24 Feb
2014
24 Feb
'14
4:50 p.m.
Greetings fellow callers,
My graduate school's social dance club is going to be having a Contra
night, which I will be calling. I was hoping to get some advice on how to
structure the evening. Here's what I'm expecting:
Two 2 hour events, on March 3 and 10
20-30 people, with maybe 5-8 who have danced contra before at all, 1-3 who
I would consider experts
The second week will most likely have people who did not come the first week
Minimal live band (who I have worked with before)
Here's what I'm thinking so far:
1st dance: something simple without any swing to teach a few of the most
basic moves
2nd dance: teach the swing, do an easy dance
remaining dances: teach one new move before each dance, then do a dance
that incorporates that move
2nd week: plan a generally easy program, but review moves as they come up
(for those who missed the first week)
I'm hoping for suggestions of specific dances that I should use, and ways
to teach and handle a group with very few experienced dancers. How do I
prevent the whole thing from falling apart? In general, I think they'll be
more tolerant towards additional teaching time because it's billed more as
a lesson than a dance. (Last month they had a salsa lesson which went on
for 2 hours before they turned on the music.) I'm hoping that the fact that
these are mostly graduate/medical students who have done other forms of
social dance before will help greatly, but any and all advice is welcome.
Sincerely,
Ben Hornstein
24 Feb
24 Feb
5:49 p.m.
Where are you located?
On Mon, Feb 24, 2014 at 11:50 AM, Ben Hornstein <bhornstein5189(a)gmail.com>wrote;wrote:
Greetings fellow callers,
My graduate school's social dance club is going to be having a Contra
night, which I will be calling. I was hoping to get some advice on how to
structure the evening. Here's what I'm expecting:
Two 2 hour events, on March 3 and 10
20-30 people, with maybe 5-8 who have danced contra before at all, 1-3 who
I would consider experts
The second week will most likely have people who did not come the first
week
Minimal live band (who I have worked with before)
Here's what I'm thinking so far:
1st dance: something simple without any swing to teach a few of the most
basic moves
2nd dance: teach the swing, do an easy dance
remaining dances: teach one new move before each dance, then do a dance
that incorporates that move
2nd week: plan a generally easy program, but review moves as they come up
(for those who missed the first week)
I'm hoping for suggestions of specific dances that I should use, and ways
to teach and handle a group with very few experienced dancers. How do I
prevent the whole thing from falling apart? In general, I think they'll be
more tolerant towards additional teaching time because it's billed more as
a lesson than a dance. (Last month they had a salsa lesson which went on
for 2 hours before they turned on the music.) I'm hoping that the fact that
these are mostly graduate/medical students who have done other forms of
social dance before will help greatly, but any and all advice is welcome.
Sincerely,
Ben Hornstein
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
8:34 p.m.
On Mon, Feb 24, 2014 at 10:50 AM, Ben Hornstein <bhornstein5189(a)gmail.com>wrote;wrote:
Two 2 hour events, on March 3 and 10
20-30 people, with maybe 5-8 who have danced contra before at all, 1-3 who
I would consider experts
That's 1/4 to 1/3 experienced dancers, which isn't bad. Also, it's much
easier to call for small groups than for large groups. Not only are small
groups more forgiving, but they're easier for you to watch. Are you going
to have a wireless mike? You're welcome to borrow mine if you need it.
The second week will most likely have people who did
not come the first
week
Minimal live band (who I have worked with before)
Here's what I'm thinking so far:
1st dance: something simple without any swing to teach a few of the most
basic moves
2nd dance: teach the swing, do an easy dance
remaining dances: teach one new move before each dance, then do a dance
that incorporates that move
For the beginners, every move is new, so adding a new move for each dance
will get overwhelming pretty quickly. The first two dances pretty much
have to introduce new figures, but by the third dance they know enough that
you can pick a dance that only uses only those moves, and give their brains
a break.
I would go ahead and put a swing in the first dance. Swings are going to
be a consistent element throughout the evening. Similarly, I would start
with an improper dance. A proper dance does have a simpler progression,
but then you're introducing yet another new thing when you switch to
improper dances.
2nd week: plan a generally easy program, but review moves as they come up
(for those who missed the first week)
I'm hoping for suggestions of specific dances that I should use, and ways
to teach and handle a group with very few experienced dancers.
Low piece count and a really good storyline help a lot.
Here's a fun, silly dance with a piece count of 4:
The Belles of Auburn (Roger Knox,
1958)<http://www.grantgoodyear.org/dance/programs/20121013.html#id1>
Improper
A1. (16) N sashay down and back A2. (16) N bal & sw, end facing dn B1.
(16) 4-in-line dn hall, turn as cpls, ret, bend B2. (16) W ch over and bk
The next dance has a higher piece count (5), but to some extent it is even
easier because the progression is automatic:
Whynot's Special (Roger
Whynot)<http://www.grantgoodyear.org/dance/programs/20110212.html#id2>
Improper, start in long lines
A1. ( 8) Long lines fwd & bk
( 8) 1 sw, end facing down A2. (16) 4-in-line down hall, turn alone, ret,
bend B1. ( 8) Cir lf
( 8) Cir rt B2. (16) W ch over and back
How do I
prevent the whole thing from falling apart?
The simple dances that you're considering are probably more complicated
than you realize. You might want to bounce your program off of somebody
first.
Since you can't rely on the experienced dancers to fix problems occurring
on the floor, you need to be able to do that while calling. Thus, you
should ideally pick dances that you can call pretty much on autopilot. If
you've never called a particular dance before, now might not be the time to
start!
