In remembrance of our dear Linda Leslie, and in partial thanks to all who have been so kind to me since her passing, I'd like to share two contra dances that you may not have in your collections, that were written for (not by) Linda Leslie.
I wrote "Fun Dance for Linda" fourteen years ago, and first called it on May 15, 2004. I think it truly is a fun dance, and so did Linda, but I called it infrequently - whenever Linda was on the dance floor, and I was on stage, and those gigs were few and far between. I thank Lisa Greenleaf for including "Fun Dance for Linda" at Linda's celebration of life at the Concord Scout House on May 20. There are no circle-left figures in this lively and upbeat dance, which makes it a nice choice at times to drop into an otherwise-circly program.
FUN DANCE FOR LINDA (for Linda Leslie)
Bob Golder
Duple Improper
Two swings, Partner & Neighbor (P. & N.)
A1) Gents Allemande Left 1-1/2 (face P. ) / Half Hey (pass P. by R. to start)
A2) Partner Balance & Swing (end facing N. across set; give inside hand to N. - gents R. hand, ladies L. hand)
B1) (With N.) Inside-Hand Balance; Star Through / (Same 4) Ring Balance, Twirl to the Right
B2) (Same) Neighbor Balance & Swing
An earlier dance, written for Linda Leslie by Danish dance leader Frede Olsen, is "Linda's Surprise." My notes show that I first called it in 1998. There are several surprises, the first of which was that Linda didn't know that Frede had written a dance in her honor until he announced it from the stage. Another surprise is that the full hey for four travels beautifully across the musical phrase from the end of the A2 into the beginning of the B1. The transition is smooth as silk when the band plays romantic reels. Still another surprise is that although there are two swings, they are both danced with one's partner. Linda liked the dance but did not often call it because she worried about dancers who might be stuck with a less-than-satisfactory partner. I loved to call the dance because it is so beautiful and was written for Linda. For brevity I use here Frede's original instruction to "gypsy." Please substitute your preferred term when calling the dance.
LINDA'S SURPRISE (for Linda Leslie)
Frede Olsen
Becket
Two swings, both with Partner
A1) Ladies Gypsy by the Right (once, and a little bit more) / Partner Swing
A2) Gents Gypsy by the Left (once around; face P.) / Begin full Hay, passing by R. shoulder to start
B1) Continue the full Hay for Four / Partner Swing
B2) Long Lines Forward & Back / Circle Left once around, Slide Left to new N.'s
To these dances written for Linda Leslie may be added Don Veino's "¡Que Linda!," which he shared on this list in April. Enjoy! … Bob Golder
On Tue, May 22, 2018 at 11:29 AM, Andy Shore via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
[snip]
>
> As for Mad Robin after a Swing, I have several dances with that
> combination:
>
> Cricket's Flight by Don Veino
> Fiddlers' Fling by Cary Ravitz
> Mad Robin Landing by Will Mentor
> Pigtown Pousette by Cary Ravitz & others
> Robin on a Wire by Will Mentor
>
>
>
> /Andy
>
> On Mon, May 21, 2018 at 4:18 PM, Tom Hinds <twhinds(a)earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>>
[snip]
>
>> I can't remember doing a Mad Robin immediately after a swing so I'm
>> curious how that feels. This looks like it's a good one for experienced
>> dancers.
>>
>> Tom
>>
>
> I have several compositions with that transition, including Wicked Smooth
(Becket Version below). What I've found is that it takes a couple of cycles
for some dancers to settle into the transition. It flows well but a
minority of dancers stop/break the flow early on to simply face across when
they come out of the swing - it takes them a beat or two to remember and
get moving CW again. Aware dancers keep their momentum going from the swing
and take or keep inside hands out of it to boost each other into the MR.
-Don
*Wicked Smooth – Becket – Don Veino 20170803*
A1
Ladies Chain (to N)
Star Left 1x
A2
With NEXT Neighbors Circle Left 1x
Neighbor Swing
B1
(6) Mad Robin (Gents through center first/CW)
(2) Gents Pass Left to cross
Half Hey (Pass Partner by Right)
B2
Partner Gypsy, Swing
See http://veino.com/blog/?p=1839
Also you might try to look up Chris Kermiet or Larry Edelman. Both are (or
were) in the Denver area, are great square callers, and I believe they can
be found on Facebook or elsewhere on internet.
