I find Monkey in the Middle (by Sherry Nevins) a friendly variant of Ninepins. You are choosing a partner rather than scrambling and a person feeling left out.
Sent from my iPhone
> On Jan 31, 2018, at 3:59 PM, Chris Page via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Ninepins?
>
> -Chris Page
> San Diego, CA
>
> On Tue, Jan 30, 2018 at 10:23 AM, Sue via Callers
> <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>> Sure they're all fun (we hope). I'm looking for a few dances that are
>> particularly playful, quirky, silly....something that typically gets the
>> dancers laughing.
>>
>> You get the idea. What are your favorites?
>>
>> Sue Gola
>> Princeton, NJ
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Hi Lenore,
I think part of the challenge with contra is that there is so little teaching done at dances. Technique is very rarely taught; people are just supposed to pick it all up as they go along. As a result people who can get through challenging dances consider themselves “advanced” while still having no basic dancing skills.
One of the most frustrating sequences for me is “Men Allemande Left 1.5; Neighbour Swing”. I like to spin out of the Allemande into my Neighbour’s arms for the Swing. But no-one ever teaches Allemande technique and very few dancers do it well (the ladies tend to be much better than the men). I get offered all sorts of strange hand positions; the dancers put their arms at strange angles which prevent you disengaging smoothly; many of the dancers seem to think that they are arm-wrestling instead of dancing; some of them have misunderstood the term “give weight” and lean away strongly so that I have to devote myself to stopping them from falling over (very tiring!); and, possibly as a result of all this poor connection, they don’t move fast enough - their steps are too small. All of this means that getting around 1.5 times takes too long and there is no time to add a spin out of the Allemande.
You can’t build on shifting sands.
Whenever I teach a Swing Variations workshop I always start by going over the basics of a good swing. It’s amazing how many people afterwards thank me and say they hadn’t realised that they could improve their basic swing. See http://contrafusion.co.uk/Contra.html#swinging for details.
You may also find some ideas you can use at http://contrafusion.co.uk/Contra.html#connection.
For improving technique in twirls (e.g. in and out of swings, and multiple twirls in a Ladies’ Chains), see http://modernjive.com/history/tension.html. Although this article was written for a different dance style, the technique points apply equally well to contra twirls. Note: this article refers to Lead & Follow which is not a fundamental part of contra dance. However, for many flourishes the Lead & Follow principles apply for the duration of that flourish.
Some flourishes that can be done easily by yourself are:
Spin into a Tidal Wave (long wavy line)
Twirl yourself going from Up The Hall in Lines of Four into a Circle Left
Spin yourself out of Allemandes - great fun if you can do all four in a Contra Corners
Do something on beat four of Long Lines Go Forward & Back: shimmy, stamp, hip bump the opposite person (if you know them well), bow…
I hope some of that helps.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com <mailto:john@modernjive.com> 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574
http://contrafusion.co.uk/KentCeilidhs.html for Live Music Ceilidhs
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive DVDs
From: Callers <callers-bounces(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:callers-bounces@lists.sharedweight.net> > On Behalf Of Lenore Frigo via Callers
Sent: 26 April 2019 22:45
To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] Easy flourishes or other "bonus" movements?
I would like to teach some of my more advanced dancers some flourishes or other embellishments to contra dance. I'd like to start with things that are easy and obviously that can be smoothly integrated into a dance.
Simpler is better and I am especially looking for "extras" that can be done singly rather than within a couple. For example, simply twirling during a do-si-do, or little "meanwhile" things you can do while waiting out as your partner allemandes with their diagonal.
I've found some YouTube videos, but they tend to be for more elaborate technique than I am interested in introducing at this time.
Thanks for any thoughts, tips, support, or warnings! :)
Lenore Frigo
I think that dancers are more open to mastering those basic skills in the
context of a workshop teaching flourishes.
On Sat, Apr 27, 2019 at 12:21 PM Jim Thaxter via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> “More advanced” is a pretty vague term and could be interpreted in various
> ways. I didn’t think Colin’s response was “terribly” sarcastic. That, too,
> may be interpreted variously. Find your own way and be peaceful with it.
> More on topic, get the basics down first, then embellish.
>
> On Sat, Apr 27, 2019 at 11:16 AM Michael Dyck via Callers <
> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> On 2019-04-27 4:19 a.m., Colin Hume via Callers wrote:
>> > On Fri, 26 Apr 2019 14:44:32 -0700, Lenore Frigo via Callers wrote:
>> >> I would like to teach some of my more advanced dancers some flourishes
>> >> or other embellishments to contra dance. I'd like to start with things
>> >> that are easy and obviously that can be smoothly integrated into a
>> dance.
