In Otter Creek Books, in Middlebury VT, the other day I picked up a little book
called “Prompting: How to do it”, by John M. Schell, “One of Boston’s leading
prompters”. It “Contains the figures of all modern dances in common use, and
how to call them”. It was published by Carl Fisher Inc (whom I think of as a
music publisher) in 1890.
It contains instructions for numerous multi-part quadrilles (Plain, Lancers,
Caledonian, Double Lancers, Saratoga Lancers, etc), and a couple of individual
square dances. It also has about 120 contra dances, all in proper formation
and almost all described as duple (many seem as though they could just as well
be done improper). The instructions say they are for six-couple sets. Every
contra is to be followed by “All forward (4); turn partners (4); all promenade
around the hall.” (I interpret this as forward and back, swing partner,
promenade.). The ones that have familiar names (Petronella, Money Musk,
Hull’s Victory, Vinton’s Hornpipe etc) have a family resemblance to the dances
that were codified by Ralph Page and others or appear e.g. in Zesty Contras,
but often aren't quite the same.
This book was apparently one of Ralph Page’s main sources, and he felt free to
update them some as he adapted them. in 1995, in connection with the 8th Ralph
Page Legacy weekend at UNH, Tony Parkes wrote: "In preparing for this session,
I reread Ralph's account of his early years as a caller ("One More Couple: Some
Memories of 30 Years of Calling." Northern Junket, vol. 6 no. 12 and vol. 7 no.
1. February and May 1960) and discovered that Ralph learned to call with the
aid of two different books: Prompting: How To Do It by John M. Schell (1890)
and The Prompter’s Handbook, edited by J.A. French (1893)".
Here is some of the advice from the first few pages of the book. It looks like
the task and role of the prompter/caller have not changed very much in 129
years:
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Be a gentleman always; many questions will be asked and many minds to please.
Answer each in a pleasant manner in every instance.
Should any complain of the tempo adapted by the orchestra…. inform such that
you are playing according to the instructions of the floor manager, to whom you
pleasantly refer them, adding that you will willingly change it is his
wish…..In the case of a new party, or no instructions regarding tempo, watch
the effect of the music, and change it if it seems too fast or too slow.
Grand Right and Left: It is well to make this call “Right hand to partner,
grand right and left”.
Ladies’ Chain (8 bars): Danced by opposite couples at same time. Opposite
ladies cross, give right hand in passing, join left hand with opposite gent,
and turn half around. (Before the invention of the courtesy turn — perhaps as
a flourish, as suggested recently on this list-serv).
The Voice: Do not strain the voice under any circumstances; the effect is
injurious, and will soon render it useless. A few lessons in elocution, for
the purpose of learning to throw out the voice, as in singing, will prove money
well invested.
Commit to memory one set of figures of a quadrille, for example, and call aloud
and with the music until perfectly learned and the calls exactly in time; then
take up the next. The first attempts are nervous times at best, so that all
calls should be perfectly committed in the order they are to come, leaving
nothing to memorandums or books before entering the hall. Practice with the
music until the calls are thoroughly mastered on time, and distinct. (This
reminds me of a square calling workshop I attended at Augusta in 1990 taught by
Larry Edelman, in which we were forbidden to have dance cards in our hands
while calling — though we could use them in teaching.)
Figures requiring two calls, such as right and left etc, give the first call on
the eighth bar (i.e. counts 15 and 16), the last on the fourth (i.e. counts 7
and 8). Invariably finish calling before the strain begins, otherwise the
dancers will be behind, which detracts from their pleasure and the general
effect.
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Richard Hopkins
Middlebury, VT
850-544-7614
[email protected]
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