On 6/14/2015 9:48 AM, Richard Hart via Callers wrote:
> I've considered writing an entirely hands free dance, as an example,
> along with a very similar dance that used hands for the corresponding
> moves. The hands free dance would certainly need to used only at an
> expert-only dance.
I'm a caller married to a dance musician. As a result I almost never
get to dance with my husband. A few years back, he was the high bidder
in a camp auction where Alan Winston was offering to write a dance to
the winner's specs. Jon asked him for a dance with no hand contact so
that he and I could dance together while he played the tune. It's an
English dance in waltz time, and it's quite lovely. At a recent
Pasadena ECD ball Jon and I took advantage of wireless mic technology to
call and play it from the floor as we danced together. It's called The
Fiddler's Wife. I wouldn't spring it on brand-new dancers, but it's
fine for an intermediate crowd.
And at the other end of the spectrum, I wrote another 3/4 ECD for some
longtime members of our local Sebastopol dance, one of whom was starting
to need a little more help on the floor (she had some balance and
mobility issues). For them, I wrote a dance where you only let go of
your partner for 2 bars during the whole sequence. It's a great one for
new dancers.
Kalia
On Sat, Jun 13, 2015, Neal Schlein via Callers wrote:
>
> Interesting note: Star Thru is one of the few figures in modern
> squares which by definition CANNOT be done by two facing people
> dancing the same gender role. Box the Gnat is another, and possibly
> California Twirl depending on the exact definition. The
> gender-neutral replacements are Slide Thru and Partner Trade.
The flip side of Slide Thru and Partner Trade is that because they are
no-hands, they change hand availability significantly and body flow
somewhat. Some MWSD callers argue that we should drop California Twirl,
Box the Gnat, and Star Thru because we have the no-hands versions, but
those of us who have field-tested that discovered that the hands versions
really work better for a lot of choreography. (The gender-neutral
sequence for Box the Gnat is Touch 1/4 and Roll, which does have hands
but significantly different body flow.)
NOTE CAREFULLY: Slide Thru is not gender-neutral because it has specific
turning instructions based on gender; it's just the no-hands version of
Star Thru that allows same-gender operation (i.e. same-gender ends up
facing opposite directions instead of same direction). However, Partner
Trade is a genuinely gender-neutral dance figure.
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
<*> <*> <*>
Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html
Here's what I've got in my deck:
*Joyride** by Erik Weberg* || improper (adv'd)
*A1:* N gypsy; mad robin
*A2:* half pousette CW (gents backing up); half hey (gents by L)
*B1:* gents pass L once more to cross set and swing P*
*B2:* ladies chain; LH star 1x
*originally written this way, but dancers need encouraging to not arrive at
P too early. Alternately, just call this as a P b&s.
*Fiddlers' Fling** by Cary Ravitz* || improper (adv'd)
*A1:* N b&s
*A2:* mad robin (gents front first)
1/2 pousette w/ P (ladies backing up)
*B1:* gypsy star 3/4*; P swing
*B2:* R/L thru; ladies chain
*gents take L & ladies R, keep free hand w/ P; ladies go fwd & gents back
On Sat, Jun 13, 2015 at 2:57 PM, Don Veino via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> You can often convert dances with a couple dosido to a pousette to achieve
> either:
> -better connection with a (often novice) partner (particularly if the dosi
> seems to be happening slowly relative to the music) or
> -a "tighter" configuration for crowded conditions.
>
> The path on the floor being the same, it rarely has a negative impact on
> others - provided you take care to face properly at the finish.
>
> -Don
>
> On Sat, Jun 13, 2015 at 2:09 AM, George Mercer via Callers <
> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> Hi: One of the newer additions to the contra dance repertory, and one
>> that I like, is the pousette -- in all its variations. I'm interested in
>> gathering dances with pousettes in them and would like to receive
>> suggestions/recommendations. Thanks, George Mercer
>>
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>
I learned several subtle distinctions. Back in the 80s, when Larry
Edelman was on staff at lots of our weeks and weekends, he'd drill us in
these figures:
These moves depend on where you're facing when you start, and which way
you face when you end.
Both Box the Gnat and Swat the Flea start facing the person you're doing
it with, and have you change places and end facing them
Box the Gnat starts facing the person you're boxing with, joining right
hands turning the woman or raven under, and swapping places, ending
facing each other and right hands are still joined.