Nate
On Mon, May 14, 2018 at 3:20 PM, Dereck Kalish via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I am asking for a friend, who is looking for a square caller for a
> wedding on 9/22, in Estes Park, Colorado.
>
> I don't have any other details, but if anyone is interested I will forward
> your response.
>
> Thank you,
> Dereck
>
> Dereck Kalish
> Director NEFFA
> Sound Committee
> Thursday Night Dance Committee, Chair (Concord, Ma)
> dereckkalish(a)gmail.com
>
> *Upcoming Contra Dance Calling appearances...*
> Manchester, Nh Friday 5/18
> Rehoboth, Ma Friday 5/25
> Conventry, Ct Friday 6/1
> Berlin, Ma Saturday 6/2
>
> .
>
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>
>
Dereck, in addition to pinging folks on this list about it, I'd also
encourage you (or anyone else trying to refer outside their own geographic
base) to check out the caller directory:
http://tinyurl.com/hnb72wv
Looking at that, I'd say Tine Fields, Peter Johnson, and Wendy Graham
Settle are the closest callers (in order of distance). If they can't, they
probably know the local scene.
On Mon, May 14, 2018 at 5:20 PM, Dereck Kalish via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I am asking for a friend, who is looking for a square caller for a
> wedding on 9/22, in Estes Park, Colorado.
>
> I don't have any other details, but if anyone is interested I will forward
> your response.
>
> Thank you,
> Dereck
>
> Dereck Kalish
> Director NEFFA
> Sound Committee
> Thursday Night Dance Committee, Chair (Concord, Ma)
> dereckkalish(a)gmail.com
>
> *Upcoming Contra Dance Calling appearances...*
> Manchester, Nh Friday 5/18
> Rehoboth, Ma Friday 5/25
> Conventry, Ct Friday 6/1
> Berlin, Ma Saturday 6/2
>
> .
>
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>
>
--
Luke Donforth
Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>
I like the ending to the revolving door. I'm assuming it's a star and that the gents join the star behind their partner.
I can't remember doing a Mad Robin immediately after a swing so I'm curious how that feels. This looks like it's a good one for experienced dancers.
Tom
I thought up a cool little ending to a Revolving Door and have incorporated
it into a couple of new dances. I call the action "Revolving Door to a
Wave" and it's as follows:
from couples facing across - Ladies start an Allemande Right 1x while
depositing the gent they were with on the other side, as the ladies come
back across and are finishing, they slide nose-to-nose past the other gent
(who has turned a 3/4 turn to their right) to put the gents in the middle
of a wave across. Gents have left hands in the middle and right hands with
the lady they did not start with. If you are familiar with MWSD, it feels a
bit like the call Spread. Here are the dances that use it. Only the
second has been road-tested.
Please share your reactions.
Title of Contra by Andy Shore
Contra/Becket-CCW
A1 -----------
(8) Revolving Doors (Ladies RH) **to a wave (gents in middle, N in RH)
(4,4) Balance the Wave, Walk Forward to the Next
A2 -----------
(16) Next Neighbor Balance & swing
B1 -----------
(8) Mad Robin - gents in front to the right
(8) Gents allemande Left 1.5
B2 -----------
(16) Partner balance and swing
when out, wait with partner on the 'wrong side'
Doorbits
by Andy Shore
Contra/Improper/Int
A1 -----------
(16) Neighbor balance and swing
A2 -----------
(8) Revolving Door (Ladies RH) **as if to a wave**
(8) Men allemande Left 1.5 while Ladies Orbit CW across
B1 -----------
(16) Partner balance and swing
B2 -----------
(8) Ladies Chain
(8) Star Left
In this dance, they do not actually form the wave, but gents take LH in the
middle for the Allemande
** as you finish the revolving door, Slide Past Parnter nose-to-nose to put
Gents in the middle to star the next move, gents are facing in original
direction of progression, ladies are anti --
/Andy Shore
http://site.andyshore.com/
best email - andyshore(a)gmail.com
Sent from my iPad
> On May 17, 2018, at 9:25 PM, Tom Hinds <twhinds(a)earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> If I'm reading it correctly I would say some dancers circulate and the others circulate half.
>
> It looks so close to the mwsd diamond circulate.
>
> Tom
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>> On May 17, 2018, at 2:09 PM, Jack Mitchell via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>>
>> What would you call a circulate like this? Would it be a partial circulate? Or, in the interest of not adding any more terminology, since only half of the people are going to end up in a wave after each one, would it be better to just say "ladies take 4 steps forward to a long wave of ladies, gents face in", etc?
