Thanks for the suggestions! I've gotten lots of fun ideas on and off list;
and resources I should go and check out. (I'll admit, I've picked up some
of the CDSS pamphlet/books in the past, and been underwhelmed by their
utility; but it sounds like there are some other ones to pick up).
Part of my motivation for this is trying to go into my child's pre-school
for a dance program. My daughter knows enough about contra that she wants
to dance (she's now started writing dances, which I guess shows me what
I've been modelling...) but my calling gigs are too usually past her
bedtime. So I'm trying to find things that make it feel like a dance for
her.
I'm sure I'll end up using this material in other situations (recently got
a call from a family center about a dance, etc).
Thanks again.
On Sun, Oct 29, 2017 at 12:53 AM, Luke Donforth <luke.donev(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
> Hi Folks,
>
> I've got my collection of family dances that I use with mixed age groups.
> But I wonder if anyone has recommendations for family dance stuff when you
> don't have the full family?
>
> What's good for ~12 pre-schoolers (age 3 to 5) when they aren't dancing
> with their parents; and you have maybe 2 other adults total. It seems
> dubious they'd get through even two dances, so give me your favorite if you
> have one.
>
> Thanks!
>
> --
> Luke Donforth
> Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>
>
--
Luke Donforth
Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>
Luke,
The age range you describe actually has extremely variable abilities. A three year old is just learning to control their body, likely cannot yet skip, or leap from one foot among the many as yet unlearned skills. A five year old is much more in control of both their body, and their social self. But the whole age range can enjoy follow the leader and other imitative dance, the elder end readily do two hand turns, elbow swings, circles. They might enjoy being led through individual movements, even in a sitting circle, (butterfly knees, swan wings, upside down beetle, cat loaf, etc) and scattered about but moving (different kinds of jumping (like a frog, like a kangaroo), walking in different styles (stomping like and elephant, wading like an egret, scurrying like a squirrel...)). Moving to different rhythms and moods, swaying to slow stuff but bopping to fast stuff can be fun. Dance that tells a story can work if more of the kids are older. Enjoy!
Andrea
Sent from my external brain
Hi Luke
I tried a preschool group and would not recommend any dances with formations, holding hands, or set moves. That’s just not where they are developmentally.
What I’d recommend is the hokey pokey and other singing games. Old brass wagon, Sally goes round the sun, down by the station & you can do the trains.
You can also bring colorful scarves, balloons, a parachute if there are enough adults to hold it up, bubbles etc with songs and wandering around. They would enjoy freeze games too.
Good luck!
Claire Takemori
Sent from my iPhone
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2017 00:53:34 -0400
From: Luke Donforth <luke.donev(a)gmail.com>
To: "Callers(a)Lists.Sharedweight.net" <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] pre-school dances?
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Hi Folks,
I've got my collection of family dances that I use with mixed age groups.
But I wonder if anyone has recommendations for family dance stuff when you
don't have the full family?
What's good for ~12 pre-schoolers (age 3 to 5) when they aren't dancing
with their parents; and you have maybe 2 other adults total. It seems
dubious they'd get through even two dances, so give me your favorite if you
have one.
Thanks!
--
Luke Donforth
Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>
Here's one. They have to know the colors of the clothes they are wearing. It's a circle.
Circle left, right
Forward and back .....
Those wearing red, for instance, skip in the inside. Then skip the other way back to place.
Sent from my iPad
> On Oct 29, 2017, at 12:53 AM, Luke Donforth via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Hi Folks,
>
> I've got my collection of family dances that I use with mixed age groups. But I wonder if anyone has recommendations for family dance stuff when you don't have the full family?
>
> What's good for ~12 pre-schoolers (age 3 to 5) when they aren't dancing with their parents; and you have maybe 2 other adults total. It seems dubious they'd get through even two dances, so give me your favorite if you have one.
>
> Thanks!
>
> --
> Luke Donforth
> Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
There isn't a lot that will work well with just preschoolers and a couple adults. Holding hands in a circle and staying in a circle is challenge. I'd suggest really simple singing games because you can pause the music whenever you need to so they can follow the next instruction. Dusty bluebells works. Freeze dancing. The noble duke of York.
