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
I’m not sure “circulate” is a common enough move in contra that you have to worry about using the call differently, though it is becoming more common. And correspondingly, I’d say “partial circulate” will hardly be helpful at all. I think you could say “circulate to a wave” the first couple of times, and then “circulate t’wave” as needed. (Teach it, of course, with more words than that, and tell them you’re going to call it “circulate to a wave.” Maybe point out during teaching that if you’re facing in you go to the wave, if you’re facing out you turn and stay on the outside—that way you don’t have to call “circulate to a ladies’ wave”/“circulate to a gents’ wave.")
Read Weaver
Jamaica Plain, MA
http://lcfd.org
> 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
On Thu, May 17, 2018, Jack Mitchell via Callers 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
Not picturing the starting formation, so it's a bit difficult for me to
figure out what you want, but it's certainly the case that MWSD (Modern
Western Square Dancing) allows partial circulates (e.g. "Box Circulate
1 1/2" -- which typically produces exactly the formation you're
describing). If your starting formation is long waves BGBG up/down the
hall, thinking of each group of four as a box gives you the typical MWSD
starting formation for "Box Circulate 1 1/2".
I also note that MWSD has no direct equivalent to your circulate from the
wave of ladies ("promenade" could be used because it requires a face in
afterward, but it's a rarely-used gimmick) -- I would normally use two
calls to achieve the effect you want ("diamond circulate and ladies face
in").
Dunno how best to describe this using contra terminology.
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
<*> <*> <*>
Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html
Thanks to Nick & the others that were in touch with me by email.
I think you all have provided great starting points which I will pass along
to the parents and, presumably, on to the offspring in the strawberry patch.
Regards,
Ken
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
I live in Merced (about 40 or so miles SE of Modesto), and know folks
who know folks. Most of the folks I know in this area are more
Bluegrass-oriented than northern.
Modesto is a good 100 or so miles east of SF/Palo Alto/Berkeley, and
about as far from Sacramento. <info(a)sactocds.org> may be the best
starting contact for the Sacramento area; folks currently in the bay
area should have better contacts than I do these day.
--Nick
On 05/16/2018 11:56 AM, K Panton via Callers wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I'm not a member of the musicians list and I may have success here,
> hence this post.
>
> A client informed me that his 20-something daughter - fiddler since 5
> - had moved to Modesto, CA a year ago and not yet linked in with a
> community of musicians. She has apparently sat in with the Old Sod
> Band here in Ottawa at some point for a dance. I've not met her.
>
> At this point, having recently started a new job, she may not be
> actively seeking musical contacts. Nonetheless, if anyone can suggest
> a contact for her - Bay area? Sacramento? Alvin, Yogi, Smoky in
> Yosemite? - which I can pass along, I would be happy to do so.
>
> Ken Panton
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
Hi all,
I'm not a member of the musicians list and I may have success here, hence
this post.
A client informed me that his 20-something daughter - fiddler since 5 - had
moved to Modesto, CA a year ago and not yet linked in with a community of
musicians. She has apparently sat in with the Old Sod Band here in Ottawa
at some point for a dance. I've not met her.
At this point, having recently started a new job, she may not be actively
seeking musical contacts. Nonetheless, if anyone can suggest a contact for
her - Bay area? Sacramento? Alvin, Yogi, Smoky in Yosemite? - which I can
pass along, I would be happy to do so.
Ken Panton
I agree with John Sweeney, but it all depends.
For a large group of beginners, rather than spending time
explaining the advantage of having an experienced partner or trying to
split beginners up,
the simple solution is have a dance where they don't swing together.
like:
Easier Than Pie by Billy Boyer
Essex Reel by Tony Parkes
First Star by Ted Steele
Open Rehearsal by Jacob Bloom
Paul's Fishing Reel by Jim Gregory
Saturday Night Reel by Herbie Gaudreau
Sunrise Jig by Shelly Jenkins
I usually limit it to one dance, but it depends.
Then there is the 'almost' situation where only the 1s or 2s swing.
It has the same risk of 'disappointing' the dedicated swingers.
like:
Alternating Corners by Jim Kitch
Boiling Mud by Greg Byrne
Three's Company by Paul Balliet
and quite a few others.
Then there is the case where there is so much going on in the dance,
that there just isn't
anywhere to fit in a partner swing.
like:
The Thirty-Fourth of October by Bob Archer
Divided Star by Don Armstrong
and other dances already mentioned.
But I grant you, I can't think of a reason I would call one of these,
when there are so many other better dances...
But then there is the argument that as a change of pace,
with an interesting dance, most people won't really notice.
But it's got to be a dynamite dance, or after dances with long partner
swings.
As Grocho Marx once quipped, "...but I take [my cigar] out of my mouth
every once in a while."
Bill
Rich Sbardella via Callers wrote:
> I cannot recall dancing a modern contra in the last few years that
> does not include a Partner Swing, so I have a few questions.
>
> First, do you call any such modern dances without a partner swing?
> Why or why not?
>
> Second, if you do, do you announce it before the preceding dance so as
> to inform those pairs of dancer that love to swing together?
>
> The Tease by Tom Hinds is one such creative dance that begs to be called.
>
> Rich Sbardella,
> Stafford, CT
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
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One dance I do call occasionally is Eric Hoffman’s Last Swing of Summer. I like it because there's a couple do-si-do 1 1/2 times with your partner, so I always comment to people that as long as they are aware of their neighbors, they have 16 counts with their partner and they should use the time wisely. Some people actually swing their way around the other couple. Some people decide to face as in a pousette, some twirl and flourish through the figure, and some just do it plain. It’s also easy and good for a less experienced crowd.
Martha
> On May 13, 2018, at 12:35 PM, Rich Sbardella via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> I cannot recall dancing a modern contra in the last few years that does not include a Partner Swing, so I have a few questions.
>
> First, do you call any such modern dances without a partner swing? Why or why not?
>
> Second, if you do, do you announce it before the preceding dance so as to inform those pairs of dancer that love to swing together?
>
> The Tease by Tom Hinds is one such creative dance that begs to be called.
>
> Rich Sbardella,
> Stafford, CT
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/