Newbie question: Why is it called a "Sicilian" circle?

While certain dances came from long ago with that label, wouldn't many/most
contras work, as long as the circle isn't too small and the 1s and 2s are
comparably active?

--jh--


On Sat, Feb 4, 2023 at 4:39 PM Amy Cann via Contra Callers <
[email protected]> wrote:

> Glad you like it!
>
> For what it's worth, at a ONS I often do a scatter mixer that's
> basically half of "Haste to the Wedding" -
>
> Circle L, circle R
> Star R star L
> everybody bow, promenade and find someone else
>
> for a little, then turn the scatter promenade into the big ring and go
> from there.
>
> On 2/4/23, Winston, Alan P. <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Any —
> >
> > That’s great!  I hadn’t encountered that, and I really have to put it in
> my
> > toolbox for ONS - way faster/more fun than getting people who have no
> idea
> > what a Sicilian *is* to pair up and form one.  (The best I had up to this
> > point was make a big circle, pick a pair and make them face, and then (in
> > Susan Michael’s words), say “Chain Reaction - pair up like this all the
> way
> > around.). So this’ll be good even for symmetric Sicilians.
> >
> > — Alan
> >
> > ________________________________________
> > From: Amy Cann <[email protected]>
> > Sent: Saturday, February 4, 2023 1:11 PM
> > To: Winston, Alan P.
> > Cc: [email protected]; Charles Abell
> > Subject: Re: [Callers] Re: Sicilian Circle question
> >
> > Here's how I learned:
> >
> > "Everybody promenade the usual way, two-by-two around the room - now
> > stop where you are."
> >
> > "Starting from this point right in front of me (gesture to where head
> > couple of center set usually stands for contras), you're going to
> > count off in pairs of couples and take hands four in this big ring.
> >
> > "Half of you can just stay facing the usual promenade direction - you're
> 1s"
> >
> > "Half of you will need to turn as a couple and face the 'wrong'
> > direction - you're 2's".
> >
> > It links the role of 1s/2s to the familiar line-of-direction we use
> > for promenading and coupledancing
> >
> > -- who feels most "normal", and who feels as if they're
> > accommodating/supporting.
> >
> >
> >
> > On 2/4/23, Winston, Alan P. via Contra Callers
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> To your questions:
> >>
> >> 1: Right, the vast majority of Sicilians are completely symmetrical.
> >>
> >> 2: Because of this, I don't think there's a default for whether CW or
> CCW
> >> are the "1s". You can just pick which one you want.
> >>
> >> 3.  Yes, there are non-symmetric Sicilians -= I'm looking at notes for
> >> "The
> >> Molly Andrew", a waltz Sicilian; it has the 1s ("those facing
> clockwise")
> >> do
> >> the figure through the 2s and then the 2s through the 1., and it's fine
> so
> >> long as you get across who goes first.  Way better to indicate  that
> >> visually rather than just say it.
> >>
> >> -- Alan
> >> ________________________________________
> >> From: Charles Abell via Contra Callers
> >> <[email protected]>
> >> Sent: Saturday, February 4, 2023 12:06 PM
> >> To: [email protected]
> >> Subject: [Callers] Re: Sicilian Circle question
> >>
> >> Hello group, It's been a while since I called a Sicilian Circle, but I
> may
> >> soon - two questions:
> >>
> >>   1.  Typically, one couple isn't considered the "ones" and the other
> >> "twos", right?
> >>   2.  If there are ones and two, which couple would be considered the
> >> "ones"
> >> - CW or CCW?
> >>   3.  If there are not typically ones and twos, has anyone tried
> ascribing
> >> those roles for a Sicilian circle dance. That is, I had an idea for a
> >> dance
> >> that ends with a square dance figure requiring one couple to arch first,
> >> thus the need for separate numbers.
> >>
> >> I did attempt to find an answer online and was not initially successful.
> >> Thoughts?
> >>
> >> Chuck
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected]
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> >>
> >
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