12 Feb
2009
12 Feb
'09
3:59 a.m.
Hi group,
Weird situation: I am supposed to put together a five-minute presentation on
myself as a leader for a "Leadership & Organizational Behavior" graduate
class, and I just think that perhaps the way to go is to create a VERY
SIMPLE English Country dance set to my favorite song--and teach it to my
classmates.
Most of you don't know me, but I'll nonetheless spare you with explanations
as to exactly how weird this is. And, yes, I realize, too, that it may not
be an optimal ECD introduction for my classmates, but I hope it will be
beautiful in some degree, and moving, and indeed an expression of the kind
of leadership I am trying to develop (yes, I'm a budding caller).
In addition, the favorite song, Carrie Newcomer's "Bare to the Bone"
(see http://carrienewcomer.com/chords/age_of_possibility_chords.pdf
<http://carrienewcomer.com/sheet_music/Bare_to_the_Bone_sheet_music.pdf>
and
http://carrienewcomer.com/sheet_music/Bare_to_the_Bone_sheet_music.pdf)
expresses everything I want to be as a person.
So I'm writing for advice. Since I am supposed to take 5 minutes for the
whole dang kit & kaboodle, I will probably only run the dance three times
through--one verse, one bridge, and one more verse. I've written moves for
8 bars of 4/4, and I do not think I need any additional moves for a
rank-beginner group:
***
"Bare to the Bone"
Lark-Aeryn Speyer, 2009
DRAFT
2-couple sets, facing across the hall; or 3-couple circle sets
1 taking hands in a ring, balance in and out
2 cloverleaf turn single away from partner
3-4 clockwise, single file circle 1/2 (step-pause step)
(If you're in a 3-couple circle set, just circle as far as the
music suggests)
5 taking hands in a ring, balance in and out
6 taking 2 hands with your partner, balance in and out
7-8 2-hand turn partner once
(If in 2-couple sets, you are now on the other side of the set. This passes
for a progression.)
***
The music (in case you don't know it) is sweet, soft, simple, and healing.
The lyrics (I intend to sing one verse beforehand in lieu of "let's listen
to the music once through") and the general feel of the tune are a condition
of complete openness, an approach of utter goodwill. What I would hope my
classmates could take away is a feeling of lightness, ideally even of
spiritual availability. (Of course, this also depends on my fiddler
classmate who has offered to learn the tune.)
And I'll bring along a handful of flyers for local English dances, just in
case. :-)
Thoughts very much welcomed! I assure you that any other ideas I have for
this presentation are much scarier to me!
Thanks,
Lark Speyer
--
There is no conceivable beauty of blossom so beautiful as words,--none so
graceful, none so perfumed. It is possible to dream of combinations of
syllables so delicious that all the dawning and decay of summer cannot
rival their perfection, nor winter's stainless white and azure match their
purity and their charm.
--Thomas Wentworth Higginson
12 Feb
12 Feb
11:33 a.m.
These people have never danced? And you have 5 minutes?
I'd recommend nothing harder than Blobs:
Blobs
longways sets, gender doesn't matter
1. F&B
2. F&B
BEGIN TEACHING HERE (Blobs begin at the top, make circles of 2, 4, or
6 people -- or more as long as they don't tell you about it!)
3. Blob Circle LEFT
4. Blob Circle RIGHT
5. Blob RIGHT hand STAR
6. Blob LEFT hand STAR
7&8. Blob sashay down, others move up
Note that it would take you 5 minutes to teach "cloverleaf turn
single away from partner" IMHO.
Good luck!
Lisa
On Feb 11, 2009, at 10:59 PM, Lark-Aeryn Speyer wrote:
Hi group,
Weird situation: I am supposed to put together a five-minute
presentation on
myself as a leader for a "Leadership & Organizational Behavior"
graduate
class, and I just think that perhaps the way to go is to create a VERY
SIMPLE English Country dance set to my favorite song--and teach it
to my
classmates.
Most of you don't know me, but I'll nonetheless spare you with
explanations
as to exactly how weird this is. And, yes, I realize, too, that it
may not
be an optimal ECD introduction for my classmates, but I hope it
will be
beautiful in some degree, and moving, and indeed an expression of
the kind
of leadership I am trying to develop (yes, I'm a budding caller).
In addition, the favorite song, Carrie Newcomer's "Bare to the Bone"
(see http://carrienewcomer.com/chords/age_of_possibility_chords.pdf
<http://carrienewcomer.com/sheet_music/
Bare_to_the_Bone_sheet_music.pdf>
and
http://carrienewcomer.com/sheet_music/
Bare_to_the_Bone_sheet_music.pdf)
expresses everything I want to be as a person.
