Hi Everyone,
Just reporting in on a variation on Chorus Jig that I composed inspired by the 4-couple dance below. I got to call it this evening and the dancers seemed to enjoy it. If you try it out, I'd love to hear from you! Here's the dance:
Chorus Reel Sicilian Circle Richard Allen Fischer
Formation: Duple Improper Circle. Ones facing CCW, Twos facing CW. Dance begins with Ones joining near hands while Twos stand normal distance apart.
A1) Everyone walks forward, Ones passing between Twos, two steps per pass, passing Neighbors 1, 2, 3, & 4; Swing Neighbor 5. End swing facing across to Partner
A2) In current group of four, Ladies dosido, Gents dosido [Use dosidos to adjust spacing.]
B1) All turn modified contra corners. Allemande R with Partner 3/4, allemande Same-Sex Neighbor (for Gents this is the one you dosido'd) L 1x, allemande Partner by R 1/2, allemande the other Same-Sex Neighbor by L 1x.
B2) All balance and swing Partner. End facing new neighbors in direction of progression, Ones with near hands joined, Twos separating a bit from partner.
Suggested tune: Chorus Jig!
Richard Fischer
Princeton, NJ
July 20, 2017
> On Jul 16, 2017, at 8:37 PM, Yoyo Zhou via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Hi callers,
>
> I've been looking for a funky dance, a variation on Chorus Jig for 4 couples, alternating, everybody turns contra corners. Does anyone know who to thank for it?
>
> (I remember dancing it at one of the Monte Toyon camps (Spring Fever or Queer Contra Camp) but I can't remember which! For bonus points, I'd love to figure out whom I learned it from.)
>
> The dance goes like this:
>
> A1: top couple down the outside and back
> B1: top couple down the middle and back, cast off with 2s
> C: all turn contra corners in the middle
> (All turn partner right 3/4, 1st corner left 1, parter right 1/2, 2nd corner left 1.
> It looks like a wave of 8 down the middle.)
> B2: all balance and swing partner; end swing facing up (?)
>
> (? = Do you alternate facing up/down?)
>
> Then, every other time, alternate: the bottom couple goes up the set and casts off with the 3s. So the 1s and 2s just change places with each other, and the 3s and 4s change places with each other, and everyone has a turn.
>
> Thanks,
> Yoyo Zhou
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
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Hello all,
I had a three hour drive to a gig the other day, and ruminated (again) on
grid contras. I think I've come up with a potentially dancable one. This is
advanced-dance stuff, not to be deployed lightly. And while I hope it won't
take 3 hours to digest this e-mail, I'm going to get into the weeds here.
Dive in only if you feel like bush-whacking with me. Here we go...
I'm going at it from a theoretical framework, from the ground up. This is
NOT how I'd teach it to dancers. If you want to start with the dance, jump
to down to *Contra Bias* in bold.
One drawback to grid contras attempts is what I'll call the "corner issue"
(discussed in more detail in footnote); where folks travel on diagonal
lines and get stuck in closed loop. Grid Squares can break the loop by
having figures and breaks that do different things. You're less likely to
get stuck in a corner when you progress in different ways at different
times through the dance.
But modern contra is defined by doing the same sequence every time through.
I personally enjoy, as a dancer and as a caller, when the caller can drop
out and let the dancers move to the music. (It's why I'm biased towards
contras.) So I want a sequence that doesn't trap dancers in a corner loop,
but is the same sequence every time. So I think we need to de-couple the up
and down the set progression from the lateral progression from set to set.
If you're a 1, you're going to stay a 1 until you reach the bottom of the
set, whether or not you reach the edge of the sets. The 2s will be 2s until
they reach the top of the hall. But if you were progressing to the right
across sets, when you reach the edge, you have to start progressing left;
or you'll run out of dancers. So some folks are progressing right, and some
left. That means that different sets will have different progressions.
Let's set up a dance hall, 8 sets wide, and 4 hands-four deep.
