Hi all. I've recently enjoyed leading Ellen's Green Jig (and modified versions of) in both Sicilian and Contra-formation. I found this dual-method to be particually effective during the lesson or at the beginning of an evening that's community or family-oriented, at wedding/special events, or when the "bus load of beginners" walk in. First, I teach the dance in Sicilian formation. The benefits of this include: 1) I can quickly get folks moving, laughing, and having fun without too much instruction2) Introduce the balance and swing move, as well as identify 1's and 2's as each take a turn to try it. 3) Dancers tend to pay attention to the calls because I modify the moves through my calls as in square/KY set dancing 4) I can avoid discussing "improper"/changing over at the heads since the Sicilian circle is, in essence, a contra dance longways set that has been bent around so the ends meet so that dancers stay active or inactive throughout the dance. If and when appropriate, after several times through the dance with music, we promenade around the ring, and form long lines and dance it contra-style. Since dancers already know the dance, I can address the "improper" issue without creating too much confusion.
Sincerely,Wendy Graham 970-903-9402 PO Box 806 Durango, Co 81302 www.folkmads.org/wendy.html > From: [email protected]> Subject: Callers Digest, Vol 38, > Issue 6> To: [email protected]> Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 12:00:02 -0400> > > Send Callers mailing list submissions to> [email protected]> > To > subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit> > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers> or, via email, send a > message with subject or body 'help' to> [email protected]> > > You can reach the person managing the list at> > [email protected]> > When replying, please edit your Subject > line so it is more specific> than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..."> > > > Today's Topics:> > 1. Re: Ellen's Green Jig (David Millstone) (Chip Hedler)> > 2. Tweaked version of Ellen's Green Jig (Chip Hedler)> > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------> > > Message: 1> Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 17:25:47 -0400> From: "Chip Hedler" > <[email protected]>> Subject: Re: [Callers] Ellen's Green Jig (David > Millstone)> To: <[email protected]>> Message-ID:> > <[email protected]>> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"> > David Millstone had > provided the figures for a dance proven to be as close to sure-fire as a > genuine contra can get at many, many events I've called where the dancers are > all beginners and very young and/or very old. I find it much more effective > than Jefferson and Liberty, a "chestnut" often recommended for beginners.> > > Ellen's Green Jig (Roy Dommett) > longways, duple minor> > A1 Do-si-do > neighbor > Do-si-do partner > > A2 Ones balance and swing> > B1 Circle left; > Circle right> > B2 Square dance figure, Duck for the Oyster, Dive for the > Clam: Still joined in> a circle, twos arch and ones duck partially under and > then back up to place.> Ones arch and twos duck under and then back up. Ones > duck all the way through> Twos' arch, drop hands with old neighbors to meet > new neighbors.) > > "Duck for the oyster, dive for the clam, duck through the > hole in the old tin> can" or similar patter> > ========================> > > Here's a dance based on Ellen's Green Jig that has turned out to be very > nearly as successful with more action and stronger connection:> > A1: Couples > ("partners welded together") do-si-do each other; all four circle LEFT (flows > very nicely; could do in opposite order)> > A2: All balance and swing (or > just the ones, if you need the twos to keep the ones oriented correctly when > the swing ends)> > B1: Right-hand star; circle RIGHT> > B2: Same as Ellen's > Green Jig. I describe the duck/peek through the arch as a sneak preview> of > both couples' final destination and have twos initiate the progression by > carrying their arch over the ones, who should duck down and then step forward > through the arch. Otherwise, the set migrates away from the music > significantly.> > This is a good dance for introducing stuff like the > improper formation and the orthodox way to end a swing, but ignoring both of > those issues has not impaired its success.> > Chip Hedler> [email protected]> > [email protected]> > -------------- next part --------------> A non-text > attachment was scrubbed...> Name: not available> Type: application/ms-tnef> > Size: 3652 bytes> Desc: not available> Url : > http://www.sharedweight.net/pipermail/callers/attachments/20071003/cdc72c75/attachment-0001.bin > > > ------------------------------> > Message: 2> Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 > 06:34:25 -0400 (EDT)> From: "Chip Hedler" <[email protected]>> Subject: > [Callers] Tweaked version of Ellen's Green Jig> To: [email protected]> > Message-ID:> <[email protected]>> > Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1> > -- > Jerome Grisanti > (http://www.jeromegrisanti.com) asked me where a tweaked> version of Ellen's > Green Jig comes from. The source would be me, but I> never got around to > naming it. If folks think it's worthy of an> independent identity, maybe it > should be "Knights of Pythias" because> that's the little hall in Danville > where I started substituting it for> Ellen's Green Jig a good number of years > ago.> > The dance again, with a few of the walkthrough cues that have helped> > beginners:> > > A1: Couples ("partners welded together") slide left into a > do-si-do around> each other; all four circle LEFT (flows very nicely; could > do in opposite> order)> > A2: All balance and swing (or just the ones, if you > need the twos to keep> the ones oriented correctly when the swing ends); > "face the other couple"> > B1: Right-hand star; circle RIGHT to home place, > "keep the circle"> > B2: With hands joined all the while, twos arch, ones > duck under and> retreat; ones arch and twos duck; "twos over, ones under, on > to the next."> > > Chip Hedler> [email protected]> [email protected]> > > > ------------------------------> > > _______________________________________________> Callers mailing list> > [email protected]> > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers> > > End of Callers > Digest, Vol 38, Issue 6> ************************************** _________________________________________________________________ Climb to the top of the charts! 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