I've been booked to teach/call at the New London Assembly in
Connecticut, Sunday July 17 to Sunday July 24, 2016. I'd love some
other bookings before or after this - I usually do 4 weeks when I
travel to the States. I call English, Squares and Contras - if you
don't like Squares you probably won't want me calling your contra
dance! I would of course prefer several gigs in the same area rather
than spending all my time and money flying around. As bookings are
finalized they will appear on my Bookings page,
http://www.colinhume.com/bookings.htm
Colin Hume
Hi -
No need to remind you that 2016 is fast approaching. What are your favorite dances to program before/after the midnight hour at your New Year's Eve events?
Sue Gola
Michael Fuerst wrote, "'Balance and spin' has the same number of syllables
as 'Petronella' and avoids unnecessary jargon"
Hmmm... well if someone says "Petronella" I know that I am balancing forward
and back and then spinning clockwise while moving one place to my right to
the place of the person who was holding my right hand.
If the caller just says "Balance & Spin" then I don't know which direction
to balance, which way to turn or which way to move (if indeed I move at
all). Set & Turn Single has basically the same meaning as Balance & Spin
but means something completely different.
I never say "as in Petronella". The move is well enough established in
contra dance that all I have to do is say, "Petronella" and it happens. If
there are new dancers I teach them the move, call it a Petronella, and
everything works fine from then on.
And we have been clapping for fun in dances for over 400 years now so don't
expect people not to do it! :-)
Our dancing couldn't survive without jargon. Star. Ladies' Chain,
Allemande, Dosido are all jargon. Would you try calling a contra dance
without using any of those words?
But none of those words are well defined. Star can mean wrist-lock or
hands-across depending on the next move. Ladies' Chain can mean across, or
across and back depending on which century you are in. Allemande means
completely different things in other dance styles. And Dosido could be a
Mountain Dosido, a Do Paso, an Alabama Rang Tang or a Docey Ding if you are
in a different part of America a century ago.
I was dancing with another Morris side recently and #1 (the "caller") called
"Allemande". I had never heard that term used in Morris before so I started
to offer my right hand, but the guy opposite me started doing a Back to Back
around me. That is what #1 meant by "Allemande". I thought this very
strange until I was researching "Captain Macintosh" and found Thomas
Wilson's 1820 book "The Complete System of English Country Dancing" which
defined "Allemande" as "Back to Back"!
Every dancing master in every community in every style in every period in
every country uses the words to mean what they want them to mean. But they
teach their dancers what they mean and then it works. Some calls get
standardised and are easy to use across communities. Others take time to
settle down and may never be universally used. But if jargon allows a group
of dancers to have fun at any particular dance then I am all for it!
Whether complete standardisation is a good thing or a bad thing is another
matter entirely; we all have our own opinions about MWSD :-)
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
On Thu, Dec 17, 2015, Neal Schlein wrote:
> On Dec 17, 2015 8:50 AM, "Aahz Maruch via Callers" <
> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>> On Thu, Dec 17, 2015, John Sweeney via Callers wrote:
>>>
>>> Whether complete standardisation is a good thing or a bad thing is another
>>> matter entirely; we all have our own opinions about MWSD :-)
>>
>> Note that MWSD is not completely standardized -- it's more like the C
>> programming language with areas that are ill-defined, or at least which
>> only extremely nitpicky people know how to do correctly.
>
> Umm...Aahz, I think you missed the point about standardization in contra
> versus MWSD.
Maybe, but I was responding specifically to the whole phrase "complete
standardisation". I can rant on and on about the falsity of "dancing by
definition". ;-) Obviously square dancing is more standardized than
contra.
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
<*> <*> <*>
"In 1968 it took the computing power of 2 C-64's to fly a rocket to the moon.
Now, in 1998 it takes the Power of a Pentium 200 to run Microsoft Windows 98.
