner by right, next gent by left, and so on. After the allemanding partners
have passed you by, you and your partner join until the whole circle is peeling off in one
amazing mass of allemandes.
Anyone have it?
I've just joined the list, have been calling for two years, and appreciate the support
of the community. I plan to try Microchasmic soon for our weekly Monday night dance,
where the level of dancing is, surprise surprise, improving as we three local callers try
more challenging dances. Not a lot of contracorners going on. This triplet might be just
the thing.
Gretchen Caldwell
Charlotte NC
2 May
2 May
7:03 p.m.
tHAT SHOOFLY DANCE sounds like great fun! Hope
somebody has it.
You are going to love Microchasmic!
I use it almost every time I call a contra dance-
I have never had anyone tell we they didn't enjoy it!
And every time I have used it in the first half of
the evening - I have called either Chorus Jig (cause I
love it!) or Labour of Love by Cathy ANderson because
I also love that! Though if I use Cathy's dance - I
always do a dance with Box the Gnat in the first half
also. I haven't had a single time where the floor
didn't get through the 2nd dance. I generally do
Mircrochasmic 12 times - all get to be the turning
couple 4 times. Sometimes the band does one tune
sometimes two. I always warn them that the dance has
an old time feel to it and they always come up with
great music!
I found that it makes contra corners accessible for
all the folks - though I do stress to them when
teaching the 2nd dance that the corners must put that
Left hand up and be mindful that they have a turning
couple to their Right - that they will turn someone
and throw them back and then they have to immediately
torn to their LEFT and turn someone and throw them
back.
But surprisingly they seem to do well - and they all
enjoy the 2nd dance. I tell them when I have them
form up for Microchasmic to make sure that each set of
three couples has NEWCOMERS in the set. I tell them
we are going to learn the dance so everyone can be
comfortable with the figure of contra corners so we
can do another contra corners dance later on and
everyone will be able to enjoy it! None of the more
experienced dancers have ever complained to me about
doing Microchasmic!
--- Gretchen Caldwell <gretchendance(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
I'm looking for a circle dance called, I believe,
"Shoofly Swing". Cubby Whitehead used to end every
evening with it in Bradenton Florida in the late
1980s. It involves one couple starting with an
allemande right, lady then allemandes next gent by
left, then partner by right, next gent by left, and
so on. After the allemanding partners have passed
you by, you and your partner join until the whole
circle is peeling off in one amazing mass of
allemandes.
Anyone have it?
I've just joined the list, have been calling for two
years, and appreciate the support of the community.
I plan to try Microchasmic soon for our
weekly Monday night dance, where the level of
dancing is, surprise surprise, improving as we three
local callers try more challenging dances. Not a
lot of contracorners going on. This triplet might
be just the thing.
Gretchen Caldwell
Charlotte NC
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Mavis L McGaugh
510-814-8118 (answering machine-leave message)
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8:02 p.m.
New subject: Contra Corners with duple sets
Hi Mavis and others,
Tomorrow we are having another contra dance
here in Christchurch. I'm thinking of trying out
contra corners. I'll do a triplet as suggested
(probably Corner Triplet by Linda Leslie), and if
it goes well may try Chorus Jig in the second half.
I'm encouraged by your comments. Your
teaching suggestions about being aware of the
role the corners play (i.e. being ready with Left
hands up, etc) are helpful.
Do you have any pointers about helping the
dancers handle the end effects?
For example the actives the last time before
coming off, will have some 'ghosts' as corners.
Neutrals at the bottom, need to swap sides early,
as they will partake in contra corners.
Note: I was planning on using a "modernized"
improper version of Chorus Jig, since people here
are just getting the hang of improper minor sets.
(A Actives down the outside and back, B1: Actives
down center, turn as couple, came back and cast
down 1 place, C Contra Corners, B2: Active balance
and swing (finish facing down))
Thanks.
Cheers, Bill
3 May
3 May
12:49 a.m.
New subject: On teaching Contra Corners to Newbies
Two thoughts: if your dancers are not already familiar w/ casting off as a
mid-dance method of progressing, doing that along with contracorners may
be tricky.
A solid teaching dance I often use:
A1 balance and swing neighbors
A2 long lines into the center and back
Everybody into the center again - 2's go back out to the line while
the 1s "swap and prep" = switch sides with each other but remain in
center, right hands joined, steeling yourself for the ordeal ahead...
B1 Contracorners
B2 1s balance and swing
Thought two:
The following teaching technique is too talky/teachy for a crowd of
regular dancers mixed with a few beginners, but if you have a homogenous
beginning group that is invested in learning together it works pretty
slick:
*** 1's start in the center facing each other, directly between the twos,
proper, i.e., Man 2 - Man 1 - Lady 1- Lady - 2, as if you were about to
start a hey.
*** Now, just for practice, to get into the rhythm of it, the 1's
allemande each other by the right in the center then the opposite sex by
the left on the end, then each other by the right again, then back out to
the opposite sex by the left again, and just keep doing that till it
becomes easy... it's as if you were doing a strip-the-willow but were
somehow stuck in place.
The "story line" for the 1s is "You're my partner and I like turning
you... but YOU're pretty cute too..."
*** Now, have all the ones MOVE DOWN ONE COUPLE TO NEW 2s AND TRY IT
AGAIN. The 1s at the bottom will need to dance with ghosts, the 2s at the
top will wait out.
*** Now the kicker: the 1s MOVE HALFWAY BACK SO NOW THEY HAVE A CHOICE OF
2s TO TURN, one set above and one set below.
They will realize pretty quickly that they are "sharing" the 2s with the
next sets of 1s. So to make it work out, the rule is LADIES UP FIRST.
The "story line" is "I want to check out both of those other cute 2s, but
I reassure my partner before/inbetween/after that I'm still theirs..."
Like I said, this is talky/teachy and drawn out - but it works very well
in a group of all-beginners.
Good luck!
-Amy
Hi Mavis and others,
Tomorrow we are having another contra dance
here in Christchurch. I'm thinking of trying out
contra corners. I'll do a triplet as suggested
(probably Corner Triplet by Linda Leslie), and if
it goes well may try Chorus Jig in the second half.
I'm encouraged by your comments. Your
teaching suggestions about being aware of the
role the corners play (i.e. being ready with Left
hands up, etc) are helpful.
Do you have any pointers about helping the
dancers handle the end effects?
For example the actives the last time before
coming off, will have some 'ghosts' as corners.
Neutrals at the bottom, need to swap sides early,
as they will partake in contra corners.
Note: I was planning on using a "modernized"
improper version of Chorus Jig, since people here
are just getting the hang of improper minor sets.
(A Actives down the outside and back, B1: Actives
down center, turn as couple, came back and cast
down 1 place, C Contra Corners, B2: Active balance
and swing (finish facing down))
Thanks.
Cheers, Bill
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5 May
5 May
10:19 a.m.
I must have missed the original e-mail describing this Shoofly Swing
dance. Sorry! Could someone explain it one more time? Or forward the
original e-mail to me? I'm calling a wedding on Saturday night, and
this sounds like it might be a lot of fun for that kind of crowd.
Thanks very much.
Jo Mortland (J-Mortland(a)neiu.edu)
Chicago
6044
days inactive
6050
days old
contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net
4 comments
5 participants
participants (5)
-
Amy Cann -
Gretchen Caldwell -
Liz and Bill -
mavis mcgaugh -
Mortland, Jo