30 Apr
2008
30 Apr
'08
3:52 p.m.
All-
Over the last few weeks I 've come across some questions related to calling and I
though I'd combine a couple in one note rather than inflict two messages on everyone.
Comments on either or both are appreciated.
1. I have run into the following mixer dance and I'm not sure how best to call it. I
don't know the name and author or I'd ask him/her. The problem is that no beat
counts or A1-A2-B1-B2 divisions were given.
The formation is a wavy circle with gents facing in, ladies facing out, partners by the
right. The moves are:
Balance the wave R/L
Allemande R half way and reform the wavy circle
Balance the wave L/R
Allemande L half way and reform the wavy circle
Balance the wave R/L
Allemande R 1x
Allemande L 1 1/2 times
Partners balance and swing
Promenade around the circle
Partners drop R hands and reform the circle. Old partner is in left hand, new partner in
right.
The problem is I can't make the timing look right. The first five moves look to all
be four beat moves, but then there are 12 beats left for the allemande R 1x and allemande
L 1 1/2. If not, moves are falling across the phrase.
Has anyone tried this dance or know anything about it? I'm thinking that drop the
third balancing of the wave would work best, but that means a half allemande, full
allemande, and 1 1/2 allemande consecutively.
2. I'm at the point where I want to try calling a dance medley. Any thoughts on good
combinations to start with? What coordination do you do with the band ahead of time?
Thanks.
-Parker
30 Apr
30 Apr
3:59 p.m.
Parker wrote:
1. I have run into the following mixer dance and
I'm not sure how best to
call it. I don't know the name and author or I'd ask him/her. The problem is
that no beat counts or A1-A2-B1-B2 divisions were given.
The formation is a wavy circle with gents facing in,
ladies facing out,
partners by the right. The moves are:
(I have modified this with measure counts, assuming 2 beats to a measure)
A1 1-2 Balance the wave R/L
3-4 Allemande R half way and reform the wavy circle
5-6 Balance the wave L/R
7-8 Allemande L half way and reform the wavy circle
A2 1-2 Balance the wave R/L
3-4 Allemande R 1x
5-8 Allemande L 1 1/2 times
B1 1-8 Partners balance and swing
B2 1-6 Promenade around the circle
7-8 Partners drop R hands and reform the circle.
Old partner is in left hand, new partner in right.
The problem is I can't make the timing look right.
The first five moves look
to all be four beat moves, but then there are 12 beats left for the allemande R
1x and allemande L 1 1/2. If not, moves are falling across the phrase.
I don't actually know this dance either, but can see this working. The
allemande R 1x works up some momentum which you don't have to damp to get into
the allemande L, and you _can_ get all the way around an allemande in four
steps. If you like you can encourage the dancers to try to do that. (What
will really happen is that the two allemandes will blur into one figure (which
will feel a little bit like a do pas o), and the timing will vary a bit from
person to person. But everybody's motivated to be on time for the balance
(which is definitely at the top of B1), so it will work, and if anybody's late
they can just get a shorter swing with their partner, so it won't break down.
Has anyone tried this dance or know anything about it?
I'm thinking that
drop the third balancing of the wave would work best, but that means a half
allemande, full allemande, and 1 1/2 allemande consecutively.
Don't drop the balance. You'll only confuse their muscle memory. And 12 beats
is enough time to do the allemande figures.
-- Alan
--
===============================================================================
Alan Winston --- WINSTON(a)SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone: 650/926-3056
Paper mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 99, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park CA 94025
===============================================================================
1 May
1 May
midnight
I believe this dance is "Sunday on the Green" by Jim Kitch.
Joyce Miller
Grass Valley, CA
On Apr 30, 2008, at 12:59 PM, Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing
wrote:
Parker wrote:
1. I have run into the following mixer dance and
I'm not sure how
best to
call it. I don't know the name and author or I'd ask him/her.
The problem is
that no beat counts or A1-A2-B1-B2 divisions were given.
30 Apr
30 Apr
4:15 p.m.
Hi Parker,
It looks like you've got it right. Here is how I break it out:
A1
Balance the wave R/L (4)
Allemande R half way and reform the wavy circle (4)
Balance the wave L/R (4)
Allemande L half way and reform the wavy circle (4)
A2
Balance the wave R/L (4)
Allemande R 1x (4 or 5)
Allemande L 1 1/2 times (7 or 8)
B1
Partners balance and swing (4+12)
B2
Promenade around the circle (14)
Partners drop R hands and reform the circle. Old partner is in left
hand, new partner in right. (2)
Sorry, I don't know the dance name or author. I do remember dancing this
a couple of times, though. It's nice that you swing the person you ask
to dance before leaving them unlike so many other mixers.
I also haven't put together any medleys yet, so can't help you there. Do
make sure that you think through the transition between the dances very
carefully and the phrasing that you will use to teach the new dance.
Make sure that all of your dances are dead simple!
Good Luck!
Chris Weiler
Goffstown, NH
PARKER MANN wrote:
All-
Over the last few weeks I 've come across some questions related to calling and I
though I'd combine a couple in one note rather than inflict two messages on everyone.
Comments on either or both are appreciated.
1. I have run into the following mixer dance and I'm not sure how best to call it. I
don't know the name and author or I'd ask him/her. The problem is that no beat
counts or A1-A2-B1-B2 divisions were given.
The formation is a wavy circle with gents facing in, ladies facing out, partners by the
right. The moves are:
Balance the wave R/L
Allemande R half way and reform the wavy circle
Balance the wave L/R
Allemande L half way and reform the wavy circle
Balance the wave R/L
Allemande R 1x
Allemande L 1 1/2 times
Partners balance and swing
Promenade around the circle
Partners drop R hands and reform the circle. Old partner is in left hand, new partner in
right.
The problem is I can't make the timing look right. The first five moves look to all
be four beat moves, but then there are 12 beats left for the allemande R 1x and allemande
L 1 1/2. If not, moves are falling across the phrase.
Has anyone tried this dance or know anything about it? I'm thinking that drop the
third balancing of the wave would work best, but that means a half allemande, full
allemande, and 1 1/2 allemande consecutively.
2. I'm at the point where I want to try calling a dance medley. Any thoughts on good
combinations to start with? What coordination do you do with the band ahead of time?
Thanks.
-Parker
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6:22 p.m.
