I'm a new contra caller who does community/family dances, kitchen parties and one night stands. I'm calling a dance for about 60 adults, almost none of whom have even heard of contra dancing, but they do know each other. The organizers have asked for a YouTube that would convey the fun of contra dancing, without scaring off newbies. I've looked at dozens and can't find one where 1. The calls and music are heard (otherwise they'll really wonder what they are paying me and the band for) 2. People are having fun (but not twirling and flourishing so much people will think they need to be experts 3. The dancers look a bit "cool" and aren't all on the other side of middle aged (it's a young adult crowd and most people in my (red)neck of the woods only know about western squares,/retired couples in costumes) 4. The quality of the filming and music recording is good or great (again, to avoid the hokey label). 5. Does all of that in under five minutes.
I know it's a tall order. Any suggestions? I'll take 4/5. Leslie Sent from my iPad On 2013-01-02, at 7:00 PM, [email protected] wrote: > 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: Alternate Role Terms (Jeff Kaufman) > 2. Re: Alternate Role Terms (Perry Shafran) > 3. Re: gender (Perry Shafran) > 4. Re: Square Dance Tunes (rich sbardella) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2013 10:38:09 -0500 > From: Jeff Kaufman <[email protected]> > To: "Caller's discussion list" <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Callers] Alternate Role Terms > Message-ID: > <CAK36jCOM7L2=QKdobJXzm3MJrxYvzt=fx-vdzk7vn-sq_id...@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > On Tue, Jan 1, 2013 at 5:52 PM, Chrissy Fowler <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> It does seem that some women dancers depend on leadership >> from the gent role, and some men dancers feel pressure to direct >> the non-gent role dancers. But I don't think there's any lead/follow >> component inherent in the contra dance form. >> > > To some dancers the lead/follow aspect of contra dance is central > while to others it's a minor component or an unwelcome intrusion. > Viewing it as lead/follow is more common among younger dancers, more > frequent dancers, and varies by dance series (in MA it's common at the > Scout House and Greenfield, rare at Medway and Northboro.) > > Jeff > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2013 08:08:35 -0800 (PST) > From: Perry Shafran <[email protected]> > To: Caller's discussion list <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Callers] Alternate Role Terms > Message-ID: > <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > > It would be interesting to know why some of these younger folks view it as a > lead/follow dance.?? Is it the flourishes/dips that do indeed have a > lead/follow aspect to the dance, becoming the focal point of why they dance?? > Or is it something else?? Contra by its very nature is a community dance, and > while it does have some couple aspects, I find it difficult to see where it > could bring someone to view it as lead/follow.? In an evening of dance, both > men and women usually have their opportunities to "lead" a move.? Even the > swing is an equal move - both dancers move around a common point and are both > expected to carry their own weight, whereas in a couples dance the lead does > indeed guide the follow on where to go.? > > Perry > > > > > ________________________________ > From: Jeff Kaufman <[email protected]> > To: Caller's discussion list <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, January 2, 2013 10:38 AM > Subject: Re: [Callers] Alternate Role Terms > > On Tue, Jan 1, 2013 at 5:52 PM, Chrissy Fowler <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> It does seem that some women dancers depend on leadership >> from the gent role, and some men dancers feel pressure to direct >> the non-gent role dancers.? But I don't think there's any lead/follow >> component inherent in the contra dance form. >> > > To some dancers the lead/follow aspect of contra dance is central > while to others it's a minor component or an unwelcome intrusion. > Viewing it as lead/follow is more common among younger dancers, more > frequent dancers, and varies by dance series (in MA it's common at the > Scout House and Greenfield, rare at Medway and Northboro.) > > Jeff > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2013 08:12:42 -0800 (PST) > From: Perry Shafran <[email protected]> > To: Caller's discussion list <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Callers] gender > Message-ID: > <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > > There are several issues here.? One is the terminology that is used to > differentiate the two dance roles and second, whether we will ever move > contra dancing to a completely gender-free system. > > I think that > we all have to understand that everyone has their own comfort zone.? > Some people do NOT want to dance with a same-gendered person no matter > how much you prod them, shame them, or even force them to do so.?? Some > are willing to try it from time to time, others enjoy it a lot, and others > want to make all > contra dances completely gender free regardless of whether or not it > will chase some members from the community.? > > It is a strong > uphill battle to at least move from a heteronormative way of thinking.? > Just recently it was suggested that the way to get someone to contra > dance (a man) was to tell him that a > new woman will be thrown into his arms every 30 seconds.? Reason being > that most people are heterosexual and might be drawn to dance thinking > he's going to dance with women.? I suggested that this was a bad idea > due to the fact that in most dances you'll see men dancing with men, > women dancing with women, and people switching roles.? > > I think > that the best compromise is to continue with the gents/ladies > terminology, but emphasize that these are merely titles of traditional > roles, but anyone can play them regardless of physical gender.? That is > what I say in my workshops, and it's usually generally understood.? Any > new terminology that you use will force people to translate which means > "man" and which means "woman".?? However, I do understand the baggage > that these gender-loaded terms do bring.?? > > > Perry > > > > ________________________________ > From: JoLaine Jones-Pokorney <[email protected]> > To: [email protected]; [email protected] > Sent: Wednesday, January 2, 2013 9:23 AM > Subject: [Callers] gender > > In reply to Read who said "When gendered terms are used, people are more > likely to sort themselves by gender. Newcomers are unlikely to even > consider the possibility of not doing so." > I disagree.? When I teach the introductory workshop I say, "You will see > women dancing the men's role and men dancing the women's role."? They see > this happening immediately, even in the introductory workshop.? In our > community, men dancing the women's role is less common, but it will happen > at least once at each dance so newcomers are seeing it. > We often get new women who want to dance the men's role so that they can > dance with their women friends that they came with.? Of course this isn't a > great plan since they're all newbies, but my point is that they don't > hesitate to switch roles. > I find that the long-time contra dancers are often the ones who are less > willing.? At a dance just a few days ago, I asked a woman to dance.? Right > beside us were two men dancing together.? She declared that it was silly > for two men to dance together when there were women available to dance > with.? Another time I asked a woman to dance and she said she would if she > couldn't find a man to dance with.? Another time I was lined up with my > woman partner when two men came running over and declared "We know you'd > rather dance with us!" and one of them grabbed my partner away and the > other one grabbed me.? These are long time dancers who are operating under > the notion that a couple equals one man and one woman and anything else is > only to be tolerated if the ideal cannot be had. > So perhaps a non-gendered term would help the long-time dancers more than > the new dancers!? I notice that in this conversation thread - no one has > actually proposed another option.? I've thought it ought to be something > totally random like "blue" and "yellow" but a shift that drastic just > wouldn't happen I don't think. > I'm reminded of the time I was asked to call a gender-free dance where > where they were using "bands and bares."? I spent a tremendous amount of > time practicing calling bands and bares and getting dances I felt > comfortable calling that way.? IN the introductory workshop, I was passing > out bandanas for the bands and one man was asking his friend what I meant > by the "bands."? She said to him - "She means the mens part."? I thought > why did I just bother to learn bare and band when they're just thinking > women and men? > > -- > JoLaine Jones-Pokorney > > "We are as gods and might as well get good at it!" > - Stewart Brand > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2013 08:33:37 -0800 (PST) > From: rich sbardella <[email protected]> > To: Caller's discussion list <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Callers] Square Dance Tunes > Message-ID: > <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > > > Hello folks! > I am interested in finding some good modal tunes for squares.? Any > suggestions? > Rich Sbardella > Stafford, CT > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > > End of Callers Digest, Vol 101, Issue 4 > ***************************************
