Here’s To Us - Duple Improper, Becket Formation (Clock-wise Progression)
A-1 Ladies Pass R. then dance around Neighbor - passing L. with Him (into the other Lady’s place), Long Lines Dance Forward and Back
A-2 Gents Pass R. then dance around Partner - passing L. with Her, Gent’s Pass R. again and Balance Neighbor
B-1 Swing Neighbor (short swing), Half R. & L. Thru
B-2 Gents Pass Thru while Ladies Alle. L. 1x, Swing Partners (and Slide Left to Progress…)
Notes: Relative to Half Hey and Teaching of the Full Hey, I wrote this dance some years ago…don’t have the note on a specific date…just to isolate the movement across and and around another dancer.
It’s based on the notion that most Full Heys begin with the Ladies passing Right shoulder. Of course it’s a beginners dance mostly. The last figure, prior to Swing Partner, begins just as with Pass Thru but the Ladies catch hands and “turn back”. All end swinging on Original side of set and simply slide toward a new couple for the Ladies to Pass R. . . . Enjoy!
Hi,
That is a somewhat familiar story from my point of view. I dance in a
number of different folk dancing communities - a varied program here in
Winnipeg. It's quite common, as people from one group attempt to get
interest from other dancing groups, that some people know what they like
and what they don't like, and that's that. For example, people who English
country dance often don't like contra because of the increased exertion and
tempo. Personally, I'm not much of a fan of triple minor dances. Everyone's
got their thing. But there's always a reason for it. It could be a bad
experience, or it could be a stylistic feature of a region, where everyone
does a figure in a way you find unpleasant. Hard to say. To leave an event
because someone programmed something you didn't like? ... I'm not sure to
make of it. You don't like it you don't like it, I suppose.
We don't do Becket formation here at all, really. If someone left at the
end of a night because of Becket formation, I would assume they didn't want
to start learning new things late in the evening.
Greg
On Thu, Dec 10, 2015 at 3:01 PM, via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
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> Today's Topics:
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> 1. Contra with Hey (jill allen via Callers)
> 2. Re: Contra with Hey (Martha Wild via Callers)
> 3. Becket Formation (Rich Sbardella via Callers)
> 4. Re: Becket Formation (Bill Olson via Callers)
> 5. Re: Becket Formation (Michael Fuerst via Callers)
> 6. Re: Becket Formation (Mac Mckeever via Callers)
> 7. Re: Becket Formation (Ron Blechner via Callers)
> 8. Re: Becket Formation (Ron Blechner via Callers)
> 9. Re: Becket Formation (Ryan Smith via Callers)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2015 15:04:46 -0600
> From: jill allen via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
> To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Subject: [Callers] Contra with Hey
> Message-ID: <0B53D2A6-B7C5-47A1-BADB-C4103F7897DA(a)att.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Here's something new:
>
> Signs of Life
> duple improper contra
> by Jill Allen
>
> A1 circle R X1, M allem L 1 1/2 to face P
> A2 hey for 4, start by passing R
> B1 gypsy and swing P (or B & S)
> B2 circle L 3/4, balance the ring, calif twirl to face the next..
>
> Also:
>
> Columbia Contra
> duple improper contra
> by Gene Hubert
>
> A1 Allem R N aprox 1 1/4, W allem L 1/2, allem R P X1 ending with Women
> facing each other in the middle
> A2 hey for 4, W pass L to begin
> B1 B & S P
> B2 W chain, star L
>
> I call both of these quite frequently. Both have timing which is
> forgiving for beginners.
> Jill Allen : )
>
>
> >> Hello Folks,
> >> >
> >> > I am relatively new at calling contras and I am looking for some asy
> to intermediate contras to introduce the hey to a group that includes many
> beginners. and/or club square dancers.
> >> >
> >> > "Butter" by Gene Hubert is my go to dance, but I am looking for a few
> more. I like Butter because the flow from ladies chain into a RH hey is
> great, and because all the other calls are introduced earlier in most
> evening.
> >> >
> >> > I love simple, but different choreography, so I am open to most
> suggestions.