Hi Parker,
I think the dance is Sunday on the Green by Jim
Kitch.
(the version I have has Allemande L 1/2 ending A2
and Promenade in skater's hold for B2)
Cheers, Bill
5:28 p.m.
Ok. I'll jump in on the medley question.
My guidelines for medleys are
0) Before anything else, are you comfortable calling all of the
dances you're going to use in the medley as no walk thrus? Have you
done so before? That might be a good place to start.
1) Contrasting first moves -- this makes it easier to get folks
attention at the top of the dance -- if your first dance starts with
DoSiDo, then the second one could start with a Balance and Swing (or
allemande R, or something else)
2) Make sure that all of the moves needed for the dance are known by
the dancers -- better still, make sure that you've actually used them
(and seen that they went with no trouble) yourself earlier in the
evening. I've had times that I've put a medley together, looked at
it and realized that the medley had a right and left thru, and that
I'd made it through the entire dance without using a R&L Thru -- I
quickly changed dances for the medley
3) Make sure that the progressions work together. While it is
possible to do a medley where you go from becket to improper or vice
versa, I wouldn't recommend trying it until you're comfortable with
medleys. Make sure that folks don't have to use the same hand twice
in a row to make the progression (ie Right Hand Star to end one dance
and allemande R to start the next
4) You may get the medley started and realize that 30 new dancers
just got off the bus and that if you change dances when planned the
whole thing is going to fall apart. If so, there's nothing wrong
with just deciding to keep the same dance for the rest of the
set. Let the band know, and then let it go. The dancers probably
won't even notice.
5) You can also do a medley where the first dance is slightly more
complicated. Walk it through, dance, switch to another nice simple
dance, and then switch back to the first dance to finish.
As far as the band goes
1) Give them a heads up that you want to do a medley.
2) Let them know that you'll cue the changes from tune to tune --
discuss how many time through for each tune -- you'll want an even
number for the first two dances, and an odd number for the last
one. That way everyone's in for each new dance, and then it ends
with everyone in. ie 4-4-5
3) Don't do a medley as the last dance of the evening. Your band
will thank you. The last dance of the evening, they want to pull out
the stops and play some rip roaring tunes, and it's hard to do that
if the caller's calling the whole time. Better to do it earlier in
the evening -- maybe first dance after the break or last before,
depending on the group.
Example of a 2 dance medley I've used. The transition from
Delphiniums to Nice Combination isn't quite as good as I'd like, but
it works ok -- allemande R into B&S works ok, but not as well as I'd
like. Anyone else have any other favorite medleys?
Hey in the Barn
A1 N B&S
A2 L Chain
1/2 Hey
B1 P B&S
L Chain
1/2 Hey
Delphiniums and Dasies
A1 N All L 1.5
L Chain
A2 Hey
B1 P B&S
B2 CL 3/4
N Allemande R 1.5
Nice Combination
A1 N B&S
A2 Down the Hall
Turn as a couple, come back
B1 CL 3/4
P Sw
B2 L Chain
LHS 1x
This has gotten longer than planned, but I hope it helps!
Jack
At 03:52 PM 4/30/2008, you wrote:
2. I'm at the point where I want to try calling a
dance medley. Any
thoughts on good combinations to start with? What coordination do
you do with the band ahead of time?
Thanks.
-Parker
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Callers(a)sharedweight.net
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1 May
1 May
11:48 a.m.
Jack, Parker, and All;
Actually, Jack, you post wasn't too long, but full of excellent advice.
One additional comment; when switching dances, it helps to call a couple of beats earlier
than usual, on the 3's instead of the 5's. You can do this by either starting
sooner, or adding leading patter, such as "face across, and circle to the L"
instead of "circle to the L." Dancers will know a change is happening, and may
be apprehensive about the next call, so early calls will put them more at ease. Raising
your volume a bit or changing your tone of voice also helps. After the first time through
a new dance, you can return to normal timing and voice.
For those contra callers thinking about calling squares, calling some medleys is a good
intermediate step. A three dance medley will require changing the calls twice, whereas in
a square at least some of the calls will change every time through. As Jack mentioned,
sometimes in a medley you have to think on your feet, which is another skill needed in
squares.
Bob
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:28:54 -0400> To:
callers(a)sharedweight.net> From: jamitch3(a)mindspring.com> Subject: Re: [Callers] 2
questions> > Ok. I'll jump in on the medley question.> > My guidelines for
medleys are> > 0) Before anything else, are you comfortable calling all of the >
dances you're going to use in the medley as no walk thrus? Have you > done so
before? That might be a good place to start.> 1) Contrasting first moves -- this makes
it easier to get folks > attention at the top of the dance -- if your first dance
starts with > DoSiDo, then the second one could start with a Balance and Swing (or >
allemande R, or something else)> 2) Make sure that all of the moves needed for the
dance are known by > the dancers -- better still, make sure that you've actually
used them > (and seen that they went with no trouble) yourself earlier in the >
evening. I've had times that I've put a medley together, looked at > it and
realized that the medley had a right and left thru, and that > I'd made it through
the entire dance without using a R&L Thru -- I > quickly changed dances for the
medley> 3) Make sure that the progressions work together. While it is > possible to
do a medley where you go from becket to improper or vice > versa, I wouldn't
recommend trying it until you're comfortable with > medleys. Make sure that folks
don't have to use the same hand twice > in a row to make the progression (ie Right
Hand Star to end one dance > and allemande R to start the next> 4) You may get the
medley started and realize that 30 new dancers > just got off the bus and that if you
change dances when planned the > whole thing is going to fall apart. If so, there's
nothing wrong > with just deciding to keep the same dance for the rest of the > set.