It will probably fall apart at least once. Smile, blame the caller, reset
the dance, fix the problem, and run the dance just long enough for the
dancers to feel comfortable with it. My experience has been that if you
don't restart a dance that has fallen apart, dancers feel that it is their
fault for the failure. They'd much rather feel successful.
I often find that when you have a high percentage of beginners, you often
have at least one dance where the dance seems to hover on the ragged edge
of disaster. It's working, but just barely, and you can feel it
not-quite-gelling. I like to end those dance before they fall apart.
Especially with beginners, if the last dance didn't work all that well,
then I try to make sure that the next dance is one that is likely to be
much more successful. (I keep a collection of guaranteed successful dances
handy that I can pull out after abject failure!)
If the last dance of the evening is awesome fun, nobody will remember
failures earlier in the evening. (That's my "always end on a win" rule.)
Best of luck,
Grant
--
Grant Goodyear
web: http://www.grantgoodyear.org
e-mail: grant(a)grantgoodyear.org
9:42 p.m.
On 2/24/2014 12:34 PM, Grant Goodyear wrote:
And choose dances that _can_ be fixed. Some are easier to repair than
others. When you're first doing longways impropers, it's great to
choose ones where if the propriety gets screwed up you won't lose your
progression. Those "1s swing in the middle and make new lines of 4"
dances can be really useful. Washington Quickstep is the one I like for
brand new groups who want to try contras but are still a little shaky on
that whole "leave the lady on the right" business. It has right and
left throughs rather than a ladies chain. More forgiving of propriety
errors, especially if you teach the courtesy turn as "the person on the
left backs up and the person on the right goes forward" and use a simple
hand hold.
The whole issue of im/propriety is harder to grasp for new dancers than
you might think. They're trying to remember _everything_ -- what's a
dosido, who's my partner, am I dancing the man's role, which hand do I
give, which way is up, who are the 1s now..? There's a lot of stuff
that experienced dancers don't even think about anymore because we've
oriented to the terminology and the general structure of the dance, but
for new folks, it's all front and center. The dances should be really
smoothly constructed so that the moves flow well without needing any
fudging or corrections. The timing should be just right for the amount
of music you have. If a move needs 2 bars more than it gets, that will
cause anxiety. If there's way too much music, folks will likely just
plunge into the next move without waiting.
Here's a fun, silly dance with a piece count of
4:
The Belles of Auburn (Roger Knox,
1958)<http://www.grantgoodyear.org/dance/programs/20121013.html#id1>
Improper
A1. (16) N sashay down and back A2. (16) N bal & sw, end facing dn B1.
(16) 4-in-line dn hall, turn as cpls, ret, bend B2. (16) W ch over and bk
It may be a problem only for experienced dancers, but I've had issues
with an expectation of a circle following "bend the line." I have
another dance in my stash with a ladies chain following a bend the line,
and though the dance was very simple it hiccuped every single time on
that spot as the dancers started to circle, caught themselves, and then
recovered way late for the chain. I'd suggest altering the language a
little. Either "couples face each other," or something else that
doesn't trigger that gotta-circle-left impulse. Anyone else have this
problem with this combination of moves?
How do I
prevent the whole thing from falling apart?
It will probably fall apart at least
once. Smile, blame the caller, reset
the dance, fix the problem, and run the dance just long enough for the
dancers to feel comfortable with it. Especially with beginners, if the last dance
didn't work all that well,
then I try to make sure that the next dance is one that is likely to be
much more successful. (I keep a collection of guaranteed successful dances
handy that I can pull out after abject failure!)
Oh yeah. Gotta end with a smile!
Kalia
10:37 p.m.
New subject: Ladies Chain after 4-in-line
On 25/02/2014 10:42 a.m., Kalia Kliban wrote
Hi Kalia,
Avoiding the bend the line and starting the chain from lines solves the
problem.
This combination works very nicely.
(16) 4-in-line dn hall, turn as cpls, return
(16) (starting from the line) W ch over and bk
The first Ladies Chain is started directly from the line with the ladies moving
towards
each other (and in front of the man if need be) for the right pull by, and the
men positioning themselves for the courtesy turn which will finish as usual with
the couples facing.
Not only does bending the line cause problems like you mention, but the flow for one
of the women (internal to the line) is bad, as she has to back up in the bend
and then
immediately move forward to start the chain.
Chaining from a line is done in the trad square Hurry Hurry Hurry
"You chain 'em up and down the line and watch 'em churn"
Cheers, Bill
(16) 4-in-line
dn hall, turn as cpls, ret, bend B2. (16) W ch over and bk
trigger that
gotta-circle-left impulse. Anyone else
have this problem with this combination of moves? 
10:48 p.m.
If it were me I'd be inclined to do it somewhat differently. (The
suggestions that have been made so far
are just fine, though.)
First night:
Circassian Circle Mixer
(Or some other super-easy mixer with a swing in it. Teaches listening
to the caller, doing things to the phrase, ending swings with the lady
on the left, gets them used to changing partners rather than dancing
only with the one they came in with. Since it's not a one-night stand
dance - that is, they're supposed to learn something - you want them
doing a contra-dance swing; this gets the experienced contra dancers
into the arms of as many people as possible right away. Swings are
easier to do right once you've felt them being done right.) This is a
dance that doesn't fail, so they'll feel successful right away. Pretty
much immune to tune choice so long as the band is clear about phrasing.
Big Circle
A1: Forward and back twice
A2: Women to center and back to place
Men to center and back to woman originally on his left (not partner).
B1: They swing
B2: Promenade around, open to to big circle.
