Good discussion.
The Bloomington, IN contra dance meets weekly. Our instructions to callers say:
“Role Terms. Callers may choose what role terms to use. Whatever terms you use, please emphasize that these are roles that any dancer is welcome to choose. Try to refrain from using the words “man,” “woman,” “he,” “she” or other words
that suggest a gender of the dancers.”
In practice, our local callers all use larks & robins with occasional positional calling. At our once a month open mic night calling is where we might get a person or two who calls a dance using gents/ladies. It is helpful to learn that
posting this information on our website might be a good practice. I will bring it up to the board, and we might also want to revisit whether we want to specifically state that most callers at our dance use the terms larks & robins.
http://bloomingtoncontra.org/
In the list below, there is a question about whether the Cincinnati, OH dance is running. It is meeting weekly:
http://cincinnaticontradance.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2185335378145105
Of course, that is their original dance group, and not the Cincinnati gender-free contra dance group which is referenced in the list. The Cincinnati gender-free group had been running for about 16 months before Covid hit. To my knowledge,
that gender-free dance group is not currently holding dances.
Mary Jean Regoli
Bloomington, IN
Sent from
Mail for Windows
Currently larks+robins for the dances I call, which has been all of them so far, but we're moving to hiring callers, as our finances allow. Then it will be caller's choice, so long as it's gender-neutral.
If we said "loons" rather than "larks", I'd be happier, as "larks" starts like "ladies". But, I think that ship has sailed.
Lawrence Barn Dance Association has also opted for "Caller's Choice". Personally (not speaking for LBDA) I don't especially like the terms Larks and Robins and am hoping something better comes along. We don't
have a statement on our website, but I plan to work on that.
Portland, OR 2/4/5th Saturdays are Larks and Robins. It's on the newcomer page and I'll get it added to the main contra page.
Portland's 1/3rd Saturdays don't have a policy but have consistently been Larks and Robins this year
Portland's Joyride dance has no policy but does announce terms ahead of the dance.
Both Louisville Kentucky and Lexington Kentucky are opting for "caller's choice." I believe Berea Kentucky is doing the same. Callers have used gents/ladies, larks/robins and positional.
There are only 49 dances on Jeff's list, so I went to each website and
took a quick look around.
Of the dances that are still clearly running and list the terms they
use on their website (somewhere I could find it), the overwhelming
majority use Larks+Robins. The only other terms with any
representation are Larks+Ravens and one mention of positional calling.
"Not mentioned" means they don't say what role terms are used in a
place I could find (even if they say it's gender-free etc -- some don't
even say that much).
"Not running?" means it appears the series is no longer putting on
dances, or still on hiatus from the pandemic. If they are holding
dances, the website is out of date.
This of course misses dances that are not in or up to date on Jeff's
list.
Amherst MA: http://amherstcontra.org
Not mentioned (‘what is contra’ page mentions gents+ladies but it
seems to be a general description not specific to this dance)
Amherst MA:
https://engage.hampshire.edu/organization/contradancecollective
Not running?
Arden DE:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ardencontra/
"Arden uses gender-free role terms (usually larks and robins, and
sometimes positional calling.)"
Belfast ME: http://www.belfastflyingshoes.org/
Larks+Robins
Berkeley CA:
http://www.bacds.org/series/contra/berkeley_wed/
Larks+Robins
Blacksburg VA:
https://gobblerconnect.vt.edu/organization/contrafolk
Private site
Blacksburg VA: https://www.facebook.com/ContraFolkVT/
Not running? Was Larks+Ravens
Brooklyn NY: http://www.brooklyncontra.org/
Not mentioned
Cambridge MA: http://www.bidadance.org/
Larks+Robins
Carrboro NC: http://firstsaturdaycontra.com/
“callers will use the terms Larks and Ravens (or Robins)”
Charlottesville VA:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/984316375582303/
Larks+Robins
Chicago IL:
https://www.facebook.com/QueerContraChicago/
Larks+Robins? Their "about" description mentions both Ravens and
Robins, so probably this is an editing oversight:
“Instead of gender roles, dancers choose whether to dance the Lark
role or the Raven role. One role extends their Left arm for the
ballroom swing and stands on the Left at the end of it (it's the Lark!)