Challenging to do that age w/o lots of adults or older kids.
Yours,
Amy
206 330 7408
Amy(a)calleramy.com
Hi Folks,
I've got my collection of family dances that I use with mixed age groups.
But I wonder if anyone has recommendations for family dance stuff when you
don't have the full family?
What's good for ~12 pre-schoolers (age 3 to 5) when they aren't dancing
with their parents; and you have maybe 2 other adults total. It seems
dubious they'd get through even two dances, so give me your favorite if you
have one.
Thanks!
--
Luke Donforth
Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>
Here's my annual bid to keep the dances of Rich Blazej out there; I try and
call his dances whenever I can and this one's a Halloween favorite, re-done
as "Werewolves and Zombies". First the original:
*Garfield's Escape* -- circle of couples PLUS ONE EXTRA in the center --
the Garfield
A1 All into the center EIGHT steps and back, menacing the Garfield
A2 Circle left, circle right
B1 Women (*werewolves*) promenade single file to the right, while men (
*zombies*) "star" by the right -- each man puts his right hand on right
shoulder of the man in front - including Garfield.
B2 Caller hollers "Escape!" (*"Boo!", or maybe "Braaaiiins*") and all men
run to the outside and swing with a woman in the outer circle. A new
Garfield remains in the center.
Rich himself named this after Garfield the comic-strip cat, way back when
he was cynical and funny (the cat, not Rich) --
"The single man remaining at the end of the dance is entitled to a pan of
lasagna and some fresh kitty litter".
My favorite normal tune for this is the minor jig *Coleraine*, played at a
slightly slower lurch-y tempo, but if I'm lucky the band'll do the Alfred
Hitchcock theme.
The thing that makes it is the *eight* counts in/out, the steps become
small and tiptoe-y/menacing -- it gives dancers space and time to throw in
all sorts of shenanigans, and each Garfield tends to try and top the last
with the quivering and shivering. Kids especially love making a grownup
cower.
Have fun, just thought I'd share -- and I'd love to hear how it goes if you
do it, and what variations emerge.
Cheers,
Amy
The long-established dance series in Tracy Hall in Norwich, VT urgently
needs a caller for Nov. 11, 2017. The person we had scheduled is not be
able to make that event. Efforts to find a replacement from within our
usual pool have not borne fruit as of yet. We'd like to be able to announce
the Nov. 11 caller at our 4th-Saturday dance (10/28, this weekend). Our
musicians will include LIz and Dan Faiella, enthusiastic and talented young
musicians. If you could fill this date, please reply to
chip.hedler(a)gmail.com as soon as you can--we'd be extremely appreciative,
can guarantee a decent fee, and could arrange lodging and meals if needed.
Thanks to all for your consideration,
Chip Hedler
Norwich Dance Committee
I had a chance to use Larks and Ravens when I called for the Brooklyn
contra this summer. I really liked it, better than any of the others I've
tried, and got multiple positive comments too. That said, I pulled it off
by making a new set of cards (on my iPad) so that I had the correct terms
in front of me. Once I got started calling, though, the terms felt really
intuitive, both for me and the dancers. I'm so glad that the Brooklyn
organizers were willing to give it a try (they had normally used "leads"
and "follows", which I feel pretty strongly aren't good options for contra
for multiple reasons, both gender related and due to how contra works as a
dance form).
J
On Sun, Oct 15, 2017 at 1:58 PM Carol Geisler via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Hi Angela, Looking forward to hearing about your personal experiences as a
> caller and dance organizer with these new terms.
>
> On Sun, Oct 15, 2017 at 1:33 PM, Mary Collins via Callers <
> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> Angela, ah....I see said the blind person. Now it makes sense. Will not
>> work in my home ultra conservative community and I will certainly need to
>> practice replacing. It will be interesting to say the least.
>> Thanks again!
