I’ve got a gypsy star dance (I actually call it “Star Wrong” and not just because of the g-word, but because if you say “gypsy star” everybody starts to gypsy and NOT star, so I gave up on that confusing terminology). Haven’t seen another dance like it. The move from mad robin into the star wrong actually flows quite well. I use men and women for roles, not genders. When I first started calling, we considered “lady” to be a four letter word - women’s movement and bra burning and all that. I still find it hard to use the word “lady” and not bristle. Times have changed, now people bristle at men and women. Go figure. I didn’t correct the “g-word” use on this version either.
The Wrong Star <>
Duple improper July 3, 2015
A1 Mad robin, women to right in front
Gypsy star 3/4 (star wrong) with women taking right hands, men left, women move forward
A2 Gypsy and swing your partner
B1 Four in line down the set, couple on left (2s) slide to right in front of couple 1, who slide to left^
Turn alone and come back up, bend the line
B2 Balance in a circle, circle left 1/4*
Swing your neighbor
*The circle 1/4 is merely a teachable way to have the men draw the women to their side along a circular path. I prefer this to just saying draw your neighbor to your side and swing, because I would like people not to be skewed relative to each other when the mad robin is to start.
^The "sliding glass door" approach to turning the four in line about is seen also in Erik Weberg's "Now We Are Four". I have the 2s moving in front of the 1s for the sliding glass door move as the #1 man’s role can lead the #2 woman’s role into the move as he passes behind her.
If interested, this and other dances are on my Google website https://sites.google.com/site/marthawildscallsofthewild/ <https://sites.google.com/site/marthawildscallsofthewild/> which, for reasons that are obscure to me, and even though I’ve shared it as public, appears on no searches whatever, no matter how exactly I copy the name and more on it.
Martha
> On Oct 2, 2017, at 2:41 PM, Bill Olson via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> OK then... Here's a gypsy star dance where the star doesn't start in interwoven long waves. From a dance choreography workshop. Been waiting for me to wrap my brain around it and publish it for a year and a half now.. It actually works and is easier to dance than it might appear at first glance. It has a figure that Peter Johnson had dreamed up and had been sitting on for a while.. Guess then *I* sat on it. Not sure if anyone else of the authors published it any where. If so, I didn't see it.. - bill
>
> Stellar Gypsy Becket
>
> by: Bill Olson, Peter Johnson, Riley Geistman, Sam Smith, Ray Jantzen, Laura Garchar, Patricia Danscen, Anthony Risenhoover, Peter Koza, Tina Fields, Hamish ?
>
> A1 promenade 3/4*, Swing new N (on ladies' home side)
> A2 1/2 R&L, W 1/2 chain (to partner)
> B1 LLF&B, Arch to Gypsy Star** (facing partner, move Star 1/2 way)
> B2 Gypsy and Sw Partner (on home side)
>
> *Promenade 3/4 is just continuing a normal promenade another 1/4 position so dancers are across from partner
>
> **Arch to Gypsy Star (concept was presented by Peter Johnson): Make Arch, walk forward, Ladies walk through arches.. when hands are all together, women take Left hands across and Men take Right hands across to form the Gypsy Star (women's hands under, men's hand over). Looking partner in the eye women sort of "draw" the men half way around the star. (the women are actually doing a do sa do pattern with each other here)
>
> written at a dance choreography workshop at Stellar Days and Nights dance weekend in Colorado, Feb 2016
>
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Hi All,
I posted a request for suggestions on preparing for an upcoming dance a couple of weeks ago. I had not called a dance in 18 months, and had expected to stay on “emeritus” status. Thank you for your suggestions! You helped buck me up and get my head back in the game. The dance was an annual one for our "living local” foodie folks. They were sure ready to dance after diner was finished! It was not hard at all to get folks up and moving. The Flying Elbows String Band is always a treat to call to. We all had big fun! The band and I might end up with an additional gig or two from this. One of the band members posted a video of dance from the 2015 dance for this same group. I was even wearing the same shirt. I recognized the dance that I used to use at almost all ONS dances. Dang! I had forgotten all about it! The band and I did another dance gig this weekend. We again had big fun. We managed to do our dances while several small children danced in and out of the sets. One result of these two dances is that some locals may finally get together to have a regular dance series again. The band and I have a wedding gig coming up this next weekend. I have shaken off my mental cobwebs and am back in the groove.
Thank you all for your encouragement!
John B. Freeman
Hi Jeremy:
Independence Squares is an LGBTQ and straight member group located in downtown Philadelphia with dancers from NJ, De and Pa. We run workshops and classes for all levels up to C2.
