You have identified the same issue I found with this dance - the women with shorter arms make the larger circle.  I deal this by having the ladies roll to the inside at the end of the prominade so they make the inner circle.  Even new dancers have no trouble doing this. Great dance for all skill levels.  The banner photo on our group's web site is a photo of this dance being done a the local botanical garden around a circular fountain.  Unfortunately, this time they had the fountain turned off (the water shoots up through the grates we are dancing on) - it is even more fun soak and wet. www.childgrove.org Mac McKeeverSt Louis On Wednesday, January 31, 2018, 3:07:01 PM CST, Bill Olson via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: Yeah, That's what I was more thinking of than moderately difficult dances like Beneficial Tradition.. I like Gene Hubert's circle mixer "the wheel" : The Wheel, circle mixer by Gene Hubert A1 Promenade (CCW)(16) A2 (face partner Gents facing out, Women facing in) join 2 hands with partner and walk ~8 steps IN (8), join hands in concentric circles and walk ~8 steps back out (8) B1 all circle LEFT (opposite directions obviously) B2 *SWING* (nearest person) This dance is a riot. needs MANY couples in circle and resist urge to make 2 sets because even when dancers line up originally in circle NEXT to partner, they are never that way in the actual dance. Lots of craziness at swing, lost and found in the middle. gender changes happen here, also if dancer cannot find a partner at swing (or promenade) stay in dance with "invisible partner" and try again. Needs many couple to make it work, especially since women are on the outside of the concentric and have shorter arms on the average. If this becomes a problem 9womens arms being pulled out or arm sockets) tell dances "big steps in, short steps out"..  often, after a few times thru, I tell the dancers to "let the music tell them when to swing" in B2, then it's REALLY a riot. This works for dancers of ANY level! I've never had experienced dancers not have a good time. I miss Gene! bill From: Callers <callers-bounces(a)lists.sharedweight.net> on behalf of Chris Page via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2018 8:57 PM To: sdgola(a)aol.com Cc: Callers(a)Lists.Sharedweight.net Subject: Re: [Callers] Looking for "fun" dances Ninepins? -Chris Page San Diego, CA On Tue, Jan 30, 2018 at 10:23 AM, Sue via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: _______________________________________________ List Name:  Callers mailing list List Address:  Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net Archives:  https://eur01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mail-… _______________________________________________ List Name:  Callers mailing list List Address:  Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net Archives:  https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/

Since so many people enjoy the contrary circling in The Wheel, you might enjoy this one as well: Suicide Square http://www.ceilidhcalling.co.uk/danceviewpage.php?view=1&id=9 It is extremely chaotic! You can reduce the chaos slightly by getting the band to stop randomly during the circling, at which point everyone grabs a partner; the band waits a few seconds while everyone finds a partner and decides whether they are Heads or Sides, then gives two notes and starts the next Heads Gallop. I modify it to give a bit more recovery time: Start in a big square around the room A1: Head couples take partner in a ballroom hold and gallop eight steps into the centre and back A2: Sides gallop eight steps into the centre and back B1: All the men form an outer circle facing in, while the ladies form an inner circle facing out. All circle left then find a new partner B2: Partner Swing - stop early enough to decide whether you are now Heads or Sides - Heads get ready to gallop There is also The Muffin Man Jig: http://www.ceilidhcalling.co.uk/danceviewpage.php?view=1&id=11             Happy dancing,                    John John Sweeney, Dancer, England   john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent

I'm sure there is already a thread on this somewhere, but I'm wondering what are your favorite dances for those in the 4-10 year old range. Specifically, dances that are not mixers since many younger dancers prefer to stay with a particular partner the whole time. I have a number of good ones already (Alabama Gal, Haste to the Wedding, La Bastringue, etc), but I'd like to expand my existing collection of dances geared towards "little ones". Let 'em rip! ________________________________ From: Callers <callers-bounces(a)lists.sharedweight.net> on behalf of John Sweeney via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2018 9:58 AM To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net Subject: Re: [Callers] Looking for "fun" dances Since so many people enjoy the contrary circling in The Wheel, you might enjoy this one as well: Suicide Square http://www.ceilidhcalling.co.uk/danceviewpage.php?view=1&id=9 It is extremely chaotic! You can reduce the chaos slightly by getting the band to stop randomly during the circling, at which point everyone grabs a partner; the band waits a few seconds while everyone finds a partner and decides whether they are Heads or Sides, then gives two notes and starts the next Heads Gallop. I modify it to give a bit more recovery time: Start in a big square around the room A1: Head couples take partner in a ballroom hold and gallop eight steps into the centre and back A2: Sides gallop eight steps into the centre and back B1: All the men form an outer circle facing in, while the ladies form an inner circle facing out. All circle left then find a new partner B2: Partner Swing - stop early enough to decide whether you are now Heads or Sides - Heads get ready to gallop There is also The Muffin Man Jig: http://www.ceilidhcalling.co.uk/danceviewpage.php?view=1&id=11 Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent _______________________________________________ List Name: Callers mailing list List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/