Stage is to the North (or you can think of N for Nutcase Caller...)
(*I've attempted to format this with a fixed-width font to keep the grid
clear. If it doesn't line up, your e-mail program may have changed the
formatting*).
N
1s(A1) 1s(B1) 1s(C1) 1s(D1) 1s(E1) 1s(F1) 1s(G1) 1s(H1)
2s(a1) 2s(b1) 2s(c1) 2s(d1) 2s(e1) 2s(f1) 2s(g1) 2s(h1)
1s(A2) 1s(B2) 1s(C2) 1s(D2) 1s(E2) 1s(F2) 1s(G2) 1s(H2)
2s(a2) 2s(b2) 2s(c2) 2s(D2) 2s(e2) 2s(f2) 2s(g2) 2s(h2)
W E
1s(A3) 1s(B3) 1s(C3) 1s(D3) 1s(E3) 1s(F3) 1s(G3) 1s(H3)
2s(a3) 2s(b3) 2s(c3) 2s(D3) 2s(e3) 2s(f3) 2s(g3) 2s(h3)
1s(A4) 1s(B4) 1s(C4) 1s(D4) 1s(E4) 1s(F4) 1s(G4) 1s(H4)
2s(a4) 2s(b4) 2s(c4) 2s(D4) 2s(e4) 2s(f4) 2s(g4) 2s(h4)
S
1s are going progressing south. 2s are progressing north.
Sets A, C, E, and G will all be right-progressing. Sets B, D, F, H, will be
left-progressing. It doesn't matter if the west-most set is right or left,
but it does need to alternate.
Right/left progressing here means relative to the direction they're facing.
Left-progressing D set has 1s(D) progressing south and east; and 2s(d)
progressing north and west.
Right-progressing E set has 1s(E) progressing south and west; and 2s(e)
progressing north and east.
When a couple reaches the edge of the set, (which westward progressing
1s(As) will do after one time through; as will eastward 1s(Hs)) we need
them to come back in the set still the same 1s or 2s, but now going the
other way laterally (east/left for the initial As; west/right for the
initial Hs).
Because I don't want to have folks wait out on the sides as well as the top
and bottom; I'm going to go for a double lateral progression.
So we've set up requirements, for progression and consistent moves; which
means we have to have moves that put different people in different places;
something like "1s half figure 8", but you need to be able to differentiate
the dancers in the rightward/leftward sets; and it shouldn't be something
that is called for only half of the sets (although, like 1/2 figure 8, or
gents allemande left, I do consider having half the dancers move okay,
especially if we can keep it balanced over the course of the dance). The
solution that occurred to me while driving on highway 89 was corners. I'd
call them 1st and 2nd corners, but those have specific meaning to English
Country dancers; so I'm going to call it Bias Corners and Other Corners;
where Bias is from the sewing and/or cooking sense, and refers to "on the
diagonal".
If you're a leftward progressing couple, you're facing another leftward
progressing couple. The Bias Corners are the folks on the left of each
couple (i.e. the gents role). The Other Corners for left-ward progressing
couples are the folks on the right (i.e. the ladies role).
For rightward progressing couple, the Bias Corners are the folks on the
right of each couple (ladies role), and the Other Corners are the folks on
the left (gents role).
The bias pair for left/right progressing couple is not the left/right
diagonal; it's the opposite diagonal; i.e. the left progressing bias couple
is the right diagonal couple.
*Bias Contra*
Grid contra of duple improper
Alternating leftward and rightward progressing sets.
Single vertical progression, double lateral progression.
Any number of equal-length* sets, ideally 3 or more.
