--- Greg wrote:
That is the technique used by the musicians who insert
parts of recognizable songs or tunes into their medleys.
--- end of quote ---
A wonderful example of this came at Winter Dance Week at Brasstown two months
ago. Daron Douglas and Karen Axelrod were the musicians for two different
workshops each day in English country dance. Beforehand, they had jotted down
the basic chord structure of dozens of Christmas carols, and while I was
teaching a particular dance, they'd confer with each other about what might fit.
Not always, but frequently enough that we started looking for them, in the
middle of a classic ECD tune there'd be brief quote from one or another carol,
often going by so quickly that we were sometimes left wondering, "Did I hear
what I just thought I heard?" It was delightful fun and masterfully executed.
Another way to approach themes is to pick a different sort of organizing
principle. Knowing that I'll be calling Money Musk (a triple minor contra) at my
home dance next month-- International Money Musk Month, you know!-- and
recognizing that March is the third month, we'll be doing a "Three"
program:
triple minor contras, of course, triplets, triple progression contras, dances
with three swings in each round, three-facing three dances, squares with three
dancers on each side, dances in triangle formation, dances that require
three-part tunes, and so on. Yes, we will probably do "Three Thirty-Three" but
the broad THREE concept gives me much more flexibility than simply sticking to
tune names as the organizing principle.
David Millstone
Lebanon, NH
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Themed evenings can be quite fun for brainstorming. I went to a
February 2nd dance where every dance had a shadow in it. (The one
exception: Punxsutawney Promenade). I've done a few partial themes,
where I'll just go heavy on something like four-face-fours, or contra
corners. I've also messed with a few complete theme evenings -- here
are two examples:
ECD-inspired contras evening:
Puce Set One (Pousette)
Catch a Falling Star (Hands-across stars, turn single)
Flirtation Reel (Hey, gypsy)
Kitch as Kitch Can (Mad robin)
Tapestry ("Dancing Wife")
A Good Feeling (Orbit from "Fenterlarick")
Kinematic Vorticity (Gating)
Heather's Cookie ("Companions" transition)
Beneficial Triplet (Triplet formation, "Pat's Tradition")
Windup Your Neighbor (Draw pousette, two-hand turn)
Yearning for Peace ("Peace Be With You")
Handsome Young Maids ("Dublin Bay", cloverleaf turn single)
Exploring ladies/gents chain evening:
Pittsboro Pattycake (Simple dance with neighbor ladies chain)
Lady of the Lake (A traditional full ladies chain)
Chain the Hey (Hey to chain)
Double Trouble (Neighbor gents chain)
Hobo III (Square. Ladies chains in a windshield-wiper like pattern.)
Chrysalis (Diagonal ladies chain, leave partner)
Apogee (Open ladies chain, open gents chain)
TLC Tempest (Three ladies chain)
Chained Men (Gents do a right-hand chain)
The Caller's Choice (variant) (Alternating between gents and ladies chain)
Queen's Quadrille variant (Square with one couple doing ladies chain
while other is courtesy turning)
In both of these cases there was plenty I wanted to do but couldn't
fit in. And there were interesting programming challenges in each.
-Chris Page
San Diego