And since I'm on the subject. I spending a lot of time thinking about how
to teach dance moves during a workshop and during a walk-thru (they are
different.)
A couple guidelines:
1: Make it concrete. "Gents look at each other." That's concrete. Look
at the place your neighbor is standing -- that's concrete (ish) Imagine a
slice of pizza. Nope.
2) Avoid analogies like the plague (you are thinking of a swarm of locusts,
but I meant a rat-borne bacterial infection) Ricochet hey is just like a
slice of pizza as long as the pizza is six feet in diameter and sliced in
fourths rather than sixths or eights.
3) Try to serve up the teaching in bite-sized chunks (ooh--an analogy).
Teach half a hey, not a full hey, first, then put two of them together once
they've made it through the simpler version.
4) If you've got an unusual mental model of a particular move that really
helps you get the feel for it --- FORGET IT! I once watched a caller try
to teach a swing by explaining that it's playing air-guitar while riding a
skateboard [I am not making this up!] Needless to say the new dancers were
confused.
5) Don't teach advanced techniques to new dancers. Forget the buzz step.
Forget the twirls. Teach the simplest moves that get the dancer from point
A to point B facing the correct direction. Other dancers will take care
of adding the refinements (give's them a chance to show off (er... I mean
be helpful))
Dale
I would think George would be happy to have his dance spread around.
I don't think the Urbana Country Dancers have an official policy on
sharing dances from the Midwest Folklore book. I don't think we would
want someone to put the entire text online, but as a member of that
community I'm happy to share this dance. Here is my interpretation of
the dance from the book.
Ames Amble
George Lowrey
circle mixer
1-2 into the center and back, twice
3 - do-si-do partner
4 - do-si-do corner
5 - promenade with partner
6 - ladies roll back to allemande right with the gent
behind, allemande left with partner
7-8 swing the gent behind (your new partner)
Jonathan
-----
Jonathan Sivier
Caller of Contra, Square, English and Early American Dances
jsivier AT illinois DOT edu
Dance Page: http://www.sivier.me/dance_leader.html
-----
Q: How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
A: It depends on what dance you call!
On 6/17/2015 2:04 PM, Bree Kalb via Callers wrote:
> Hi Stephanie,
>
> The closest match I have for this is Ames Amble by George Lowrey--his
> dance is more complex. I have called many variations on George's dance,
> depending on the crowd; I suppose other callers have done the same. It's
> possible that you wrote down one of those variations?
>
> Ames Amble is in a collection published by the Champagne Urbana group:
> http://www.amazon.com/Midwest-folklore-other-dances-collection/dp/0964840901
>
>
> I didn't find the details on line, so I'm unsure if it's okay to write
> it out here. Perhaps someone from that dance community can advise if
> it's okay to share a dance from a book they spent money to produce.
>
> I have the book and have found many excellent dances in it that I use
> regularly.
>
> Bree Kalb
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: Stephanie Marie via Callers
> >Sent: Jun 17, 2015 7:36 AM
> >To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> >Subject: [Callers] What is this circle dance?
> >
> >Called this dance at one of my first calling gigs a couple years ago and
> >then again to a heavy beginner crowd last month. When I first called
> >this dance, I wrote it from memory from an earlier dance night. I'm not
> >even sure I got it all right. It worked well both times to get the
> >dancers walking to the music.
> >
> >Unknown Circle Mixer Dance
> >
> >A1 Circle left, Circle right
> >A2 Step into the middle and back. Do it again with a great big shout
> >B1 Partner Do si do, Partner Swing
> >B2 Partner promenade Counter Clockwise around the big circle with gents
> >in the middle.
> >Ladies turn over right shoulder to meet new partner, reform circle
> >
> >
> >Thank you!
> >Stephanie Marie
> >_______________________________________________
> >Callers mailing list
> >Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> >http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
>
> Bree Kalb, LCSW
> 301 W. Weaver St.
> Carrboro, NC 27510
> 919-932-6262 ext 216
> http://www.thewellnessalliance.com/BreeKalb.html
> https://www.facebook.com/carrborokorumindfulness
>
> Regarding the Use of Email -- Please Note: Although I use a firewall and
> my computer is password protected, my emails are not encrypted.
> Therefore, I cannot guarantee confidentiality of email communication. If
> you choose to communicate confidential information with me via email, I
> will assume that you have made an informed decision and I will view it
> as your agreement to take the risk that email may be intercepted. Please
> be aware that email is never an appropriate vehicle for emergency
> communication. If you are canceling an appointment less than 48 hours in
> advance, please also leave me a voice mail message at my office.
>
>
>
>
> Bree Kalb, LCSW
> 301 W. Weaver St.
> Carrboro, NC 27510
> 919-932-6262 ext 216
> http://www.thewellnessalliance.com/BreeKalb.html
> https://www.facebook.com/carrborokorumindfulness
>
> Regarding the Use of Email -- Please Note: Although I use a firewall and
> my computer is password protected, my emails are not encrypted.
> Therefore, I cannot guarantee confidentiality of email communication. If
> you choose to communicate confidential information with me via email, I
> will assume that you have made an informed decision and I will view it
> as your agreement to take the risk that email may be intercepted. Please
> be aware that email is never an appropriate vehicle for emergency
> communication. If you are canceling an appointment less than 48 hours in
> advance, please also leave me a voice mail message at my office.
>
>
>
>
> Bree Kalb, LCSW
> 301 W. Weaver St.
