19 Feb
2016
19 Feb
'16
6:52 a.m.
Hi Everyone,
In preparation for calling my first family dance on March 6, I’d like to find some
family-friendly dances that are for very small groups, like 3-9 people.
Ideally NOT proper triplets, or 3x3s (already have a few of those) and NO gender roles.
I’ve got a good collection of simple dances for 10++ people, circles, lines, etc.
I’m preparing for a crowd of up to 100 but if it dwindles down to 1-2 families or starts
slow, I’d like something for small groups too.
Thanks!
Claire Takemori
19 Feb
19 Feb
7:44 a.m.
Here's a dance I made up sometime -- don't quite remember when, for 7,
but works with 9 (or even 11...)
The Millennium Bug
Erik Hoffman
Written for a weird New Year...
Formation is a longways set of couples facing the odd person out who is
"The Bug"
A1 Essentially, up a double towards The Bug, but I call it a
with-your-partner
forward and back then make lines a the sides and the bug strolls
down
the center
A2 Unzip the Line:
When The Bug gets to the bottom, he or she keeps facing down,
crosses
his or her arms, makes an arch with the higher arm, and backs up,
guiding the low arm people under the arm
B1 After the ends of the lines come out: Circle Left, then Right
B2 The Bug Swings Someone (The Bug chooses first!) then the rest choose
a Partner and Swing. The dancer with no partner is The New Bug and
goes to the Top, others end forming a longways set facing The Bug
Originally conceived for 7 people, and works well in that size, and
works well for 9, too.
~erik hoffman
oakland, ca
On 2/18/2016 10:52 PM, Claire Takemori via Callers wrote:
Hi Everyone,
In preparation for calling my first family dance on March 6, I’d like to find some
family-friendly dances that are for very small groups, like 3-9 people.
Ideally NOT proper triplets, or 3x3s (already have a few of those) and NO gender roles.
I’ve got a good collection of simple dances for 10++ people, circles, lines, etc.
I’m preparing for a crowd of up to 100 but if it dwindles down to 1-2 families or starts
slow, I’d like something for small groups too.
Thanks!
Claire Takemori
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Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
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7:56 a.m.
This has worked for me:
3 or 4 couples longways. Try to get talls and smalls mixed in each line
but partners are across from each other.
A1 1-4 Lines go forward and back.
5-8 Link arms in line and as a unit, pass left shoulder (bottom
person in one line, top in the other) and wheel around to face in in
the other line's place.
A2 repeat to home
B1 Top couple freestyle their way down the middle and back - tell em
they can dance together any way they want - and peel off to the bottom
B2: Everyone else steps up and swings their partner.
There's enough flex in B2 to make up for any confusion in B1. I've done
this for slightly-drunk Civil War reenactors and for
mostly-11-year-olds. I designed it for three-face-three but it works
with four face four.
Feel free to change B1 to two-hand turn and cast off, or lace-the-boot
to the bottom.
You need to run it at least twice because people want another chance at
the showoffy part.
I don't have a title for this but I made it up (because I needed
something right then) at a Firefly-themed birthday party a week after
being inspired by Susan Michaels's brief family dance seminar at Queer
Contra weekend, so I could call it "Firefly Jig", "Susan's Reel".
I
swiped the forward and back and march and wheel from a three-face-three
Sicilian called "Three Meet" so there might be a name choice there.
This one probably needs 11-year-old or older, and a band that can play
"Sellenger's Round".
$DISK9:[WINSTON.TEXT.DANCES.APW]SELLENGERS_WHEEL.TXT;2
SELLENGER'S WHEEL
Alan Winston, 11/16/2003
cut-down version of Sellenger's Round for 3-7 people, no partners needed.
Formation: circle of people facing in
Tune in Barnes, 5x.
I:
A: Slipping circle (*really* slipping) left and back to the right.
B: Chorus (same each time).
Set forward right and left
fall back straight
still facing in, set right and left
turn single
Repeat
II:
A: Lead into the center and back
Repeat
B: As above
III:
A: right hand star (contra style wrist grip keeps you from having a mess)
left hands back
B: As above
IV:
A: Basket left and _keep going_, not back to the right.
B: As above
(Finish with slipping circle again, but if you're repeating don't do
slipping
circle twice in a row - it's lame).
Hope this helps!
-- Alan
On 2/18/16 10:52 PM, Claire Takemori via Callers wrote:
Hi Everyone,
In preparation for calling my first family dance on March 6, I’d like to find some
family-friendly dances that are for very small groups, like 3-9 people.
Ideally NOT proper triplets, or 3x3s (already have a few of those) and NO gender roles.
I’ve got a good collection of simple dances for 10++ people, circles, lines, etc.
I’m preparing for a crowd of up to 100 but if it dwindles down to 1-2 families or starts
slow, I’d like something for small groups too.
Thanks!
Claire Takemori
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
8:58 a.m.
On 2016-02-18 2252, Claire Takemori via Callers wrote:
Hi Everyone,
In preparation for calling my first family dance on March 6, I’d like to find some
family-friendly dances that are for very small groups, like 3-9 people.
Ideally NOT proper triplets, or 3x3s (already have a few of those) and NO gender roles.
I’ve got a good collection of simple dances for 10++ people, circles, lines, etc.
I’m preparing for a crowd of up to 100 but if it dwindles down to 1-2 families or starts
slow, I’d like something for small groups too.
Thanks!
Claire Takemori
Sounds like fun.
Gender/lack of gender needn't be inherent in the dance structure, it's
how we choose to present it. In ONS most once-and-to-the-bottom dances
may be set up simply as "Line up across from your partner." A penny
dropped for me the time David Kaynor opened with that at a workshop.
Part of the keep it simple (for all), and have fun, philosophy.
Really most whole-set dances may be used. It's only if we fuss about
even numbers/pairs where we let ourselves get in the way, like choosing
to identify gender, . . . or not. Tack an extra person on somewhere and
have fun. Admittedly dances designed for an "extra" are handy as this
has been considered. <g>
Anderson Ferry Reel
Pride of the Pingle
are both for odd numbers and are fun and useful.
You'll find these on-line, the second on many of the barn dance sites.
Barn dance, community dance, eCeilidh, Bush dance sites/listings are
really handy in this regard.
If there is effectively the one set I'll join someone, anyone, to make a
pairing and call from within the set. Having a band member keep an eye
out for signals is useful.
Have a blast.
Cheers, John
--
J.D. Erskine
Victoria, BC
Island Dance - Folk & Country
dance info - site & mail list
Vancouver Island & BC islands
http://members.shaw.ca/island.dance/
3011
days inactive
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days old
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3 comments
4 participants
participants (4)
-
Alan Winston via Callers -
Claire Takemori via Callers
-
Erik Hoffman via Callers
-
JD Erskine via Callers