Thank you Beth for the editorial. I agree!

John McIntire, Unity ME

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Date sent:              Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:23:53 -0700
Subject:                Re: [Callers] New Dance for Threes
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> LOL, this is quickly becoming a game of "how would YOU do a dance like this?" 
> I'm going to add my vision into the mix. I do a lot of family dances, and I 
> envision this as a mixer for a family group who would be comfortable with a 
> mixer (not all groups would be.)
> 
> And to satisfy the "every dance must have a name" crowd*, I'm calling it 
> "Catch for Three" and it should be done to jigs.
> 
> Promenade in threes
> Innie face an outie, Clap: together, right, together, left, quickly turn to 
> other outie, clap: together, right, together, left, repeat
> Innie figure eight around outies (or just walk, run, skip around them, or 
> whatever)
> Pick one of them, make a two hand arch while the other one becomes the new 
> innie. New innies walk (reverse LOD) through arches. Catch one, all promenade.
> 
> * I am concerned about the current cult of "every dance must have a name and 
> an author." I've met a caller who proudly said "I've written a new dance. I 
> call it Virginia No Reel." Every caller I know who does family dances does a 
> Virginia No Reel when needed. This is not something that anyone can claim to 
> have written, exactly. I know that callers are an egotistical bunch, but 
> let's try to reign it in a bit.
> 
> Actually, come to think of it, I'm less concerned about the "every dance must 
> have a name" thing than I am about the naming of new dance MOVES. If you 
> can't describe it with plain English, or it isn't traditional, don't use it. 
> Certainly don't add a new name!!! Case in point (from the 1980's just in case 
> you think I'm picking on new callers) The move "Fish hook" (introduced, I 
> believe, in "Bees in the Shower.") I now simply call that as "pass through, 
> loop to the right." It simply works better. The fancy name wasn't necessary; 
> it did nothing to help the dancers.
> 
> Soap box? What soap box?
> 
> Beth Parkes
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] 
> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Richard Fischer
> Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2012 5:55 PM
> To: Caller's discussion list
> Subject: Re: [Callers] New Dance for Threes
> 
> Great! Please report back if you try it out, Amy.
> 
> Richard
> 
> On Feb 12, 2012, at 4:47 PM, Amy Cann wrote:
> 
> > I *love* this.
> > 
> > On Sun, Feb 12, 2012 at 4:31 PM, Dale Wilson <[email protected]> wrote:
> > 
> >> Hi Richard,
> >> 
> >> I took the liberty of "adapting" your dance a bit then called it last night
> >> at a dance in Elsah, Il.   The crowd of about thirty dancers was a fairly
> >> even mix of experienced dancers and first or second timers with a 
> >> wide range of ages (Teens to 80's).
> >> 
> >> The revised instructions I used were:
> >> 
> >> Make groups of three people--gender doesn't matter.   If it doesn't come
> >> out even, make one or two groups of two people so everyone gets to dance.
> >> 
> >> Make a big circle holding hands with the people in your group, then turn
> >> your group of three together to face right.   Like spokes on a wheel.
> >> 
> >> Notice who's closet to the middle of the big circle.  That's the 
> >> INSIDE person.
> >> 
> >> Everybody walk forward (promenade holding hands).
> >> 
> >> Make a circle of three and circle to the right.
> >> Circle left.   End with the inside person facing both partners. [Note it
> >> doesn't matter which way the group as a whole is facing]
> >> 
> >> Inside person with right hand partner: Clap (self); clap (self); Clap 
> >> both hands with right hand partner; pause a beat.
> >> Inside person with left hand partner: Clap(self); clap(self) Clap 
> >> both hands with left hand partner; pause a beat.
> >> Inside person with left hand partner: Allemande right (about 3/4ths) 
> >> Inside person with right hand partner: Allemand left once.
> >> Repeat the allemand's until the caller says "Swing" then inside 
> >> person swing (or two hand turn, or...) the one they are with.[*] 
> >> Extra people go to the middle of the circle and mess around with each 
> >> other (that got a laugh)  Mingle; Improvise.
> >> When caller says "Promenade" the swinging couples make the spokes of 
> >> the wheel again and extra people join in as the new inside person.
> >> 
> >> [*] Last time through the caller says "As a group of three, Swing" to 
> >> end the dance.
> >> 
> >> There was mild confusion particularly at the transition from clapping 
> >> to allemandeing.  There was also a lot of laughing and smiling.  I'd 
> >> say it's a hit.
> >> 
> >> Thanks,
> >> 
> >> Dale
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 4:54 PM, Richard Fischer < 
> >> [email protected]> wrote:
> >> 
> >>> Actually I've just recently written a dance for threes. It meets 
> >>> only
> >> some
> >>> of Rickey's criteria, and I haven't yet tried it out on my kids at
> >> school,
> >>> but I will soon. I'll paste it below, and if you give it a try, I'd 
> >>> love
> >> to
> >>> hear how it went!
> >>> 
> >>> Richard
> >>> 
> >>> Mixer for Groups of Three
> >>> 
> >>> Tentative Title "Near and Far"
> >>> 
> >>> to the tune Beaumont Rag
> >>> 
> >>> Richard Allen Fischer
> >>> 
> >>> (numbers refer to beats)
> >>> 
> >>> A1  (first time through) Promenade CCW in groups of three (16)
> >>>           (Note who the inside-track person is.)
> >>> 
> >>> A2  Circle left (8) and circle right (8) in groups of three End in a 
> >>> spoke-like line with inside-track person facing out of the
> >> circle
> >>> to their partners, and their two partners facing in towards them
> >>> 
> >>> B1   (Clapping pattern: clap, clap, clap, rest. First two claps with
> >> one's
> >>> own hands, last with a partner)
> >>>           All clap own hands twice, then inside-track person with
> >> nearest
> >>> partner (4)
> >>>           All clap own hands twice, then inside-track person with
> >> distant
> >>> partner (4)
> >>>           All clap own hands twice, then inside-track person with
> >> nearest
> >>> partner (4)
> >>>           Boogie/Clog/Improvise  (4)
> >>> 
> >>> B2  Caller says "Choose Near" or "Choose Far."  Inside-track person
> >> swings
> >>> one partner, and the other partner goes to the center. Folks in the
> >> center
> >>> are encouraged to improvise on     their own and with each other during
> >> B2.
> >>> 
> >>> Dance begins again with (and proceeds with)
> >>> 
> >>> A1  Promenade CCW with partner; folks in center join a couple as the 
> >>> inside-track person.
> >>> 
> >>> Dance ends with
> >>> 
> >>> B2  Caller says "Choose Both!"  Swing all three.
> >>> 
> >>> Notes:  Some playfulness/dodging/blocking  expected with the 
> >>> clapping in B1. Center dancers are discouraged from rejoining their 
> >>> old group. In my school setting I would use the calls in B2 to avoid 
> >>> awkwardness about choosing; in other setting calls might not be 
> >>> needed. Again, in my school setting, swing can be a two-hand turn, 
> >>> elbow turns, ballroom position swing, etc.
> >>> 
> >>> 
> >>> 
> >> --
> >> *So if you knew what was broken...how long would it take you to fix 
> >> it?* _______________________________________________
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> >> 
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