John Sweeny below hoped we callers would teach more about hand turns and the like.
I've been thinking on this for quite a while. Years ago I had a discussion with Brad Foster. We both lamented the loss of the allemande with mildly interlocking thumbs to the modern overprotective thumb against the side of the palm allemande. At that time I think I was still in Santa Barbara, thus it must have been pre 1994. I wrote an article for our dance rag called, "If Allemande Left, Where'd Allemande Go?"
I talked about what I do when someone grips my hand-and I think all of us should remove that word, "grip" from our caller's vocabulary...
But the most important thing I discussed is:
* Our Wrist is Strongest When It's Straight
* Our Fingers are Strongest When Curved
* Thus, however one does an allemande, it should be a hook, with curved fingers and a straight wrist.
Lately I've seen teachers promote the straight fingers, bent wrist, and flat palm method. The almost always makes one person's wrist uncomfortable. Not as bad as when someone draws the others hand into that almost-Aikido-put-them-on-the-ground position, but usually quite uncomfortable.
Thus I hope most of us learn the curved fingers, straight wrist, no grip, and, no thumb clamping allemande, ECD hand turn, two hand turn type hand connections.
~Erik Hoffman,
Oakland, CA
From: Callers <callers-bounces(a)lists.sharedweight.net> On Behalf Of John Sweeney via Callers
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2019 2:09 PM
To: 'Caller's discussion list' <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Name that Dance
Hi Rich,
I would just call it a "Big Set Mixer". It is a slight variation of the one in the Community Dances Manual. Callers just make up a 32 bar sequence that works for their dancers.
While it is a good example of all ages having fun together, I really wish callers would teach the dancers just a tiny bit about how to do better hand/arm turns and swings :-)
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)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
Can anyone put the title to this dance from the web?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=20AzpUhcl_E&fbclid=IwAR2cUdLxooGD3zONkK4KatXcca3B3spscqRK26CLlOFcVgzPuEPaYhCf8Tc
Thanks!!!!
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
On Thursday, May 16, 2019, 1:31 PM, Rich Sbardella via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Hello all,Just a quick note to say there is a facebook page called "Community Dance", and we would love anyone to post community level dance videos (preferred) or descriptions on the page.Thanks,Rich
On Thu, May 16, 2019 at 12:06 PM Ann Fallon via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Do you know "Double Double This This"? It can be done as a mixer or keeper.
Concentric circles, partners facing each other
Partners tap 2 fists together at chin's height 2 times: "Double, double"Partners tap 2 hands together, palms together 2 times: "This, this"Partners tap 2 fists together 2 times: "Double, double"Partners tap 2 hands back to back 2 times: "That, that"Partners tap fists 1 time, and open palms 1 time: "Double, this"Partners tap fists 1 time, and backs of hands 1 time: "Double, that'Partners tap 2 fists together 2 times: "Double, double"Partners tap open palms together 1 time and backs of hands 1 time: "This, That!"Repeat the above with same partner (or shift to the next person in the circle if making it a mixer)B Right hand allemande your partner;Do si do partnerLeft hand allemande partnerDo si do partner
At this point you can throw in an elbow swing or a promenade. I've done it with ages 9-10, never tried it with younger.
-----Original Message-----
From: Charles Abell via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
To: Callers(a)Lists.Sharedweight.net <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>; John Sweeney <john(a)modernjive.com>
Sent: Wed, May 15, 2019 8:51 am
Subject: Re: [Callers] Looking for "fun" dances
I'm sure there is already a thread on this somewhere, but I'm wondering what are your favorite dances for those in the 4-10 year old range. Specifically, dances that are not mixers since many younger dancers prefer to stay with a particular partner the whole time. I have a number of good ones already (Alabama Gal, Haste to the Wedding, La Bastringue, etc), but I'd like to expand my existing collection of dances geared towards "little ones".
Let 'em rip!