The Robin extends their Right arm for that swing and ends it standing
on the Right.”
Cincinnati OH: https://www.facebook.com/GFCinci/
Not running?
Concord MA: http://mondaycontras.com/
Larks+Robins
Concord MA: http://www.neffa.org/Thurs.html
Larks+Robins
Denver CO: http://www.cfootmad.org
Not mentioned
Edinburgh Scotland:
https://www.facebook.com/EdinburghContra/
Larks+Robins
Glen Echo MD: https://www.facebook.com/ContraSonic/
Not running?
Halifax Canada:
https://www.facebook.com/HalifaxContraDances/
Larks+Ravens
They seem to have a new website too:
https://www.halifaxcontra.ca/
Hayward CA: https://sfbaycontra.org/
Not mentioned
Jamaica Plain MA: http://www.lcfd.org/jp/
Larks+Robins
Los Angeles CA:
http://www.caldancecoop.org/california-twirl/
Not mentioned
Milwaukee WI: https://www.mkecontra.org/
Not mentioned
Minneapolis MN:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/twincitiesqueercontra
Larks+Robins
Monterey CA: http://montereycontradance.org
Not mentioned
Montpelier VT:
http://capitalcitygrange.org/dancing/contradancing/
Not mentioned
Montreal Canada: http://www.contramontreal.org/
Larks+Robins
New York NY: http://cdny.org/
Larks+Robins (in the caller info page)
New York NY: http://www.villagecontra.org
Not running? (Was Larks+Robins)
Northampton MA:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1311451995547490/
Larks+Robins
Oakland CA:
http://www.queercontradance.org/circleleft.html
Larks+Robins
Oberlin OH: https://www2.oberlin.edu/stuorg/contra/
Not running? (Was Larks+Ravens 2017-2019)
Olympia WA:
https://oly-wa.us/southbaygrange/contra.php
Larks+Robins (but listed per dance as if it could change)
Orlando FL: https://contraknights.org/
Not mentioned
Petaluma CA: http://www.nbcds.org/
Not mentioned
Portland ME: http://portlandintowncontradance.com/
Not running?
Portland ME: https://www.commonfloorcontra.dance/
Larks+Robins
Portland OR: http://contraremix.com/
Larks+Robins
Portland OR:
https://portlandcountrydance.org/pdxcontra-info/
Not mentioned
Providence RI:
https://www.facebook.com/ProvidenceCommunityDance/
Private site
Sacramento CA: http://www.sactocds.org/
Not mentioned
San Jose CA:
http://www.bacds.org/series/contra/san_jose/
Not running? (Was Larks+Robins)
Santa Cruz CA:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/contrasantacruz/
"usually using gender neutral role terms (Larks / Robins)."
Seattle WA:
http://seattledance.org/contra/emeraldcity
Larks+Robins
Seattle WA: http://seattledance.org/contra/lakecity
Larks+Robins
Stillwater OK:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/acontraaffair/
Not running?
Swarthmore PA:
https://thepac.center/events/contra-dance-2023-02-14
Not mentioned
Toronto Canada: http://www.tcdance.org/
Larks+Robins
Warren RI:
https://www.facebook.com/eastbaycontradance.net/
Not running? The Facebook page says it's "closed" and posting
seems to have been taken over by Worcester, a more gendered dance (“If
there is an excess of one gender, it is customary for women to dance
men's parts (and vice versa)”)
On Wed, 2023-03-08 at 17:32 -0500, Jeff Kaufman via Organizers wrote:
> On trycontra.com I have whether dances are gender free, but not more
> specific than that.
>
> The raw list
> is https://github.com/jeffkaufman/trycontra/blob/master/dances.json
>
> Jeff
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 8, 2023, 4:50 PM Steve Pike via Organizers
> <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> > Is there any Google doc or some such with a list of terms contra
> > dances are currently using? I recollect seeing something somewhere,
> > maybe a post...
> >
> > Milwaukee: positional calling, with an occasional Larks/Robins
> > caller
> >
> > Steve Pike
> > Milwaukee (formerly Madison), WI
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