We use the terms Boys and Girls and everyone is free to dance whichever role they wish (gender free). We do not use identifying bands or sashes. We dance our roles by definition and if the caller directs us "Boys Run" (for example, or "Boys Fold") we identify ourselves "Boy" and then do the figure.
We create our sets, not by asking someone to dance, but by taking a place in the set and holding out the hand we'd like someone to take. If I want to dance "Girl" then I hold out my left hand for a "Boy" to take. If I'm "ambidanceterous" then I would hold out both hands and someone will join me who is able to do one role or the other.
Our callers are fantastic and I'm sure this isn't easy for them to call without visual identifiers, but calling by definition shouldn't need that...unless the sets get out of sorts. If we're in a workshop situation and the sets get confused the callers will say "Boys (or Girls) Identify" and we raise our hands and the caller knows who's out of place.
Hope this is helpful.
Donna Hunt
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeremy Child via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
To: callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Wed, Oct 4, 2017 4:23 pm
Subject: [Callers] Gender Free MWSD
Hi
I have a question for anyone who calls or dances Gender Free MWSD (by Gender Free I mean where no assumptions are made about what role a dancer will take based on their gender).
I've been told that GF MWSD dances still use the terms "Boys" and "Girls", but please correct me if I'm wrong.
MWSD is unique amongst folk dancing in that dancers need to know the role being danced by others in the square (if I'm a "boy" and the call is "boys trade", I need to know who the other boy in my line / wave is in order to do the call).
So to my question: How do the dancers identify which roles the other people are dancing? Traditionally this is done with dancers taking the opposite role to their gender wearing bands, but that is surely inappropriate if the dance is GF.
Also, if any MWSD clubs are using truly non-gendered terms, please let me know.
Thanks in Advance
Jeremy
www.barndancecaller.netwww.genderfreedance.net
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On Wed, Oct 04, 2017, Jeremy Child via Callers wrote:
>
> I have a question for anyone who calls or dances Gender Free MWSD (by
> Gender Free I mean where no assumptions are made about what role a dancer
> will take based on their gender).
For pedantic reasons, I'll note that MWSD doesn't use the term "gender
free", it's called "gay square dancing".
> MWSD is unique amongst folk dancing in that dancers need to know the role
> being danced by others in the square (if I'm a "boy" and the call is "boys
> trade", I need to know who the other boy in my line / wave is in order to
> do the call).
Callers also need to track gender because there are some gendered calls.
They're not necessarily what you might think. For example, if you're
calling Mainstream, Right & Left Thru is a gendered call.
> So to my question: How do the dancers identify which roles the other people
> are dancing? Traditionally this is done with dancers taking the opposite
> role to their gender wearing bands, but that is surely inappropriate if the
> dance is GF.
Bands are especially useless when you're gender-swapping in a square,
just like contra. (And yes, I often gender-swap in square dancing, as do
a lot of other people, mostly in gay square-dance circles but a few
coming primarily from straight club backgrounds.)
> Also, if any MWSD clubs are using truly non-gendered terms, please let me
> know.
As a caller and dancer, I really can't imagine switching to gender-free
terminology in MWSD. Contra works because standardization of vocabulary
matters much less when you teach each dance before starting, and it's
easy to switch between gendered and gender-free dances. MWSD requires a
deep realtime link between muscle memory and the auditory command loop.
There's also Salsa Rueda de Casino, I know almost nothing about it (and
really nothing about gender management) but I know a couple of people I
could ask.
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
<*> <*> <*>
Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html
Hi, all! I recently wrote this dance and would like to know if it’s already out there somewhere and being called by people. As always, your feedback is appreciated. I test called it in September and it went well. Seth Tepfer called it in River Falls and it went well, though he is going to try it with LLF&B at the top of A2.
Joyous Rose
by Jacqui Grennan
Contra/Becket-CW
A1 -----------
(4) Gents Give & Take their N
(12) N Sw
A2 -----------
(8) Circle L 1x
(8) N allem RH 1-1/2 plus to short waves, ladies LH in middle (allemande is just under 2x)
B1 -----------
(4) Balance the wave
(4) Move forward to new wave, w/ NEW N allem. Right 1/2 (gents middle LH) <=PROGRESSION
(4) Balance the wave
(4) Swing thru - Neighbor allem. Right 1/2, Ladies allem. Left 1/2
B2 -----------
(16) P B&Sw
End Effects: Wait out improper
I wrote out a glossary dance; not a first in the evening, but maybe second.
Anyone know of a prior version?