Let the band know, and then let it go. The dancers probably > won't even
notice.> 5) You can also do a medley where the first dance is slightly more >
complicated. Walk it through, dance, switch to another nice simple > dance, and then
switch back to the first dance to finish.> > As far as the band goes> > 1)
Give them a heads up that you want to do a medley.> 2) Let them know that you'll
cue the changes from tune to tune -- > discuss how many time through for each tune --
you'll want an even > number for the first two dances, and an odd number for the
last > one. That way everyone's in for each new dance, and then it ends > with
everyone in. ie 4-4-5> 3) Don't do a medley as the last dance of the evening. Your
band > will thank you. The last dance of the evening, they want to pull out > the
stops and play some rip roaring tunes, and it's hard to do that > if the
caller's calling the whole time. Better to do it earlier in > the evening -- maybe
first dance after the break or last before, > depending on the group.> > Example
of a 2 dance medley I've used. The transition from > Delphiniums to Nice
Combination isn't quite as good as I'd like, but > it works ok -- allemande R
into B&S works ok, but not as well as I'd > like. Anyone else have any other
favorite medleys?> > Hey in the Barn> A1 N B&S> A2 L Chain> 1/2 Hey>
B1 P B&S> L Chain> 1/2 Hey> > Delphiniums and Dasies> A1 N All L
1.5> L Chain> A2 Hey> B1 P B&S> B2 CL 3/4> N Allemande R 1.5> >
Nice Combination> > A1 N B&S> A2 Down the Hall> Turn as a couple, come
back> B1 CL 3/4> P Sw> B2 L Chain> LHS 1x> > > This has gotten longer
than planned, but I hope it helps!> > Jack> > > > At 03:52 PM 4/30/2008,
you wrote:> >2. I'm at the point where I want to try calling a dance medley. Any
> >thoughts on good combinations to start with? What coordination do > >you do
with the band ahead of time?> >> >Thanks.> >> >-Parker>
>_______________________________________________> >Callers mailing list>
>Callers(a)sharedweight.net>
>http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers> >
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Callers(a)sharedweight.net> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
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30 Apr
30 Apr
8:23 p.m.
Parker wrote:
2. I'm at the point where I want to try calling a
dance medley.
I'm sorry to hear that Parker. I recommend drinking lots of water
and getting some sleep.
Personally, I have never reached that point. You have done the right
thing by announcing your compulsion here, where there are others who
might help. If these ideas persists for more than a few days I
recommend the following:
1. Be sure to announce in advance your intention so that the dancers
have the opportunity to sit out, or leave the dance early. There is
nothing worse than being ambushed into a medley without warning.
2. Warn the band so that they can play tunes they don't want the
dancers to listen to.
3. Pick an occasion where there are no beginners present, such as a
festival or a dance camp. That way the dancers won't have to make
excuses when they avoid beginners for this substantial chunk of the evening.
Just a few thoughts.
Greg McKenzie
10:42 p.m.
You have done the right
thing by announcing your compulsion here, where there are others who
might help. If these ideas persists for more than a few days I
recommend the following:
1. Be sure to announce in advance your intention so that the dancers
have the opportunity to sit out, or leave the dance early. There is
nothing worse than being ambushed into a medley without warning.
2. Warn the band so that they can play tunes they don't want the
dancers to listen to.
3. Pick an occasion where there are no beginners present, such as a
festival or a dance camp. That way the dancers won't have to make
excuses when they avoid beginners for this substantial chunk of the
evening.
Just a few thoughts.
Greg McKenzie
****Do I sense a certain amount of subtext here?***
(just asking...)
:)
1 May
1 May
9:33 a.m.
Greg,
As with Amy's comment, I'm not sure how much to take here as tongue and
cheek and how much is an actual dislike for medleys. I'm a novice caller,
but a very experienced dancer and dance teacher and I find that medleys can
be a very fun experience for all involved if done thoughtfully and at the
proper time.
Some responses to your comments:
1. Announcing a medley in advance if obviously advisable in a mixed crowd,
but with experienced dancers, going directly into one without announcement
simply adds to the energy. I've never experienced a medley as an 'ambush'
nor have I heard that from others. Most dancers I'm aware of find the
experience quite exciting as long as the changes are clearly communicated
and flow logically from the previous moves.
2. I think the music always make a difference and that dancers are always
aware of it unless a line has completely fallen apart.
3. While some medleys, such as the recent ones at NEFFA can go on for a
while (25 minutes), a well-done one needn't take up any more time than the
10-12 minutes of a regular dance. I point to Rick Mohr's lovely medley at
the NEFFA Keen Contra's session as an example. He called a medley without a
starting walk-through that included two changes. The moves and the changes
weren't difficult but the crowd loved it and the phenomenal fiddle playing
didn't hurt. In contrast, although I enjoyed the planned medley I went to at
NEFFA (Saturday, high school), I thought it lacked some of the spontaneity
that makes a medley fun and exciting to dance to (no offense to anyone who
called or helped plan them...the dances changes did flow together very
nicely and I think part of the issue was that the music started out too
slow).
I also believe that a medley can be fun even for novice dancers who know the
basics. The fun is in not so much in the complexity of the dance but in not
knowing what will come next. At the Northfield, MA dance in the 1980s, the
Fourgone Conclusions would often play continuously for 20-25 minutes. Cammy
Kaynor would often gradually change the dance once or twice across that
time, usually keeping half the dance the same and altering the other half.
This generally worked quite well, kept things interesting for the dancers
and was not apparently confusing for the less experienced dancers. (Cammy
occasionally did other things back then that would have completely
overwhelmed beginners, like walking through one dance and then calling a
completely different one, but that's a different discussion.)
Will Loving
Amherst, MA
on 4/30/08 8:23 PM, Greg McKenzie at gregmck(a)earthlink.net wrote:
Parker wrote:
--
William M. Loving
Dedication Technologies, Inc.
7 Coach Lane
Amherst, MA 01002-3304 USA
will(a)dedicationtechnologies.com
Tel: +1 413 253-7223 (GMT Â5)
Fax: +1 206 202-0476
2. I'm at the point where I want to try
calling a dance medley.
I'm sorry to hear that Parker. I recommend drinking lots of water
and getting some sleep.
Personally, I have never reached that point. You have done the right
thing by announcing your compulsion here, where there are others who
might help. If these ideas persists for more than a few days I
recommend the following:
1. Be sure to announce in advance your intention so that the dancers
have the opportunity to sit out, or leave the dance early. There is
nothing worse than being ambushed into a medley without warning.
2. Warn the band so that they can play tunes they don't want the
dancers to listen to.
3. Pick an occasion where there are no beginners present, such as a
festival or a dance camp. That way the dancers won't have to make
excuses when they avoid beginners for this substantial chunk of the evening.
Just a few thoughts.
Greg McKenzie
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http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers 
7:50 p.m.