Swat the Flea is the same, except you have left hands joining left hands
Both the California Twirl (also called the Frontier Twirl) starts
standing next to the person you're doing it with, woman or raven on
right, man or lark on left with near hands joined, and ends with the
couple about facing. That it, it results in the pair turning as a couple.
The Jersey or Nevada Twirl does the same, but with the man (or lark) on
the right, woman (or raven) on the left.
A star through starts with a pair facing each other with the man's
(lark's) right hand joined with the woman's (raven's) left hand and ends
with them swapping sides, but facing the same direction.
There are several contras that use it. A part might be
A1 facing your new neighbor: join inside hands (man's right, woman's
left), balance, star through (end facing partner); Women chain
I don't recall if there's a reverse star through: starting facing
someone, joining hands -- Man's left, Woman's right, and "reverse star
through (moon through?) -- ending side by side, woman on left, man on right.
And I don't think I've ever learned one where you start side by side, do
a swap to change, and end up facing each other....
~erik hoffman
oakland, ca
On 6/12/2015 9:17 PM, Jeff Kaufman via Callers wrote:
>
> Huh. If learned it as:
>
> G right in L left: California twirl
> G right in L right: box the gnat
> G left in L left: swat the flea
> G left in L right: star through
>
> Or just tell people what hands to join and then "twirl to swap".
>
> On Jun 12, 2015 10:40 PM, "Charles M. Hannum via Callers"
> <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> <mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:
>
> Indeed, the only times I've seen “star thru” used in contra, it
> was directly borrowed from MWSD.
>
> This is what Callerlab says. Even in Tech Squares it's considered
> incorrect to call it from other formations.
>
>
> 24. Star Thru
>
> Starting formation: Facing Dancers (man facing woman)
>
> Command example: Star Thru
>
> Dance action: Man places his right hand against woman's left hand,
> palm to palm with fingers up, to make an arch. As the dancers move
> forward the woman does a one quarter (90 degrees) left face turn
> under the arch, while the man does a one quarter (90 degrees) turn
> to the right moving past the woman.
>
> Ending formation: Couple
>
> Timing: 4
>
> Styling: Hands are joined in raised position at approximately eye
> level, palm to palm, with fingers pointed up to form an arch. The
> arch will be offset to the man's right and woman's left. The man's
> hand should be used to stabilize as the woman provides her own
> momentum. As the call is completed, the hand grip should be
> readjusted to couple handhold.
>
> On Fri, Jun 12, 2015 at 11:25 PM, Aahz Maruch via Callers
> <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> <mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:
>
> On Fri, Jun 12, 2015, Jeff Kaufman via Callers wrote:
> >
> > Nit: a "California twirl with other hands" is traditionally
> called a "star
> > through".
>
> Really? I haven't seen Star Thru in contra much; in MWSD, at
> least, Star
> Thru is normally done with partners facing each other, as
> opposed to the
> California Twirl with partners facing the same direction.
> What's being
> asked for here is a sashayed California Twirl -- I don't think
> I've ever
> seen that before. However, "Nevada Twirl" does have plenty of
> hits when
> I search, which suggests a clear provenance...
>
> (You could argue that in a ring partners are sort-of facing
> each other,
> but I think that's a wasted argument when people already have
> a clear
> choreographic name for the concept.)
> --
> Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
> <*> <*> <*>
> Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html
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>
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On 6/12/2015 9:17 PM, Jeff Kaufman via Callers wrote:
> Huh. If learned it as:
>
> G right in L left: California twirl
> G right in L right: box the gnat
> G left in L left: swat the flea
> G left in L right: star through
I recently encountered the ML/WR twirl under the name of Jersey Twirl,
in the context of a dance called Raedan's Twirls (I think that's right).
Kalia
You can often convert dances with a couple dosido to a pousette to achieve
either:
-better connection with a (often novice) partner (particularly if the dosi
seems to be happening slowly relative to the music) or
-a "tighter" configuration for crowded conditions.
The path on the floor being the same, it rarely has a negative impact on
others - provided you take care to face properly at the finish.
-Don
On Sat, Jun 13, 2015 at 2:09 AM, George Mercer via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Hi: One of the newer additions to the contra dance repertory, and one that
> I like, is the pousette -- in all its variations. I'm interested in
> gathering dances with pousettes in them and would like to receive
> suggestions/recommendations. Thanks, George Mercer
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
>
>
George,
I've got a fairly easy one that can alternate ones and twos as actives and has a neighbor swing.