>>
>> On Oct 15, 2017 12:21 AM, "Angela DeCarlis" <aedecarlis(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Mary! A lot has already been written on the subject elsewhere, but
>>> the summary of why Larks and Ravens has become a great set of terms is that
>>> they correlate to the (L)eft and (R)ight positions at the end of a swing.
>>> The syllable count is the same when compared to Gent and Lady (or Man and
>>> Woman, for that matter), and the terms don't conflict with any dance
>>> instructions (like how Lead and Follow would, especially if used to call
>>> for English or Square Dancing).
>>>
>>> Another great set of terms are Jets and Rubies, but I've found those
>>> labels to be more arbitrary...the main advantage is that the words are
>>> phonetically similar to Gents and Ladies...and I'm not sure whether or not
>>> that's a good thing!
>>>
>>> I hope this helps clarify things for you, and I thank you in advance for
>>> keeping an open mind about trying these new, genderfree terms soon! In the
>>> communities I've danced in, I can't tell you how much of a positive
>>> difference these terms have made for individual dancers and for the
>>> communities on the balance. But again, more on that can be read elsewhere,
>>> and I hope to write in with more about my personal experiences as a caller
>>> and dance organizer soon!
>>>
>>> Angela
>>>
>>> On Oct 14, 2017 2:09 PM, "Mary Collins" <nativedae(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ahem Tom...that would be "gender" lol....Seriously, being of the more
>>>> mature (and I use that term loosely) set, I find all these new names for
>>>> ROLES to be troublesome and tiresome. Who exactly is a Lark & who exactly
>>>> are Ravens? Because quite frankly I have mental pictures of both....from
>>>> literature and music and they could be as offending as gents & ladies or
>>>> women & men....not to try to start anything here. I am just trying to
>>>> grasp something that seems to be just a wee bit beyond my reach. Several
>>>> of my fellow traveling dance friends (of similar age) do not understand
>>>> these terms either. Since I plan to be traveling and hopefully calling in
>>>> "your community" sometime, I'd really like to get a handle on this.
>>>>
>>>> Mary "24" Collins
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…> Virus-free.
>>>> www.avg.com
>>>> <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…>
>>>> <#m_1583896410128011869_m_-3056614572501621447_m_7204306495091385479_m_-3621280477174631412_DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
>>>>
>>>> “Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass ... it's about
>>>> learning to dance in the rain!” ~ Unknown
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Oct 14, 2017 at 12:15 PM, Tom Hinds <twhinds(a)earthlink.net>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Thanks Angela. If only we could easily change our gender so we could
>>>>> understand what it's like to be the other sex.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Oct 14, 2017, at 11:32 AM, Angela DeCarlis wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Tom, I had this conversation with Sue Rosen this summer. Women who
>>>>> belong to the original Feminist generation (like Sue and, presumably, like
>>>>> Mary and Martha above) were involved in a cultural movement to abolish the
>>>>> word "Lady", along with its restrictive connotations, in favor of "Woman".
>>>>> The latter label, I understand, was one which lent more power and ownership
>>>>> to its wearers, and so was preferable. You could be however you were,
>>>>> "ladylike" or not, and still be a Woman. (others, please chime in if I've
>>>>> gotten anything wrong or missed anything!)
>>>>>
>>>>> My generation has an opposite problem: due to the modern-day Gender
>>>>> Revolution, wherein we seek to abolish the gender dichotomy, terms like
>>>>> "Woman" and "Man" feel too restrictive and denotative. "Lady" and "Gent"
>>>>> feel almost more comfortable to some, since they are words that are
>>>>> slightly more flexible, in some ways.
>>>>>
>>>>> One of the biggest problems for both groups, I think, is when the
>>>>> terms are used interchangeably.
>>>>>
>>>>> This is one of my favorite things to think about when it comes to role
>>>>> terms in dance today! I *love* our community's intergenerationality, and
>>>>> learning about each other through conversations like this!
>>>>>
>>>>> Eventually I hope to get around to writing in about the changes I've
>>>>> seen at BIDA since switching to Larks and Ravens at the beginning of the
>>>>> summer. It's been truly remarkable!