I like the occasional medley, such as the special ones at NEFFA, but
I do feel ambushed when a caller throws one in at a regular dance. As
a dancer, I love to get into the groove of the dance, and I love when
the caller stops calling. Therefore, I hate medleys because I have to
keep listening to the darn caller for the whole dance and never get
to reach that non-thinking groove zone.
IMHO, of course.
Lisa
9:04 p.m.
Ah, but there is another non-thinking groove zone that traditional square
dancers understood and somehow modern contra dancers don't get: you don't
have to think, just do what the darn caller tells you to do each time around
and enjoy the variety and the spice of not knowing what is coming next. I
find it better than the "do the same thing over and over and over and over"
boredom of the (always soooo similar) modern contra scene. The fun is the
three legged stool: the caller, the band, and the dancers. Modern contra
dancers only want the music. Their loss.
IMVHO, of course.
Beth
-----Original Message-----
From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-
bounces(a)sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Lisa Sieverts
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 7:51 PM
To: Caller's discussion list
Subject: Re: [Callers] 2 questions
I like the occasional medley, such as the special ones at NEFFA, but
I do feel ambushed when a caller throws one in at a regular dance. As
a dancer, I love to get into the groove of the dance, and I love when
the caller stops calling. Therefore, I hate medleys because I have to
keep listening to the darn caller for the whole dance and never get
to reach that non-thinking groove zone.
IMHO, of course.
Lisa
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1:47 p.m.
New subject: Calling contra medleys, and some history of the NEFFA contra medley
This is a rather long post, including background on
the NEFFA contra dance medley.
First, it's worth considering why you want to call a
dance medley. Are you trying to test your level of
skill as a caller? Are the dancers clamoring for a
medley? Has the band asked for a challenge? The
approach you take to calling a medley depends on your
answers to these questions.
When I created the NEFFA contra dance medley in 1984,
there was a specific reason for it. The festival had
been moved from its usual time at the end of the
school vacation week to the beginning due to religious
holidays. This meant that there were only a few hours
to set up spaces for events. We (I was program
co-chair that year) decided to have a two-day
festival, with programming running for 2 full days and
nights on Saturday and Sunday with a pre-Festival
dance Friday night.
We hired two bands, New England Tradition and Yankee
Ingenuity, to play for the dance, and had several
callers do a few dances each. Because there would be
two bands, we decided that a break would be
unnecessary- dancers could sit out when they wanted
to.
When I was trying to figure out how to do the
transition from one band to another, the idea of the
medley occurred to me. Some individual callers have
been calling dances for a long time, but I hadn't
experienced I'm oriented toward community building,
and saw the transition aspect of changing bands and
callers as challenging for all involved- callers,
musicians, and dancers. When I spoke with the bands.
they were very enthusiastic.
My original thought regarding the bands was that they
would literally change places during the medley- Bob
McQuillen would start at the piano and then Peter
Barnes would slide onto the bench, etc. The band had
other ideas though. They decided they would all play
through the whole medley.
I approached several callers to see if they were
interested in participating, and, knowing this would
be the first time, decided to work within several
guidelines. I alternated between men and women
callers to help dancers distinguish between voices. I
had the second caller call the last time through the
first dance, using that as a signal to both the
dancers and musicians that a change would be happening
the next time. I asked the bands to alternate between
jigs and reels, and they agreed enthusiastically.
When I announced the medley, I deliberately went out
of my way to scare people off. I said it was for
experienced dancers only, there would be no
walk-through, and explained how it would work.
Because it was the first time, and I naively assumed
it would be the only time the medley was done, i
really didn't want to see it fall apart because some
couldn't get through contra corners. It was also
Friday the 13th (the dance I called, the last in the
medley, was brand new, and so titled), so I was
concerned that it wouldn't go over well.
The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
Comments on calling medleys yourself-
I agree with other posters that it's important to know
your material well. The dances must have smooth
transitions, leaving dancers facing in the right
direction with the appropriate hands free for the next
figure. Left hand star to balance and swing, and
right and left through to forward and back are good
examples of this notion.
It's not at all important to have what you think of as
challenging dances in the medley. In fact, especially
for the first time, interesting but not unusual
figures are better. If you're going to continue to
call medleys, make sure you start simple and build up.
Talk to the band. If it's a band that you work with
regularly, all the better, since you and they know
each other well enough to trust each other. If
they're comfortable changing tempos, fine. The
success of the medley is based on collaboration.
Susan Elberger
Arlington, MA
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2:01 p.m.
New subject: idea for a longer contra medley
I danced the medley last weekend and thought it should have been
longer, perhaps eight callers with eight cycles thru each dance. What
do other think about this idea?
Janet Levatin
On May 1, 2008, at 1:47 PM, cathy jones wrote:
This is a rather long post, including background on
the NEFFA contra dance medley.
First, it's worth considering why you want to call a
dance medley. Are you trying to test your level of
skill as a caller? Are the dancers clamoring for a
medley? Has the band asked for a challenge? The
approach you take to calling a medley depends on your
answers to these questions.
When I created the NEFFA contra dance medley in 1984,
there was a specific reason for it. The festival had
been moved from its usual time at the end of the
school vacation week to the beginning due to religious
holidays. This meant that there were only a few hours
to set up spaces for events. We (I was program
co-chair that year) decided to have a two-day
festival, with programming running for 2 full days and
nights on Saturday and Sunday with a pre-Festival
dance Friday night.
We hired two bands, New England Tradition and Yankee
Ingenuity, to play for the dance, and had several
callers do a few dances each. Because there would be
two bands, we decided that a break would be
unnecessary- dancers could sit out when they wanted
to.
When I was trying to figure out how to do the
transition from one band to another, the idea of the
medley occurred to me. Some individual callers have
been calling dances for a long time, but I hadn't
experienced I'm oriented toward community building,
and saw the transition aspect of changing bands and
callers as challenging for all involved- callers,
musicians, and dancers. When I spoke with the bands.
they were very enthusiastic.
My original thought regarding the bands was that they
would literally change places during the medley- Bob
McQuillen would start at the piano and then Peter
Barnes would slide onto the bench, etc. The band had
other ideas though. They decided they would all play
through the whole medley.
I approached several callers to see if they were
interested in participating, and, knowing this would
be the first time, decided to work within several
guidelines. I alternated between men and women
callers to help dancers distinguish between voices. I
had the second caller call the last time through the
first dance, using that as a signal to both the
dancers and musicians that a change would be happening
the next time. I asked the bands to alternate between
jigs and reels, and they agreed enthusiastically.