So I'm writing for advice. Since I am supposed to take 5 minutes
for the
whole dang kit & kaboodle, I will probably only run the dance three
times
through--one verse, one bridge, and one more verse. I've written
moves for
8 bars of 4/4, and I do not think I need any additional moves for a
rank-beginner group:
***
"Bare to the Bone"
Lark-Aeryn Speyer, 2009
DRAFT
2-couple sets, facing across the hall; or 3-couple circle sets
1 taking hands in a ring, balance in and out
2 cloverleaf turn single away from partner
3-4 clockwise, single file circle 1/2 (step-pause step)
(If you're in a 3-couple circle set, just circle as far
as the
music suggests)
5 taking hands in a ring, balance in and out
6 taking 2 hands with your partner, balance in and out
7-8 2-hand turn partner once
(If in 2-couple sets, you are now on the other side of the set.
This passes
for a progression.)
***
The music (in case you don't know it) is sweet, soft, simple, and
healing.
The lyrics (I intend to sing one verse beforehand in lieu of
"let's listen
to the music once through") and the general feel of the tune are a
condition
of complete openness, an approach of utter goodwill. What I would
hope my
classmates could take away is a feeling of lightness, ideally even of
spiritual availability. (Of course, this also depends on my fiddler
classmate who has offered to learn the tune.)
And I'll bring along a handful of flyers for local English dances,
just in
case. :-)
Thoughts very much welcomed! I assure you that any other ideas I
have for
this presentation are much scarier to me!
Thanks,
Lark Speyer
--
There is no conceivable beauty of blossom so beautiful as words,--
none so
graceful, none so perfumed. It is possible to dream of combinations of
syllables so delicious that all the dawning and decay of summer
cannot
rival their perfection, nor winter's stainless white and azure
match their
purity and their charm.
--Thomas Wentworth Higginson
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17 Feb
17 Feb
12:34 p.m.
Hi all,
Thank you to those who wrote back with input as to my
leadership-presentation-dance-teaching idea last week. I have rewritten the
dance to "Bare to the Bone," and am offering the new draft. Please note
that I am supposed to do this 'presentation' tomorrow (Wednesday) evening.
(I'll probably let you know how it went after that.)
Some of the valuable suggestions included: make the formation a circle,
DON'T do a cloverleaf turn, don't call it ECD when neither the moves or
the tune are characteristic, and try to make it a nice-feeling dance even
despite that I have almost no time to teach or dance it. To that last
effect, I have expanded the choreographed section to make use of both the
verse and the chorus (as A and B music, each 8 bars of 4/4). And I have
expanded my ambition to running the whole thing (A and B) through three
times.
Specifically:
*****
"Bare to the Bone"
Lark-Aeryn Speyer, 2009
Circle MIXER
A (verse)
1-2 Circle L
3-4 Circle R, face partner
5-6 set R, L to partner *twice*
7-8 2-hand turn partner, face the center
B (chorus)
1-4 forward & back (into the center) *twice*, face partner
5-6 4 changes grand chain (2 counts each), beginning R to partner
7-8 meet NEW partner (the 5th person) with a 2-hand turn, face center
*****
And here's what I am thinking as the "teaching points":
A) identify your partner and your direction (the way you'll be facing during
grand chain)
B) start the music and circle L, R, to practice moving to the music
C) teach "set R, L" while all are facing in, then turn to pt and practice it
again (note that you and your partner move opposite directions)
D) and E) with music, 2-hand turn and fwd & back (in & out)
F) face your partner (your direction), teach pull-by grand chain, emphasize
you are always moving the same directiona round the circle and emphasize
counting
*****
I think I can do this. Thanks again for the input.
Lark
On Wed, Feb 11, 2009 at 10:59 PM, Lark-Aeryn Speyer <laspeyer(a)gmail.com>wrote;wrote:
Hi group,
Weird situation: I am supposed to put together a five-minute presentation
on myself as a leader for a "Leadership & Organizational Behavior"
graduate
class, and I just think that perhaps the way to go is to create a VERY
SIMPLE English Country dance set to my favorite song--and teach it to my
classmates.
Most of you don't know me, but I'll nonetheless spare you with explanations
as to exactly how weird this is. And, yes, I realize, too, that it may not
be an optimal ECD introduction for my classmates, but I hope it will be
beautiful in some degree, and moving, and indeed an expression of the kind
of leadership I am trying to develop (yes, I'm a budding caller).
In addition, the favorite song, Carrie Newcomer's "Bare to the Bone"
(see http://carrienewcomer.com/chords/age_of_possibility_chords.pdf
<http://carrienewcomer.com/sheet_music/Bare_to_the_Bone_sheet_music.pdf>
and
http://carrienewcomer.com/sheet_music/Bare_to_the_Bone_sheet_music.pdf)
expresses everything I want to be as a person.
--
There is no conceivable beauty of blossom so beautiful as words,--none so
graceful, none so perfumed. It is possible to dream of combinations of
syllables so delicious that all the dawning and decay of summer cannot
rival their perfection, nor winter's stainless white and azure match their
purity and their charm.
--Thomas Wentworth Higginson
5787
days inactive
5792
days old
contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net
2 comments
2 participants
participants (2)
-
Lark-Aeryn Speyer -
Lisa Sieverts