From: Callers <callers-bounces(a)lists.sharedweight.net> on behalf of John Sweeney via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2018 9:58 AM
To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Subject: Re: [Callers] Looking for "fun" dances Since so many people enjoy the contrary circling in The Wheel, you might
enjoy this one as well:
Suicide Square
http://www.ceilidhcalling.co.uk/danceviewpage.php?view=1&id=9
It is extremely chaotic! You can reduce the chaos slightly by getting the
band to stop randomly during the circling, at which point everyone grabs a
partner; the band waits a few seconds while everyone finds a partner and
decides whether they are Heads or Sides, then gives two notes and starts the
next Heads Gallop.
I modify it to give a bit more recovery time:
Start in a big square around the room
A1: Head couples take partner in a ballroom hold and gallop eight steps
into the centre and back
A2: Sides gallop eight steps into the centre and back
B1: All the men form an outer circle facing in, while the ladies form an
inner circle facing out. All circle left then find a new partner
B2: Partner Swing - stop early enough to decide whether you are now
Heads or Sides - Heads get ready to gallop
There is also The Muffin Man Jig:
http://www.ceilidhcalling.co.uk/danceviewpage.php?view=1&id=11
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
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
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Dear Shared Weight callers,
Do you have experience in WordPress design? Do you love Shared Weight? Shared Weight is looking for a volunteer to help us on a well-defined website development task. Essentially, we need someone to create a wordpress site that will serve as a new website for: https://www.sharedweight.net
Here are a few details:
--> There would be a few additional pages to what is on the current site, but as you can see, our needs are relatively basic. (Template/model pages for each of the lists, FAQ for the whole site, etc)
--> The Shared Weight team would like to have some say into the look of the site but we also welcome your ideas.
--> You will not need to be responsible for maintaining the site - simply creating the templates will be a great help! We will provide all the content for the site and can even populate the content once you have created the template if you don’t want to do the initial upload of text.
Please email Emily at emily(a)cdss.org if you are interested in helping us on this project.
***An exciting heads up about Shared Weight*** The new wordpress site is part of an exciting new initiative for Shared Weight. Seth Seeger and Chris Weiler (Shared Weight founders) have partnered with Ridge Kennedy (Trad Dance caller listserv), Alan Winston (English Country dance listserv), and Weogo Reed (Contra Sound Forum) to collectively update and enhance the lists. All six lists will be hosted on an upgraded Shared Weight software platform with the new website and better mailing list software. We will also be doing lots more promotion of these lists. Emily (CDSS Consultant) is helping to coordinate some of this work and so am the contact for finding a wordpress volunteer.
Watch for more updates from the Shared Weight team over the next new months!
Seth & Chris
Do you know "Double Double This This"? It can be done as a mixer or keeper.
Concentric circles, partners facing each other
Partners tap 2 fists together at chin's height 2 times: "Double, double"Partners tap 2 hands together, palms together 2 times: "This, this"Partners tap 2 fists together 2 times: "Double, double"Partners tap 2 hands back to back 2 times: "That, that"Partners tap fists 1 time, and open palms 1 time: "Double, this"Partners tap fists 1 time, and backs of hands 1 time: "Double, that'Partners tap 2 fists together 2 times: "Double, double"Partners tap open palms together 1 time and backs of hands 1 time: "This, That!"Repeat the above with same partner (or shift to the next person in the circle if making it a mixer)B Right hand allemande your partner;Do si do partnerLeft hand allemande partnerDo si do partner
At this point you can throw in an elbow swing or a promenade. I've done it with ages 9-10, never tried it with younger.
-----Original Message-----
From: Charles Abell via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
To: Callers(a)Lists.Sharedweight.net <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>; John Sweeney <john(a)modernjive.com>
Sent: Wed, May 15, 2019 8:51 am
Subject: Re: [Callers] Looking for "fun" dances
#yiv2122591051 P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;}I'm sure there is already a thread on this somewhere, but I'm wondering what are your favorite dances for those in the 4-10 year old range. Specifically, dances that are not mixers since many younger dancers prefer to stay with a particular partner the whole time. I have a number of good ones already (Alabama Gal, Haste to the Wedding, La Bastringue, etc), but I'd like to expand my existing collection of dances geared towards "little ones".
