interesting list - lots of dances by John Coffman. Andrea will be in St Louis to call for us the day before Labor Day and there is a reasonable chance that John will be there!
Mac McKeever
From: Andy Shore via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
To: Andrea Nettleton <twirly-girl(a)bellsouth.net>
Cc: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2017 12:22 PM
Subject: Re: [Callers] Labor Day dances
Working Stiff - John Coffman
The Collective - John Coffman
The Reunion - Gene Hubert (get it, Re-Union)
Labor of Love - Kathy Anderson
Communist Plot - John Coffman
Company Man - John Coffman
Holiday Haze - Cheri GlaserCrossed the Line - John Coffman (picket line)
singing square Red Wing is to the "look for the union label" tune
/Andy
On Tue, Aug 22, 2017 at 8:36 PM, Andrea Nettleton via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Hey all,
> Can someone point me to the thread I imagine already exists with dances for Labor Day? Or, if you have written or know of some good ones, please let me know? Anything about work, workers, labor, and the like.
> The one I have that came to mind was Labor of Love, by, I think, Kathy Anderson.
> Thanks!
> Andrea
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Hey all,
Can someone point me to the thread I imagine already exists with dances for Labor Day? Or, if you have written or know of some good ones, please let me know? Anything about work, workers, labor, and the like.
The one I have that came to mind was Labor of Love, by, I think, Kathy Anderson.
Thanks!
Andrea
Sent from my external brain
Maybe I’m late in coming to this, but has anyone mentioned Pat Shaw’s Margaret’s Waltz (contra to tune he wrote of same name)? Actually, maybe he wrote it as a Sicilian Circle, but I’ve done it as a contra.
Martha
Hi,
Dugan asked about waltz contra choreographies.
The music in the Allison Wonderland video is much faster than I
would use for a contra waltz. Many of the dancers seem to end up almost
running to keep up. The waltz at the beginning or end of an evening at a
contra dance is usually significantly slower, and more the sort of speed
that I would use to get the feel of a waltz. (Yes, I know the Irish like to
waltz 50% faster, but that is a very different style!)
Here are some contras that were written specifically for waltz
music:
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Tulsa Tribute (by Keith Tuxhorn)
Contra; Becket - Waltz
A1: Circle Left Half Way (2); Balance the Ring (2)
Circle Left* Half Way (2); Balance the Ring (2)
A2: Open Ladies' Chain x2
B1: Full Hey with hands - Ladies start with Right Hand
B2: Partner Waltz in Place (4), Waltz Left** to face a New Neighbours (4)
An Open Ladies' Chain is an old form in which you do NOT do a Courtesy Turn.
I always teach it and call it as "Ladies Pull By Right, Allemande Left the
Man you meet"
* I go Right to make it easier for inexperienced dancers ** I go Right
because my brain tells me that is the direction in which I should waltz
around the room
Easy B2: Ladies Gypsy (4); Yearn Left (2); Step Right & Honour (2)
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
A Waltz for Terry (by Don Armstrong)
Contra; Improper - Waltz
A1: #1s with #2 Man: Balance the Ring twice; Circle Left
A2: #1s with #2 Lady: Balance the Ring twice; Circle Right to a Line of Four
facing Down the Hall (#1 Lady lets go with Right Hand; #1 Man raises Left
Hand to left #2 Lady through)
B1: Down the Hall in Lines of Four (2) bars, Balance Forwards (1), Turn
Alone (1)
Up the Hall in Lines of Four (2), #2s Gate the #1s Up to progressed
positions with a wide hand-cast (2)
B2: Open Ladies' Chain (the Men can do a Turn Single to the Left while the
Ladies cross)
Open Ladies' Chain back
An Open Ladies' Chain is an old form in which you do NOT do a Courtesy Turn.
