Yes, the spiral is traditional! It is part of the Grand March which goes back at least a couple of centuries.
I call a Grand March by leading it, with my wife. I wear a wireless head mike so my hands are free.
We just start promenading around the dance-floor encouraging everyone to follow us.
For the stationary Arbor/Tunnel, once I have got couples making arches I drop out and go to the end to start leading people single-file through the tunnel.
When we get to the March By Platoons (2s, 4,s 8s) my wife goes to the bottom of the hall to direct the joinings, while I stay at the top to direct the alternate directions. We find linking elbows makes the best lines - they are more compact for the turns at the bottom of the hall.
I use the longest march/reel track I have at around 116 to 120 bpm - a good walking speed, or tell the band to keep playing.
It works with any group.
I often finish in a circle with
Everyone into the middle
Ladies in and clap
Men in and clap
Swing your partner
There are a number of references here:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/dihtml/dihome.html
Search for "grand march"
For example, select "Prof. M. J. Koncen's quadrille call book and ball room guide"
View text
Turn to Page 15
You get descriptions of all these Grand March figures:
The Serpentine (Spiral)
By Platoons (2s, 4s, 8s)
In Column (Zig Zags)
In Single File
The Arbor (Tunnels)
We quite often do The Arbor as a two-handed tunnel, then I take one member of the rearmost couple by the hand and start a single file line up through the Arbor - that leaves us in a single file ready for The Serpentine. You can also do The Arbor with the arching couples moving back over the other couples - single-handed arches work best then.
When you finish By Platoons in lines of 8 or 16 across you take the left hand person of the front line by the hand and lead the front line across the front of the line then weave down between the lines, telling each left-hand end person to join the end of the line when it reaches them. If they have lots of energy I get them all doing step-kicks in the lines while waiting.
The following video shows a classic Grand March:
http://www.walternelson.com/dr/grand-march
One version of a Grand March is described here:
http://www.dancingmasters.com/workshops/downloads/GrandMarch.pdf
I wouldn't use the chorus described, but it has nice description of a Serpentine/Spiral variant - that random tunneling is the only move I would be careful with if the group is inexperienced.
Another short section of Grand Marching is at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNHLBUi6d-w from 3:43
Hope that helps. ☺
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
Thanks for the compliment, Bree! If folks would like to look at other easy dances (including Do Si Three), I have a list of some that I have put together; you can see them at www.lindalesliecaller.website
As for the circle/spiral…..I learned it from someone a long time ago (I don’t remember now who it was). My impression is that the dance is surely traditional, and so I never take credit for it, but admire the probably folk process that put it together.
Linda
On Aug 4, 2015, at 11:03 AM, Bree Kalb via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> I've done house parties with just a fiddler who was very familiar with dance music and knows how to maintain the beat and play square tunes. Not everyone can do that. Does your dance community have a list serve or Facebook page where you can ask for that kind of assistance? Unless you can find someone with those skills, it might be best to have no music.
>
> Linda Leslie's DoSiThree is one of my favorite beginner dances, but usually after they've done some simple circles. Linda posted here a week or so ago her excellent strategy for getting people dancing and into a spiral that turns into a partner-less circle. I thought I 'invented' that approach, but it seems at least 2 of us came up with the idea. It works really well, especially if you enlist some helpers to get it started and to urge their friends to join. When I call at weddings I make it a condition of my contract that the bride and groom will play that role for at least the first dance.
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 4, 2015 at 6:18 AM, Claire Takemori via Callers<callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> I want to learn to call & share family dances with more kids to spread folk music and dancing in our area (SF bay area, near Santa Cruz).
>
> I've got an opportunity to teach dances for my son's nature class. It will range in age from 5 to 15 years. There's an option to work with just 8 years and up for some or all of the dancing.
>
> My questions:
>
> 1. Can you recommend some really fun dances for starting out? The first couple have be great so I can win them over with fun.
>
> 2. I'm wondering how vital music is to the success? I think really great live music is a major part of my joy of contra dancing. We are not allowed to use electrical amplification. I'm wondering if I could use a single fiddler? And how do I locate a local fiddler who might volunteer playing? Maybe a talented youth?
>
> 3. I won't have a mic and will have to use a bullhorn. Any advice? I don't have a naturally loud voice, but do sing so I know about projection and belly breathing.
>
> 4. They are thinking of 8 consecutive weeks, once a week for 15-30 minutes (before nature classes head out hiking). Is 8 weeks a good initial exposure? How long should each session last, 30 minutes?
>
> 5. We might culminate with a "field trip" to a local barn dance. Any advice for the preparation for that?
>
> Thanks for any advice!
>
> claire takemori
>
>
>
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>
> Bree Kalb, LCSW
> 301 W. Weaver St.
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I want to learn to call & share family dances with more kids to spread folk music and dancing in our area (SF bay area, near Santa Cruz).
I've got an opportunity to teach dances for my son's nature class. It will range in age from 5 to 15 years. There's an option to work with just 8 years and up for some or all of the dancing.
My questions:
1. Can you recommend some really fun dances for starting out? The first couple have be great so I can win them over with fun.
2. I'm wondering how vital music is to the success? I think really great live music is a major part of my joy of contra dancing. We are not allowed to use electrical amplification. I'm wondering if I could use a single fiddler? And how do I locate a local fiddler who might volunteer playing? Maybe a talented youth?
3. I won't have a mic and will have to use a bullhorn. Any advice? I don't have a naturally loud voice, but do sing so I know about projection and belly breathing.
4. They are thinking of 8 consecutive weeks, once a week for 15-30 minutes (before nature classes head out hiking). Is 8 weeks a good initial exposure? How long should each session last, 30 minutes?
5. We might culminate with a "field trip" to a local barn dance. Any advice for the preparation for that?
Thanks for any advice!
claire takemori