Let 'em rip!
From: Callers <callers-bounces(a)lists.sharedweight.net> on behalf of John Sweeney via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2018 9:58 AM
To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Subject: Re: [Callers] Looking for "fun" dances Since so many people enjoy the contrary circling in The Wheel, you might
enjoy this one as well:
Suicide Square
http://www.ceilidhcalling.co.uk/danceviewpage.php?view=1&id=9
It is extremely chaotic! You can reduce the chaos slightly by getting the
band to stop randomly during the circling, at which point everyone grabs a
partner; the band waits a few seconds while everyone finds a partner and
decides whether they are Heads or Sides, then gives two notes and starts the
next Heads Gallop.
I modify it to give a bit more recovery time:
Start in a big square around the room
A1: Head couples take partner in a ballroom hold and gallop eight steps
into the centre and back
A2: Sides gallop eight steps into the centre and back
B1: All the men form an outer circle facing in, while the ladies form an
inner circle facing out. All circle left then find a new partner
B2: Partner Swing - stop early enough to decide whether you are now
Heads or Sides - Heads get ready to gallop
There is also The Muffin Man Jig:
http://www.ceilidhcalling.co.uk/danceviewpage.php?view=1&id=11
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
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
_______________________________________________
List Name: Callers mailing list
List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
_______________________________________________
List Name: Callers mailing list
List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
One resource that Luke didn't mention which I have found very useful is
Thomas Green's barn dance website:
https://barndances.org.uk/
You can sort by formation, level of difficulty, dance name, etc. I've
gotten a lot of goodies here.
A dance that I picked up a few years back (and thought was by Luke but
apparently it isn't) and have gotten a lot of use out of is Circle
Shuffle. I call it Middle Muddle, and now have no idea who wrote it.
Works well for adults too.
A1 (8) Partner Do-si-do
(8) Partner two hand turn
A2 (8) Circle left
(8) Circle right
B1 (8) Into middle/out
(8) Into middle/out
B2 Promenade through the middle of the circle to a new spot.
If your group is on the large side, you may want to change it to
B1 Into the middle and back, then all promenade through the middle to
the other side (the chaos of which will extend all the way through B2).
If your group is a little better at sorting themselves out, then the
extra into the middle and back as written might fit just fine.
On 5/15/2019 6:45 AM, Luke Donforth via Callers wrote:
> Hi Charles,
>
> I'm tweaking the subject line slightly to help the next person find this
> in the archive ;-)
> As Bree Kalb mentioned, Linda Leslie has a wonderful collection.
> <http://lindalesliecaller.contracorner.com/dances/very-easy-dances.html>
>
> There are also a lot of resources available at New England Dancing Masters:
> https://dancingmasters.com/shop/
> a lot of those books are geared at school programs, and I think would
> work well for you.
>
> *Other people's dances:*
>
> Heel Toe Polka:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46K4V6xmOww
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yHDJSpy9H0
> I hadn't seen it with the clapping version, but these were the top hits
> on YouTube.
> You could get rid of the "pass through" and make it go back the other way.
>
> Les Saluts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt31bYsU5BY (note: AAB tune)
>
> Kings & Queens (from the NEDM books, written by Peter Amidon)
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmiKhGl59xM
...
On 5/15/2019 5:51 AM, Charles Abell via Callers wrote:
I'm sure there is already a thread on this somewhere, but I'm wondering what are your favorite dances for those in the 4-10 year old range. Specifically, dances that are not mixers since many younger dancers prefer to stay with a particular partner the whole time. I have a number of good ones already (Alabama Gal, Haste to the Wedding, La Bastringue, etc), but I'd like to expand my existing collection of dances geared towards "little ones".
Let 'em rip!
I don't know how this would with exclusively 4 year olds (really, all I know how to do with exclusively 4-year-olds is a variation on wind-up-the-ball-of-twine where you bring the snake around into a cricle, do into the center and back, circle left and right, and then break the snake off again, repeat until you feel like you're done), but I'd think 8 year olds could handle this fine, and it's just fine if you have talls and smalls mixed up.
