Dear Callers interested in this dance, a good choice to use early before the floor is crowded . . . a few simple corrections and a wee bit of history are shared below concerning “Balance The Star”. Regards, Frederick ------------------------------------------------------ BALANCE THE STAR by Raymond K. McLain of Berea, KY Music: Beaumont Rag Sicilian Circle - Originally Beginner & Intermediate Dance Level (use “hand-shake star throughout” - it’s a Southern mountain tradition) A1: (make a) Right Hand Star and Balance twice - In and Out (8 counts) <— hence, “Balance” the Star! Turn the Star once ‘round (8 counts) A2: make a Left Hand Star and Balance - In and Out (8 counts) Turn the Star once ‘round (8 counts) B1: Neighbors Dosido (8 counts) (Take 2-hand-over-hand hold w/ your Neighbor and . . .) Gents Promenade Her into your Partner’s place (8 counts) (the Gent acting as a pivot point rather than “courtesy turn”) B2: Partners Dosido (Similarly) Gents Promenade Partners into Original place AND continue Promenade on to face a New Couple! (8 counts) Notes: "Balance The Star" was written by Raymond McLain Sr. for Christmas Country Dance School with Beaumont Rag as THE tune to play. The dance was written as a Sicilian Circle Dance - c. 1970 or 1971 ——————————————————————————— zzzz - and on another note, I recently heard The Alman Brothers Band original recording of “Tied To The Whipping Post” and realized it’s a WALTZ! (A perfect choice for those who are only using recorded music in an all-Republican contra dance - both couples should love it!) ——————————————————————————— On Dec 2, 2016, at 7:10 PM, Winston, Alan P. via Callers &lt;callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote: Claire -- In my experience, choosing dances because their titles fit a particular theme isn't the best way to make programs. For Christmas holiday dances I'm used to bands slipping familiar holiday tunes into their regular sets. (Jingle Bells fits in nicely as a bouncy tune. Several carols can be played as waltzes.) You can also playfully alter the names of dances you'd want to call anyway to make them fit the theme. If you insist on dances with Christmas-relevant names, consider stuff with "Star", "Winter", "Cradle","Peace" in the title. ------------------------------------------------------ BALANCE THE STAR (Tom Hinds recommend Beaumont Rag) improper contra suitable for beginners A1: make a right hand (handshake) star and balance twice (elbows point down) Turn that star for 4 counts (halfway) Let go and turn alone for 4 counts. A2: make a left hand star and balance twice. Star left 4 counts and turn alone; finish facing neighbor (orig direction) B1: Neighbors dosido end the do si do facing OUT (away from partner) w/ Neighbor on the side 'courtesy turn' plus a little ... NOTE: It's not a true courtesy turn. The dancers have to travel a bit more than in a courtesy turn so that the men end where they started and the women have traded places. B2: Partners do si do on the side. End the do si do facing out (away from neighbor) Partners 'courtesy turn' (women change back) and neighbors pass thru left shoulder in order to meet the next couple. ================================================================= This shouldn't be one of the first three dances, but it's fun: Rock the Cradle Joe by Ridge Kennedy Contra/Improper Form:IC Figs:ROM,ROM;NB&S;G&T(Gent);CL.75;BTR,PT: STARTS IN SHORT WAVES, neighbor right hand A1 (short waves) (8) Balance and slide to the right (as in Rory O'More) (8) Balance and slide to the left (as in Rory O'More) A2 (16) Neighbor balance and swing B1 Give & Take to gent's side & swing B2 (8) Circle Left 3/4 (4) Balance the Ring & pass through ---------------------------------------------------------------- "There is no way to Peace; Peace is the way" Becket Erik Hoffman Form: BK Figs: WDSD,PS;MAL1.5,NS;LLF&B,WREl1.5;Custom;Bt; A1 Women Do Si Do; Partner Swing A2 Men Allemande Left 1-1/2; Neighbor Swing B1 Long Lines Forward & Back; Women Right Elbow Turn 1-1/2 B2 Women Star Promenade Partner 3/4 until two (new-Next Neighbor) Men meet Men link Left Elbows (women let go of the right elbow) to Star Promenade End on Own Side with a butterfly twirl to face that same Next Neighbor couple Erik's Note: the quote is a saying from A. J. Muste, our nations one time "most famous pacifist." It boggles my mind that, with our corporate media tied to the military-industrial complex, we could