Dear David and rest of sharedweight,
I've just got contra dancing started here in Christchurch, NZ again with
a dance last Saturday.
We've got another dance planned for 14 March and I hope to do Money Musk as part
of "International Money Musk Day" in conjunction with your book release.
I'd like suggestions and advice about teaching a version of Money Musk.
There is no tradition of contra dancing here in NZ, so it's new for most
people. At last Saturdays dance we had 28 dancers (age range 45-70, 16 F, 12M):
5 had contra experience,
5 total beginners, rest experienced in other dance forms - Scottish, square,
ballroom. I kept it simple,
and people did well. They got used to dancing to the phrase and were getting
comfortable with duple
improper dances.
Of the three versions below, I think the 32 bar version is what I will
try for this group as it gives
a bit of recovery time. If I was going to do a 24 bar version, I like version 2
since it has balances on
beats 1-4.
Right and lefts thrus (with same sex couples) and New England style may be hard
for some. Any
suggestions how to teach this?
Also I think the proper triple formation will be confusing as they are just
coming to terms with
duple improper, so I thought I would do a triplet version (i.e. 3 couple proper
sets, and start as usual
with #1 being active, so dancing with #2 and #3, then #1 dance with #3 and
ghosts, but then have new
top (old #2) start).
Version 3: 32 bar
A1 Actives allemand right 1 1/2 (8), Go outside, below one couple (8)
A2 Lines of 3 Forward and back (8),
Actives allemand right 3/4 (4) and fall back to lines across (4)
B1 Lines of 3 across the hall forward and back (8),
Actives allemand right 3/4 (4) fall back to place (4)
B2 Top two couples (1s and 2s) right and left through (across and back)
(16)
Version 2: 24 bar (balances on beats 1-4)
A1 Actives allemand right 1 1/2 (8), Go outside, below one couple (8)
A2 Balance six (4), Actives allemand right 3/4 to lines of 3 across the
hall (4),
Balance six (4), Actives allemand right 3/4 (4), to place
B1 Top two couples (1s and 2s) right and left through (across and back)
(16)
Version 1: 24 bar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfdoDCQqUZU)
A1 Actives allemand right 1 1/2 (8), Go outside, below one couple (4),
Balance six (4)
A2 Actives allemand right 3/4 to lines of 3 across the hall (4), Balance
six (4),
Actives allemand right 3/4 (4), fall back to place (4)
B1 Top two couples (1s and 2s) right and left through (across and back)
(16)
Thanks and cheers,
Bill
