[Callers] Chinese Fan from Square dance

[Neal Schlein via Callers]

Hi Claire,

I can help, but am not certain you asked for what you truly want.  Are you
really looking for a set of calls for the square, or do you need directions
for the floor pattern, teaching instructions, a working timing for the
square-style calls, or the timing of the figure for a contra setting?

I'm asking because I suspect your friend doesn't actually need the calls.
This is going to open a can of worms on the list, but contras and
mescalonzas (aka 4x4 dances) are prompted, not called.  Although most
dancers and many callers don't make a distinction, the mechanics and timing
of the two techniques are different.  If you move Chinese Fan into a
contra-type setting, the calls (as a square dance caller would see them)
are technically irrelevant because you wouldn't want to use them.  (And,
with many figures, you can't use them without either changing the wording,
changing the timing, or stepping outside of the contra-prompting
technique.)  What I am betting he actually needs to know is the full floor
pattern and the timing of that sequence.

*The Call*
For someone who knows the Chinese Fan figure is coming and how to do it,
the only necessary words for prompting are some variation on:
*Head (side) ladies turn back (lead, roll back, open out...) for a Chinese
fan.*  (After completion, repeat for either same ladies or other pair of
ladies)

That would suffice for a New England style square or a quadrille, as
everything else in the call is just filler.  A longer call with patter
would be personalized to the caller and the region; in my calling
tradition, there would be near-constant running patter throughout.  Both
the phrasing and the timing of the above would port over to contras and
your 4x4, although you wouldn't need to identify the leading parties
because their identity would be pre-defined.

*Floor pattern/teaching*
Start in a Star Promenade; men keep the star and continue turning it moving
throughout.  Identified ladies will turn out and away from their partner to
face the other direction, and then hook free elbows with the lady behind
them.  Ladies turn 1/2 while men turn the star 1/4; lead lady rejoins the
star promenade with next man to arrive (original opposite).  Star turns
another 1/4 and the following ladies rejoin star promenade with the next
man behind (original opposite).  Repeat with either lady to return to
partner.

*Timing*
If done precisely, each piece can be accomplished in 2 counts and it takes
6 counts to complete the figure:
1-2 Lead lady turns away from partner to face reverse direction; star moves
forward 1/4.  (ending position: Ladies have met to hook elbows in the
position the lead ladies were in.)
3-4 Men rotate star one position while ladies turn 1/2.  (Ending position:
Lead lady has rejoined star with opposite man and released following lady.)
5-6 Star rotates 1/4; following ladies ladies loop toward center and rejoin
star. (Ending formation: Star Promenade.  Ending location: All with
opposite person from start.  Men have moved forward 3/4 around circle, and
ladies have moved forward 1/4 from beginning position.)

That is a tight, performance-style timing.  In reality, it takes between 2
and 4 beats per part and a total of 8 to 12 counts to complete; also, if
called square to the walls the action will actually happen on the corner
diagonals and the set will have turned somewhat less than the full men 3/4
ladies 1/4.


Also...and this is an entirely personal opinion and something of a
soapbox... I would caution against moving this figure out of its
traditional environment, especially if you really love it.  I know lots of
people on here will disagree with me, but figures that are lively,
expansive, and joyously free in their original square-dance context (such
as basket swings, the docey-do, Harlem Rosettes, or Texas Stars and the
related figures) tend to be greatly diminished when shoehorned into the
rigid 8 count phrase and linear, mechanical, progressive format of contra
dancing.  Sometimes it is done successfully, but not very often.  (End of
soap box.)


Good luck; if your friend does want a set of calls for the square dance
version, I can write something up.
Neal Schlein

Neal Schlein
Youth Services Librarian, Mahomet Public Library


Currently reading: *The Different Girl* by Gordon Dahlquist
Currently learning: How to set up an automated email system.

On Sat, May 2, 2015 at 3:58 PM, Claire Takemori via Callers <
callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> Hi.
> I'm new to the list, not a caller yet, but wanting to learn more about
> Contra dance and maybe calling.
>
> I've got a friend who is writing a 4x4 contra for me with a Chinese Fan in
> it.  He needs to know how to call the Fan as he can't figure it out from
> the one video I've found on youtube that has it in it (Three Arches)
> www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8c6Xzn3AyE
>
> Can you tell me how to call a Chinese Fan?
>
> Thanks!
> claire
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers at lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.sharedweight.net/pipermail/callers-sharedweight.net/attachments/20150504/f2f37410/attachment.htm>