Thanks for the compliment, Bree! If folks would like to look at other easy dances (including Do Si Three), I have a list of some that I have put together; you can see them at www.lindalesliecaller.website
As for the circle/spiral…..I learned it from someone a long time ago (I don’t remember now who it was). My impression is that the dance is surely traditional, and so I never take credit for it, but admire the probably folk process that put it together. Linda On Aug 4, 2015, at 11:03 AM, Bree Kalb via Callers <callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > I've done house parties with just a fiddler who was very familiar with dance > music and knows how to maintain the beat and play square tunes. Not everyone > can do that. Does your dance community have a list serve or Facebook page > where you can ask for that kind of assistance? Unless you can find someone > with those skills, it might be best to have no music. > > Linda Leslie's DoSiThree is one of my favorite beginner dances, but usually > after they've done some simple circles. Linda posted here a week or so ago > her excellent strategy for getting people dancing and into a spiral that > turns into a partner-less circle. I thought I 'invented' that approach, but > it seems at least 2 of us came up with the idea. It works really well, > especially if you enlist some helpers to get it started and to urge their > friends to join. When I call at weddings I make it a condition of my contract > that the bride and groom will play that role for at least the first dance. > > > > > > On Tue, Aug 4, 2015 at 6:18 AM, Claire Takemori via > Callers<callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > I want to learn to call & share family dances with more kids to spread folk > music and dancing in our area (SF bay area, near Santa Cruz). > > I've got an opportunity to teach dances for my son's nature class. It will > range in age from 5 to 15 years. There's an option to work with just 8 years > and up for some or all of the dancing. > > My questions: > > 1. Can you recommend some really fun dances for starting out? The first > couple have be great so I can win them over with fun. > > 2. I'm wondering how vital music is to the success? I think really great > live music is a major part of my joy of contra dancing. We are not allowed > to use electrical amplification. I'm wondering if I could use a single > fiddler? And how do I locate a local fiddler who might volunteer > playing? Maybe a talented youth? > > 3. I won't have a mic and will have to use a bullhorn. Any advice? I don't > have a naturally loud voice, but do sing so I know about projection and belly > breathing. > > 4. They are thinking of 8 consecutive weeks, once a week for 15-30 minutes > (before nature classes head out hiking). Is 8 weeks a good initial > exposure? How long should each session last, 30 minutes? > > 5. We might culminate with a "field trip" to a local barn dance. Any advice > for the preparation for that? > > Thanks for any advice! > > claire takemori > > > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers@lists.sharedweight.net > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net > > > Bree Kalb, LCSW > 301 W. Weaver St. > Carrboro, NC 27510 > 919-932-6262 ext 216 > http://www.thewellnessalliance.com/BreeKalb.html > https://www.facebook.com/carrborokorumindfulness > > Regarding the Use of Email -- Please Note: Although I use a firewall and my > computer is password protected, my emails are not encrypted. Therefore, I > cannot guarantee confidentiality of email communication. If you choose to > communicate confidential information with me via email, I will assume that > you have made an informed decision and I will view it as your agreement to > take the risk that email may be intercepted. Please be aware that email is > never an appropriate vehicle for emergency communication. If you are > canceling an appointment less than 48 hours in advance, please also leave me > a voice mail message at my office. > > > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers@lists.sharedweight.net > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
