If there is one dance that you are going to dance at the Nelson Town
Hall, it is going to be Chorus Jig. Without exception, Chorus Jig is
danced every Monday, every Monday of the year, and there is no doubt
that it is the highlight of the evening. I think there are few places
where the dancers will actually cheer when the caller says that are
going to call Chorus Jig or Money Musk (both dances you should not miss).
It is interesting people are talking about less used figures, because in
doing so, we can really look at the evolution of contra dancing.
Formation for example, from a time where the majority of dances were
proper, from a time where the majority of dances were improper, to a
time where the majority of dances are improper and becket.
Last month, I was talking with my friend Amy Cann, a fiddler in the
Greater Putney Area, and we were talking about the evolution and history
of contra dancing. An interesting point came up when we danced a dance
with a wave across to a pass-through. I have only been contra dancing
for three years, and I learned that a "balance the wave" was balance to
the right and balance to the left. According to Amy, she told me that
the "original balance the wave" was balance forward and balance back,
similar to a "balance and swing". It is an interesting point and when
you think about the physics of it, it makes a lot of sense. Another
example is "line of four, down the hall, turn alone and return"; as
experienced callers and dancers we known that is polite to turn alone
towards your neighbor, because it has become so second nature to us.
These are two examples of the "little things" the history points that
really had to a contra dancing experience.
Also in the dance Money Musk there is a "lines of three forward and
back" and it really is not a "forward and back"; it is a "balance in and
balance out", which is danced differently. What does this have to do
with discussion of less used figures; I think it is important to know
dance moves like contra corners, balance in and balance out and once
again the "little things" that have brought contra dancing to where it
is today. It is the history!!!
Chris made a great point about "we as callers need to model the good
behavior from the floor as dancers." My addition to that would be that
we as callers perhaps are one of the largest factors in the evolution of
contra dancing. Through our dance selection and dance programming and
of course our teaching, we have the opportunity every evening to present
contra dancing to a new individual, someone who has no idea what contra
dancing is all about and for them that is where contra dancing starts.
If contra dancing was a plate of cookies siting on the table, it would
be perhaps one of the best cookies there is, but don't you think it was
taste better if you knew what were the ingredients and where they came
from???
Jeff
- Re: [Callers] Less used figures Jeffrey Petrovitch
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