>>>>>
>>>>> 'Til then,
>>>>> Angela
>>>>>
>>>>> On Oct 14, 2017 9:26 AM, "Mary Collins via Callers" <
>>>>> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Martha, I dont recall this dance of which you speak. Could you share
>>>>>> the true title and calls? Thanks! I also cringe over ladies (I don't fit
>>>>>> that tradition) yet it is a good "place holder, ROLE identifer" for my
>>>>>> communities.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Oct 14, 2017 9:06 AM, "Tom Hinds via Callers" <
>>>>>> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I must have fallen asleep during a discussion of "ladies". What's
>>>>>>> the issue?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> > On Oct 11, 2017, at 12:13 PM, Martha Wild via Callers <
>>>>>>> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > I’ve got a gypsy star dance (I actually call it “Star Wrong” and
>>>>>>> not just because of the g-word, but because if you say “gypsy star”
>>>>>>> everybody starts to gypsy and NOT star, so I gave up on that confusing
>>>>>>> terminology). Haven’t seen another dance like it. The move from mad robin
>>>>>>> into the star wrong actually flows quite well. I use men and women for
>>>>>>> roles, not genders. When I first started calling, we considered “lady” to
>>>>>>> be a four letter word - women’s movement and bra burning and all that. I
>>>>>>> still find it hard to use the word “lady” and not bristle. Times have
>>>>>>> changed, now people bristle at men and women. Go figure. I didn’t correct
>>>>>>> the “g-word” use on this version
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> List Name: Callers mailing list
>>>>>>> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>>>>>>> Archives:
>>>>>>> https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> List Name: Callers mailing list
>>>>>> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>>>>>> Archives:
>>>>>> https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> List Name: Callers mailing list
>> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>>
>>
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>
--
Jack Mitchell
Durham, NC
Hi Angela, Looking forward to hearing about your personal experiences as a
caller and dance organizer with these new terms.
On Sun, Oct 15, 2017 at 1:33 PM, Mary Collins via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Angela, ah....I see said the blind person. Now it makes sense. Will not
> work in my home ultra conservative community and I will certainly need to
> practice replacing. It will be interesting to say the least.
> Thanks again!
>
> On Oct 15, 2017 12:21 AM, "Angela DeCarlis" <aedecarlis(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Mary! A lot has already been written on the subject elsewhere, but the
>> summary of why Larks and Ravens has become a great set of terms is that
>> they correlate to the (L)eft and (R)ight positions at the end of a swing.
>> The syllable count is the same when compared to Gent and Lady (or Man and
>> Woman, for that matter), and the terms don't conflict with any dance
>> instructions (like how Lead and Follow would, especially if used to call
>> for English or Square Dancing).
>>
>> Another great set of terms are Jets and Rubies, but I've found those
>> labels to be more arbitrary...the main advantage is that the words are
>> phonetically similar to Gents and Ladies...and I'm not sure whether or not
>> that's a good thing!
>>
>> I hope this helps clarify things for you, and I thank you in advance for
>> keeping an open mind about trying these new, genderfree terms soon! In the
>> communities I've danced in, I can't tell you how much of a positive
>> difference these terms have made for individual dancers and for the
>> communities on the balance. But again, more on that can be read elsewhere,
>> and I hope to write in with more about my personal experiences as a caller
>> and dance organizer soon!
>>
>> Angela
>>
>> On Oct 14, 2017 2:09 PM, "Mary Collins" <nativedae(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Ahem Tom...that would be "gender" lol....Seriously, being of the more
>>> mature (and I use that term loosely) set, I find all these new names for
>>> ROLES to be troublesome and tiresome. Who exactly is a Lark & who exactly
>>> are Ravens? Because quite frankly I have mental pictures of both....from
>>> literature and music and they could be as offending as gents & ladies or
>>> women & men....not to try to start anything here. I am just trying to
>>> grasp something that seems to be just a wee bit beyond my reach. Several
>>> of my fellow traveling dance friends (of similar age) do not understand
>>> these terms either. Since I plan to be traveling and hopefully calling in
>>> "your community" sometime, I'd really like to get a handle on this.
