Hi Callers, I call a regular contra dance, once a month that is attended by many beginners. Yes they really are beginning something as we encourage them to come back. Often I do a lot of dances that are not contras as this is appropriate. Recently I decided to do an evening mostly of easy contras. I had problems I have had before, so, I have two requests today: (1) Many of the dances I do would now be called “unequal” dances as the actives do a lot more than the inactives. We often do “Actives down the center, turn alone, back and cast off”, figures that used to be among the most basic, but are not often done at today’s dances. Are any of you still doing dances that use these calls? Are any of you who do use these figures calling to a room made up mostly of beginners? Here is what I have been saying (roughly), or at least trying to say: * Actives identify who you are and notice who your neighbors are. * You are going to end up changing places with your neighbor, so that you are one place down from where you are now, and you will again be facing your partner as you are now. * Here is how you get there * Actives only, go down the center with your partner 5 or 6 steps (the meaning of “actives”, “down”, “center”, and “Partner” have all been previously established) * Turn alone in place. * Come back up the hall until you are standing between your neighbors. * Inactives put your arm around your active neighbor’s waists. * Actives you are going to separate from your partner * Inactives pivot your neighbor around, actives continuing forward, inactives backing up about ¾ of the way around until * The actives are one place down, below their neighbors, and all are facing their partners across the set as I showed you earlier. OK, I probably do not say all of this, all of the time, but I come close (I have recorded myself so I can check). There cannot be anything left to say can there? Do you think that there is something else to say or something to say differently? A demonstration preceded this. What do you do to teach these figures? (2) I also need more “equal” beginner and “very beginner” contras. My favorite is “Family Contra”. Do you have other equal contras for beginners and very beginners. I have several set dances and a few Sicilian circles for such folks, and I normally do them first so that dancers can get the idea of progressing to new neighbors, before we try contras. What I seem to need more of are “equal” contras for beginners and “very beginners”. What do you have that you can send me? Thanks, Rickey Holt Fremont, NH