I always teach it and call it as "Ladies Pull By Right, Allemande Left the
Man you meet"
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Equal Opportunity Waltz Contra (by Becky Hill)
Contra; Improper - Waltz
A1: Star Left; Star Right
A2: Neighbour Allemande Right; Partner Allemande Left
B1: Ladies Cross (2); Men Cross (2)
Balance the Ring; Partner Roll Away with a Half Sashay
B2: Partner: Take Right Hand: Balance & Box the Gnat
Partner: Take Left Hand: Balance & Swat the Flea
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
If I was going to use a standard contra then I would choose a smooth,
flowing one like:
The Mad Gypsy (by John Sweeney)
Contra; Becket
A1: Ladies' Chain
Mad Robin - AC - Ladies through the Middle
A2: Full Hey - Ladies start Right Shoulder
B1: Ladies Gypsy (slow & wide)
Neighbour Two-Hand Turn (or Waltz)
B2: Balance the Ring; Ladies Cross
Yearn on the Left Diagonal
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
Tulsa Tribute is a simple, lovely "contra waltz" that works well as a cool-down on a hot night. I sometimes use it as the next-to-last dance of the evening. The band needs to choose a waltz in AABB, rather than ABAB as many are usually played. If I teach it in tempo, they usually figure it out.
Tulsa Tribute - Keith ?Juxhorn? (can't read my own writing)**Becket**A1: Circle left 1/2, balance the ring Circle left 1/2, balance the ringA2: Ladies chain over and back (it really helps to call this in tempo - the ladies tend to pick up the loveliness of the waltz tempo with the chain)B1: Full hey for four (ladies start by passing right shoulders)B2: With your partner, waltz in place, end by sliding left to a new couple.
Gretchen Caldwell, Charlotte NC gretchendance(a)yahoo.com
Hi all,
I know there is a musicians' list, but as a caller I'm not on it — and I thought some of you multitalented folk might still be able to answer this question.
We have (it's not mine, so please forgive all inaccuracies in this description) a 50-yr-old Gibson acoustic guitar in need of repair: the nut broke, and it could use some new frets. The instrument in question has significant sentimental value as well as other sorts of value and so we're looking for a trustworthy person to repair it -- someone not too terribly far from the North Fork of Long Island, if possible (anywhere in Suffolk County would be good; either of the Forks or Riverheadish would be great).
Thanks,
Louise Siddons
Temporarily of Cutchogue, NY! But usually from Stillwater, OK.
Now that Bob pointed out that waltz tunes would be 32 bars = 96 beats, I might add more to this dance one day, so it could be danced to AABB waltzes. Alan Winston wrote and helped me understand that this dance should be written like this instead:
Google Waltz
by Claire Takemori
* DI couples in Sicilian circle * Waltz tune AB
A1 —————
Dancing 1 step per waltz beat.
(6) Hole in wall R-sh w/ N to swap places *
(6) Hole in wall R-sh w/ N back to place
(12) LH Star 1x
B1 -----------
(6) bal ring in, move 1 place left on way out **
(6) bal ring in, move 1 place left on way out
(6) Ca Twirl w/ P
(6) P 1-hand Fwd/back w/ new N?s
*Hole in the wall is crossing to swap places, but connecting gaze in the middle as your pass Right shoulders & back up.
**This is from Susan Kevra's 2015 "Trip to Provence”, it ends up equating to CL1/2
Claire Takemori (Campbell CA)
Dance Caller
South Bay Contra Organizer
(408) 874-6840 <tel:(408)%20874-6840>
clairedancecaller(a)gmail.com <mailto:clairedancecaller@gmail.com> <mailto:clairedancecaller@gmail.com <mailto:clairedancecaller@gmail.com>>
https://www.facebook.com/ClaireTakemoriDanceCaller/ <https://www.facebook.com/ClaireTakemoriDanceCaller/> <https://www.facebook.com/ClaireTakemoriDanceCaller/ <https://www.facebook.com/ClaireTakemoriDanceCaller/>>
On Aug 9, 2017, at 1:02 PM, via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
I wrote this for a small (beginner heavy) contra dance that I call frequently. When we ended with a waltz, many didn?t know how. I tried to teach them a simple ?movie waltz? for couples, but it didn?t seem satisfying. I wanted something simple that they could move to the waltz time and enjoy dancing without knowing how to couple dance. It has been tested a few times and folks say they like it. Let me know if you call it?
Google Waltz
by Claire Takemori
* DI couples in Sicilian circle *
A1 -----------
(6) Hole in wall R-sh w/ N to swap places *
(6) Hole in wall R-sh w/ N
A2 -----------
(12) LH Star 1x
B1 -----------
(6) bal ring in, move 1 place left on way out **
(6) bal ring in, move 1 place left on way out
B2 -----------
(6) Ca Twirl w/ P
(6) P 1-hand Fwd/back w/ new N?s
*Hole in the wall is crossing to swap places, but connecting gaze in the middle as your pass Right shoulders & back up.