>>>
>>> Mary "24" Collins
>>>
>>>
>>> <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…> Virus-free.
>>> www.avg.com
>>> <http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_cam…>
>>> <#m_-3056614572501621447_m_7204306495091385479_m_-3621280477174631412_DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
>>>
>>> “Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass ... it's about
>>> learning to dance in the rain!” ~ Unknown
>>>
>>> On Sat, Oct 14, 2017 at 12:15 PM, Tom Hinds <twhinds(a)earthlink.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thanks Angela. If only we could easily change our gender so we could
>>>> understand what it's like to be the other sex.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Oct 14, 2017, at 11:32 AM, Angela DeCarlis wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Tom, I had this conversation with Sue Rosen this summer. Women who
>>>> belong to the original Feminist generation (like Sue and, presumably, like
>>>> Mary and Martha above) were involved in a cultural movement to abolish the
>>>> word "Lady", along with its restrictive connotations, in favor of "Woman".
>>>> The latter label, I understand, was one which lent more power and ownership
>>>> to its wearers, and so was preferable. You could be however you were,
>>>> "ladylike" or not, and still be a Woman. (others, please chime in if I've
>>>> gotten anything wrong or missed anything!)
>>>>
>>>> My generation has an opposite problem: due to the modern-day Gender
>>>> Revolution, wherein we seek to abolish the gender dichotomy, terms like
>>>> "Woman" and "Man" feel too restrictive and denotative. "Lady" and "Gent"
>>>> feel almost more comfortable to some, since they are words that are
>>>> slightly more flexible, in some ways.
>>>>
>>>> One of the biggest problems for both groups, I think, is when the terms
>>>> are used interchangeably.
>>>>
>>>> This is one of my favorite things to think about when it comes to role
>>>> terms in dance today! I *love* our community's intergenerationality, and
>>>> learning about each other through conversations like this!
>>>>
>>>> Eventually I hope to get around to writing in about the changes I've
>>>> seen at BIDA since switching to Larks and Ravens at the beginning of the
>>>> summer. It's been truly remarkable!
>>>>
>>>> 'Til then,
>>>> Angela
>>>>
>>>> On Oct 14, 2017 9:26 AM, "Mary Collins via Callers" <
>>>> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Martha, I dont recall this dance of which you speak. Could you share
>>>>> the true title and calls? Thanks! I also cringe over ladies (I don't fit
>>>>> that tradition) yet it is a good "place holder, ROLE identifer" for my
>>>>> communities.
>>>>>
>>>>> On Oct 14, 2017 9:06 AM, "Tom Hinds via Callers" <
>>>>> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I must have fallen asleep during a discussion of "ladies". What's
>>>>>> the issue?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>>>>
>>>>>> > On Oct 11, 2017, at 12:13 PM, Martha Wild via Callers <
>>>>>> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> > I’ve got a gypsy star dance (I actually call it “Star Wrong” and
>>>>>> not just because of the g-word, but because if you say “gypsy star”
>>>>>> everybody starts to gypsy and NOT star, so I gave up on that confusing
>>>>>> terminology). Haven’t seen another dance like it. The move from mad robin
>>>>>> into the star wrong actually flows quite well. I use men and women for
>>>>>> roles, not genders. When I first started calling, we considered “lady” to
>>>>>> be a four letter word - women’s movement and bra burning and all that. I
>>>>>> still find it hard to use the word “lady” and not bristle. Times have
>>>>>> changed, now people bristle at men and women. Go figure. I didn’t correct
>>>>>> the “g-word” use on this version
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> List Name: Callers mailing list
>>>>>> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>>>>>> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/c
>>>>>> allers(a)lists.sharedweight.net/
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> List Name: Callers mailing list
>>>>> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>>>>> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/c
>>>>> allers(a)lists.sharedweight.net/
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>
>