UP THE SIDES AND DOWN THE MIDDLE
(I have it from community dances manual, which says it's from the village of Symondsbury)
4 or 5 couple longways (you can maybe do 6 but you'll end up less phrased)
Lines facing, do step-swing balance r-l, r-l.
Drop hands, cross right shoulder with partner and face back in.
Repeat all that to home.
Top couple raise an arch and walk slowly down the middle WHILE
second couple, with the the rest of their line following, cast off briskly down the outside and go under the arch to the top.
Original tops finish at bottom, original seconds at top.
Whenever you get to thtat spot, swing partner until the end of B2.
(This was collected with a very specific tune that changes meter for the lead down. When I have a band I tell them "bouncy reels, jigs, or polka" but when I have to do this with recorded music I like "Sandy Boys" (or, specifically, a "Sandy Boys"/"Kitchen Girl" medley by Pig's Eye Landing.)
-- Alan
And the image didn't come through...
Sorry, it's online at
http://www.uvm.edu/~ldonfort/slalom.jpg
On Wed, May 15, 2019 at 1:26 PM Luke Donforth <luke.donev(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> I got some off-list questions about Green Mountain Ski Wedding, and I
> figured I'd answer them for everyone, since the description isn't
> completely clear.
>
> Someone asked about the DSD in A1, but not in B1. You could put a long
> lines there. This dance doesn't really stay square to the music. So while I
> have a whole group oval in A1 with a DSD, B1 is just a whole group oval.
> It's a very "squishy" dance.
>
> Someone asked why the A2 slalom is up the set rather than down:
> It's up because the top couple is at the bottom at the beginning of A2.
> The path they take moves through some number of couples, such as:
>
> [image: image.png]
> (Please excuse the drawing in MS Paint, let me know if it doesn't come
> through.)
>
> When working with young kids, I'll tell the couples standing on the sides
> to pretend to be trees, and have the skiing couple dodge and weave through
> them.
>
>
>
> Green Mountain Ski Wedding
>> Longways/Proper/Beginner
>>
>> A1 -----------
>> Whole Group Oval Left until across from partner again
>> Partner Do-si-do
>> A2 -----------
>> Bottom (was top) couple slalom (weave) back and forth up the set (cutting
>> through lines)
>> B1 -----------
>> Whole group oval right until across from partner again
>> B2 -----------
>> Partner allemande Left
>> Partner allemande Right
>>
>
>
--
Luke Donforth
Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>
Luke,
Could you re-send image a different way? Not seeing it.
Thanks!
Delia
> On May 15, 2019, at 1:26 PM, Luke Donforth via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> I got some off-list questions about Green Mountain Ski Wedding, and I figured I'd answer them for everyone, since the description isn't completely clear.
>
> Someone asked about the DSD in A1, but not in B1. You could put a long lines there. This dance doesn't really stay square to the music. So while I have a whole group oval in A1 with a DSD, B1 is just a whole group oval. It's a very "squishy" dance.
>
> Someone asked why the A2 slalom is up the set rather than down:
> It's up because the top couple is at the bottom at the beginning of A2.
> The path they take moves through some number of couples, such as:
>
>
> (Please excuse the drawing in MS Paint, let me know if it doesn't come through.)
>
> When working with young kids, I'll tell the couples standing on the sides to pretend to be trees, and have the skiing couple dodge and weave through them.
>
>
>
> Green Mountain Ski Wedding
> Longways/Proper/Beginner
>
> A1 -----------
> Whole Group Oval Left until across from partner again
> Partner Do-si-do
> A2 -----------
> Bottom (was top) couple slalom (weave) back and forth up the set (cutting through lines)
> B1 -----------
> Whole group oval right until across from partner again
> B2 -----------
> Partner allemande Left
> Partner allemande Right
>
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>
Delia Clark
PO Box 45
Taftsville, VT 05073
Office/mobile: +1-802-457-2075
deliaclark8(a)gmail.com
www.deliaclarkconfluence.com