When I announced the medley, I deliberately went out
of my way to scare people off. I said it was for
experienced dancers only, there would be no
walk-through, and explained how it would work.
Because it was the first time, and I naively assumed
it would be the only time the medley was done, i
really didn't want to see it fall apart because some
couldn't get through contra corners. It was also
Friday the 13th (the dance I called, the last in the
medley, was brand new, and so titled), so I was
concerned that it wouldn't go over well.
The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
Comments on calling medleys yourself-
I agree with other posters that it's important to know
your material well. The dances must have smooth
transitions, leaving dancers facing in the right
direction with the appropriate hands free for the next
figure. Left hand star to balance and swing, and
right and left through to forward and back are good
examples of this notion.
It's not at all important to have what you think of as
challenging dances in the medley. In fact, especially
for the first time, interesting but not unusual
figures are better. If you're going to continue to
call medleys, make sure you start simple and build up.
Talk to the band. If it's a band that you work with
regularly, all the better, since you and they know
each other well enough to trust each other. If
they're comfortable changing tempos, fine. The
success of the medley is based on collaboration.
Susan Elberger
Arlington, MA
_______________________________________________________________________
_____________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
_______________________________________________
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2:09 p.m.
New subject: idea for a longer contra medley
I say this as someone who LOVES medleys, but I personally would not like the
NEFFA medleys to be longer. I think it would great to have *more* of them,
but... well, I've got an issue with the medley culture at NEFFA: there's a
lot of pressure to get a fantastic partner and a fantastic set, for fear
that the medley/square won't be *quite* as awesome as it *has* to be. If
you make the medleys longer, that ups the pressure even more. A lot of my
friends had their medley partners booked weeks in advance!
On the other hand, if you add, say, two more medleys of the same length
(even make each medley session into an hour-long session, but run two
separate medleys in each session), then you've got four chances rather than
two to have that perfect-medley experience, so that could decrease the
pressure for each individual medley.
So... what do the rest of you think? Longer medleys, more medleys? No
medleys?
- Koren
On Thu, May 1, 2008 at 2:01 PM, Janet Levatin <jlevatin(a)massmed.org> wrote:
I danced the medley last weekend and thought it should
have been
longer, perhaps eight callers with eight cycles thru each dance. What
do other think about this idea?
Janet Levatin
On May 1, 2008, at 1:47 PM, cathy jones wrote:
This is a rather long post, including background
on
the NEFFA contra dance medley.
First, it's worth considering why you want to call a
dance medley. Are you trying to test your level of
skill as a caller? Are the dancers clamoring for a
medley? Has the band asked for a challenge? The
approach you take to calling a medley depends on your
answers to these questions.
When I created the NEFFA contra dance medley in 1984,
there was a specific reason for it. The festival had
been moved from its usual time at the end of the
school vacation week to the beginning due to religious
holidays. This meant that there were only a few hours
to set up spaces for events. We (I was program
co-chair that year) decided to have a two-day
festival, with programming running for 2 full days and
nights on Saturday and Sunday with a pre-Festival
dance Friday night.
We hired two bands, New England Tradition and Yankee
Ingenuity, to play for the dance, and had several
callers do a few dances each. Because there would be
two bands, we decided that a break would be
unnecessary- dancers could sit out when they wanted
to.
When I was trying to figure out how to do the
transition from one band to another, the idea of the
medley occurred to me. Some individual callers have
been calling dances for a long time, but I hadn't
experienced I'm oriented toward community building,
and saw the transition aspect of changing bands and
callers as challenging for all involved- callers,
musicians, and dancers. When I spoke with the bands.
they were very enthusiastic.
My original thought regarding the bands was that they
would literally change places during the medley- Bob
McQuillen would start at the piano and then Peter
Barnes would slide onto the bench, etc. The band had
other ideas though. They decided they would all play
through the whole medley.
I approached several callers to see if they were
interested in participating, and, knowing this would
be the first time, decided to work within several
guidelines. I alternated between men and women
callers to help dancers distinguish between voices. I
had the second caller call the last time through the
first dance, using that as a signal to both the
dancers and musicians that a change would be happening
the next time. I asked the bands to alternate between
jigs and reels, and they agreed enthusiastically.
When I announced the medley, I deliberately went out
of my way to scare people off. I said it was for
experienced dancers only, there would be no
walk-through, and explained how it would work.
Because it was the first time, and I naively assumed
it would be the only time the medley was done, i
really didn't want to see it fall apart because some
couldn't get through contra corners. It was also
Friday the 13th (the dance I called, the last in the
medley, was brand new, and so titled), so I was
concerned that it wouldn't go over well.
The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
Comments on calling medleys yourself-
I agree with other posters that it's important to know
your material well. The dances must have smooth
transitions, leaving dancers facing in the right
direction with the appropriate hands free for the next
figure. Left hand star to balance and swing, and
right and left through to forward and back are good
examples of this notion.
It's not at all important to have what you think of as
challenging dances in the medley. In fact, especially
for the first time, interesting but not unusual
figures are better. If you're going to continue to
call medleys, make sure you start simple and build up.
Talk to the band. If it's a band that you work with
regularly, all the better, since you and they know
each other well enough to trust each other. If
they're comfortable changing tempos, fine. The
success of the medley is based on collaboration.
Susan Elberger
Arlington, MA
_______________________________________________________________________
_____________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
_______________________________________________
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
2:22 p.m.
New subject: idea for a longer contra medley
I like some of those ideas. I would at least like to see the 6 dances
each repeated 8 times, or 8 dances each repeated 6 times. Or maybe two
6 x 6 in a row. I just thought the whole thing was a bit too short.
Janet
On May 1, 2008, at 2:09 PM, Koren A. Wake wrote:
I say this as someone who LOVES medleys, but I
personally would not
like the
NEFFA medleys to be longer. I think it would great to have *more* of
them,
but... well, I've got an issue with the medley culture at NEFFA:
there's a
lot of pressure to get a fantastic partner and a fantastic set, for
fear
that the medley/square won't be *quite* as awesome as it *has* to be.
If
you make the medleys longer, that ups the pressure even more. A lot
of my
friends had their medley partners booked weeks in advance!