*A1*
(4) Balance the ring of four
(4) Bias Corners trade places, passing by left shoulder;
all face neighbor across the set
(8) Half hey across the sets; passing four people
(initial neighbor right, then left N2, right N3, left N4, all will be
opposite role dancers)
*A2*
With Partner and New Neighbor (#5)
(4) Balance the ring of four
(12) Swing Neighbor on the top or bottom, end facing up or down the set,
towards your partner
*B1*
(4) Balance the Ring of four
(12) Partner swing on the side of the set, end facing across at the
neighbor you just swing
*B2*
(4) Balance the Ring of four
(4) Other Corners trade places, passing by left shoulders
(4) Right hand to partner, balance
(4) Pull by partner right, current neighbor left
*Notes:*
Bias Corners:
In a left progressing set, this is the gents (the folks on the left);
for a right progressing set, this is the ladies (the folks on the right).
Other Corners:
In a left progressing set, this is the ladies (the folks on the right);
for a right progressing set, this is the gents (the folks on the left).
Edge effects:
This is a double lateral progression. When you reach the edge of the sets,
you pass your partner by the left as one of the passes in your hey (2nd or
4th) and trade lines that you're heying across the set in. You've just
swapped left/right progressing
End effects:
When you run out of couples top or bottom, you wait out one time. 1s become
2s, and vice versa. Your left/right progression status DOES NOT change, but
the wall (East/West) that you're laterally progressing towards DOES change,
because you've turned around.
*: Equal Length:
It's not terrible if the sets aren't completely even. If you had some
extra, they could be a partial across the bottom (each X is a hands four):
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
XXXXX
But they should all be contiguous, not
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
XX X X X
which would create awkward mini-loops in the dangling sets.
To look at where folks end up after one time through the dance, lets go
back to our grid, with A, C, E, G our rightward sets:
N
R L R L R L R L
1s(A1) 1s(B1) 1s(C1) 1s(D1) 1s(E1) 1s(F1) 1s(G1) 1s(H1)
2s(a1) 2s(b1) 2s(c1) 2s(d1) 2s(e1) 2s(f1) 2s(g1) 2s(h1)
1s(A2) 1s(B2) 1s(C2) 1s(D2) 1s(E2) 1s(F2) 1s(G2) 1s(H2)
2s(a2) 2s(b2) 2s(c2) 2s(D2) 2s(e2) 2s(f2) 2s(g2) 2s(h2)
W E
1s(A3) 1s(B3) 1s(C3) 1s(D3) 1s(E3) 1s(F3) 1s(G3) 1s(H3)
2s(a3) 2s(b3) 2s(c3) 2s(D3) 2s(e3) 2s(f3) 2s(g3) 2s(h3)
1s(A4) 1s(B4) 1s(C4) 1s(D4) 1s(E4) 1s(F4) 1s(G4) 1s(H4)
2s(a4) 2s(b4) 2s(c4) 2s(D4) 2s(e4) 2s(f4) 2s(g4) 2s(h4)
S
After one time through the dance:
N
R L R L R L R L
2s(b1) 2s(d1) 2s(a1) 2s(f1) 2s(c1) 2s(h1) 2s(e1) 2s(g1) - OUT
1s(C1) 1s(A1) 1s(E1) 1s(B1) 1s(G1) 1s(D1) 1s(H1) 1s(F1)
2s(b2) 2s(d2) 2s(a2) 2s(f2) 2s(c2) 2s(h2) 2s(e2) 2s(g2)
1s(C2) 1s(A2) 1s(E2) 1s(B2) 1s(G2) 1s(D2) 1s(H2) 1s(F2)
2s(b3) 2s(d3) 2s(a3) 2s(f3) 2s(c3) 2s(h3) 2s(e3) 2s(g3)
W E
1s(C3) 1s(A3) 1s(E3) 1s(B3) 1s(G3) 1s(D3) 1s(H3) 1s(F3)
2s(b4) 2s(d4) 2s(a4) 2s(f4) 2s(c4) 2s(h4) 2s(e4) 2s(g4)
1s(C4) 1s(A4) 1s(E4) 1s(B4) 1s(G4) 1s(D4) 1s(H4) 1s(F4) - OUT
S
As for actually teaching it; the criteria I would want before trying:
- You need dancers that want to stretch their brain. No sense calling
this for caller ego, it has to be something folks are excited to try.