Something must have gone wrong." --/bin/fortune
"Balance and spin" has the same number of syllables as "Petronella" and avoids unnecessary jargon Michael Fuerst 802 N Broadway Urbana IL 61801 217 239 5844
On Tuesday, December 15, 2015 1:35 PM, Ron Blechner via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Many callers forget that Petronella is spin-then-balance, and most modern "Petronella dances" are balance-then-spin".So saying, "as in Petronella, balance and spin/move one place to the right" is not accurate either. More accurate: "Balance the ring, and as in Petronella, spin/move one place to the right."(And the difference also can explain why people clap. The chestnut Petronella has the stomping on the last beats, whereas there's a stompy-sized hole at the end of modern balance-then-spin Petronella dances.)On Dec 15, 2015 2:09 PM, "Bill Olson via Callers" <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Hi Erik and all, heh heh, I often chuckle at MYSELF when I find myself saying that same thing: "as in Petronella", when I realize very few of the dancers have ever danced Petronella.. BUT, after trying to teach the move with out saying the "P word", I realized that some of the dancers at least know what the move is and having a percentage of the dancers "doing the right thing" helps the others., especially those who learn by seeing as opposed to having something "explained"... (with rights and lefts in it ugh).. I've found saying: "balance the ring and move one place to the right while pivoting over your right shoulder" doesn't always get everyone doing the same thing (hah!), if it doesn't actually freeze some dancers in their tracks!!
>
> Now I hear newer callers saying stuff like "balance the ring and Petronella to the right" or "balance left and Rory to the left". Making new verbs out of these proper names.. well, whatever works!!!
>
> bill
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
One or more petronellas without chains, allemandes, gypsies, or
immediately followed by a swing:
A Cactus for Kacie (LeGrone)
Arrythmia (Flaherty)
Capulets Welcome (Donforth)
Don't Let Her Go (Nordson)
Dopeca (Sweeney)
Dryden Lake (Leslie)
Flurry (Flaherty)
Fun With Alex (Leslie)
Get Your Twirl On (Nordson)
Ho Ho Ho (Flaherty)
In the Swim (Isaacs)
The Itchy Bug Reel (Hemphill)
Love at First Swing (Isaacs)
Lover's Circle (Flaherty)
Millbrae (Zhou)
Molaro (Flaherty)
Mountain Ridge (Boyer)
Mystery Dance #4 (Leslie)
Newlywed's Jig (Widmer)
On the Red Line (Gorrindo)
Out Bound (Flaherty)
Paper Plate #8: Ring of Fire (Graham)
Passable Petronella (Donforth)
Petronella's Pin (Colestock)
Remebering Alan (Meechan)
Rory O'Nella (Grisanti)
Somerville Strut (Blechner)
Spring Break (Fredland)
Square Peg in a Round Hole (Lewis)
Thank God It's Monday! (Isaacs)
The Weaving Wyandottes (Hemphill)
Trance (Flaherty)
Twirling Nella (Donforth)
Untitled alternating Dixie twirl petronella (Zhou)
Valentine Stomp (Larsen)
Winter Wind (Ravitz)
Cheers,
-Chris Page
San Diego
On Tue, Dec 15, 2015 at 7:21 PM, Ron Blechner via Callers
<callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Thanks for all the suggestions, all.
>
> Heartbeat Contra is a very good one, a favorite of many, and in my box. I
> guess I should have specified "no gypsy" as well.
>
> I have Newlywed's Jig - perhaps I don't call that enough.
>
> Petronella’s Pin and Fun With Alex seem like no-brainers to add, and Love at
> First Swing as a nice fairly-easy-but-something-unusual dance. (I personally
> don't like the petronella-to-swing, sorry Bob!)
>
> Anything with 4 Petronella spins doesn't really fit my programming style.
>
> Best,
> Ron
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Linda Leslie <laleslierjg(a)comcast.net>
> Date: Sun, Dec 13, 2015 at 10:51 PM
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Petronella spin, no chain or allemande?
> To: Ron Blechner <contraron(a)gmail.com>
> Cc: callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
>
>
> Here are a couple for you.