**This is from an ECD, I?m not sure if the move has a name. It ends up equating to CL1/2
Claire Takemori (Campbell CA)
Dance Caller
South Bay Contra Organizer
(408) 874-6840 <tel:(408)%20874-6840>
clairedancecaller(a)gmail.com <mailto:clairedancecaller@gmail.com> <mailto:clairedancecaller@gmail.com <mailto:clairedancecaller@gmail.com>>
https://www.facebook.com/ClaireTakemoriDanceCaller/ <https://www.facebook.com/ClaireTakemoriDanceCaller/> <https://www.facebook.com/ClaireTakemoriDanceCaller/ <https://www.facebook.com/ClaireTakemoriDanceCaller/>>
Here's one I'm fond of. One could argue whether this is a Contra, ECD, or...
Linda’s Gifts (of Time) – Longways Duple Proper in Waltz Time – Don Veino
20160818
*Type:* Longways Contra or English Dance, Duple Proper
*Status:* Public, Proven
In grateful recognition of Linda Leslie’s investments of time in the folk
dance community and in particular her consultation and mentoring given me
as I hone my dance calling and composition.
*A1*
(6,6) First Corners Set to each other (small steps to the Right-2-3,
Left-2-3), Hole in the Wall (forward 3 beats/steps, pass rights and pivot 1
step, fall back 2 steps into each other’s places)
(12) Second Corners, same thing
*A2*
(12) Partner Two-Hand Turn 1x
(12) Circle Left 1x
*B1*
(12) Ones Half Figure 8 up and around Twos to finish below
(12) Twos do similar below, to finish above
*B2*
(12) Partner Back to Back/Dosido
(6) Ring Balance with current Neighbors
(6) Cloverleaf Turn Single over outside shoulder to face new Neighbors
http://veino.com/blog/?p=1464
On Aug 8, 2017 2:03 PM, "Dugan Murphy via Callers" <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Do you have a favorite contra dance written to fit a waltz tune?
Of course you are correct that it is a "regular" contra. There is nothing that forces the dance to be done in waltz time, only my intent makes it a waltz contra. I give a little of the back story in this video of the maiden voyage of the dance.
http://youtu.be/PXwAAASyrSE
I don't have any of the teach in the video, but like Ric, I had them practicing the swing in waltz time. I demoed how to do it with alternating feet, so yes, it added about a minute and a half to the walk-through. I will sometimes do it as the last dance of the first half with the instruction, "Find a partner for a waltz and line up for a contra". The last time thru at the end of the partner swing, the call is, "Free waltz with your partner!"
Here is the dance done to a 4/4 tune:
http://youtu.be/Xgbw3ID-RBU
Sometimes you push her envelope.... ;-)
Bob Green
St. Louis
Sent from my iPad
> On Aug 8, 2017, at 2:00 PM, Tony Parkes via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Ric, that looks more like a normal contra than a waltz contra to me. Can you share your experience of swinging, or teaching a swing, to waltz music?
>
> Thanks…
> Tony
>
> Tony Parkes
> Billerica, Mass.
> www.hands4.com
> New book! Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century
> (to be published real soon)
>
>
>
> From: Callers [mailto:callers-bounces@lists.sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Ric Goldman - Letsdance via Callers
> Sent: Tuesday, August 8, 2017 2:44 PM
> To: 'Dugan Murphy' <dugan(a)duganmurphy.com>; 'Callers List Serve' <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography
>
> Hi Dugan,
>
> One of my favorites is Bob Green’s Alison Wonderland, (improper):
> A1 1-8 Nbrs balance + swing
> A2 1-4 Circle L ¾
> 5-8 Ptnr swing
> B1 1-4 Gents star promenade 1x*
> 5-8 Butterfly twirl
> B2 1-4 Women chain to Nbr
> 5-8 Long lines fwd + back
> * Consider gents linking elbows to get into this.
>
> Thanx, Ric Goldman
>
> From: Callers [mailto:callers-bounces@lists.sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Dugan Murphy via Callers
> Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2017 11:02 AM
> To: Callers List Serve <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography
>
> Do you have a favorite contra dance written to fit a waltz tune? I danced one once many years ago and haven't thought much about it since, though it was pretty special.
>
> Thank you in advance for sharing some choreography!
>
> Dugan Murphy
> Portland, Maine
> dugan at duganmurphy.com
> www.DuganMurphy.com
> www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com
> www.NufSed.consulting
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