Spend Some Time Together
by Luke Donforth
Contra/Improper/Easy
A1 -----------
(8) Long lines, forward and back
(8) Neighbor swing
A2 -----------
(8) Men allemande Left 1-1/2
(8) Partner Do-si-do
B1 -----------
(16) Partner balance and swing
B2 -----------
(8) Promenade across the Set
(8) Women's Chain across
The B2 moves could be swapped, but I liked how much time you could get with
a partner this way (hence the title).
I wouldn't use it as a first dance, but it seems like a nice second one to
teach the a chain.
--
Luke Donforth
Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>
Hi Jeremy,
At MIT’s Tech Squares, “boys” and “girls” are used, sometimes with “ladies” and “gents” thrown in. However, many dancers dance either role. If you are dancing a role that does not visibly match your gender, you typically call out (not too loudly) “boy” or “girl”, when the caller gives a call that is specific to a gender. As you get more accomplished as a dancer, you seem to not need to call that out as much - if the dance is moving, the flow of the dance should usually indicate who is supposed to move.
Seth
> On Oct 4, 2017, at 1:54 PM, Jeremy Child via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Hi
>
> I have a question for anyone who calls or dances Gender Free MWSD (by Gender Free I mean where no assumptions are made about what role a dancer will take based on their gender).
>
> I've been told that GF MWSD dances still use the terms "Boys" and "Girls", but please correct me if I'm wrong.
>
> MWSD is unique amongst folk dancing in that dancers need to know the role being danced by others in the square (if I'm a "boy" and the call is "boys trade", I need to know who the other boy in my line / wave is in order to do the call).
>
> So to my question: How do the dancers identify which roles the other people are dancing? Traditionally this is done with dancers taking the opposite role to their gender wearing bands, but that is surely inappropriate if the dance is GF.
>
> Also, if any MWSD clubs are using truly non-gendered terms, please let me know.
>
> Thanks in Advance
>
> Jeremy
> www.barndancecaller.net <http://www.barndancecaller.net/>
> www.genderfreedance.net <http://www.genderfreedance.net/>_______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
On Wed, Oct 4, 2017 at 2:00 PM, Charles M. Hannum <root(a)ihack.net> wrote:
> This terminology is standardized worldwide.
>
BTW, a subtlety you may not be aware of is that MWSD terminology *is*
standardized by CallerLab. You can't advertise that you do the CallerLab
program if you use different terminology. This is why even "gender free"
groups continue to use the traditional gendered terms.
Up through plus level, "boys and girls" and "ladies and gents" are used.
This terminology is standardized worldwide.
At advanced level, "beau and belle" are introduced. They are positional
(beau = left, belle = right), but also refer to the common position for
that gender in typical square dance choreography.
On Wed, Oct 4, 2017 at 1:54 PM, Jeremy Child via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Hi
>
> I have a question for anyone who calls or dances Gender Free MWSD (by
> Gender Free I mean where no assumptions are made about what role a dancer
> will take based on their gender).
>
> I've been told that GF MWSD dances still use the terms "Boys" and "Girls",
> but please correct me if I'm wrong.
>
> MWSD is unique amongst folk dancing in that dancers need to know the role
> being danced by others in the square (if I'm a "boy" and the call is "boys
> trade", I need to know who the other boy in my line / wave is in order to
> do the call).
>
> So to my question: How do the dancers identify which roles the other
> people are dancing? Traditionally this is done with dancers taking the
> opposite role to their gender wearing bands, but that is surely
> inappropriate if the dance is GF.
>
> Also, if any MWSD clubs are using truly non-gendered terms, please let me
> know.
>
> Thanks in Advance
>
> Jeremy
> www.barndancecaller.net
> www.genderfreedance.net
>
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>
>
Hi
I have a question for anyone who calls or dances Gender Free MWSD (by
Gender Free I mean where no assumptions are made about what role a dancer
will take based on their gender).
I've been told that GF MWSD dances still use the terms "Boys" and "Girls",
but please correct me if I'm wrong.
MWSD is unique amongst folk dancing in that dancers need to know the role
being danced by others in the square (if I'm a "boy" and the call is "boys
trade", I need to know who the other boy in my line / wave is in order to
do the call).
So to my question: How do the dancers identify which roles the other people
are dancing? Traditionally this is done with dancers taking the opposite
role to their gender wearing bands, but that is surely inappropriate if the
dance is GF.
Also, if any MWSD clubs are using truly non-gendered terms, please let me
know.
Thanks in Advance
Jeremy
www.barndancecaller.netwww.genderfreedance.net