On the other hand, if you add, say, two more medleys of the same length
(even make each medley session into an hour-long session, but run two
separate medleys in each session), then you've got four chances rather
than
two to have that perfect-medley experience, so that could decrease the
pressure for each individual medley.
So... what do the rest of you think? Longer medleys, more medleys? No
medleys?
- Koren
On Thu, May 1, 2008 at 2:01 PM, Janet Levatin <jlevatin(a)massmed.org>
wrote:
I danced the medley last weekend and thought it
should have been
longer, perhaps eight callers with eight cycles thru each dance. What
do other think about this idea?
Janet Levatin
On May 1, 2008, at 1:47 PM, cathy jones wrote:
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
This is a rather long post, including background
on
the NEFFA contra dance medley.
First, it's worth considering why you want to call a
dance medley. Are you trying to test your level of
skill as a caller? Are the dancers clamoring for a
medley? Has the band asked for a challenge? The
approach you take to calling a medley depends on your
answers to these questions.
When I created the NEFFA contra dance medley in 1984,
there was a specific reason for it. The festival had
been moved from its usual time at the end of the
school vacation week to the beginning due to religious
holidays. This meant that there were only a few hours
to set up spaces for events. We (I was program
co-chair that year) decided to have a two-day
festival, with programming running for 2 full days and
nights on Saturday and Sunday with a pre-Festival
dance Friday night.
We hired two bands, New England Tradition and Yankee
Ingenuity, to play for the dance, and had several
callers do a few dances each. Because there would be
two bands, we decided that a break would be
unnecessary- dancers could sit out when they wanted
to.
When I was trying to figure out how to do the
transition from one band to another, the idea of the
medley occurred to me. Some individual callers have
been calling dances for a long time, but I hadn't
experienced I'm oriented toward community building,
and saw the transition aspect of changing bands and
callers as challenging for all involved- callers,
musicians, and dancers. When I spoke with the bands.
they were very enthusiastic.
My original thought regarding the bands was that they
would literally change places during the medley- Bob
McQuillen would start at the piano and then Peter
Barnes would slide onto the bench, etc. The band had
other ideas though. They decided they would all play
through the whole medley.
I approached several callers to see if they were
interested in participating, and, knowing this would
be the first time, decided to work within several
guidelines. I alternated between men and women
callers to help dancers distinguish between voices. I
had the second caller call the last time through the
first dance, using that as a signal to both the
dancers and musicians that a change would be happening
the next time. I asked the bands to alternate between
jigs and reels, and they agreed enthusiastically.
When I announced the medley, I deliberately went out
of my way to scare people off. I said it was for
experienced dancers only, there would be no
walk-through, and explained how it would work.
Because it was the first time, and I naively assumed
it would be the only time the medley was done, i
really didn't want to see it fall apart because some
couldn't get through contra corners. It was also
Friday the 13th (the dance I called, the last in the
medley, was brand new, and so titled), so I was
concerned that it wouldn't go over well.
The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
Comments on calling medleys yourself-
I agree with other posters that it's important to know
your material well. The dances must have smooth
transitions, leaving dancers facing in the right
direction with the appropriate hands free for the next
figure. Left hand star to balance and swing, and
right and left through to forward and back are good
examples of this notion.
It's not at all important to have what you think of as
challenging dances in the medley. In fact, especially
for the first time, interesting but not unusual
figures are better. If you're going to continue to
call medleys, make sure you start simple and build up.
Talk to the band. If it's a band that you work with
regularly, all the better, since you and they know
each other well enough to trust each other. If
they're comfortable changing tempos, fine. The
success of the medley is based on collaboration.
Susan Elberger
Arlington, MA
_____________________________________________________________________
__
_____________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
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http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
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2:49 p.m.
New subject: idea for a longer contra medley
Speaking as a caller who made a mistake during his medley, it was
eternal. 8^)
Right now 6 dances repeated 6 times works out to roughly 19 minutes.
That's just enough time to get set up, form lines, recite the
warning/welcoming poem and be done in time to allow the bands to change
for the next set. 6 dances repeated 8 times is almost 26 minutes. That
doesn't leave any time for the band change.
Koren's idea of having two medleys in a session might be more practical,
but I have another concern: What about the musicians? It's a long time
to play and I've talked to some after playing for a medley and heard how
fatigued they are.
Happy Dancing!
Chris Weiler
Goffstown, NH
Janet Levatin wrote:
I like some of those ideas. I would at least like to
see the 6 dances
each repeated 8 times, or 8 dances each repeated 6 times. Or maybe two
6 x 6 in a row. I just thought the whole thing was a bit too short.
Janet
4:43 p.m.
New subject: idea for a longer contra medley
I concur with Koren on this. Making the medleys longer will just increase
what I call the "meat market" atmosphere. I think more medleys is a better
idea.
On Thu, May 1, 2008 at 2:09 PM, Koren A. Wake <koren.a.wake(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
I say this as someone who LOVES medleys, but I
personally would not like
the
NEFFA medleys to be longer. I think it would great to have *more* of
them,
but... well, I've got an issue with the medley culture at NEFFA: there's a
lot of pressure to get a fantastic partner and a fantastic set, for fear
that the medley/square won't be *quite* as awesome as it *has* to be. If
you make the medleys longer, that ups the pressure even more. A lot of my
friends had their medley partners booked weeks in advance!
On the other hand, if you add, say, two more medleys of the same length
(even make each medley session into an hour-long session, but run two
separate medleys in each session), then you've got four chances rather
than
two to have that perfect-medley experience, so that could decrease the
pressure for each individual medley.
So... what do the rest of you think? Longer medleys, more medleys? No
medleys?
- Koren
On Thu, May 1, 2008 at 2:01 PM, Janet Levatin <jlevatin(a)massmed.org>
wrote:
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
I danced the medley last weekend and thought it
should have been
longer, perhaps eight callers with eight cycles thru each dance. What
do other think about this idea?
Janet Levatin
On May 1, 2008, at 1:47 PM, cathy jones wrote:
> This is a rather long post, including background on
> the NEFFA contra dance medley.
>
> First, it's worth considering why you want to call a
> dance medley. Are you trying to test your level of
> skill as a caller? Are the dancers clamoring for a
> medley? Has the band asked for a challenge? The
> approach you take to calling a medley depends on your
> answers to these questions.