have ever had a famous pacifist. Then again, we had Martin Luther King, too... ------------------------------------------------ Winter Storm becket cw Linda Leslie Figs:CL3/4:NDSD1.25:BTW:Walk:NNS:MAL1.5:HH4:PB&S: A1 circle left 3/4 Dosido N 1 1/4 to short waves A2 balance the wave walk forward Swing new N B1 M allamande L 1 1/2 1/2 Hey passing partner R B2 Partner Balance and swing --------------------------------------- Finally, going by names: (I tried making the circle 3 into basket swings; some people turn out to hate basket swings.) This is still a relatively old-fashioned dance. ZESTY CHRISTMAS HORNPIPE Tony Saletan / Ted Sanella Duple IMPROPER contra A1: 1s balance woman 2 and circle 3 to the left TWICE around A2: 1s balance gent 2 and circle 3 to the left twice, opening to a line facing down with the woman in the middle; woman 2 joins the line (now of four). B1: Down 4-in-line (1s in the center), all turn alone, return and hand cast off. B2: Long lines forward and back; 1s swing in the center and end facing the next woman (originally #4). Tony's notes: Mark (and anyone else interested), in the Boston area (where I danced for several decades before recently moving to the state of Washington), we begin Vinton's (alias Christmas) Hornpipe pretty much as follows: On the first four beats all three people involved (woman #1 and the two gents in the subset) all balance advancing into a hand-holding circle of three. If the set is compact enough side-to-side, forming of the circle is almost instantaneous, and dancers can enjoy the connection of "balance the ring" almost from the very first beat. Incidentally, when the buzz-step swing started to gain such joyful popularity that it overshadowed many other figures, Ted Sannella and I created a revised version, in which the odd-numbered couples start improper, have a partner swing, and the circles are zesty: -- Alan On 12/2/2016 3:19 PM, Claire Takemori via Callers wrote: _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

Winter Wonderland. Here is a Community Dance, square dance version, but it is a 32 bar tune and will work with contras. Rich On Sat, Dec 3, 2016 at 5:20 PM, David Harding via Callers < callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote:

Although I share the idea that concept programs are often not that great, I've been calling a Christmas Night dance for years, and will again, in Santa Barbara this year. Not only that, but it's a Free Dance. And, for years, I've had the joy of working with Ken Keppeler & Jeanie Mclerie, of Bayou Seco, from New Mexico. We used to put together a set of straightened out Christmas carols. Cutting Joy to the World short works. Sort of... But: We Three Kings works great as a jig, and straightens out easily, and I wrote a dance for it, which I think I've posted here every year for a while. The Dance: Follow That Star Improper Erik Hoffman A1 w/ Current Neighbors: Star Left (8) w/ Previous Neighbors: Star Right (8) A2 Man #1, Man #2, & Woman #1 for a Line of Three: They go Down Hall, Turn Alone and Return WHILE: Woman #2 comes Up the Hall, Turns Alone, Returns B1 Line of three Circles Left around Woman #2 (8); All Swing Neighbor on Own Side B2 Long Lines Forward & Back; All Swing Partner This dance has a story: A1 There was a star traveling across the sky A2 Three Kings followed the star B1 They found a Babe in a Manger B1 & B2 Everybody Partied! We also almost always do one of the Blues Contras, and play the Elivs Presley blues song, "Santa Claus is Back in Town." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqVMfTz_HDU ~Erik Hoffman Oakland, CA -----Original Message----- From: Callers [mailto:callers-bounces@lists.sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Claire Takemori via Callers Sent: Friday, December 2, 2016 3:19 PM To: Shared_Weight_Callers &lt;callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Subject: [Callers] Holiday contras - BEG/EASY Hi everyone! Wishing you all fabulous holidays. I’m so grateful for this resource. I’m calling a small contra on 12/20 and would like to have some Beg/Easy modern contras with fun holiday theme titles. There is usually several new dancers and 1/3-1/2 beg to very experienced dancers. I appreciate any choreography that you can share. I’ve searched all the dances I already have in Caller’s Companion. Thank you So much! Claire Takemori (SF Bay Area) _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net