[You might want to just have them swing their first partner and open up
facing in, and then tell them that they're done with that person and the
next partner is in their other hand]
Some kind of Sicilian Circle ideally with a partner swing and a neighbor
swing. Gets them used to improper formation but without having to deal
with action at the ends of the set. (Although it's not totally ideal, I
often use "Soldier's Joy", mostly because it's a Civil War era version
and I use it when I'm calling Civil War dances and then I don't have to
remember something else when I'm calling contras.) Ladies chain along
rather than across the set is unusual but not terribly difficult. I'm
certainly open to suggestions for better sicilian circle dances for this
purpose. This give some opportunity to discuss giving weight.
SOLDIER'S JOY.
Sicilian Circle ("As for Spanish Dance") - that means facing the other
couple, gent on the left, lady on the right.
32-bar reel. The name tune is the best.
A1: 1-4: Forward and back
5-8: Opposites turn two hands (no progression), open facing partner
A2: 1-8: Partners balance &swing, face other couple
B1: 1-8: Ladies chain over and back (along the line).
B2: 1-8: Forward and back, forward and pass through.
Then Simplicity Swing (because they already know most of the bits and
the bits they don't know are circle, star, and do-si-do, which are
things many people think they know how to do even before their first
contra dance.)
SIMPLICITY SWING
(by Becky Hill)
Improper contra
Figs: NB&S:CL3/4:PS:LLF&B:LC:LHS:NNDSD:
A1: Neighbor Balance and Swing
A2: Circle left 3/4;
partner swing
B1: Long lines forward and back;
ladies chain
B2: left hand star;
next neighbor do si do
And then you can do the rest of the evening with easy to intermediate
longways dances.
Repeat this pattern (with different mixer and different Sicilian Circle)
the next time to get the brand new dancers swung and sweaty before they
have to learn much.
-- Alan
On 2/24/2014 8:50 AM, Ben Hornstein wrote:
Greetings fellow callers,
My graduate school's social dance club is going to be having a Contra
night, which I will be calling. I was hoping to get some advice on how to
structure the evening. Here's what I'm expecting:
Two 2 hour events, on March 3 and 10
20-30 people, with maybe 5-8 who have danced contra before at all, 1-3 who
I would consider experts
The second week will most likely have people who did not come the first week
Minimal live band (who I have worked with before)
Here's what I'm thinking so far:
1st dance: something simple without any swing to teach a few of the most
basic moves
2nd dance: teach the swing, do an easy dance
remaining dances: teach one new move before each dance, then do a dance
that incorporates that move
2nd week: plan a generally easy program, but review moves as they come up
(for those who missed the first week)
I'm hoping for suggestions of specific dances that I should use, and ways
to teach and handle a group with very few experienced dancers. How do I
prevent the whole thing from falling apart? In general, I think they'll be
more tolerant towards additional teaching time because it's billed more as
a lesson than a dance. (Last month they had a salsa lesson which went on
for 2 hours before they turned on the music.) I'm hoping that the fact that
these are mostly graduate/medical students who have done other forms of
social dance before will help greatly, but any and all advice is welcome.
Sincerely,
Ben Hornstein
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
25 Feb
25 Feb
12:32 a.m.
On 2/24/2014 2:48 PM, Alan Winston wrote:
If it were me I'd be inclined to do it somewhat
differently. (The
suggestions that have been made so far
are just fine, though.)
First night:
Circassian Circle Mixer
(Or some other super-easy mixer with a swing in it. Teaches listening
to the caller, doing things to the phrase, ending swings with the lady
on the left,
AARGH. on the right.
gets them used to changing partners rather than
dancing
only with the one they came in with. Since it's not a one-night stand
dance - that is, they're supposed to learn something - you want them
doing a contra-dance swing; this gets the experienced contra dancers
into the arms of as many people as possible right away. Swings are
easier to do right once you've felt them being done right.) This is a
dance that doesn't fail, so they'll feel successful right away. Pretty
much immune to tune choice so long as the band is clear about phrasing.
Big Circle
A1: Forward and back twice
A2: Women to center and back to place
Men to center and back to woman originally on his left (not partner).
B1: They swing
B2: Promenade around, open to to big circle.
[You might want to just have them swing their first partner and open up
facing in, and then tell them that they're done with that person and the
next partner is in their other hand]
Some kind of Sicilian Circle ideally with a partner swing and a neighbor
swing. Gets them used to improper formation but without having to deal
with action at the ends of the set. (Although it's not totally ideal, I
often use "Soldier's Joy", mostly because it's a Civil War era version
and I use it when I'm calling Civil War dances and then I don't have to
remember something else when I'm calling contras.) Ladies chain along
rather than across the set is unusual but not terribly difficult. I'm
certainly open to suggestions for better sicilian circle dances for this
purpose. This give some opportunity to discuss giving weight.
SOLDIER'S JOY.
Sicilian Circle ("As for Spanish Dance") - that means facing the other
couple, gent on the left, lady on the right.
32-bar reel. The name tune is the best.
A1: 1-4: Forward and back
5-8: Opposites turn two hands (no progression), open facing partner
A2: 1-8: Partners balance &swing, face other couple
B1: 1-8: Ladies chain over and back (along the line).
B2: 1-8: Forward and back, forward and pass through.
Then Simplicity Swing (because they already know most of the bits and
the bits they don't know are circle, star, and do-si-do, which are
things many people think they know how to do even before their first
contra dance.)
SIMPLICITY SWING
(by Becky Hill)
Improper contra
Figs: NB&S:CL3/4:PS:LLF&B:LC:LHS:NNDSD:
A1: Neighbor Balance and Swing
A2: Circle left 3/4;
partner swing
B1: Long lines forward and back;
ladies chain
B2: left hand star;
next neighbor do si do
And then you can do the rest of the evening with easy to intermediate
longways dances.