>> >
>> > How about first teaching them how to fit the dance to the music, giving
>> > weight in allemandes and circles, and doing a good buzz-step swing?
>> > Or would that not be considered politically correct?
>> Lenore did say that these are "more advanced dancers", so it seems
>> reasonable to assume that they already know these things. Why would you
>> assume they don't?
>>
>> I can sympathize with valuing fundamentals over flourishes, and I'm not
>> saying you should keep that opinion to yourself, just that I think you
>> could
>> find a less sarcastic way to express it.
>>
>> -Michael
>
>
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>
On Fri, 26 Apr 2019 14:44:32 -0700, Lenore Frigo via Callers wrote:
> I would like to teach some of my more advanced dancers some flourishes or other embellishments to contra dance.
> I'd like to start with things that are easy and obviously that can be smoothly integrated into a dance.
How about first teaching them how to fit the dance to the music, giving weight in allemandes and circles, and doing a
good buzz-step swing? Or would that not be considered politically correct?
Colin Hume
Email colin(a)colinhume.com Web site http://colinhume.com
Claudio Buchwald wrote "Sneak Preview" with a right shoulder round in A1,
There is also "Priest Pass" by Mitchell S. Frey that ends LLFB, Ladies
Chain. I imagine you have a folked version of one of these dances.
On Fri, Apr 26, 2019 at 8:26 PM Rich Sbardella via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Here is another dance I do not have a title for.
> Can anyone help?
> Thanks,
> Rich
>
> Untitled Easy Dance
>
>
> Contra D/I
>
> Neighbor Dosido 1-1/2
>
>
>
> Next Neighbor Left Shoulder Round
>
>
> Original Neighbor Balance & Swing
>
>
> - - - -
>
>
> Circle Left 3/4
>
>
> Partner Swing
>
>
> Ladies Chain
>
>
>
> Left Hand Star
>
>
>
> New Neighbor Dosido 1-1/2
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>
Here is another dance I do not have a title for.
Can anyone help?
Thanks,
Rich
Untitled Easy Dance
Contra D/I
Neighbor Dosido 1-1/2
Next Neighbor Left Shoulder Round
Original Neighbor Balance & Swing
- - - -
Circle Left 3/4
Partner Swing
Ladies Chain
Left Hand Star
New Neighbor Dosido 1-1/2
Lenore,
I taught a workshop on this exact topic. I'll send you my notes when next
I'm at my computer. (Saturday, perhaps).
Jerome
On Friday, April 26, 2019, Lenore Frigo via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> I would like to teach some of my more advanced dancers some flourishes or
> other embellishments to contra dance. I'd like to start with things that
> are easy and obviously that can be smoothly integrated into a dance.
>
> Simpler is better and I am especially looking for "extras" that can be
> done singly rather than within a couple. For example, simply twirling
> during a do-si-do, or little "meanwhile" things you can do while waiting
> out as your partner allemandes with their diagonal.
>
> I've found some YouTube videos, but they tend to be for more elaborate
> technique than I am interested in introducing at this time.
>
> Thanks for any thoughts, tips, support, or warnings! :)
> Lenore Frigo
>
--
Jerome Grisanti
660-528-0858
http://www.jeromegrisanti.com
"Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power
and magic in it." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
I would like to teach some of my more advanced dancers some flourishes or
other embellishments to contra dance. I'd like to start with things that
are easy and obviously that can be smoothly integrated into a dance.
Simpler is better and I am especially looking for "extras" that can be done
singly rather than within a couple. For example, simply twirling during a
do-si-do, or little "meanwhile" things you can do while waiting out as your
partner allemandes with their diagonal.
I've found some YouTube videos, but they tend to be for more elaborate
technique than I am interested in introducing at this time.
Thanks for any thoughts, tips, support, or warnings! :)
Lenore Frigo
That would be "Leap of Faith" by Bob Isaacs.
On Fri, Apr 26, 2019 at 4:57 PM Rich Sbardella via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Anyone recognize this dance?
>
> A1 Bal Wave Spin Right, Bar Wave, Spin L (Ladies all the way across)
> A2 P B&S
> B1 CL 3/4, N Swg
> B2 F&B, Star Left
>
> Thanks,
> Rich
>
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>
Leap of Faith by Bob Isaacs
BUT
It’s a Star R at the end of the B2
Lisa G
> On Apr 26, 2019, at 4:57 PM, Rich Sbardella via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Anyone recognize this dance?
>
> A1 Bal Wave Spin Right, Bar Wave, Spin L (Ladies all the way across)
> A2 P B&S
> B1 CL 3/4, N Swg
> B2 F&B, Star Left
>
> Thanks,
> Rich
>
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> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
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