> Carrboro, NC 27510
> 919-932-6262 ext 216
> http://www.thewellnessalliance.com/BreeKalb.html
> https://www.facebook.com/carrborokorumindfulness
>
> Regarding the Use of Email -- Please Note: Although I use a firewall and
> my computer is password protected, my emails are not encrypted.
> Therefore, I cannot guarantee confidentiality of email communication. If
> you choose to communicate confidential information with me via email, I
> will assume that you have made an informed decision and I will view it
> as your agreement to take the risk that email may be intercepted. Please
> be aware that email is never an appropriate vehicle for emergency
> communication. If you are canceling an appointment less than 48 hours in
> advance, please also leave me a voice mail message at my office.
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
>
On Mon, 15 Jun 2015 16:23:54 +0000 (UTC), Susan Elberger via Callers wrote:
> The more we create esoteric names for calls the less possible that
> becomes.
"Mad Robin" is pretty esoteric. But so are "hey", "allemande", do-si-do,
"balance" and others - we're so used to these terms we forget that they are
meaningless to non-dancers. (OK, they might know enough to do a do-si-do,
with arms folded.)
Colin Hume
Email colin(a)colinhume.com Web site http://www.colinhume.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web.com What can On Demand Business Solutions do for you?
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Called this dance at one of my first calling gigs a couple years ago and
then again to a heavy beginner crowd last month. When I first called
this dance, I wrote it from memory from an earlier dance night. I'm not
even sure I got it all right. It worked well both times to get the
dancers walking to the music.
Unknown Circle Mixer Dance
A1 Circle left, Circle right
A2 Step into the middle and back. Do it again with a great big shout
B1 Partner Do si do, Partner Swing
B2 Partner promenade Counter Clockwise around the big circle with gents
in the middle.
Ladies turn over right shoulder to meet new partner, reform circle
Thank you!
Stephanie Marie
At the very end of that video, the dance is credited as being Heartbeat
Contra by Don Flaherty.
Jacob
On Wed, Jun 17, 2015 at 12:46 AM, Steve Silberman via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Hi,
> Can anyone tell me what this dance is called and who wrote it, please. I'm
> calling it Thursday in Jerusalem and I'd like to give credit, if I can. For
> the moment, my dance card just says "vimeo 53908291".
>
> Perpetual e-Motion at Tacoma
> Called by George Marshall
> Video by Doug Plummer
> https://vimeo.com/53908291
>
> Thanks,
> Steve Silberman
>
> =================================================================
> Standard English is a convenient abstraction, like the average man.
>
> George Leslie Brook, English professor, author (1910-1987)
> (Quoted in AWAD)
> =================================================================
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
>
>
Like it says at the very end of the video Heartbeat Contra by Don Flaherty.
~Frannie Marr who is stuck in an airport
On Jun 17, 2015 12:47 AM, "Steve Silberman via Callers" <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Hi,
> Can anyone tell me what this dance is called and who wrote it, please. I'm
> calling it Thursday in Jerusalem and I'd like to give credit, if I can. For
> the moment, my dance card just says "vimeo 53908291".
>
> Perpetual e-Motion at Tacoma
> Called by George Marshall
> Video by Doug Plummer
> https://vimeo.com/53908291
>
> Thanks,
> Steve Silberman
>
> =================================================================
> Standard English is a convenient abstraction, like the average man.
>
> George Leslie Brook, English professor, author (1910-1987)
> (Quoted in AWAD)
> =================================================================
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
>
>
Hi,
Can anyone tell me what this dance is called and who wrote it, please. I'm
calling it Thursday in Jerusalem and I'd like to give credit, if I can. For
the moment, my dance card just says "vimeo 53908291".
Perpetual e-Motion at Tacoma
Called by George Marshall
Video by Doug Plummer
https://vimeo.com/53908291
Thanks,
Steve Silberman
=================================================================
Standard English is a convenient abstraction, like the average man.
George Leslie Brook, English professor, author (1910-1987)
(Quoted in AWAD)
=================================================================
One of our pickier contra dancers *loves* this dance:
I call it Calvin Country, because it's based on David Smukler's dance,
Country Dance Romance, which is a modification of Don Armstrong's Calvin
Crest.
*A1* Neighbor sliding door (aka sideways do-si-do, Mad Robin, double Mad
Robin, shuttle)
Partner poussette 3/4 (Women advance) until Men are back to back in center
*A2* Hey for 4 (pass Partner by R sh, with a little assist)
*B1* Partner gypsy, swing
*B2* All 4 balance, circle L 1/2; shift L up/down set, circle L 3/4 with
new neighbors
On 6/14/2015 9:48 AM, Richard Hart via Callers wrote:
> I've considered writing an entirely hands free dance, as an example,
> along with a very similar dance that used hands for the corresponding
> moves. The hands free dance would certainly need to used only at an
> expert-only dance.
I'm a caller married to a dance musician. As a result I almost never
get to dance with my husband. A few years back, he was the high bidder
in a camp auction where Alan Winston was offering to write a dance to
the winner's specs. Jon asked him for a dance with no hand contact so
that he and I could dance together while he played the tune. It's an
English dance in waltz time, and it's quite lovely. At a recent
Pasadena ECD ball Jon and I took advantage of wireless mic technology to
call and play it from the floor as we danced together. It's called The
Fiddler's Wife. I wouldn't spring it on brand-new dancers, but it's
fine for an intermediate crowd.
And at the other end of the spectrum, I wrote another 3/4 ECD for some
longtime members of our local Sebastopol dance, one of whom was starting
to need a little more help on the floor (she had some balance and
mobility issues). For them, I wrote a dance where you only let go of
your partner for 2 bars during the whole sequence. It's a great one for
new dancers.
Kalia