Repeat this pattern (with different mixer and different Sicilian Circle)
the next time to get the brand new dancers swung and sweaty before they
have to learn much.
-- Alan
On 2/24/2014 8:50 AM, Ben Hornstein wrote:
Greetings fellow callers,
My graduate school's social dance club is going to be having a Contra
night, which I will be calling. I was hoping to get some advice on how to
structure the evening. Here's what I'm expecting:
Two 2 hour events, on March 3 and 10
20-30 people, with maybe 5-8 who have danced contra before at all, 1-3 who
I would consider experts
The second week will most likely have people who did not come the first week
Minimal live band (who I have worked with before)
Here's what I'm thinking so far:
1st dance: something simple without any swing to teach a few of the most
basic moves
2nd dance: teach the swing, do an easy dance
remaining dances: teach one new move before each dance, then do a dance
that incorporates that move
2nd week: plan a generally easy program, but review moves as they come up
(for those who missed the first week)
I'm hoping for suggestions of specific dances that I should use, and ways
to teach and handle a group with very few experienced dancers. How do I
prevent the whole thing from falling apart? In general, I think they'll be
more tolerant towards additional teaching time because it's billed more as
a lesson than a dance. (Last month they had a salsa lesson which went on
for 2 hours before they turned on the music.) I'm hoping that the fact that
these are mostly graduate/medical students who have done other forms of
social dance before will help greatly, but any and all advice is welcome.
Sincerely,
Ben Hornstein
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers 
2:49 a.m.
Alan: Since when do we aargh on on right ?
Michael Fuerst 802 N Broadway Urbana IL 61801 217-239-5844
Links to photos of many of my drawings and paintings are at www.ArtComesFuerst.com
On Monday, February 24, 2014 6:35 PM, Alan Winston <winston(a)slac.stanford.edu>
wrote:
On 2/24/2014 2:48 PM, Alan Winston wrote:
If it were me I'd be inclined to do it somewhat
differently. (The
suggestions that have been made so far
are just fine, though.)
First night:
Circassian Circle Mixer
(Or some other super-easy mixer with a swing in it. Teaches listening
to the caller, doing things to the phrase, ending swings with the lady
on the left,
AARGH. on the right.
gets them used to changing partners rather than
dancing
only with the one they came in with. Since it's not a one-night stand
dance - that is, they're supposed to learn something - you want them
doing a contra-dance swing; this gets the experienced contra dancers
into the arms of as many people as possible right away. Swings are
easier to do right once you've felt them being done right.) This is a
dance that doesn't fail, so they'll feel successful right away. Pretty
much immune to tune choice so long as the band is clear about phrasing.
Big Circle
A1: Forward and back twice
A2: Women to center and back to place
Men to center and back to woman originally on his left (not partner).
B1: They swing
B2: Promenade around, open to to big circle.
[You might want to just have them swing their first partner and open up
facing in, and then tell them that they're done with that person and the
next partner is in their other hand]
Some kind of Sicilian Circle ideally with a partner swing and a neighbor
swing. Gets them used to improper formation but without having to deal
with action at the ends of the set. (Although it's not totally ideal, I
often use "Soldier's Joy", mostly because it's a Civil War era version
and I use it when I'm calling Civil War dances and then I don't have to
remember something else when I'm calling contras.) Ladies chain along
rather than across the set is unusual but not terribly difficult. I'm
certainly open to suggestions for better sicilian circle dances for this
purpose. This give some opportunity to discuss giving weight.
SOLDIER'S JOY.
Sicilian Circle ("As for Spanish Dance") - that means facing the other
couple, gent on the left, lady on the right.
32-bar reel. The name tune is the best.
A1: 1-4: Forward and back
5-8: Opposites turn two hands (no progression), open facing partner
A2: 1-8: Partners balance &swing, face other couple
B1: 1-8: Ladies chain over and back (along the line).
B2: 1-8: Forward and back, forward and pass through.
Then Simplicity Swing (because they already know most of the bits and
the bits they don't know are circle, star, and do-si-do, which are
things many people think they know how to do even before their first
contra dance.)
SIMPLICITY SWING
(by Becky Hill)
Improper contra
Figs: NB&S:CL3/4:PS:LLF&B:LC:LHS:NNDSD:
A1: Neighbor Balance and Swing
A2: Circle left 3/4;
partner swing
B1: Long lines forward and back;
ladies chain
B2: left hand star;
next neighbor do si do
And then you can do the rest of the evening with easy to intermediate
longways dances.
Repeat this pattern (with different mixer and different Sicilian Circle)
the next time to get the brand new dancers swung and sweaty before they
have to learn much.
-- Alan
On 2/24/2014 8:50 AM, Ben Hornstein wrote:
> Greetings fellow callers,
>
> My graduate school's social dance club is going to be having a Contra
> night, which I will be calling. I was hoping to get some advice on how to
> structure the evening. Here's what I'm expecting:
>
> Two 2 hour events, on March 3 and 10
> 20-30 people, with maybe 5-8 who have danced contra before at all, 1-3 who
> I would consider experts
> The second week will most likely have people who did not come the first week
> Minimal live band (who I have worked with before)
>
> Here's what I'm thinking so far:
> 1st dance: something simple without any swing to teach a few of the most
> basic moves
> 2nd dance: teach the swing, do an easy dance
> remaining dances: teach one new move before each dance, then do a dance
> that incorporates that move
>
> 2nd week: plan a generally easy program, but review moves as they come up
> (for those who missed the first week)
>
> I'm hoping for suggestions of specific dances that I should use, and ways
> to teach and handle a group with very few experienced dancers. How do I
> prevent the whole thing from falling apart? In general, I think they'll be
> more tolerant towards additional teaching time because it's billed more as
> a lesson than a dance. (Last month they had a salsa lesson which went on
> for 2 hours before they turned on the music.) I'm hoping that the fact that
> these are mostly graduate/medical students who have done other forms of
> social dance before will help greatly, but any and all advice is welcome.