Puce Set One (Martha Wild) Duple improper
A1: 1s balance and swing
A2: Down the set four in line (1s in middle), turn alone and come back up, bend the line as for a circle but
B1: Peusette clockwise with partner around neighbors 1-1/2 times
B2: Balance and swing your neighbor
Second time for alternating:
A1: 2s balance and swing
A2: Up the set four in line, turn alone and go back down
Rest the same.
As a dancer, I actually like the openness of balancing and swinging in the center, and I like watching the flash of eyes and swish of hair and the connection of others as they swing - as long as I know I'll get my chance, which happens here. People also get a lot of partner interaction during the peusette. Of course, if I've got a real beginner crowd, and short sets, I might not confuse them with the switch-up and just do it without alternating. Though if done later in the evening a beginner crowd can usually handle it. Note that if people erroneously only go once around in the peusette it will sort itself out anyway in the neighbor B&S. Start the set a little further from the band so people can come up!
Chris Page has written some very nice dances with peusette figures in them - check out his web pages.
Martha
On Jun 12, 2015, at 11:09 PM, George Mercer via Callers wrote:
> Hi: One of the newer additions to the contra dance repertory, and one that I like, is the pousette -- in all its variations. I'm interested in gathering dances with pousettes in them and would like to receive suggestions/recommendations. Thanks, George Mercer
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
Hi: One of the newer additions to the contra dance repertory, and one that
I like, is the pousette -- in all its variations. I'm interested in
gathering dances with pousettes in them and would like to receive
suggestions/recommendations. Thanks, George Mercer
I was inspired by the Blues Brothers version of Sweet Home Chicago to
write a 24 bar Contra recently:
Short But Sweet
Becket
A1 Circle left 3/4
Swing neighbour
A2 Balance the ring
Nevada twirl with partner (California twirl with other hands)
With next couple, balance the ring
Petronella turn one place anti-clockwise
B Half hey, starting with women passing left shoulders
Swing partner
There's an animation of the dance at
http://www.dancekaleidoscope.org.au/dance.html#ShortButSweet.
Are there many other 24 bar Contras?
Cheers
Keith
Huh. If learned it as:
G right in L left: California twirl
G right in L right: box the gnat
G left in L left: swat the flea
G left in L right: star through
Or just tell people what hands to join and then "twirl to swap".
On Jun 12, 2015 10:40 PM, "Charles M. Hannum via Callers" <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Indeed, the only times I've seen “star thru” used in contra, it was
> directly borrowed from MWSD.
>
> This is what Callerlab says. Even in Tech Squares it's considered
> incorrect to call it from other formations.
>
>
> 24. Star Thru
>
> Starting formation: Facing Dancers (man facing woman)
>
> Command example: Star Thru
>
> Dance action: Man places his right hand against woman's left hand, palm to
> palm with fingers up, to make an arch. As the dancers move forward the
> woman does a one quarter (90 degrees) left face turn under the arch, while
> the man does a one quarter (90 degrees) turn to the right moving past the
> woman.
>
> Ending formation: Couple
>
> Timing: 4
>
> Styling: Hands are joined in raised position at approximately eye level,
> palm to palm, with fingers pointed up to form an arch. The arch will be
> offset to the man's right and woman's left. The man's hand should be used
> to stabilize as the woman provides her own momentum. As the call is
> completed, the hand grip should be readjusted to couple handhold.
>
> On Fri, Jun 12, 2015 at 11:25 PM, Aahz Maruch via Callers <
> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> On Fri, Jun 12, 2015, Jeff Kaufman via Callers wrote:
>> >
>> > Nit: a "California twirl with other hands" is traditionally called a
>> "star
>> > through".
>>
>> Really? I haven't seen Star Thru in contra much; in MWSD, at least, Star
>> Thru is normally done with partners facing each other, as opposed to the
>> California Twirl with partners facing the same direction. What's being
>> asked for here is a sashayed California Twirl -- I don't think I've ever
>> seen that before. However, "Nevada Twirl" does have plenty of hits when
>> I search, which suggests a clear provenance...
>>
>> (You could argue that in a ring partners are sort-of facing each other,
>> but I think that's a wasted argument when people already have a clear
>> choreographic name for the concept.)
>> --
>> Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6
>> http://rule6.info/
>> <*> <*> <*>
>> Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
>>
>
>
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>
