8 Mar
2016
8 Mar
'16
6:34 p.m.
Hi Dudley,
Years ago, I told you that I had square danced in summer camp at Wellfleet
on Cape Cod to a caller who accompanied himself on fiddle. Sometime later
you told me who it must have been, but I didn't write the name down. Do
you remember there being a fiddling caller on or near the Cape?
The last time that I was asked for a duple minor contra for a ONS was for
the wedding of two people who had met contra dancing. They had just danced
a few times, and none of their guests had danced, but they really wanted a
duple minor contra dance, and it was their wedding. I called my usual
Sicilian Circle figures to the longways set, with a pass through up and
down for the progression. The bride and groom kept the people they were
dancing with progressing past them, the people who weren't near the wedding
couple often didn't progress but didn't care, everyone was happy at the
end, and I went back to doing whole-set dances.
Jacob
On Tue, Mar 8, 2016 at 10:17 AM, <jdlaufman(a)comcast.net> wrote:
Hey Rich: Actually, in my entire “career” as a
caller/musician, never has
anyone at a ONS come to me with a request for a “contra’, that is to say, a
duple improper. I just assume that at an ONS, most folks do not know what
a contra is, or, if they do, realize that it wouldn’t fly at that event. I
have had folks, sort of wearing MWSD outfits come up to me all smiles and
say proudly “We square dance.” But they never ask if we can “do one.”
Also had a couple sidle up announcing that they go to the Greenfield dance,
and do “real” contras. But they don’t ask for one. They aren’t wearing
blinders. I have had a few folks ask if we can do anything “harder”. I
ask them to name one, but they can’t. Just “harder”. Brainy? I ask.
Something like that they say. Not tonight I reply. Actually I get
Jacqueline to handle it, myself getting a little bristley.
Isn’t that Haste To The Wedding dance similar to if not the same as the
Irish ring dance The Siege of Carrick?
Speaking of Irish, I usually do a routine of Irish (American) celi dances
in the month of March...Siege of Ennis (twice) Siege of Carrick, Bridge of
Athlone, Waves of Tory, to chunes like Maggie In The Wood, Molly in the
Wood, Finnegan’s Wake, Kesh Jig, Haste To the Wedding, Rakes of Mallow,
Dusty Bob and the like. Had a great little dance last Saturday, March 5,
in Cornwall, Ct, part of an ongoing community dance series with The
Homespun Band. I drove the four hours down from Canterbury, NH, stopping
only at the Red Lion in Stockbridge for a half pint of the local IPA, only
to find when I got to Cornwall that I had left my melodeons and fiddle at
home. I was cryink. But the concertina player said he had a G/D box like
mine, and would I mind borrowing it? You bet says I, and the day was
saved. So we got through the Irish dances. There were three other callers
there, so I asked Bob Livingston to do a square which he did. Pat Campbell
did a fine whole set dance...( how does that go Pat? and then Rachael.
Rachael plays fiddle in the band. A few years back she asked Jacqueline
about playing fiddle and calling at the same time. Jacqueline said Do it,
just do it. Just start. Rachael practiced at home and bi god the other
night she sang a call do some Connectioncut folk song maybe a CW, and
played her fiddle at the same time. She did it. She did it. Yeah Rachael.
Maine has 8, maybe more caller/fiddlers. (That’s another story.) New
Hampshire has Jacqueline and myself, and Carolyn Parrot. Vermont has Fred
Bruenig. Maybe there is another? Massachusetts has the Kaynors. (There
is a chap from the Boston area who can play fiddle and dance the morris
Knuckle Down while he plays. Probably he could call and play) Poor little
RI has none. Ct has Ralph Sweet who can play accordion and call...Peter
Leibert who plays accordion and calls. But no fiddler. Until Rachael.
Dudley
Dudley & Jacqueline Laufman
PO Box 61, 322 Shaker Rd
Canterbury, NH 03224
www.laufman.org
603-783-4719
jdlaufman(a)comcast.net
Education book & CD at www.humankinetics.com
Performance Calendar at www.laufman.org
*From:* mailto:trad-dance-callers@yahoogroups.com
<trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com>
*Sent:* Monday, March 07, 2016 5:57 PM
*To:* trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com
*Cc:* ppalum(a)googlegroups.com
*Subject:* Re: [trad-dance-callers] Contras for One Nighters
Dudley,
I posed the question because sometimes I am asked to include contras in a
ONS. I had one this past Saturday night. When contracting to such a
dance, I often dissuade the organizer of including contras. I was not able
to do that for this this Saturday's dance. (As it turned out, I did not
call any contras, or squares, but stuck to wholesets and circle dances,
along with two waltzes.)
My own experience has shown reasonable success with Haste to the Wedding
(proper) and Family Contra.
The more ONS dances I call, the easier the program becomes.
The only difficulty Saturday was with an easy variation of Snowball, and I
attribute that difficulty to the effect of a "Cash Bar". I should have
picked a mentally easier dance.
Rich
On Mon, Mar 7, 2016 at 5:14 PM, jdlaufman(a)comcast.net
[trad-dance-callers] <trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com> wrote:
--
jandnbloom(a)gmail.com
http://jacobbloom.net/
The question of “contras” being called at ONSs has been raised before,
and fairly recently, and several of us chimed in quickly with “WHY?” If the
gig is a one nighter, and 95% of the folks there have not been exposed to
contras before, then no matter what you choose for a dance, it will have to
be taught and walked through, which, even if done well, can throw a damper
on that kind of a party. So, why? There are so many other good dances,
whole set, sets, circles.
We played for a rowdy barn dance near here once for another caller.
After a few fairly successful whole sets and circles he said “Oh, we
haven’t done a duple contra yet.” and proceeded to spend the next half hour
trying, unsuccessfully, to do
A-Roving. Train wreck and end of evening.
What happens is that the musicians are having a great time playing the
chunes and the dancers appreciate that, and the dancers are having a great
foot stomping time, but the poor caller is sometimes not getting much
attention and so cooks up a figger too complex so that the dancers have to
work too hard to get it which they might not, so they don’t feel
successful.....
But if you must do a “contra” at an ONS Jefferson & Liberty is the one.
Even ONSers like to swing, so I sometimes leave out the star, just call it
A1 circle left & right,/ A2 down the outside and back/ B1 Down the center
4 in line, inside arch, outside under/ B2 All swing partners.. Or, do it
with the stars, and do the swing at the end, adding an extra 8 bars of
music, making it a 40 bar dance. You can look around for a 40 bar chune,
or just roar into it and have it come out right occasionally.
Dudley
Dudley & Jacqueline Laufman
PO Box 61, 322 Shaker Rd
Canterbury, NH 03224
www.laufman.org
603-783-4719
jdlaufman(a)comcast.net
Education book & CD at www.humankinetics.com
Performance Calendar at www.laufman.org
*From:* mailto:trad-dance-callers@yahoogroups.com
<trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com>
*Sent:* Saturday, March 05, 2016 1:44 PM
*To:* trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com ; Caller's discussion list
<callers(a)sharedweight.net>
*Subject:* [trad-dance-callers] Contras for One Nighters
I rarely call a contra at a One Night Party Dance, but occasionally I am
asked to. I have a few in my cards, but can anyone make some sure fire
recommendations.
Assume 95%-100% non dancers.
Thanks, Rich
Stafford, CT
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