>
> Sincerely,
> Ben Hornstein
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
4:21 a.m.
September 19, of course
On Mon, Feb 24, 2014, Michael Fuerst wrote:
Alan: Since when do we aargh on on right?
On Monday, February 24, 2014 6:35 PM, Alan Winston <winston(a)slac.stanford.edu>
wrote:
On 2/24/2014 2:48 PM, Alan Winston wrote:
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
<*> <*> <*>
Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html
If it were me I'd be inclined to do it
somewhat differently.? (The
suggestions that have been made so far
are just fine, though.)
First night:
Circassian Circle Mixer
(Or some other super-easy mixer with a swing in it.? Teaches listening
to the caller, doing things to the phrase, ending swings with the lady
on the left,
AARGH.? on the right.
? gets them used to changing partners rather than
dancing
only with the one they came in with.? Since it's not a one-night stand
dance - that is, they're supposed to learn something - you want them
doing a contra-dance swing; this gets the experienced contra dancers
into the arms of as many people as possible right away.? Swings are
easier to do right once you've felt them being done right.)? This is a
dance that doesn't fail, so they'll feel successful right away.? Pretty
much immune to tune choice so long as the band is clear about phrasing.
Big Circle
A1:? Forward and back twice
A2:? Women to center and back to place
? ? ? ? Men to center and back to woman originally on his left (not partner).
B1:? They swing
B2:? Promenade around, open to to big circle.
[You might want to just have them swing their first partner and open up
facing in, and then tell them that they're done with that person and the
next partner is in their other hand]
Some kind of Sicilian Circle ideally with a partner swing and a neighbor
swing.? Gets them used to improper formation but without having to deal
with action at the ends of the set.? (Although it's not totally ideal, I
often use "Soldier's Joy", mostly because it's a Civil War era version
and I use it when I'm calling Civil War dances and then I don't have to
remember something else when I'm calling contras.)? Ladies chain along
rather than across the set is unusual but not terribly difficult.? I'm
certainly open to suggestions for better sicilian circle dances for this
purpose. This give some opportunity to discuss giving weight.
SOLDIER'S JOY.
Sicilian Circle ("As for Spanish Dance") - that means facing the other
couple, gent on the left, lady on the right.
32-bar reel.? The name tune is the best.
A1: 1-4: Forward and back
? ? ? 5-8: Opposites turn two hands (no progression), open facing partner
A2: 1-8: Partners balance &swing, face other couple
B1: 1-8: Ladies chain over and back (along the line).
B2: 1-8: Forward and back, forward and pass through.
Then? Simplicity Swing (because they already know most of the bits and
the bits they don't know are circle, star, and do-si-do, which are
things many people think they know how to do even before their first
contra dance.)
SIMPLICITY SWING
(by Becky Hill)
Improper contra
Figs: NB&S:CL3/4:PS:LLF&B:LC:LHS:NNDSD:
A1: Neighbor Balance and Swing
A2: Circle left 3/4;
? ? ? partner swing
B1: Long lines forward and back;
? ? ? ladies chain
B2: left hand star;
? ? ? next neighbor do si do
And then you can do the rest of the? evening with easy to intermediate
longways dances.
Repeat this pattern (with different mixer and different Sicilian Circle)
the next time to get the brand new dancers swung and sweaty before they
have to learn much.
-- Alan
On 2/24/2014 8:50 AM, Ben Hornstein wrote:
> Greetings fellow callers,
>
> My graduate school's social dance club is going to be having a Contra
> night, which I will be calling. I was hoping to get some advice on how to
> structure the evening. Here's what I'm expecting:
>
> Two 2 hour events, on March 3 and 10
> 20-30 people, with maybe 5-8 who have danced contra before at all, 1-3 who
> I would consider experts
> The second week will most likely have people who did not come the first week
> Minimal live band (who I have worked with before)
>
> Here's what I'm thinking so far:
> 1st dance: something simple without any swing to teach a few of the most
> basic moves
> 2nd dance: teach the swing, do an easy dance
> remaining dances: teach one new move before each dance, then do a dance
> that incorporates that move
>
> 2nd week: plan a generally easy program, but review moves as they come up
> (for those who missed the first week)
>
> I'm hoping for suggestions of specific dances that I should use, and ways
> to teach and handle a group with very few experienced dancers. How do I
> prevent the whole thing from falling apart? In general, I think they'll be
> more tolerant towards additional teaching time because it's billed more as
> a lesson than a dance. (Last month they had a salsa lesson which went on
> for 2 hours before they turned on the music.) I'm hoping that the fact that
> these are mostly graduate/medical students who have done other forms of
> social dance before will help greatly, but any and all advice is welcome.
>
> Sincerely,
> Ben Hornstein
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
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http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
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6:46 a.m.
We aargh at saying on the left and having to correct it to on the right.
Sent from my iPhone
On Feb 24, 2014, at 6:49 PM, Michael Fuerst
<mjerryfuerst(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
Alan: Since when do we aargh on on right ?
