thanks for welcome :) + my first full evening program! - Contra Callers

7 Feb 2012

Hi folks :)

(Don and Bill - thanks for the encouragement last week!  I love the suggestion re
recording myself… will do.)

I have my first dance this Saturday so I thought I would post my draft program to see what
some of you think.  [Apologies for the VERY long email!]

-If you have any suggestions on teaching tips, that would be lovely.  I'm working on
those today (along with figuring out how I want to teach my first beginners lesson –
yikes!!!).
-I love it when callers provide neat little facts (e.g., where the name of the dance came
from; when it was written; etc.). If you have ideas here, please let me know! I also have
four dances without authors and two dances without names.
-And, of course, feel free to critique dance selection and order!

A bit about the dance community -------------------
-The dance is in Maberly Ontario, out in the countryside 1.5hrs from Ottawa.   The dance
has been happening four times a year (Maberly Quarterly!) for two years. 
-Sheesham and Lotus always play the dance and Martha Cooper is usually the caller.  As
context, S&L have lots of experience playing contras (both were in Flapjack and one
was in the Groovemongers).  They play oldtime with fiddle and banjo for the whole evening
so it's driven' music with not as much variety in sound as you would get with some
bands.
-The local dance community is novice and while some Ottawa dancers come out, dances need
to be kept relatively simple.
-The hall is quite small and can get quite full.
-There is always a beginners lesson before the dance begins
-Timing of the dance 730 lesson, 8pm dance, break around 915/930, finishes at 11pm
-Martha has traditionally called a mix of contras and squares with (I think), more contras
in the mix.

A bit about my draft program---------------------
-I'm aiming for fun, variety, and discovery/learning.
-I'm aiming for one walk through but will do two if needed … I want to see if I can
help tweak the ear of local dancers to be picking up information on the first time around
as well as keeping that feeling of momentum.
-I haven't put any 'down the hall in a line of 4' within the programming.  I
would try them another time in Maberly but it seems to be a challenging move for that
community.  One reason is that the hall isn't very big so it's hard to get a good
feeling in that move.  The other is that there are so many beginners that it seems from
previous dances that leaving their circle and space could maybe cause confusion.  I'm
going to test whether  keeping them more within their home space on the dance floor will
keep the beginners a bit more grounded.
-I have also left out heys.  I do like them but I have a lot of variety coming in from
other aspects of the program and I want to focus on other aspects of dancing this
evening.
-I'm trying to cater to both a large number of beginners locally as well as those
experienced dancers coming from Ottawa.  The experienced folks from Ottawa aren't the
super aerobic dancers who want huge challenges so I think they'll be ok as long as
variety is there and there are fun surprises here and there.
-Working with the driven' 4/4 old time sounds and thinking about what dances would fit
with that.
-I would have loved to have tried a square or chesnut but with it being my first full
dance, I want to focus on an overall successful evening. :)
-I'm aiming for 7 dances in the first half, 4-5 in the second + I have some back up
dances if needed.

Draft program with comments -----------------
1. Swallowtail's First (DI) - ???unknown author to me
-Put first because of the neighbour swing  so folks can practice swinging with various
people.  No partner swing in this dance, the only one of the evening without PSw.
-Getting dancers solid (hopefully) on LChain, Stars, and Circling
-staying within circle

2. Baby Rose (DI) - David Kaynor
-Introducing the balance (twice!)
-similar progression as previous … nice for the very start
-staying within circle

3. New Fall Reel (Becket) - Susan Kevra
-Introduce a different formation
-beginners second chance to head towards a solid balance and swing
-long lines appear!  Wooohooo! Good timing here (hopefully) + feel the room/community
-Sequences of alemands gets a few quicker 'thinking' moments on people's
radar
-different progression, easy enough and feels great/different
-staying within circle

4. Mad Scatter (scatter mixer) - Rick Mohr
-I want to get the dancers mixing through dance and this is such a fun mixer.  Want the
feeling of a bit of chaos but fun/controlled.
-Put this dance forth as I wanted to have the moves solidified above first
-First promenade of the night (just realized!)... that should be ok though … I'll
cover it in the beginners lesson and revisit here.

5. Family Contra (DI) – Sherry Nevins
-I know this dance can be used for the first of the evening but I thought would save until
a bit later.  
-Bal the ring & couple DSD for progression are neat features that will make this dance
feel different from others at this point in the evening.

6. Lexington's Loss (DI) – Carol Ormand
-R&Ls make this dance feel different
-This is my sacrificial dance of the first half (i.e., if I'm running low on time,
I'll cut this one)

7. ???Unknown name – HELP!!! (DI) – Author???
-Wanted something simple and lively to end the first half.  Also something that would
connect the community before the break (long lines :)).
-starts and finishes the same as Lexington's Loss.  Not great in many ways but maybe
ok as people tired heading into the break?

QUICK WALTZ

----BREAK-----

8. Snowball waltz
-What do folks think?  This is very much a community contra dance and so I thought by
having a short waltz to end the first half, we could have a second waltz at the start of
the second half to bring the community back together.  
-Snowball waltz would accomplish a few things… (1) mix dancers up again in a fun way, (2) 
get inexperienced waltzers dancing with experienced folks (doesn't happen as often
with waltzes), and  (3)  get everyone up on the floor to start the second half.
-If you like the idea, do you think I should either (1) announce that it's a snowball
and get a few people with birthdays in Feb to start (2) get the band to start playing and
a couple of dancers to start dancing so the snowball is a surprise (3) other???
-I guess if it's announced, could even show what the waltz step is quickly??? ???