- You need enough dancers to make enough sets to make it interesting. It
would work with 2 or 3 sets (or even technically 1 set, although why bother
then)
- The room should have visible cues to help anchor dancers (like the
stage, quilt, exits, and bleachers at Flurry; but even those might not be
noticeable enough)
- You need enough space to enable swinging on the side of the set, and
top/bottom of the set of four
I'd get the dancers lined up in regular sets. Then have them take wide
lines between the sets to make sure they're lined up that way too. Then
back to long lines in their contra sets, and have the sets count off;
left-right-left-etc to identify their initial lateral progression
direction. I'd mention it's a double lateral progression; and that you
switch lateral progression direction at the edges; and up/down the set only
at the top and bottom.
I'd explain Bias Corners. Do the first move, start the half hey and mention
that you're passing 4 people of the opposite role. If you reach the end,
pass your partner as one of your four and trade lines that you're heying in.
When you've just come in off the ends, or around the edges; trust the folks
coming at you with regards to who is Bias/Other corners.
Mentioning small swing would be critical, since you'll need to end tight
enough that you can go from a swing to a ring balance.
And I think it's worth walking twice, just so that people don't have to go
back ;-)
I welcome feedback on the whole thing; but also see this mostly as a
theoretical exercise about what a grid contra could be. The conditions to
actually call it seem less common than a solar eclipse; and there's not a
great way to practice it ahead of time. But if someone wants to get a
couple hundred people together, I'd be game to give it a go.
Thanks for even reading this far.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Footnote:*
*Corner Issue (or why I de-coupled the progression directions):*
Standard contra has you progress up and down the line, turning around when
you reach an end. If everyone in a grid contra were to progress to the
right one set while also progressing up and down, you're progressing on a
diagonal. When you reach the edge of the set; you have to swap number, or
the grid runs out of dancers. One you pop out of the bottom as 1s in a
regular contra, you have to come back as a 2s to replace the folks that
would normally have danced with you and moved past you. Same thing on the
edges for and all-same lateral progression grid contra.
In a case where you have 8 sets A-H, 4 hands four deep:
1s(A1) 1s(B1) 1s(C1) 1s(D1) 1s(E1) 1s(F1) 1s(G1) 1s(H1)
2s(a1) 2s(b1) 2s(c1) 2s(d1) 2s(e1) 2s(f1) 2s(g1) 2s(h1)
1s(A2) 1s(B2) 1s(C2) 1s(D2) 1s(E2) 1s(F2) 1s(G2) 1s(H2)
2s(a2) 2s(b2) 2s(c2) 2s(D2) 2s(e2) 2s(f2) 2s(g2) 2s(h2)
1s(A3) 1s(B3) 1s(C3) 1s(D3) 1s(E3) 1s(F3) 1s(G3) 1s(H3)
2s(a3) 2s(b3) 2s(c3) 2s(D3) 2s(e3) 2s(f3) 2s(g3) 2s(h3)
1s(A4) 1s(B4) 1s(C4) 1s(D4) 1s(E4) 1s(F4) 1s(G4) 1s(H4)
2s(a5) 2s(b4) 2s(c4) 2s(D4) 2s(e4) 2s(f4) 2s(g4) 2s(h4)
If the progression for a grid contra were:
1s down the set 1 couple, and right one set
2s up the set 1 couple, and right one set
Then when couple 1s(A1) finished one time through the dance, they'd come
back in as the 2s(a1) couple. The initial 2s(a1) will come in as 1s(A1);
and they'd never get to dance with anyone else.
The B1 couples would only get dance with 2 other couples. C1 with 3. D1
with four, and which point the length and width tie for influence. But
everyone from D1 to A4 is stuck in their corner, travelling back and forth
on a diagonal line.
If all the 1s and 2s progress in different directions, i.e. 1s down and
right, 2s down and left; then you're shifting the whole dance hall; i.e.
folks are shifting into sets to the right of A, and leaving set H.