Michael Fuerst 802 N Broadway Urbana IL 61801 217-239-5844
Links to photos of many of my drawings and paintings are at www.ArtComesFuerst.com
On Monday, February 24, 2014 6:35 PM, Alan Winston <winston(a)slac.stanford.edu>
wrote:
On 2/24/2014 2:48 PM, Alan Winston wrote:
If it were me I'd be inclined to do it
somewhat differently. (The
suggestions that have been made so far
are just fine, though.)
First night:
Circassian Circle Mixer
(Or some other super-easy mixer with a swing in it. Teaches listening
to the caller, doing things to the phrase, ending swings with the lady
on the left,
AARGH. on the right.
gets them used to changing partners rather
than dancing
only with the one they came in with. Since it's not a one-night stand
dance - that is, they're supposed to learn something - you want them
doing a contra-dance swing; this gets the experienced contra dancers
into the arms of as many people as possible right away. Swings are
easier to do right once you've felt them being done right.) This is a
dance that doesn't fail, so they'll feel successful right away. Pretty
much immune to tune choice so long as the band is clear about phrasing.
Big Circle
A1: Forward and back twice
A2: Women to center and back to place
Men to center and back to woman originally on his left (not partner).
B1: They swing
B2: Promenade around, open to to big circle.
[You might want to just have them swing their first partner and open up
facing in, and then tell them that they're done with that person and the
next partner is in their other hand]
Some kind of Sicilian Circle ideally with a partner swing and a neighbor
swing. Gets them used to improper formation but without having to deal
with action at the ends of the set. (Although it's not totally ideal, I
often use "Soldier's Joy", mostly because it's a Civil War era version
and I use it when I'm calling Civil War dances and then I don't have to
remember something else when I'm calling contras.) Ladies chain along
rather than across the set is unusual but not terribly difficult. I'm
certainly open to suggestions for better sicilian circle dances for this
purpose. This give some opportunity to discuss giving weight.
SOLDIER'S JOY.
Sicilian Circle ("As for Spanish Dance") - that means facing the other
couple, gent on the left, lady on the right.
32-bar reel. The name tune is the best.
A1: 1-4: Forward and back
5-8: Opposites turn two hands (no progression), open facing partner
A2: 1-8: Partners balance &swing, face other couple
B1: 1-8: Ladies chain over and back (along the line).
B2: 1-8: Forward and back, forward and pass through.
Then Simplicity Swing (because they already know most of the bits and
the bits they don't know are circle, star, and do-si-do, which are
things many people think they know how to do even before their first
contra dance.)
SIMPLICITY SWING
(by Becky Hill)
Improper contra
Figs: NB&S:CL3/4:PS:LLF&B:LC:LHS:NNDSD:
A1: Neighbor Balance and Swing
A2: Circle left 3/4;
partner swing
B1: Long lines forward and back;
ladies chain
B2: left hand star;
next neighbor do si do
And then you can do the rest of the evening with easy to intermediate
longways dances.
Repeat this pattern (with different mixer and different Sicilian Circle)
the next time to get the brand new dancers swung and sweaty before they
have to learn much.
-- Alan
> On 2/24/2014 8:50 AM, Ben Hornstein wrote:
> Greetings fellow callers,
>
> My graduate school's social dance club is going to be having a Contra
> night, which I will be calling. I was hoping to get some advice on how to
> structure the evening. Here's what I'm expecting:
>
> Two 2 hour events, on March 3 and 10
> 20-30 people, with maybe 5-8 who have danced contra before at all, 1-3 who
> I would consider experts
> The second week will most likely have people who did not come the first week
> Minimal live band (who I have worked with before)
>
> Here's what I'm thinking so far:
> 1st dance: something simple without any swing to teach a few of the most
> basic moves
> 2nd dance: teach the swing, do an easy dance
> remaining dances: teach one new move before each dance, then do a dance
> that incorporates that move
>
> 2nd week: plan a generally easy program, but review moves as they come up
> (for those who missed the first week)
>
> I'm hoping for suggestions of specific dances that I should use, and ways
> to teach and handle a group with very few experienced dancers. How do I
> prevent the whole thing from falling apart? In general, I think they'll be
> more tolerant towards additional teaching time because it's billed more as
> a lesson than a dance. (Last month they had a salsa lesson which went on
> for 2 hours before they turned on the music.) I'm hoping that the fact that
> these are mostly graduate/medical students who have done other forms of
> social dance before will help greatly, but any and all advice is welcome.
>
> Sincerely,
> Ben Hornstein
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers 
4:50 p.m.
On busload-of-beginner nights, I inform the dancers that "the lady ends on
the right... because... [shamefacedly] the lady is always right." Then I
apologize profusely for having said anything that corny (not to mention
gendered) and I promise never to do it again, but they always remember.
(Another good one is noting that a swing has a blunt end and a pointy end,
and showing them how it'll always end up with the lady on the correct side
if you let go of the pointy end.)
On Tue, Feb 25, 2014 at 1:46 AM, Alan Winston At Slac <
winston(a)slac.stanford.edu> wrote:
We aargh at saying on the left and having to correct
it to on the right.
Sent from my iPhone
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
On Feb 24, 2014, at 6:49 PM, Michael Fuerst
<mjerryfuerst(a)yahoo.com>
wrote:
Alan: Since when do we aargh on on right ?
Michael Fuerst 802 N Broadway Urbana IL 61801
217-239-5844
Links to photos of many of my drawings and
paintings are at
www.ArtComesFuerst.com
On Monday, February 24, 2014 6:35 PM, Alan Winston <
winston(a)slac.stanford.edu> wrote:
On 2/24/2014 2:48 PM, Alan Winston wrote:
partner).
If it were me I'd be inclined to do it
somewhat differently. (The
suggestions that have been made so far
are just fine, though.)
