Contras for One Nighters

On 2016-03-05 1044, Rich Sbardella via Callers wrote: I too rarely touch L2/DM dances for such an occasion. Thing is a 3 Face 3 Sicilian Circle dance is sometimes part of such a program! Progression is of course about the only place something like Dashing White Sgts or Mason's Apron falls apart - if/when I'm not clear about the pass-through. Sigh Seth Tepfer's "Jefferson and Lincoln" can work with some crowds (in the file "No Brainers", contents titled "Surefire dances") at http://www.dancerhapsody.com/Calling/Handouts.html His "Family Contra in the Castle" is another fun, useful choice http://www.dancerhapsody.com/Calling/Dances.html#FamilyCastle My bomber/sure fire selection for such a progression is "Wherries Circle Contra", which I discovered on Tomas Green's ceilidh/barn dance site. It's a Becket, Sicilian Circle, from England, by Ron Coxall. http://barndances.org.uk/dance-detail.php?danceNameParam=wherries-circle-co… One is with one's partner throughout, and the circle means no one must depart and re-enter the major set. The part I've seen folks really enjoy is finding the current minor set you're in when circling back to it in the big circles. It works fine with the sozzled, once the concept is received. (I once had to run around, between the inner and outer circles, to get across the dropping hands in small circles and take hands in the large circles. Once done it was of the best ONS dance experiences, ever. Okay, there have been a few. Nonetheless . . . it sure was fun!) I changed one thing, as presented on Tom's site, in that for B2 I reversed the order of the stars/hands-across. I use Left, then Right. It seems to give a better flow from the previous figure and into the next figure. I've not seen the source directions. Only one person has noticed/not approved (they've danced it, with Ron it appears.) I think one takeaway from its success is that any Becket that is not overly complex (leaving minor set, tough figures to hoist in, etc.) might be moved into a circle formation. This was discussed a bit a few years back on this or the Shared Weight Caller list. Cheers, John -- J.D. Erskine Victoria, BC Island Dance - Folk & Country dance info - site & mail list Vancouver Island & BC islands http://members.shaw.ca/island.dance/