>
> When I created the NEFFA contra dance medley in 1984,
> there was a specific reason for it. The festival had
> been moved from its usual time at the end of the
> school vacation week to the beginning due to religious
> holidays. This meant that there were only a few hours
> to set up spaces for events. We (I was program
> co-chair that year) decided to have a two-day
> festival, with programming running for 2 full days and
> nights on Saturday and Sunday with a pre-Festival
> dance Friday night.
>
> We hired two bands, New England Tradition and Yankee
> Ingenuity, to play for the dance, and had several
> callers do a few dances each. Because there would be
> two bands, we decided that a break would be
> unnecessary- dancers could sit out when they wanted
> to.
>
> When I was trying to figure out how to do the
> transition from one band to another, the idea of the
> medley occurred to me. Some individual callers have
> been calling dances for a long time, but I hadn't
> experienced I'm oriented toward community building,
> and saw the transition aspect of changing bands and
> callers as challenging for all involved- callers,
> musicians, and dancers. When I spoke with the bands.
> they were very enthusiastic.
>
> My original thought regarding the bands was that they
> would literally change places during the medley- Bob
> McQuillen would start at the piano and then Peter
> Barnes would slide onto the bench, etc. The band had
> other ideas though. They decided they would all play
> through the whole medley.
>
> I approached several callers to see if they were
> interested in participating, and, knowing this would
> be the first time, decided to work within several
> guidelines. I alternated between men and women
> callers to help dancers distinguish between voices. I
> had the second caller call the last time through the
> first dance, using that as a signal to both the
> dancers and musicians that a change would be happening
> the next time. I asked the bands to alternate between
> jigs and reels, and they agreed enthusiastically.
>
> When I announced the medley, I deliberately went out
> of my way to scare people off. I said it was for
> experienced dancers only, there would be no
> walk-through, and explained how it would work.
> Because it was the first time, and I naively assumed
> it would be the only time the medley was done, i
> really didn't want to see it fall apart because some
> couldn't get through contra corners. It was also
> Friday the 13th (the dance I called, the last in the
> medley, was brand new, and so titled), so I was
> concerned that it wouldn't go over well.
>
> The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
>
> Comments on calling medleys yourself-
>
> I agree with other posters that it's important to know
> your material well. The dances must have smooth
> transitions, leaving dancers facing in the right
> direction with the appropriate hands free for the next
> figure. Left hand star to balance and swing, and
> right and left through to forward and back are good
> examples of this notion.
>
> It's not at all important to have what you think of as
> challenging dances in the medley. In fact, especially
> for the first time, interesting but not unusual
> figures are better. If you're going to continue to
> call medleys, make sure you start simple and build up.
>
>
> Talk to the band. If it's a band that you work with
> regularly, all the better, since you and they know
> each other well enough to trust each other. If
> they're comfortable changing tempos, fine. The
> success of the medley is based on collaboration.
>
> Susan Elberger
> Arlington, MA
>
>
>
>
_______________________________________________________________________
_____________
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know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
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4:48 p.m.
New subject: Calling contra medleys
Just about my favorite story of this past NEFFA weekend was someone (who
shall remain unnamed, but is a member of this list <G>) who was at the NEFFA
annual meeting Sunday morning on her cell phone saying "Yeah, he called me
at midnight last night to say he wasn't going to dance the medley with me
after all. So now I need to find a medley partner." (Or that is how I
remember it. I'm sure it's not a direct quote, but a paraphrase through my
own brain.)
I call medleys frequently and break several of the previously mentioned
requirements:
I don't warn the dancers.
I call my medley as the last dance of the evening.
I call dances that all begin the same way (usually neighbor balance and
swing).
I call dance medleys even if there are still beginners in the line - the new
folks who are still there for the last dance have usually gotten contra
dancing well enough to be no more confused in a medley than they are in all
the other dances.
I use the most basic glossary dances for my medleys. One of my most common:
Lady of the Lake
Woods Hole Jig (or what I call "Woods Hole Reel - which replaces the last B
with long lines forward and back, ones swing)
Forgotten Treasure
Hey Fever
I can get even more basic and do
Lady of the Lake
Lady Walpole's Reel
Woods Hole
Forgotten Treasure
These are almost the same dance in different orders. In other words, dances
I wouldn't usually use as a stand-alone because they might be just too plain
for a crowd of regular Scout House dancers.
My closing medleys are usually 4 dances 4 or 6 times through (six if the
dancers are having trouble, four if not.) The last dance is, of course, 5
times.
I know my band well and I call the tune changes. If I am working with a band
I don't regularly work with, I will talk to them about it and forgo the
whole thing if it sounds like the hot ending is important to them.
I sometimes don't worry about tune change matching dance change.
If I have any doubt about getting all of the dancers through it successfully
(say, I have one or two "riderless horses") I will not do the medley.
HTH,
Beth
5:14 p.m.
New subject: Calling contra medleys
I'm surprised people feel obligated (or even want) to dance 30 minutes
in the same line with the same partner. A few years ago Cleveland did a
3-hour medley dance. People danced for however long they wanted, then
found a new partner or sat out once they got to the end of a line,
switching around just like a regular contra evening. Of course I
wouldn't expect people to keep a partner for that 3-hour dance, but
there's no reason it couldn't work the same way for, say, an hour-long
medley. Perhaps longer medleys would be fine, as long as dancers
understood they were encouraged to change partners throughout. I
suppose the lines would have to be short enough so that dancers reached
an end often enough. At that dance, the bands switched out too, so
there was no problem with the musicians getting tired.
-David Giusti
----- Original Message -----
From: Beth Parkes <ebay(a)hands4.com>
Date: Thursday, May 1, 2008 4:50 pm
Subject: Re: [Callers] Calling contra medleys
To: 'Caller's discussion list' <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Just about my favorite story of this past NEFFA
weekend was someone
(whoshall remain unnamed, but is a member of this list <G>) who was
at the NEFFA
annual meeting Sunday morning on her cell phone saying "Yeah, he
called me
at midnight last night to say he wasn't going to dance the medley
with me
after all. So now I need to find a medley partner." (Or that is how I
remember it. I'm sure it's not a direct quote, but a paraphrase
through my
own brain.)
I call medleys frequently and break several of the previously
mentionedrequirements:
I don't warn the dancers.
I call my medley as the last dance of the evening.