First night:
Circassian Circle Mixer
(Or some other super-easy mixer with a swing in it. Teaches listening
to the caller, doing things to the phrase, ending swings with the lady
on the left,
AARGH. on the right.
> gets them used to changing partners rather than dancing
> only with the one they came in with. Since it's not a one-night stand
> dance - that is, they're supposed to learn something - you want them
> doing a contra-dance swing; this gets the experienced contra dancers
> into the arms of as many people as possible right away. Swings are
> easier to do right once you've felt them being done right.) This is a
> dance that doesn't fail, so they'll feel successful right away. Pretty
> much immune to tune choice so long as the band is clear about phrasing.
>
> Big Circle
>
> A1: Forward and back twice
>
> A2: Women to center and back to place
> Men to center and back to woman originally on his left (not >
> B1: They swing
>
> B2: Promenade around, open to to big circle.
>
> [You might want to just have them swing their first partner and open up
> facing in, and then tell them that they're done with that person and the
> next partner is in their other hand]
>
>
> Some kind of Sicilian Circle ideally with a partner swing and a neighbor
> swing. Gets them used to improper formation but without having to deal
> with action at the ends of the set. (Although it's not totally ideal, I
> often use "Soldier's Joy", mostly because it's a Civil War era
version
> and I use it when I'm calling Civil War dances and then I don't have to
> remember something else when I'm calling contras.) Ladies chain along
> rather than across the set is unusual but not terribly difficult. I'm
> certainly open to suggestions for better sicilian circle dances for this
> purpose. This give some opportunity to discuss giving weight.
>
> SOLDIER'S JOY.
> Sicilian Circle ("As for Spanish Dance") - that means facing the other
> couple, gent on the left, lady on the right.
> 32-bar reel. The name tune is the best.
>
>
> A1: 1-4: Forward and back
> 5-8: Opposites turn two hands (no progression), open facing
partner
>
> A2: 1-8: Partners balance &swing, face other couple
>
> B1: 1-8: Ladies chain over and back (along the line).
>
> B2: 1-8: Forward and back, forward and pass through.
>
>
> Then Simplicity Swing (because they already know most of the bits and
> the bits they don't know are circle, star, and do-si-do, which are
> things many people think they know how to do even before their first
> contra dance.)
>
> SIMPLICITY SWING
> (by Becky Hill)
> Improper contra
>
> Figs: NB&S:CL3/4:PS:LLF&B:LC:LHS:NNDSD:
>
>
> A1: Neighbor Balance and Swing
>
> A2: Circle left 3/4;
> partner swing
>
> B1: Long lines forward and back;
> ladies chain
>
> B2: left hand star;
> next neighbor do si do
>
>
> And then you can do the rest of the evening with easy to intermediate
> longways dances.
>
>
> Repeat this pattern (with different mixer and different Sicilian Circle)
> the next time to get the brand new dancers swung and sweaty before they
> have to learn much.
>
> -- Alan
>
>
>
>> On 2/24/2014 8:50 AM, Ben Hornstein wrote:
>> Greetings fellow callers,
>>
>> My graduate school's social dance club is going to be having a Contra
>> night, which I will be calling. I was hoping to get some advice on how
to
>> structure the evening. Here's what
I'm expecting:
>>
>> Two 2 hour events, on March 3 and 10
>> 20-30 people, with maybe 5-8 who have danced contra before at all, 1-3
who
>> I would consider experts
>> The second week will most likely have people who did not come the
first
week
>> Minimal live band (who I have worked with
before)
>>
>> Here's what I'm thinking so far:
>> 1st dance: something simple without any swing to teach a few of the
most
>> basic moves
>> 2nd dance: teach the swing, do an easy dance
>> remaining dances: teach one new move before each dance, then do a dance
>> that incorporates that move
>>
>> 2nd week: plan a generally easy program, but review moves as they come
up
>> (for those who missed the first week)
>>
>> I'm hoping for suggestions of specific dances that I should use, and
ways
>> to teach and handle a group with very few
experienced dancers. How do I
>> prevent the whole thing from falling apart? In general, I think
they'll be
>> more tolerant towards additional teaching
time because it's billed
more as
>> a lesson than a dance. (Last month they
had a salsa lesson which went
on
>> for 2 hours before they turned on the
music.) I'm hoping that the fact
that
>> these are mostly graduate/medical
students who have done other forms of
>> social dance before will help greatly, but any and all advice is
welcome.
>
> Sincerely,
> Ben Hornstein
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers 
5:09 p.m.
I think that dancers learn to put the lady on the right faster if you use dances with the
swing followed by a promenade at the beginning of a program. After a keeper and a mixer
with a promenade, I am more successful using a circle after a swing.
I may also leave a swing out on the first dance with some variation of Circle left/right,
Fwd & Bk, with Alle Left, with own Dosido, back to corner Alle Left, back to your own
& promenade. After prompting the promenade I quickly remind dancers Men on the
inside.
Rich
________________________________
From: Maia McCormick <maia.mcc(a)gmail.com>
To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2014 11:50 AM
Subject: Re: [Callers] Social Dance Club intro program
On busload-of-beginner nights, I inform the dancers that "the lady ends on
the right... because... [shamefacedly] the lady is always right." Then I
apologize profusely for having said anything that corny (not to mention
gendered) and I promise never to do it again, but they always remember.
(Another good one is noting that a swing has a blunt end and a pointy end,
and showing them how it'll always end up with the lady on the correct side
if you let go of the pointy end.)