>>
>> A1 Balance Wave
>> Circulate (Gents Loop, ladies take 4 steps forward) to a long wave of ladies
>> Balance Wave of Ladies
>> Circulate (ladies walk forward and face in, gents take 4 steps forward) to a long wave of gents
>> A2 Balance Wave of Gents
>> Gents step forward – N Sw
>> --
>> Jack Mitchell
>> Durham, NC
>> _______________________________________________
>> List Name: Callers mailing list
>> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
I really like your description of "women reach forward to form a wave of
women". If you state what hand you're taking with the person in your H4
(as you do here) that makes it even clearer (and means that if someone
doesn't actually do the loop to take their neighbor or partner's place,
it'll still work.
The dance is not one of mine. It's actually a Dean Snipes dance. I'm
finishing up editing the collection of his dances that I'm trying to put
together. Here's the rest of the dance for those that might be interested.
Oh Yea! – Dean Snipes Improper
Start in long waves, gents face out ladies face in
A1 Balance Wave
½ Circulate (Gents Loop, ladies reach forward RH to N Lady) to a long wave
of ladies
Balance Wave of Ladies
½ Circulate (ladies forward and face in, gents reach forward RH to N Gent)
to a long wave of gents
A2 Balance Wave of Gents
Gents step forward – N Sw
B1 Gents Alle L 1½
P Sw
B2 Take hands in a Ring – Balance Ring, petronella twirl to the right
N Alle L 1½ to a long wave – gents face out, ladies face in
On Fri, May 18, 2018 at 2:10 PM Bill Olson <callbill(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Jack and all, A little off topic, but... Your dance made me remember a
> dance I wrote back in 2002, "Do Make Waves". here's from my web site:
>
>
> *DO MAKE WAVES*
>
> * A duple improper contra by Bill Olson *
>
> * A1: Star R x 1 to long waves (Right Hand to N, L to previous
> N. Women are facing in, Men out))(8), Bal Wave(4) (women reach forward to
> form a wave of women down the center of set while men loop around to right,
> taking Neighbor's position, facing in), Bal the wave (of Women)(4)* *
>
> * A2: Women reach forward and form a long wave (Right Hand to
> Partner, L to shadow, W face out) Bal Wave (4) and Swing Partner (12) *
>
> * B1: Circle L 3/4 Sw N (16) *
>
> * B2: Circl L (8), (with same Neighbors) Star L (8) (Look for new
> N in next Star) *
>
> *Notes: *The 3 balances are all done consecutively, that is to say:
> "balance,2,3,4,balance2,3,4,balance,2,3,4! Needless to say there is little
> time between balances for the women to drop hands and pick up new ones, and
> it helps if the balances are more "forward and back" rather than "right and
> left" so there is some "forward propulsion" going on after each balance! In
> reality the second and third balances are actually started (feet hit the
> floor) while the hand change is being made. Here's why I wrote this dance.
> Every year at NEFFA (New England Folk Festival in Natick, MA), callers are
> reminded that the dance floors are very crowded and to pay attention NOT to
> call dances that require a lot of room between sets (since there ISN'T
> any). I figured I would write a dance that REQUIRED that there be very
> little room between sets, and this is IT!! My announcement to some Boston
> area callers of my intention met with great skepticism, but I always DO
> like to make waves! and the dance works!! Written April 15, 2002.*
>
>
> This dance has three wave balances, the first two are the same as yours I
> think, i.e. Balance wave (Men out Women in etc) along the long lines,
> balance wave of women down the center, BUT no time in between.. (the notes
> as to "why" heh heh) I called this dance ONE TIME at NEFFA and it worked
> fine BUT comments after were mostly that it was VERY zesty for the women..
>
>
> I am assuming the first wave in A1 is along the long lines.. If so, 4
> steps is a LOT of steps to go a pretty short distance.. Maybe I am reading
> this wrong, in which case I offer the dance as something similar and
> *different*.
>
>
> You might note that when I wrote the dance I had no words "like circulate
> the wave" in my vocabulary, so I probably just called it what it was,
> "gents loop, women walk forward" or something like that.. Makes for nice
> "toung twisters" when actually calling the dance!!
>
>
> bill (in Black Fly infested Maine)
>
>
> *From:* Callers <callers-bounces(a)lists.sharedweight.net> on behalf of
> Jack Mitchell via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
>
> *Sent:* Thursday, May 17, 2018 6:09 PM
>
>
> *To:* Callers List
> *Subject:* [Callers] Partial circulate the wave?