> >> >
> >> > Rich Sbardella
>
Wow, maybe that couple didn't actually know what Becket Formation was?
bill
Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2015 14:45:17 -0500
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Subject: [Callers] Becket Formation
From: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Folks,
I was at a dance not too long ago, and as the caller (not me) invited dancers to join the last dance of the night, he also declared it to be in Becket formation. One visiting couple, who had been waiting eagerly for the last dance , put on their jackets and left disappointed, stating that they do not like Beckets.
Perhaps because I am a square dance caller, I tend to program about 40% Beckets in a contra evening. Is there a negative sentiment about Becket formation among many dancers? If so, can someone explain the reason?
Rich
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Sorry, I meant Rich.
On Dec 10, 2015 3:54 PM, "Ron Blechner" <contraron(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> Whoa. Weird story, Mac. Baffled
> On Dec 10, 2015 3:30 PM, "Mac Mckeever via Callers" <
> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> The only thing I can imagine is that many Becket dances leave the minor
>> set - making them slightly more complex. Perhaps they had some bad
>> experiences with a couple dances and haven't given them another chance.
>>
>> They seem to be different - even though they really aren't - maybe they
>> are just more comfortable with what they are used to.
>>
>> I would think a Becket is a good choice for a final dance because they
>> can end with a partner swing - an nice way to end the last dance.
>>
>> Mac McKeever
>>
>> ------------------------------
>> *From:* Bill Olson via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
>> *To:* Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
>> *Sent:* Thursday, December 10, 2015 2:20 PM
>> *Subject:* Re: [Callers] Becket Formation
>>
>> Wow, maybe that couple didn't actually know what Becket Formation was?
>>
>> bill
>>
>> ------------------------------
>> Date: Thu, 10 Dec 2015 14:45:17 -0500
>> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> Subject: [Callers] Becket Formation
>> From: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>>
>>
>>
>> Folks,
>>
>> I was at a dance not too long ago, and as the caller (not me) invited
>> dancers to join the last dance of the night, he also declared it to be in
>> Becket formation. One visiting couple, who had been waiting eagerly for
>> the last dance , put on their jackets and left disappointed, stating that
>> they do not like Beckets.
>>
>> Perhaps because I am a square dance caller, I tend to program about 40%
>> Beckets in a contra evening. Is there a negative sentiment about Becket
>> formation among many dancers? If so, can someone explain the reason?
>>
>> Rich
>>
>> _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list
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>>
>>
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>>
Folks,
I was at a dance not too long ago, and as the caller (not me) invited
dancers to join the last dance of the night, he also declared it to be in
Becket formation. One visiting couple, who had been waiting eagerly for
the last dance , put on their jackets and left disappointed, stating that
they do not like Beckets.
Perhaps because I am a square dance caller, I tend to program about 40%
Beckets in a contra evening. Is there a negative sentiment about Becket
formation among many dancers? If so, can someone explain the reason?
Rich
Here's something new:
Signs of Life
duple improper contra
by Jill Allen
A1 circle R X1, M allem L 1 1/2 to face P
A2 hey for 4, start by passing R
B1 gypsy and swing P (or B & S)
B2 circle L 3/4, balance the ring, calif twirl to face the next..
Also:
Columbia Contra
duple improper contra
by Gene Hubert
A1 Allem R N aprox 1 1/4, W allem L 1/2, allem R P X1 ending with Women facing each other in the middle
A2 hey for 4, W pass L to begin
B1 B & S P
B2 W chain, star L
I call both of these quite frequently. Both have timing which is forgiving for beginners.
Jill Allen : )
>> Hello Folks,
>> >
>> > I am relatively new at calling contras and I am looking for some asy to intermediate contras to introduce the hey to a group that includes many beginners. and/or club square dancers.
>> >
>> > "Butter" by Gene Hubert is my go to dance, but I am looking for a few more. I like Butter because the flow from ladies chain into a RH hey is great, and because all the other calls are introduced earlier in most evening.
>> >
>> > I love simple, but different choreography, so I am open to most suggestions.