Other progression attempts, say 1s down and right 2; 2s up and right 2;
just draw different diagonal lines through the matrix.
You could try to set up a diamond set, but that's logistically a pain, and
you'd still only be travelling in one set, it would just be on a diagonal
compared to regular progression.
You could make a single-lateral progression grid contra, and have folks
wait out at the sides. The waiting out folks could swap with another
waiting out couple to switch the diagonal line that they were bouncing
around in. But it'd either be chaotic with random swapping (and who would
want to go to the "bad" corner and get stuck) or systematic - everyone
shuffles two places along; but then folks have to run from top to bottom;
and grid contras are designed for large numbers of dancers.
The alternating lateral progression sets of *Bias Contra* creates (in my
mind) two sub-lattices of contra sets, who's boundary conditions for
propagating units (i.e. couples) feed into each other. But I don't know
that thinking of it that way would make sense to anyone besides a
physicist.
--
Luke Donforth
Luke.Donforth(a)gmail.com <Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com>
Important note: This is NOT about whether or not modern callers should use
the term. Please don't raise that question in response to this note. This is
a historical analysis of the gypsy.
If you are interested please look at http://contrafusion.co.uk/Gypsy.html
where you will find all these subjects covered:
Gypsy - Whole Gip - Walk Around: The Move & The Name
References & Definitions Through the Ages
Gypsy: The Name
Warning
Backs & Faces
Not Turning Your Faces
Sharp's Whole Gips
The Solo Gypsy
Interlocking Gypsies or Double Gyp
Conclusion
Note on Etymology
Other Sources
Appendix 1: Walk Around the Corner
Appendix 2: Back-Circles
Thanks to all the people who provided information and insights.
Please let me know if you have anything that will help me to improve this
page.
Thanks.
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
interesting list - lots of dances by John Coffman. Andrea will be in St Louis to call for us the day before Labor Day and there is a reasonable chance that John will be there!
Mac McKeever
From: Andy Shore via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
To: Andrea Nettleton <twirly-girl(a)bellsouth.net>
Cc: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2017 12:22 PM
Subject: Re: [Callers] Labor Day dances
Working Stiff - John Coffman
The Collective - John Coffman
The Reunion - Gene Hubert (get it, Re-Union)
Labor of Love - Kathy Anderson
Communist Plot - John Coffman
Company Man - John Coffman
Holiday Haze - Cheri GlaserCrossed the Line - John Coffman (picket line)
singing square Red Wing is to the "look for the union label" tune
/Andy
On Tue, Aug 22, 2017 at 8:36 PM, Andrea Nettleton via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Hey all,
> Can someone point me to the thread I imagine already exists with dances for Labor Day? Or, if you have written or know of some good ones, please let me know? Anything about work, workers, labor, and the like.
> The one I have that came to mind was Labor of Love, by, I think, Kathy Anderson.
> Thanks!
> Andrea
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
Hey all,
Can someone point me to the thread I imagine already exists with dances for Labor Day? Or, if you have written or know of some good ones, please let me know? Anything about work, workers, labor, and the like.
The one I have that came to mind was Labor of Love, by, I think, Kathy Anderson.
Thanks!
Andrea
Sent from my external brain
Maybe I’m late in coming to this, but has anyone mentioned Pat Shaw’s Margaret’s Waltz (contra to tune he wrote of same name)? Actually, maybe he wrote it as a Sicilian Circle, but I’ve done it as a contra.
Martha
Hi,
Dugan asked about waltz contra choreographies.
The music in the Allison Wonderland video is much faster than I
would use for a contra waltz. Many of the dancers seem to end up almost
running to keep up. The waltz at the beginning or end of an evening at a
contra dance is usually significantly slower, and more the sort of speed
that I would use to get the feel of a waltz. (Yes, I know the Irish like to
waltz 50% faster, but that is a very different style!)
