Here is a spot that will give you about 150 to choose from....about 400 if
you want to extend it to English, squares and Morris...  ;-)  Hope some of
these  are useful... http://dancevideos.childgrove.org/contra/contra-modern.

Good luck,

Bob Green

On Wed, Jan 2, 2013 at 3:16 PM, Leslie Gotfrit <[email protected]> wrote:

> 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
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> >
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> > 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
> > ***************************************
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