> What would you call a circulate like this? Would it be a partial
> circulate? Or, in the interest of not adding any more terminology, since
> only half of the people are going to end up in a wave after each one, would
> it be better to just say "ladies take 4 steps forward to a long wave of
> ladies, gents face in", etc?
>
> *A1* Balance Wave
> Circulate (Gents Loop, ladies take 4 steps forward) to a long
> wave of ladies
> Balance Wave of Ladies
> Circulate (ladies walk forward and face in, gents take 4 steps
> forward) to a long wave of gents
>
> *A2* Balance Wave of Gents
> Gents step forward – N Sw
> --
> Jack Mitchell
> Durham, NC
>
--
Jack Mitchell
Durham, NC
I might say “short circulate”.
There are some other versions of circulates which are cool. Chris Page has some on diagonals as in his dance “kitty corner”
And bob Isaacs had his 4x4 “circulate 8”. Not. Both very cool. I’d call your new version if it were in a dance!
Sent from my iPhone
> On May 18, 2018, at 2:10 PM, Bill Olson via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Hi Jack and all, A little off topic, but... Your dance made me remember a dance I wrote back in 2002, "Do Make Waves". here's from my web site:
>
> DO MAKE WAVES
> A duple improper contra by Bill Olson
>
> A1: Star R x 1 to long waves (Right Hand to N, L to previous N. Women are facing in, Men out))(8), Bal Wave(4) (women reach forward to form a wave of women down the center of set while men loop around to right, taking Neighbor's position, facing in), Bal the wave (of Women)(4)*
>
> A2: Women reach forward and form a long wave (Right Hand to Partner, L to shadow, W face out) Bal Wave (4) and Swing Partner (12)
>
> B1: Circle L 3/4 Sw N (16)
>
> B2: Circl L (8), (with same Neighbors) Star L (8) (Look for new N in next Star)
>
> Notes: *The 3 balances are all done consecutively, that is to say: "balance,2,3,4,balance2,3,4,balance,2,3,4! Needless to say there is little time between balances for the women to drop hands and pick up new ones, and it helps if the balances are more "forward and back" rather than "right and left" so there is some "forward propulsion" going on after each balance! In reality the second and third balances are actually started (feet hit the floor) while the hand change is being made. Here's why I wrote this dance. Every year at NEFFA (New England Folk Festival in Natick, MA), callers are reminded that the dance floors are very crowded and to pay attention NOT to call dances that require a lot of room between sets (since there ISN'T any). I figured I would write a dance that REQUIRED that there be very little room between sets, and this is IT!! My announcement to some Boston area callers of my intention met with great skepticism, but I always DO like to make waves! and the dance works!! Written April 15, 2002.
>
>
> This dance has three wave balances, the first two are the same as yours I think, i.e. Balance wave (Men out Women in etc) along the long lines, balance wave of women down the center, BUT no time in between.. (the notes as to "why" heh heh) I called this dance ONE TIME at NEFFA and it worked fine BUT comments after were mostly that it was VERY zesty for the women..
>
> I am assuming the first wave in A1 is along the long lines.. If so, 4 steps is a LOT of steps to go a pretty short distance.. Maybe I am reading this wrong, in which case I offer the dance as something similar and *different*.
>
> You might note that when I wrote the dance I had no words "like circulate the wave" in my vocabulary, so I probably just called it what it was, "gents loop, women walk forward" or something like that.. Makes for nice "toung twisters" when actually calling the dance!!
>
> bill (in Black Fly infested Maine)
>
> From: Callers <callers-bounces(a)lists.sharedweight.net> on behalf of Jack Mitchell via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
> Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2018 6:09 PM
> To: Callers List
> Subject: [Callers] Partial circulate the wave?
>
> What would you call a circulate like this? Would it be a partial circulate? Or, in the interest of not adding any more terminology, since only half of the people are going to end up in a wave after each one, would it be better to just say "ladies take 4 steps forward to a long wave of ladies, gents face in", etc?
>
> A1 Balance Wave
> Circulate (Gents Loop, ladies take 4 steps forward) to a long wave of ladies
> Balance Wave of Ladies
> Circulate (ladies walk forward and face in, gents take 4 steps forward) to a long wave of gents
>
> A2 Balance Wave of Gents
> Gents step forward – N Sw
>
> --
> Jack Mitchell
> Durham, NC
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