I call dances that all begin the same way (usually neighbor balance
andswing).
I call dance medleys even if there are still beginners in the line -
the new
folks who are still there for the last dance have usually gotten
contradancing well enough to be no more confused in a medley than
they are in all
the other dances.
I use the most basic glossary dances for my medleys. One of my most
common:Lady of the Lake
Woods Hole Jig (or what I call "Woods Hole Reel - which replaces
the last B
with long lines forward and back, ones swing)
Forgotten Treasure
Hey Fever
I can get even more basic and do
Lady of the Lake
Lady Walpole's Reel
Woods Hole
Forgotten Treasure
These are almost the same dance in different orders. In other
words, dances
I wouldn't usually use as a stand-alone because they might be just
too plain
for a crowd of regular Scout House dancers.
My closing medleys are usually 4 dances 4 or 6 times through (six
if the
dancers are having trouble, four if not.) The last dance is, of
course, 5
times.
I know my band well and I call the tune changes. If I am working
with a band
I don't regularly work with, I will talk to them about it and forgo
thewhole thing if it sounds like the hot ending is important to
them.
I sometimes don't worry about tune change matching dance change.
If I have any doubt about getting all of the dancers through it
successfully(say, I have one or two "riderless horses") I will not
do the medley.
HTH,
Beth
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
5:21 p.m.
New subject: Calling contra medleys
sounds like fun!
On May 1, 2008, at 5:14 PM, David Giusti wrote:
I'm surprised people feel obligated (or even want)
to dance 30 minutes
in the same line with the same partner. A few years ago Cleveland did
a
3-hour medley dance. People danced for however long they wanted, then
found a new partner or sat out once they got to the end of a line,
switching around just like a regular contra evening. Of course I
wouldn't expect people to keep a partner for that 3-hour dance, but
there's no reason it couldn't work the same way for, say, an hour-long
medley. Perhaps longer medleys would be fine, as long as dancers
understood they were encouraged to change partners throughout. I
suppose the lines would have to be short enough so that dancers reached
an end often enough. At that dance, the bands switched out too, so
there was no problem with the musicians getting tired.
-David Giusti
----- Original Message -----
From: Beth Parkes <ebay(a)hands4.com>
Date: Thursday, May 1, 2008 4:50 pm
Subject: Re: [Callers] Calling contra medleys
To: 'Caller's discussion list' <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Just about my favorite story of this past NEFFA
weekend was someone
(whoshall remain unnamed, but is a member of this list <G>) who was
at the NEFFA
annual meeting Sunday morning on her cell phone saying "Yeah, he
called me
at midnight last night to say he wasn't going to dance the medley
with me
after all. So now I need to find a medley partner." (Or that is how I
remember it. I'm sure it's not a direct quote, but a paraphrase
through my
own brain.)
I call medleys frequently and break several of the previously
mentionedrequirements:
I don't warn the dancers.
I call my medley as the last dance of the evening.
I call dances that all begin the same way (usually neighbor balance
andswing).
I call dance medleys even if there are still beginners in the line -
the new
folks who are still there for the last dance have usually gotten
contradancing well enough to be no more confused in a medley than
they are in all
the other dances.
I use the most basic glossary dances for my medleys. One of my most
common:Lady of the Lake
Woods Hole Jig (or what I call "Woods Hole Reel - which replaces
the last B
with long lines forward and back, ones swing)
Forgotten Treasure
Hey Fever
I can get even more basic and do
Lady of the Lake
Lady Walpole's Reel
Woods Hole
Forgotten Treasure
These are almost the same dance in different orders. In other
words, dances
I wouldn't usually use as a stand-alone because they might be just
too plain
for a crowd of regular Scout House dancers.
My closing medleys are usually 4 dances 4 or 6 times through (six
if the
dancers are having trouble, four if not.) The last dance is, of
course, 5
times.
I know my band well and I call the tune changes. If I am working
with a band
I don't regularly work with, I will talk to them about it and forgo
thewhole thing if it sounds like the hot ending is important to
them.
I sometimes don't worry about tune change matching dance change.
If I have any doubt about getting all of the dancers through it
successfully(say, I have one or two "riderless horses") I will not
do the medley.
HTH,
Beth
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2:57 p.m.
On the medley,For success, it helps if A1 of both dances has same
orientation, eg, N: Bal and Sw in one dance and N: DSD in the other. I ask
the band to wait for me to signal the change, and new dance begins with new
tune.
Enjoy it!
Gary
On Wed, Apr 30, 2008 at 3:52 PM, PARKER MANN <M_P_Mann(a)shaw.ca> wrote:
All-
Over the last few weeks I 've come across some questions related to
calling and I though I'd combine a couple in one note rather than inflict
two messages on everyone. Comments on either or both are appreciated.
1. I have run into the following mixer dance and I'm not sure how best to
call it. I don't know the name and author or I'd ask him/her. The problem
is that no beat counts or A1-A2-B1-B2 divisions were given.
The formation is a wavy circle with gents facing in, ladies facing out,
partners by the right. The moves are:
Balance the wave R/L
Allemande R half way and reform the wavy circle
Balance the wave L/R
Allemande L half way and reform the wavy circle
Balance the wave R/L
Allemande R 1x
Allemande L 1 1/2 times
Partners balance and swing
Promenade around the circle
Partners drop R hands and reform the circle. Old partner is in left hand,
new partner in right.
The problem is I can't make the timing look right. The first five moves
look to all be four beat moves, but then there are 12 beats left for the
allemande R 1x and allemande L 1 1/2. If not, moves are falling across the
phrase.
Has anyone tried this dance or know anything about it? I'm thinking that
drop the third balancing of the wave would work best, but that means a half
allemande, full allemande, and 1 1/2 allemande consecutively.
2. I'm at the point where I want to try calling a dance medley. Any
thoughts on good combinations to start with? What coordination do you do
with the band ahead of time?
Thanks.
-Parker
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21 comments
18 participants
participants (18)
-
Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing -
Amy Cann -
Beth Parkes -
Bob Isaacs -
cathy jones -
Charles M. Hannum -
Chris Weiler (home) -
David Giusti -
Gary Arthur -
Greg McKenzie -
Jack Mitchell -
Janet Levatin -
Joyce Miller -
Koren A. Wake -
Lisa Sieverts -
Liz and Bill -
PARKER MANN -
Will Loving