Hi Joe, I would not recommend calling contras if they are not regular contra dancers.  I would do circles, mixers, and longways set dances, similar to the VA Reel - dances like Boston Tea Party or anything from Peter Amidon's series of books (Chimes of Dunkirk, Listen to the Mockingbird,...) - or perhaps some simple squares.  Contras (and their progression) often confuse new dancers, and same sex partners can also make things difficult to teach.  You don't want to spend more time teaching a dance than they actually get to dance it.  Jefferson and Liberty is the only, repeat only, contra dance I have had good success with when calling to a group of non-contra dancers.  Also, do not run the dances as long as a contradance would run - they don't have the stamina to dance continuously for 8-10 mins, and the hot weather is a definite factor.  Jefferson and Liberty, can be done proper or improper A1  Circle Left        Circle Right A2  Right Hand Star        Left Hand Star back to place B1  1's Go down the outside        1's come back up and around their 2's to step between them to form a line of 4 B2  Line of 4 go Down the Hall        Don't turn around - just back up,        1's Make Arch in center of line, 2's go thru the arch to new neighbors. There are no swings, it is an easy foolproof progression, and the dance can be done proper or improper.  Remember to explain the concept of 1's and 2's and that the number changes when they get to the end of the line (waiting out 1 round of the dance).  I don't know the author - I always announce that it is a Traditional American Contra Dance.  There are other versions of this dance where the B1 is changed to something else, but this is my favorite version. Dave Colestock New Cumberland, PA  --- On Mon, 7/23/12, JsphDeP(a)aol.com <JsphDeP(a)aol.com> wrote: From: JsphDeP(a)aol.com <JsphDeP(a)aol.com> Subject: [Callers] Gender Neutral Dance Request To: callers(a)sharedweight.net Date: Monday, July 23, 2012, 2:58 PM Hi All,                   Just checking  to see if someone would have a few gender neutral dances to  share with me.  I will be calling to a large group of non-dancers that  will mostly be same-sex couples.  I was thinking of calling a few  circle mixers, Sicilian circles, Virginia reel type dances and perhaps a  few contras.                  Any  feedback would be greatly appreciated.   Thanks,            Joe  _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

Joseph -- Unless you've had a bunch of experience calling longways duple minors to non-dancers -- I actually do, but it's in the context of people who wanted to learn about Jane Austen-era dances and so are up for a party with some lesson in it, aren't drinking, and won't wander away if they don't get it instantly; this lets me get away with a somewhat rocky first longways and then things get better - I would stay away from contras generally. Don't know if by "Virginia-reel type dances" you mean "small set dances with a ones-to-the-bottom progression". If you do, then I think you've got this covered. Even so, some suggestions: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Orcadian Strip the Willow (Long line of couples.) Top couple right-elbow turn 1.5 and face neighbor in the other line Left elbow 1x with neighbor Right elbow 1x with partner Left elbow 1x with next neighbor Repeat until end of line, where that couple turns to their own side (or not, in gender-neutral version) Every 16 bars another couple starts the sequence while previous couples are still going. (So at the top of A1 and the top of B1 every time through the tune). Biggest problem is keeping people from starting too soon. This is probably even an easier dance gender-neutral than gendered because if people go too far or not far enough you can still just get them to turn the one they come to rather than stopping and trying to fix it.) ["Orcadian" means "of the Orkney Islands", incidentally.] ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Falling Masonry Easy, ceilidh 4-couple longways; 32-bar jigs. A1: Hands in lines, forward and back, drop hands, cross over, stay facing out. (Variants possible here with arching). A2: Hands in lines, backward into the set (touching glutes optional), forward, drop hands, cross backward (same shoulder) into original lines. B1: "Falling Masonry" figure (like a collapsing chimney): Tops gallop down while everyone else moves up (important); new tops the same, until all four have galloped down. (A new couple starts every two bars). B2: 1s to the bottom again, others move up, all swing when you arrive in progressed place. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And since I just got back from the Cumberland Gap dance week, here's two functionally gender-free dances named after Cumberland (in England): CUMBERLAND REEL Four-couple longways 32-bar JIGs A1: 1s and 2s only, RH*, LH*. A2: 1s take two hands, gallop down to the bottom and back again. B: 1-8:1s cast out to their own sides, lines following, then make an arch at the bottom; everyone goes through with their partner. 9-16:When the new 1s get to the top, they lead a double cast left and back up the middle to start the dance again. (Funny notation was because the suggested tune in the book had a 16-bar B, not repeated. Read that as B1, B2 if you want.) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SQUARE EIGHT (Cumberland) CDM1 - Tune is "My love she's but a lassie yet" or any 32-bar reel or jig. Square set A1: Tops galop across and back; men pass back-to-back first time, women second time. (But you don't have to express it that way. Try "couples pass keeping to the right each time, as if you were driving".) A2: Sides the same. B1: Tops: right hands across, left hands back. B2: Sides the same. A1: Tops basket. A2: Sides the same. B1: All eight circle left - polka or skip-change step. B2: Change direction and promenade to place. [Left-side partner from square formation is on The left (inside) in the promenade; right-side partner is on the outside.] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of JsphDeP(a)aol.com Sent: Monday, July 23, 2012 11:58 AM To: callers(a)sharedweight.net Subject: [Callers] Gender Neutral Dance Request Hi All, Just checking to see if someone would have a few gender neutral dances to share with me. I will be calling to a large group of non-dancers that will mostly be same-sex couples. I was thinking of calling a few circle mixers, Sicilian circles, Virginia reel type dances and perhaps a few contras. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Joe _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

Hi Joe, Both of these can be done as Sicilian circles or contras, and the progression is as straight forward as Jefferson and Liberty and done gender free, it doesn't matter if couples swap or not when they come back it. Easy Progressive Sicilian Circle Sicilian Circle of couples 32 bar A CL(8) CR(8) A RH turn opp(8) LH turn opp(8) B RH turn part(8) LH turn part(8) B Ad(4)Ret(4) Ad(4)Pass(4) (clockwise couples arch) Easy Progressive Contra 3 Improper or Sicilian Circle A1 Circle Left Circle Right A2 Left Hand Star; Right Hand Star B1 Left diagonal (i.e. Ladies position) Dosido; Right diagonal (Gents) Dosido B2 Neighbor Allemand Right 1x (or 2x if keen and energetic); Neighbor Right hand Balance (4) and Right pull by (4) Note: when teaching transition A1/A2 I say keep moving but put your left hands in to make a star. Also helps them learn to move the stars first and make the grip on the move. A very simple dance was mentioned on SW a few years ago. -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: [Callers] Utterly Introductory dance input sought Date: Thu, 12 Feb 2009 06:33:09 -0500 From: Lisa Sieverts <lisa(a)lisasieverts.com> 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 Cheers, Bill