Here are some contras that were written specifically for waltz
music:
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Tulsa Tribute (by Keith Tuxhorn)
Contra; Becket - Waltz
A1: Circle Left Half Way (2); Balance the Ring (2)
Circle Left* Half Way (2); Balance the Ring (2)
A2: Open Ladies' Chain x2
B1: Full Hey with hands - Ladies start with Right Hand
B2: Partner Waltz in Place (4), Waltz Left** to face a New Neighbours (4)
An Open Ladies' Chain is an old form in which you do NOT do a Courtesy Turn.
I always teach it and call it as "Ladies Pull By Right, Allemande Left the
Man you meet"
* I go Right to make it easier for inexperienced dancers ** I go Right
because my brain tells me that is the direction in which I should waltz
around the room
Easy B2: Ladies Gypsy (4); Yearn Left (2); Step Right & Honour (2)
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
A Waltz for Terry (by Don Armstrong)
Contra; Improper - Waltz
A1: #1s with #2 Man: Balance the Ring twice; Circle Left
A2: #1s with #2 Lady: Balance the Ring twice; Circle Right to a Line of Four
facing Down the Hall (#1 Lady lets go with Right Hand; #1 Man raises Left
Hand to left #2 Lady through)
B1: Down the Hall in Lines of Four (2) bars, Balance Forwards (1), Turn
Alone (1)
Up the Hall in Lines of Four (2), #2s Gate the #1s Up to progressed
positions with a wide hand-cast (2)
B2: Open Ladies' Chain (the Men can do a Turn Single to the Left while the
Ladies cross)
Open Ladies' Chain back
An Open Ladies' Chain is an old form in which you do NOT do a Courtesy Turn.
I always teach it and call it as "Ladies Pull By Right, Allemande Left the
Man you meet"
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Equal Opportunity Waltz Contra (by Becky Hill)
Contra; Improper - Waltz
A1: Star Left; Star Right
A2: Neighbour Allemande Right; Partner Allemande Left
B1: Ladies Cross (2); Men Cross (2)
Balance the Ring; Partner Roll Away with a Half Sashay
B2: Partner: Take Right Hand: Balance & Box the Gnat
Partner: Take Left Hand: Balance & Swat the Flea
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
If I was going to use a standard contra then I would choose a smooth,
flowing one like:
The Mad Gypsy (by John Sweeney)
Contra; Becket
A1: Ladies' Chain
Mad Robin - AC - Ladies through the Middle
A2: Full Hey - Ladies start Right Shoulder
B1: Ladies Gypsy (slow & wide)
Neighbour Two-Hand Turn (or Waltz)
B2: Balance the Ring; Ladies Cross
Yearn on the Left Diagonal
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
Tulsa Tribute is a simple, lovely "contra waltz" that works well as a cool-down on a hot night. I sometimes use it as the next-to-last dance of the evening. The band needs to choose a waltz in AABB, rather than ABAB as many are usually played. If I teach it in tempo, they usually figure it out.
Tulsa Tribute - Keith ?Juxhorn? (can't read my own writing)**Becket**A1: Circle left 1/2, balance the ring Circle left 1/2, balance the ringA2: Ladies chain over and back (it really helps to call this in tempo - the ladies tend to pick up the loveliness of the waltz tempo with the chain)B1: Full hey for four (ladies start by passing right shoulders)B2: With your partner, waltz in place, end by sliding left to a new couple.
Gretchen Caldwell, Charlotte NC gretchendance(a)yahoo.com
Hi all,
I know there is a musicians' list, but as a caller I'm not on it — and I thought some of you multitalented folk might still be able to answer this question.
We have (it's not mine, so please forgive all inaccuracies in this description) a 50-yr-old Gibson acoustic guitar in need of repair: the nut broke, and it could use some new frets. The instrument in question has significant sentimental value as well as other sorts of value and so we're looking for a trustworthy person to repair it -- someone not too terribly far from the North Fork of Long Island, if possible (anywhere in Suffolk County would be good; either of the Forks or Riverheadish would be great).
Thanks,
Louise Siddons
Temporarily of Cutchogue, NY! But usually from Stillwater, OK.