>> >
>> > Rich Sbardella
Becket Formation:
R&L thru on left diagonal (ends do not move), R&L thru across
Circle left 3/4, Swing neighbour
Pass through, California twirl, Men left-hand turn once-and-half
Balance and swing partner
Improper:
Line of 4 (1s in the middle) go down the room and reverse back up ("turn and
fall back") - bend the line to a circle
Circle R, Ladies lead a LHS (1/2 way with each other then men join in)
New Neighbour dosido & Swing
Lines F&B, 1s swing (end in centre of new 2s)
Many thanks in advance J
Jeremy
I like First Hey by Paul Balliet
Sent from my iPhone
> On Dec 8, 2015, at 2:08 PM, Ron Blechner via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Give the Scout a Hand, Bob Isaacs
>
> I'll second:
> Butter
> Carousel
> Hey the the Barn
> Roll in the Hey
>> On Dec 8, 2015 2:10 PM, "David A Kaynor via Callers" <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>> Hi Folks,
>>
>> A longtime lurker leaps in:
>>
>> Below: Two fairly easy Becket formation dances which present a full hay for four following a full ladies’ chain … a useful sequence from a pedagogical standpoint, in my opinion.
>>
>> First, Peter Stix’s “Purple Hays” (Becket formation)
>>
>> A1: Ladies chain (over and back)
>>
>> A2: Hay for four (over and back)
>>
>> B1: Ladies 1/2 [your politically/socially acceptable term for “gypsy”];
>> swing partner
>>
>> B2: 1/2 right and left; circle left 1/2 to original Becket home; with partner, slide left.
>>
>>
>> Here are Peter’s A parts followed by different B parts (Lindsey Dono told me that a dancer suggested this dance be called “Busy Bees”)
>>
>> A1: Ladies chain (over and back)
>>
>> A2: Hay for four (over and back)
>>
>> B1: with Partner, balance and swing
>>
>> B2: long lines forward & back; circle left (all the way around); with partner, shift left to new neighbors.
>>
>>
>> Note: On paper, there isn’t sufficient time for all of B2. However, in actual practice, the transition from the circle and shift to the ladies’ chain is forgiving enough for things to flow well.
>>
>> I believe my B parts to be a little easier for bringing newcomers along. To my knowledge, no contra prior to “Purple Hays” used this sequence of A parts.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > On Dec 8, 2015, at 12:50 PM, susanelberger via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>> >
>> > Washington Hay by Ralph Sweet is my go-to dance for teaching a hay to relatively new dancers.
>> >
>> > Susan Elberger
>> >
>> > From: Rich Sbardella via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
>> > To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>; trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com
>> > Sent: Tuesday, December 8, 2015 12:48 PM
>> > Subject: [Callers] Contras with a Hey
>> >
>> > Hello Folks,
>> >
>> > I am relatively new at calling contras and I am looking for some asy to intermediate contras to introduce the hey to a group that includes many beginners. and/or club square dancers.
>> >
>> > "Butter" by Gene Hubert is my go to dance, but I am looking for a few more. I like Butter because the flow from ladies chain into a RH hey is great, and because all the other calls are introduced earlier in most evening.
>> >
>> > I love simple, but different choreography, so I am open to most suggestions.
>> >
>> > Rich Sbardella
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
> _______________________________________________
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Washington Hay by Ralph Sweet is my go-to dance for teaching a hay to relatively new dancers.
Susan Elberger
From: Rich Sbardella via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>; trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, December 8, 2015 12:48 PM
Subject: [Callers] Contras with a Hey
Hello Folks,
I am relatively new at calling contras and I am looking for some asy to intermediate contras to introduce the hey to a group that includes many beginners. and/or club square dancers.
"Butter" by Gene Hubert is my go to dance, but I am looking for a few more. I like Butter because the flow from ladies chain into a RH hey is great, and because all the other calls are introduced earlier in most evening.
I love simple, but different choreography, so I am open to most suggestions.
Rich Sbardella
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
Oh, also "Hey in the Barn" by Chart Guthrie is lovely and symmetrical and
has two half-heys. (Though it DOES have a progression-out-of-a-hey thing
that Kalia mentions, which can be tricky for beginners...)
On Tue, Dec 8, 2015 at 1:25 PM, Yoyo Zhou <yozhov(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> Do you like half heys? My suggestions there for nice forgiving dances are
> Hocus Pocus by Lisa Greenleaf and The Social Butterfly by John Coffman.
>
> Star promenade into hey is also great. You might enjoy Heart of Glass by
> Cary Ravitz.
>
> Yoyo Zhou
>