Hi Charles, I'm tweaking the subject line slightly to help the next person find this in the archive ;-) As Bree Kalb mentioned, Linda Leslie has a wonderful collection. <http://lindalesliecaller.contracorner.com/dances/very-easy-dances.html> There are also a lot of resources available at New England Dancing Masters: https://dancingmasters.com/shop/ a lot of those books are geared at school programs, and I think would work well for you. *Other people's dances:* Heel Toe Polka: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46K4V6xmOww https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yHDJSpy9H0 I hadn't seen it with the clapping version, but these were the top hits on YouTube. You could get rid of the "pass through" and make it go back the other way. Les Saluts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt31bYsU5BY (note: AAB tune) Kings & Queens (from the NEDM books, written by Peter Amidon) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmiKhGl59xM *Dances I've composed for this contingent: * Charge and Drag by Luke Donforth Longways/Other/Beginner A1 ----------- (8) Long lines, forward and back (8) Partner Do-si-do A2 ----------- (16) Partner balance and swing (or two hand turn), end facing up the set and separate B1 ----------- (16) Top & Bottom couple make arches Top couple go down over left line; Bottom couple go up over right line B2 ----------- (8) bottom & top couples charge (sashay) the middle of the set, meet in the middle (8) couple below drag couple above to bottom of the set Animal Parade Longways/Other/Beginner A1 ----------- (8) Long lines, forward and back (8) Partner allemande Left A2 ----------- (8) Partner allemande Right (8) Partner two hand swing or DSD B1 ----------- “top” couple walk to bottom, miming the animal of their choice Come back to top B2 ----------- Top couple peels off to outside, everyone follows Top couple makes an arch at bottom, rest come though with partner Green Mountain Ski Wedding Longways/Proper/Beginner A1 ----------- Whole Group Oval Left until across from partner again Partner Do-si-do A2 ----------- Bottom (was top) couple slalom (weave) back and forth up the set (cutting through lines) B1 ----------- Whole group oval right until across from partner again B2 ----------- Partner allemande Left Partner allemande Right Pousset scatter (mix or keeper) Scatter/Beginner starts in groups of four, with a partner and a neighbor couple A1 ----------- (8) Right hand Star (8) Left hand Star A2 ----------- (8) Partner allemande Left 1x (8) Partner Do-si-do 1.5x end back to back B1 ----------- Dancers count out loud: un, du, two, and cry Pousset, butt-push your partner SCATTER: find a new partner and swing KEEPER: chase your partner around and swing B2 ----------- (16) Promenade around Find another couple On Wed, May 15, 2019 at 8:51 AM Charles Abell via Callers < callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote:

Luke, Could you re-send image a different way? Not seeing it. Thanks! Delia <>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<> Delia Clark PO Box 45 Taftsville, VT 05073 Office/mobile: +1-802-457-2075 deliaclark8(a)gmail.com www.deliaclarkconfluence.com

One resource that Luke didn't mention which I have found very useful is Thomas Green's barn dance website: https://barndances.org.uk/ You can sort by formation, level of difficulty, dance name, etc. I've gotten a lot of goodies here. A dance that I picked up a few years back (and thought was by Luke but apparently it isn't) and have gotten a lot of use out of is Circle Shuffle. I call it Middle Muddle, and now have no idea who wrote it. Works well for adults too. A1 (8) Partner Do-si-do (8) Partner two hand turn A2 (8) Circle left (8) Circle right B1 (8) Into middle/out (8) Into middle/out B2 Promenade through the middle of the circle to a new spot. If your group is on the large side, you may want to change it to B1 Into the middle and back, then all promenade through the middle to the other side (the chaos of which will extend all the way through B2). If your group is a little better at sorting themselves out, then the extra into the middle and back as written might fit just fine. On 5/15/2019 6:45 AM, Luke Donforth via Callers wrote: ...

I lead dances at a local library for their annual Fairy Tale Ball. We get a variety of people who participate, but my overall impression of the event is a room full of knee-high princesses. I generally start with a no-swing, non-mixer version of Circassian Circle. The participants have partners, sometimes more than one, but they stay together and I don't worry about who is on the right or left. Instead of ladies and gents to the center I say things like, "Everyone wearing red to the center," or "Everyone with black hair to the center," and so on. I then typically do Galopede and that tends to work OK. After that I have a variety of dances I like to lead. Chimes of Dunkirk usually works well and I do a longways, non-mixer version of the Heel and Toe Polka that usually works OK. If the older kids pair with the younger ones you could do Cumberland Reel and other similar dances. Jonathan ----- Jonathan Sivier Caller of Contra, Square, 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! On 5/15/2019 7:51 AM, Charles Abell via Callers wrote: