Hi Dugan,
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>
https://www.facebook.com/ClaireTakemoriDanceCaller/ <https://www.facebook.com/ClaireTakemoriDanceCaller/>
Message: 2
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2017 14:02:07 -0400
From: Dugan Murphy via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
To: Callers List Serve <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography
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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.comwww.DuganMurphy.comwww.PortlandIntownContraDance.comwww.NufSed.consulting
Hi Tony,
Actually, it seemed to work pretty easily. I sometimes have to be a bit laborious in the teaching getting folks to sync up with the tempo. I find counting the steps helpful, and after a few times folks adjust to the timing.
Here’s a video of one of my earliest attempts with the dance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxbEGgYqhhc
Hope this helps.
Thanx, Ric
From: Callers [mailto:callers-bounces@lists.sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Tony Parkes via Callers
Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2017 12:01 PM
To: callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography
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.
<http://www.hands4.com/> 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 <mailto:dugan@duganmurphy.com> >; 'Callers List Serve' <callers(a)sharedweight.net <mailto:callers@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 <mailto:callers@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 <http://duganmurphy.com>
www.DuganMurphy.com <http://www.DuganMurphy.com>
www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com <http://www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com>
www.NufSed.consulting <http://www.NufSed.consulting>
Dugan --
Over in English-country-dance land there are a zillion longways duple
minor waltz-time dances. Some of them have contra figures.
Gary Roodman's "Winter Dreams Waltz" to Jonathan Jensen's tune starts
off with a leisurely unassisted 1s cast down and face up while 2s lead
up and face down which will require a demonstration, but after that it's
mirror gypsy, pass through across, courtesy turn, left -had-star, long
lines fall back/come forward, circle left 1x,square-thru 2 (no
balances), partner two-hand-turn once round, whch should all be pretty
accessible for contra dancers, and it's a gorgeous dance. (There's a
couple of videos up of it which each show people who don't have hold of
it yet.)
I wrote this one which has English figures that have already infiltrated
contra dance (poussette, dolphin hey); even though it's not standard
contra figures (and the right hand turn halfway isn't an allemande) I
think contra dancers will like it.
MOVEMENT AFOOT
Alan Winston - thought of it at AmWeek, Jul 3, 2013
longways duple minor
Tune: "Steciaks" in waltz book II, by Larry Unger
A1: 1-2: Men set forward to women (boureeish, stamping optional)
3-4: Men fall back as women come forward
5-6: All turn single R
7-8: All RH turn halfway
A2: As above, with women leading. Keep right hands ...
B1: 1-4: ... take left hands as well for Clockwise half poussette
(progressed)
5-8: contra-style Mad Robin (W1 and M2 through the middle first)
B2: 1-8: 1s acting as a unit, dolphin hey for three
(M1 turns round coming out of the mad robin to give Left shoulder
to M2, W1 takes the lead, giving right to M2 on the other side,
M1 takes the lead to arrive progressed and proper.)
NOTE: Alan is agreeable to couple-dance style variations in the
half-poussette,
and in general hopes for a spirit of flirtatious play.
Here's a video into which I had no input, where some of the dancers have
the spirit. (They don't seem to understand that in A1 1-2 the women
should stand their ground rather than falling back, but it's an
acceptable variation.)
-- Alan
On 8/8/17 11:02 AM, Dugan Murphy via Callers wrote:
> 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 <http://duganmurphy.com>
> www.DuganMurphy.com <http://www.DuganMurphy.com>
> www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com
> <http://www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com>
> www.NufSed.consulting <http://www.NufSed.consulting>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
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 <http://duganmurphy.com>
www.DuganMurphy.com <http://www.DuganMurphy.com>
www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com <http://www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com>
www.NufSed.consulting <http://www.NufSed.consulting>
Dugan Murphy wrote:
> Do you have a favorite contra dance written to fit a waltz tune?
The one popular waltz contra of the 1945–1960 square dance revival was Hills of Habersham, written in I think 1955:
http://www.lloydshaw.org/uploads/3/4/2/3/3423313/hills_of_habersham.pdf
The Lloyd Shaw Foundation will sell you a download of organ music for it (with or without calls by Don Armstrong). I like the music even though some might find it hokey, but even better I like “Spanish Waltz” on the Civil War Ballroom CD by Spare Parts. That track is also excellent for the Spanish Dance (a waltz Sicilian, for which it was intended) as well as the Fan Dance / Hat Dance / Rose and the Thorn / whatever you want to call it.
Note that there is a typo on the LSF cue sheet: “Habersham River” should be the Chattahoochee River, which rises in the Hills of Habersham. LSF could use some cleaning up of the information on its download pages; many tunes are only listed under the name of the dance chosen for them, and most musicians’ and bands’ names have been lost, even those who recorded directly for LSF (as distinguished from tracks that were recorded elsewhere and licensed by LSF; with those, the omission of names is often the fault of the original recording company).
Tony Parkes
Billerica, Mass.
www.hands4.com<http://www.hands4.com/>
New book! Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century
(to be published real soon)
On Tue, 8 Aug 2017 14:02:07 -0400, Dugan Murphy via Callers wrote:
> Do you have a favorite contra dance written to fit a waltz tune?
Depends what you class as a contra! Here's one of mine - at least it's longways duple improper.
http://colinhume.com/instl.htm#HeidisWaltz
Colin Hume
Dear Weight-Sharers,
I came up with dance looking for flirty eye-contact dances, hey-like
figures up and down the set, and satisfying promenade -> circle R
transitions. Does it exist? (If it's original enough for me to claim as my
own... whelp, I don't have a title yet.)
???, improper
A1: neighbor gypsy (r sh.) and swing
A2: gents alle. L 1 1/2
half hey (pass partner by R sh.)
B1: partner gypsy (r sh.) and swing
B2: promenade across
circle R 3/4 and pass thru by L sh.
John Sweeney wrote (back in June):
Hi Linda,
Re your Box ‘n’ Swat: I have a somewhat similar dance in my files:
Circle Mixers Are Fun (by Tony Parkes)
A1) Into the Middle & Back x 2
A2) Partner Right Hand: Balance & Box the Gnat; Partner Dosido
B1) Partner Left Hand: Balance & Swat the Flea; Partner Seesaw (Left Shoulder Dosido) 1 & 1/2 to meet your New Partner
B2) New Partner Balance (OR Gypsy) & Swing
Note that your sequence of Swat the Flea into Dosido involves passing by the right when you are holding left hands. Tony’s sequences above allow much easier flow and connection as you can pull past with the connected hand.
And Linda Mrosko wrote:
> …thanks for sharing Tony’s dance. I don’t remember ever seeing it before.
The right name of that sequence is “May Day Mixer”; I wrote it in April 1990, presumably for a May Day event. It appears in my collection _Son of Shadrack and other dances_, available at www.hands4.com<http://www.hands4.com>.
Tony Parkes
Billerica, Mass.
www.hands4.com<http://www.hands4.com/>
New book! Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century
(to be published real soon)
Hi John,
My dictionary describes "A chevron is an inverted V-shaped mark. The word is usually used in reference to a kind of fret in architecture, or to a badge or insignia...". I think of it as an upside down V movement (^).
(All examples here for a longways duple.)
I assume you're referring to the use in English Country Dance, such as for Companions (see http://archives.mvfolkdancers.com/2013-11-23%20MVFD%20English%20Country%20D…). In this case it's only the 1st corner (1M & 2W) people doing the chevron movement, and in fact they actually only turn left 1/8 because they are backing up "straight across the set" instead of at the angle in the beginning of the movement. Often this "half chevron" uses 8 counts. 4 on the diagonal, 4 backing up. As I read it, the 2nd corners are not doing a chevon, just a wait-and-cast.
I've also seen the term "full chevron" used when *all* dancers come forward toward opposite corner (end almost nose-to-nose) then *all* turn 1/4 (90 degrees) left and back up along the other diagonal (also used in ECD, also usually an 8-count movement).
In another case, the movement of the a circle set balancing-in-and-out while rotating CW (left), was described by the caller teaching it as a "ring chevon". I'll admit that that case didn't make much sense to me, but that's just me.
The "chevron" movement in this dance is closer to the full chevron, but only has 4 counts, with everyone holding hands, using balance steps, and rotating the entire time. To me, the phrase "Balance the Ring, Spin the Ring" sounds like the rotate doesn't happen until beat 3, but I think it would work as a call if the dancers know what's expected of them.
Here's sort've the stop-motion in Fried Rice (all begin on their opposite side than their initial duple improper position):
M2 W2
W1 M1
After the 2-count balance in (women face up/dn the set, men face across):
W2
M2 M1
W1
After the 2-count balance out (every has rotated one place CCW around the set):
W2 M1
M2 W1
After the 4-count petronella (all are progressed, but now facing new/next neighbors):
M1 W1
W2 M2
On a personal note, once the dancers associate the movement with the term "chevron", it makes it easy for me to call the last sequence as "Chevron, Petronella 1-1/2", or perhaps "Ring Chevron Right, Petronella".
I suppose we could call it a Foobar or anything else and demo it. Whatever gets the idea across. When I've used the "chevron" term, dancers seem to get it faster. Go figure. 😊
Your mileage may vary, but the fun should be constant, Ric Goldman
-----Original Message-----
From: Callers [mailto:callers-bounces@lists.sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of via Callers
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2017 2:44 PM
To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Subject: Re: [Callers] New Dance?
Hi Ric,
A Chevron is already defined as:
First Corners cross diagonally by the right shoulder, turn left 1/4 to face out, then back up across the set to the opposite place WHILE Second Corners wait, then cast into their neighbour's place
Is your Chevron something that has been used before to mean what you mean?
I call your move, "balance the ring in-and-out while rotating the ring 1 place CCW (i.e. to the R)", Balance the Ring, Spin the Ring.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802
940 574
http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs
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