> Warmly, Linda
>
>
> Petronella’s Pin
> by Dave Colestock
> Contra/Improper/Easy
>
> A1 -----------
> Ring Balance, Petronella spin
> Ring Balance, Petronell spin
> A2 -----------
> Ring Balance
> Neighbor swing
> B1 -----------
> Give & Take to ladies side & swing
> B2 -----------
> Circle left three-quarters
> Ring Balance
> Pass thru
>
> Newlywed's Jig
> by Mark Widmer
> Contra/Improper/Easy
>
> A1 -----------
> Long Lines Forward and Back
> Neighbor Swing
> A2 -----------
> Circle left three-quarters
> Gents do si do*
> B1 -----------
> Partner Balance and Swing
> B2 -----------
> Ring Balance, Pet Twirl
> Ring Balance
> Ladies roll away with a half sashay with neighbor (to the left)
>
> Love at First Swing
> by Bob Isaacs
> Contra/Improper/Easy
>
> A1 -----------
> (8) Balance the ring and twirl to the right
> (8) Balance the ring and twirl to the right
> A2 -----------
> Balance the Ring
> California Twirl
> New Neighbor swing
> B1 -----------
> Circle Left 3/4
> Partner swing
> B2 -----------
> Down the hall, four in line
> Gent #2 Right hand high, left low, gent 1 TA
> Return* (bend the line and restart the dance with these N’s)
>
> Lanny's Back
> by Erik Weberg
> Contra/Improper/Int
>
> A1 -----------
> Neghbor gypsy (Or B&S)
> (8) Neighbor swing
>
>
>
> A2 -----------
> (8) Circle Left 3/4
> (8) Partner swing
> B1 -----------
> Ring Balance
> Ladies cross by the right
> Ring Balance
> Gents cross by the right
> B2 -----------
> Ring Balance
> Petronella twirl
> Ring Balance
> California Twirl
>
> Fun with Alex
> by Linda Leslie
> Contra/Becket-CW/Int
>
> A1 -----------
> Long lines forward & back
> Circle left three-quarters (Flatten to a wave)
> A2 -----------
> Balance the wave
> Walk forward
> New Neighbor swing (face across)
> B1 -----------
> Ring Balance
> Partner roll away across the ring
> Ring Balance Petronella twirl
> B2 -----------
> Partner Balance & Swing
>
> Cure for the Claps,The
> by Bob Isaacs
> Contra/Improper/Easy-Int
>
> A1 -----------
> Ring Balance, Petronella twirl
> Partner Swing
> A2 -----------
> Ring Balance, Petronella twirl
> Neighbor Swing
> B1 -----------
> Four in line down the hall, turn alone, return
> B2 -----------
> Circle left once
> Ring Balance
> California Twirl
>
> On Dec 13, 2015, at 10:13 PM, Ron Blechner via Callers
> <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Any suggestions for your favorite easy or intermediate Petronella spin dance
> with no chain, no allemandes?
>
> Thanks,
> Ron Blechner
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
>
Ron Blechner wrote (perhaps in reference to Erik Hoffman's
mention of Tom Thoreau's dance "Barbarella"):
> Anything with 4 Petronella spins doesn't really fit my programming style.
I can't help noticing that that description fits "Petronella"
itself. Of course, there are many callers these days whose
programming styles exclude dances like "Petronella"--whence
the incongruity some have noted in saying "as in 'Petronella'"
to a room full of dances most of whom may not have danced
"Petronella" even once.
--Jim
Hi Ron,
Great for total beginners, not sure of name or author:
Easy Petronella ? improper
A1, A2 Circle Balance, petronella spin 4X
B1 Neighbor Dosido; Neighbor Swing
B2 LLFB, 1s Swing
Cheers, Bill
On 14/12/2015 4:13 p.m., Ron Blechner via Callers wrote:
> Any suggestions for your favorite easy or intermediate Petronella spin dance
> with no chain, no allemandes?
Here are a couple for you.
