Two things in the email: 1) Comment on Seth's Possibly New Dance 2) A Possibly New Dance I made up ============================== ===== 1) Seth's Dance ========== ============================== And Chris Lahey suggested a star right into Ptnr DSD may flow smoother about Seth's possibly new dance: A circle left followed by a left hand star, with a reverse of direction is, in my collection, far more common than a circle left, right hand star (or circle right, left hand star). The reversal of direction makes it more likely that the minor set will return to their current "home." And, it feels good! That reversal of direction. The star into a DSD with someone within that star means someone needs turn back to find someone. In Seth's dance, it's the woman who needs to turn back. This means (for some) the flow is a bit smoother for the men. It's good that it starts with the partner, as partners should be easy to identify. I like this dance as a beginner friendly dance, and know I'll use it. It could get a bit more challenging by: A1: With current Neighbors Circle Left (8); with Previous Neighbors Star Left (8) A2: With Current Neighbor DSD (8); with Partner DSD (8) B1: With Current Neighbor B & S (16) B2: Long Lines F & B (8); Ones Swing (8) This adds the challenge of going out and back into your minor set. I'm not sure what it's like to flow from a circle with one couple to a star with another couple, but my minds eye thinks it would feel good. In some ways the back & forth of Nbr DSD, Ptnr DSD, Nbr B&S feels better (again, mind's eye -- have to try it in real life...). But those things also change it's suitability from interesting beginner & intermediate dance to one that's more on the intermediate level. ================================== ===== 2) My Maybe New Dance ====== ================================== While on the topic I have a possibly new dance, as well. So, I'm asking the same question: has it been previously choreographed? Becket A1 Women chain, over & back A2 Bucksaw (Diagonal Left Right & Left thru; Straight Across Right & Left thru) B1 Petronella Balance; Neighbor Swing B2 Petronella Balance; Partner Swing Made it up at the end of Mendocino Folklore Week, of things most had been doing throughout the week. Still created more of a mix-up than I would have liked. I'm calling it Folklore Frolic, unless I'm informed it's already in the lexicon... ~erik hoffman oakland, ca _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

I'm at Stockton Folkdance Camp, And I arrived at a workshop where I inadvertently left my cards behind. I'm doing a series of Old and New: Did Petronella then a dance called Terry O'Less that has the Petronella move in it. Today I did Chorus Jig, then a dance that had alternating corners. Since I didn't have my cards, I made one up: 1st A1 Neighbor B&S 1st A2 Ones down center, turn as couple return, same-sex cast off 1st B1 Ones turn contra corners 1st B2 Ones B&S 2nd A1 Neighbor B&S 2nd A2 Twos up center, turn as couple, return, same-sex cast of 2nd B1 Twos turn contra corners 2nd B2 Twos B&S Is this one of Jim Kitch's ideas, or another dance that does the alternating thing? ~erik hoffman oakland, ca _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

I remember dancing this in Seattle last year w/ David Kaynor calling. Didn't catch the name. Great dance. Requires everyone to be alert. best, Paul W. _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

It's called Alternating Corners. David called at my request - I was the other caller that evening and wanted to see him teach contra corners. Amy Carroll calleramy.com _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

If a dance is completely asymmetric, it may not be exactly clear how to make it alternating while otherwise retaining the feel of the original dance. Consider "Chorus Jig" or "Rory O'More" and think about what would have to happen to feel of the transition from B1 to A1 (and also about whether the alternating version would be proper or improper). --Jim On Jul 23, 2014, at 12:37 AM, Erik Hoffman via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

I’ve done an alternating contra corners of Chorus Jig since shortly after Jim Kitch started the trend. Hadn’t thought about whether it would work for any contra corners dance. Eric Black eric(a)mirador.com http://eric-black.com On Jul 23, 2014, at 12:37 AM, Erik Hoffman via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

Jim: You have it right. I've been using this version of Chorus Jig for almost as long as Eric, and invariably afterwards a gent will come forward and complain the cast into contra corners is awkward. My response; "Well, now you know what the ladies have been dealing with for hundreds of years." There's another angle on this version, which is only appropriate for long, generally experienced sets. If it appears the audience is likely to cheat as inactives, you can say "If you and your partner are inclined to cheat, when you're done being actives and balance and swing, you can start cheating by keep on swinging - you're already there." Bob _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

Eric Black asked, in response to my comments on the alternating version of "Chorus Jig": In the dance Erik Hoffman posted at the start of this thread (which turned out to be an alternating version of "Hillsboro Jig"), it's always the men who have their right hand free to start contra corners and the women who have to "disentangle" it from the assisted cast. In the alternating "Chorus Jig", #1 men have right hands free as usual, but on rounds where couple 2 leads, it's W2 who has her right hand free after the cast and M2 who needs to free his. (And as Bob Isaac noted, it's about time.) In the alternating "Chorus Jig" the assisted casts always happen with everybody proper. In alternating "Hillboro Jig" (and also in Jim Kitch's "Double Deal") the cast happen alternately with everyone proper and with everyone improper. That's going to make for some kind of differences in the details about hands being free or encumbered (and also in the details about men/women turning cw or ccw). As a side note, I think that getting the right hand free will generally be easier if the casting dancer makes sure to have his/her right arm *below* the left arm of the "assisting" dancer during the cast. --Jim On Jul 23, 2014, at 10:57 AM, Eric Black via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > Yes, the 1’s fall back into line. I call “end the swing facing up, 2’s cast up the outside” and teach it as the 2’s coming together to [gently] push off each other in the middle, as many English dancers do. Then the 1’s step back into line (and don’t step on the 2’s going up the outside). > > After the 2’s swing, I also say “end facing up” and the 1’s cast down the outside, then the 2’s separate and fall back into line. > > > -Eric > > > On Jul 23, 2014, at 10:11 AM, James Saxe <jim.saxe(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> So, Eric, in your alternating version of "Chorus Jig", what >> happens after the #1 couples swing? Do they fall back to >> proper sides (M1 to caller's R; W1 to caller's L) and the 2s >> cast up the hall from a standing start? And then after the >> 2s have their partner swing, do they also fall back proper >> (M2 to caller's R, W2 to caller's L? If dancers are indeed >> proper (men to caller's R, women to callers L) in A1 and A2, >> regardless of whether 1s or 2s are busy, then, as I figure >> it, dancers alternately experience cw and ccw rotation during >> the assisted cast off (by contrast with the ordinary "Chorus >> Jig" where it's always ccw for men and cw for women) and it >> will be M2 rather than W2 who needs to free his right arm >> from around his same-sex neighbor's back in order to start >> contra corners. Do I have this right, or am I missing >> something? >> >> --Jim >> >> On Jul 23, 2014, at 7:21 AM, Eric Black via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: >> >>> I’ve done an alternating contra corners of Chorus Jig since shortly after Jim Kitch started the trend. Hadn’t thought about whether it would work for any contra corners dance. >>> >>> Eric Black >>> eric(a)mirador.com http://eric-black.com >>> >>> >>> On Jul 23, 2014, at 12:37 AM, Erik Hoffman via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: >>> >>>> Kiran Wagle once pointed out that, after a post DC dance discussion, some people discovered that any contra corners dance could be turned into an alternating corners dance. Having considered this on most, if not all, of the contra corners dances I know, I don't feel right about calling an old contra corners dance by a new name just because I called it in the alternating style. With that in mind: >>>> >>>> Thanks for telling me the name of the dance! I'm sure I the Hillsboro Jig in my collection. >>>> >>>> Cheers, >>>> ~erik hoffman >>>> oakland, ca >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Callers mailing list >>> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net >>> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net