On Tue, Feb 25, 2014 at 1:46 AM, Alan Winston At Slac <
winston(a)slac.stanford.edu> wrote:
We aargh at saying on the left and having to correct
it to on the right.
Sent from my iPhone
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
On Feb 24, 2014, at 6:49 PM, Michael Fuerst
<mjerryfuerst(a)yahoo.com>
wrote:
Alan: Since when do we aargh on on right ?
Michael Fuerst 802 N Broadway Urbana IL 61801
217-239-5844
Links to photos of many of my drawings and
paintings are at
www.ArtComesFuerst.com
On Monday, February 24, 2014 6:35 PM, Alan Winston <
winston(a)slac.stanford.edu> wrote:
On 2/24/2014 2:48 PM, Alan Winston wrote:
partner).
If it were me I'd be inclined to do it
somewhat differently. (The
suggestions that have been made so far
are just fine, though.)
First night:
Circassian Circle Mixer
(Or some other super-easy mixer with a swing in it. Teaches listening
to the caller, doing things to the phrase, ending swings with the lady
on the left,
AARGH. on the right.
> gets them used to changing partners rather than dancing
> only with the one they came in with. Since it's not a one-night stand
> dance - that is, they're supposed to learn something - you want them
> doing a contra-dance swing; this gets the experienced contra dancers
> into the arms of as many people as possible right away. Swings are
> easier to do right once you've felt them being done right.) This is a
> dance that doesn't fail, so they'll feel successful right away. Pretty
> much immune to tune choice so long as the band is clear about phrasing.
>
> Big Circle
>
> A1: Forward and back twice
>
> A2: Women to center and back to place
> Men to center and back to woman originally on his left (not >
> B1: They swing
>
> B2: Promenade around, open to to big circle.
>
> [You might want to just have them swing their first partner and open up
> facing in, and then tell them that they're done with that person and the
> next partner is in their other hand]
>
>
> Some kind of Sicilian Circle ideally with a partner swing and a neighbor
> swing. Gets them used to improper formation but without having to deal
> with action at the ends of the set. (Although it's not totally ideal, I
> often use "Soldier's Joy", mostly because it's a Civil War era
version
> and I use it when I'm calling Civil War dances and then I don't have to
> remember something else when I'm calling contras.) Ladies chain along
> rather than across the set is unusual but not terribly difficult. I'm
> certainly open to suggestions for better sicilian circle dances for this
> purpose. This give some opportunity to discuss giving weight.
>
> SOLDIER'S JOY.
> Sicilian Circle ("As for Spanish Dance") - that means facing the other
> couple, gent on the left, lady on the right.
> 32-bar reel. The name tune is the best.
>
>
> A1: 1-4: Forward and back
> 5-8: Opposites turn two hands (no progression), open facing
partner
>
> A2: 1-8: Partners balance &swing, face other couple
>
> B1: 1-8: Ladies chain over and back (along the line).
>
> B2: 1-8: Forward and back, forward and pass through.
>
>
> Then Simplicity Swing (because they already know most of the bits and
> the bits they don't know are circle, star, and do-si-do, which are
> things many people think they know how to do even before their first
> contra dance.)
>
> SIMPLICITY SWING
> (by Becky Hill)
> Improper contra
>
> Figs: NB&S:CL3/4:PS:LLF&B:LC:LHS:NNDSD:
>
>
> A1: Neighbor Balance and Swing
>
> A2: Circle left 3/4;
> partner swing
>
> B1: Long lines forward and back;
> ladies chain
>
> B2: left hand star;
> next neighbor do si do
>
>
> And then you can do the rest of the evening with easy to intermediate
> longways dances.
>
>
> Repeat this pattern (with different mixer and different Sicilian Circle)
> the next time to get the brand new dancers swung and sweaty before they
> have to learn much.
>
> -- Alan
>
>
>
>> On 2/24/2014 8:50 AM, Ben Hornstein wrote:
>> Greetings fellow callers,
>>
>> My graduate school's social dance club is going to be having a Contra
>> night, which I will be calling. I was hoping to get some advice on how
to
>> structure the evening. Here's what
I'm expecting:
>>
>> Two 2 hour events, on March 3 and 10
>> 20-30 people, with maybe 5-8 who have danced contra before at all, 1-3
who
>> I would consider experts
>> The second week will most likely have people who did not come the
first
week
>> Minimal live band (who I have worked with
before)
>>
>> Here's what I'm thinking so far:
>> 1st dance: something simple without any swing to teach a few of the
most
>> basic moves
>> 2nd dance: teach the swing, do an easy dance
>> remaining dances: teach one new move before each dance, then do a dance
>> that incorporates that move
>>
>> 2nd week: plan a generally easy program, but review moves as they come
up
>> (for those who missed the first week)
>>
>> I'm hoping for suggestions of specific dances that I should use, and
ways
>> to teach and handle a group with very few
experienced dancers. How do I
>> prevent the whole thing from falling apart? In general, I think
they'll be
>> more tolerant towards additional teaching
time because it's billed
more as
>> a lesson than a dance. (Last month they
had a salsa lesson which went
on
>> for 2 hours before they turned on the
music.) I'm hoping that the fact
that
>> these are mostly graduate/medical
students who have done other forms of
>> social dance before will help greatly, but any and all advice is
welcome.
>
> Sincerely,
> Ben Hornstein
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
3953
days inactive
3954
days old
contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net
11 comments
11 participants
participants (11)
-
Aahz Maruch -
Alan Winston -
Alan Winston At Slac
-
Ben Hornstein -
Bill Baritompa -
George Mercer -
Grant Goodyear -
Kalia Kliban -
Maia McCormick -
Michael Fuerst -
rich sbardella