Warmly, Linda
Petronella’s Pin
by Dave Colestock
Contra/Improper/Easy
A1 -----------
Ring Balance, Petronella spin
Ring Balance, Petronell spin
A2 -----------
Ring Balance
Neighbor swing
B1 -----------
Give & Take to ladies side & swing
B2 -----------
Circle left three-quarters
Ring Balance
Pass thru
Newlywed's Jig
by Mark Widmer
Contra/Improper/Easy
A1 -----------
Long Lines Forward and Back
Neighbor Swing
A2 -----------
Circle left three-quarters
Gents do si do*
B1 -----------
Partner Balance and Swing
B2 -----------
Ring Balance, Pet Twirl
Ring Balance
Ladies roll away with a half sashay with neighbor (to the left)
Love at First Swing
by Bob Isaacs
Contra/Improper/Easy
A1 -----------
(8) Balance the ring and twirl to the right
(8) Balance the ring and twirl to the right
A2 -----------
Balance the Ring
California Twirl
New Neighbor swing
B1 -----------
Circle Left 3/4
Partner swing
B2 -----------
Down the hall, four in line
Gent #2 Right hand high, left low, gent 1 TA
Return* (bend the line and restart the dance with these N’s)
Lanny's Back
by Erik Weberg
Contra/Improper/Int
A1 -----------
Neghbor gypsy (Or B&S)
(8) Neighbor swing
A2 -----------
(8) Circle Left 3/4
(8) Partner swing
B1 -----------
Ring Balance
Ladies cross by the right
Ring Balance
Gents cross by the right
B2 -----------
Ring Balance
Petronella twirl
Ring Balance
California Twirl
Fun with Alex
by Linda Leslie
Contra/Becket-CW/Int
A1 -----------
Long lines forward & back
Circle left three-quarters (Flatten to a wave)
A2 -----------
Balance the wave
Walk forward
New Neighbor swing (face across)
B1 -----------
Ring Balance
Partner roll away across the ring
Ring Balance Petronella twirl
B2 -----------
Partner Balance & Swing
Cure for the Claps,The
by Bob Isaacs
Contra/Improper/Easy-Int
A1 -----------
Ring Balance, Petronella twirl
Partner Swing
A2 -----------
Ring Balance, Petronella twirl
Neighbor Swing
B1 -----------
Four in line down the hall, turn alone, return
B2 -----------
Circle left once
Ring Balance
California Twirl
On Dec 13, 2015, at 10:13 PM, Ron Blechner via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Any suggestions for your favorite easy or intermediate Petronella spin dance with no chain, no allemandes?
>
> Thanks,
> Ron Blechner
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
Many callers forget that Petronella is spin-then-balance, and most modern
"Petronella dances" are balance-then-spin".
So saying, "as in Petronella, balance and spin/move one place to the right"
is not accurate either.
More accurate: "Balance the ring, and as in Petronella, spin/move one place
to the right."
(And the difference also can explain why people clap. The chestnut
Petronella has the stomping on the last beats, whereas there's a
stompy-sized hole at the end of modern balance-then-spin Petronella dances.)
On Dec 15, 2015 2:09 PM, "Bill Olson via Callers" <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Hi Erik and all, heh heh, I often chuckle at MYSELF when I find myself
saying that same thing: "as in Petronella", when I realize very few of the
dancers have ever danced Petronella.. BUT, after trying to teach the move
with out saying the "P word", I realized that some of the dancers at least
know what the move is and having a percentage of the dancers "doing the
right thing" helps the others., especially those who learn by seeing as
opposed to having something "explained"... (with rights and lefts in it
ugh).. I've found saying: "balance the ring and move one place to the right
while pivoting over your right shoulder" doesn't always get everyone doing
the same thing (hah!), if it doesn't actually freeze some dancers in their
tracks!!
>
> Now I hear newer callers saying stuff like "balance the ring and
Petronella to the right" or "balance left and Rory to the left". Making new
verbs out of these proper names.. well, whatever works!!!
>
> bill