10. Feet in Flight (DI) --- Author?????
-many new moves: petronella, roll away (in pretty safe spot), gypsy, California twirl  
-I wanted a petronella dance and I really liked the look of this one even though it's
challenging.  Open to suggestions though!)

9. Trip to Lamberville (DI) – Steve ZA
-familiar moves except into the center to balance the wave. 
-bit of standing around so if folks are tired, space to relax… maybe should have thought
of this aspect of programming for my first half.

11. Who's in the middle(DI) – Al Olson
-new move is balance the wave
-have some fun with who ends up in the middle

12. ???unknown HELP!!! (DI) – Unknown??
-simple, all familiar moves to finish off the dance

Final Waltz

The dances themselves -----------------

1. Swallowtails’s First - ???? - Improper
A1: (8) neighbor do si do; (8) neighbor swing
A2: (16) ladies chain over and back
B1: (8) circle left; (8) circle right
B2: (8) right hand star; (8) left hand star

2. (The) Baby Rose - David Kaynor - Improper
A1: Neighbor Balance & Swing (16) 
A2: Circle Left Three Places (8)       //        Partner Do-si-do (16) 
B1: Partner Balance & Swing (16) 
B2: Ladies Chain (8)        //        Left Hand Star (8)

3. New Fall Reel?  - Susan Kevra - Beckett
A1: circle left 3 places (1/2); neighbour balance and swing
A2: long lines (1/2); ladies chain
B1: ladies allemande (full); partner allemande 1.5; gents allemande (full) [keep talk
flowing..watch as maybe bit space before gents allemande]
B2: partner balance and swing (3/4); slide left (this kind of happens at the start of A1)

4. Mad Scatter Rick Mohr; March, 2010 …. Mixer, Scattered circles of two or more couples
Level: Easy/Intermediate
A1:	Circle left (8)  //// Dosido neighbor (8)
A2:	Allemande right with partner 1 1/2 (8) //// Women star (or allemande) left while men
orbit clockwise (8)
B1:	Balance and swing new partner (16)
B2:	Promenade anywhere with new partner (16)  (Find another group to circle with)
In this mixer dancers form scattered groups with any number of couples. That makes for fun
chaos, less transition panic (compared with 2-couple scatter mixers), and more flavors to
enjoy as circle sizes vary. 
The A2 allemande ends with women in the center facing counterclockwise and men on the
outside facing clockwise. If there are two women they allemande left for 8 beats; if there
are more than two they star left for 8 beats. Either way, the men orbit clockwise around
the women. Then all balance and swing a new partner and promenade to a new group. 
I tell the dancers it's a zero-stress dance. "If a couple wants to join your
circle, let them in!" And no problem if you happen to keep the same partner now and
then. 

5. Family Contra (Sherry Nevins) duple minor-- don't worry about gender, proper or
improper
A1  	Balance ring 2x, circle left 1x    ("Go IN... and OUT... and IN... and OUT)
A2  	Balance ring 2x, circle right 1x
B1  	DSD with neighbor, DSD with partner
B2  	Facing other couple and with inside hands joined with partner, DSD 1.5 as a couple to
progress

6. Lexington’s Loss - Carol Ormand - Improper
A1: Neighbour B&W
A2: R&L over   //   R&L back
B1: CL ¾   //   Partner swing
B2: LLFB    //   CL ¾ and pass through up or down

7. ?????????????? Improper ???????
A1: neighbour balance & swing
A2: long lines; ladies allemande left 1½ 
B1: partner balance and swing
B2: gents do-si-do (1/2 about); circle left ¾; pass through (to new 
neighbour)

8. Snowball waltz

9. Feet in Flight -???- Improper
A1: Ring balance; women roll neigbor gent away with a half sashay   ///   Ladies chain
A2: Women gypsy  ///  Swing P
B1: Circle L x3/4   ///     Ring balance, Petronella twirl
B2: Ring balance, Petronella twirl    ///   Ring balance, California twirl
… … Not original version but ok

10. Trip To Lamberville -  Steve Zakon-Anderson
A1: [8] Ladies into the center to a wave and balance /// [8] Gents into the center to a
wave and balance
A2: [8] Gents allemende left 3/4 to a wave across and balance //// [8] Neighbors swing
B1: [8] Gents allemende left 1 ½  //// [8] Partners swing
B2: [8] Right and left through ///// [8] Ladies chain

11. Who’s in the Middle? - Al Olson - DI

A1- Circle left /// Allemande right your neighbor until someone is in the center where
they join left hands to form an “ocean wave”
A2- Balance the wave, those in the middle allemande left once around  /// Swing neighbor
B1- Promenade across; right and left back 
B2- Ladies chain, over and back
Notes from Syracuse callers gathering: This is a beginner dance, and fun. It’s a game to
play with the speed of your allemande. Eye contact can convey whose turn it is to be in
the middle. It can be reassuring to a beginner that it doesn’t matter how fast one goes on
the allemande right. The B-parts also introduce a bunch of basic figures (also helpful for
newcomers). The caller should probably keep calling in the B-parts (especially for
beginners) because you are crossing back and forth. We talked about replacing the chain
with a hey-for-4, to move the B-parts a bit away from solid “glossary” figures. Call it,
“Who’s in the Hey?” This brought to mind a dance by Gene Hubert, that has a hey and a
similar game about taking turns with who starts it:

12. ?? Improper ????
A1: neighbour balance and wswing
A2: forwards and back  //    L 1.5 gyspy
B2: Partner balance and swing
B1: ladies half chain   //    Star L to next couple