Please, pretty please, with sugar on top! Please don’t call (or write) any more dances where a Half-Promenade (across the set) is followed by a Circle to the Left! With the possible exception of interlocking long wavy lines-- another big ugh! in my book, there is nothing more jarring than the 1/2 Prom to a Circle Left combo
I once attended an (out-of-town) dance where three dances were called that had that combo (three!) and in spite of all the (other) pretty good dances and excellent dance partners, this is what I remember about that experience to this day! On Tue, Aug 6, 2024 at 8:29 AM Julian Blechner via Contra Callers < [email protected]> wrote: > My biggest nono is "too much clockwise". If moves are awkward or with meh > flow, that's not a health or safety thing. Whereas getting dizzy is. > > In dance, > Julian Blechner > He/him > Western Mass > > On Tue, Aug 6, 2024, 8:40 AM Angela DeCarlis via Contra Callers < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Surprised no one's mentioned interlocking long wavy lines, yet — I think >> it's relatively well-known that Lisa Greenleaf hates this move! Can't say >> I'm a huge fan, either, but it has its moments. >> >> For my two-cents, butterfly whirls are on thin ice! I'll program dances >> that include this figure with a partner on rare occasion, and symmetrical >> dances with both a partner and neighbor whirl could be novel enough to be >> okay (???) on a cold day, but I think I would essentially never call a >> dance with only a neighbor butterfly whirl. >> >> There are too many excellent dances to ever bother with the mediocre >> ones, honestly. >> >> On Tue, Aug 6, 2024, 3:14 AM Neal Schlein via Contra Callers < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> I agree with Jonathan about your existing list, and think that almost >>> any sequence CAN be used if done with knowledgeable intent. >>> >>> However, for the general list of things to avoid I would nominate what I >>> like to call “fudge down the line,” which is any adjustment that a) happens >>> solely because the sequence doesn’t fully progress the couples and b) does >>> not flow naturally from the existing movement. (This most often happens in >>> Beckett dances or those substantially in Beckett formation; examples >>> include a 2 count sideways slide along the line or a slightly angled right >>> and left thru.) >>> >>> Notably, the 4 beat slide in “With Thanks to the Dean” and similar >>> dances would not count because they are full and discrete actions that >>> are specifically accounted for in the flow and timing. >>> >>> Neal Schlein >>> Librarian, MSLIS >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Aug 5, 2024 at 10:28 PM Michael Fuerst via Contra Callers < >>> [email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> Depending on the flow of the dance, balance and box the gnat can >>>> often replace dsd and shoulder rounds 1 1/2 >>>> >>>> On Mon, Aug 5, 2024 at 11:17 PM Maia McCormick via Contra Callers < >>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>>> I don't have Bob's list handy, but I cribbed heavily from it to make this >>>>> (much less extensive) list of figures + timings >>>>> <https://contra.maiamccormick.com/assets/pdfs/esc-choreo-figures.pdf>, >>>>> in case it's useful to anyone! >>>>> >>>>> (This reminds me of some more things I don't like, ha. Circle L and >>>>> pass through to swing -- IME the swing always gets truncated. Dosido 1.5x >>>>> and right shoulder round 1.5x don't quiiite fit in 8 counts of music and >>>>> are often frustrating. And I don't call couples' dosidos anymore, they're >>>>> a >>>>> pain to execute correctly unless everyone in the hall is EXTREMELY on top >>>>> of it.) >>>>> -- >>>>> Maia McCormick (she/her) >>>>> 917.279.8194 >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Tue, Aug 6, 2024 at 12:02 AM Joe Harrington < >>>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Is Bob Isaacs in the house? He has a giant spreadsheet with every >>>>>> possible move transition and a count of the number of times it occurs in >>>>>> a >>>>>> set of dances that now numbers in the hundreds or maybe a lot more. It’s >>>>>> interesting which unlikely combinations do occur and which rarely do. I >>>>>> hope this someday sees the light of day. >>>>>> >>>>>> —jh— >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Mon, Aug 5, 2024 at 11:29 PM Maia McCormick via Contra Callers < >>>>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> Jeff, impressively bad, well done! >>>>>>> >>>>>>> My biggest pet peeve is a RH chain (or promenade, or other move with >>>>>>> a CCW courtesy turn) into a circle L—though this is a very of-the-moment >>>>>>> style preference, as I know plenty of the classic dances have this >>>>>>> combo. >>>>>>> (Likewise for dances where just the 1s do a figure while the 2s stand >>>>>>> around, doubly so if the dance doesn’t alternate active couples.) >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Long lines followed by a chain is quite idiomatic—and probably in >>>>>>> part because of the strength that idiom, a chain (or other courtesy turn >>>>>>> figure) followed by long lines drives me up a wall. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I don’t love long lines into a circle—I’ll tolerate it if the rest >>>>>>> of the dance is really exceptional, ehhhh. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> Maia McCormick (she/her) >>>>>>> 917.279.8194 >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Mon, Aug 5, 2024 at 10:31 PM Jeff Kaufman via Contra Callers < >>>>>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Balance neighbor (4), swing partner (12) >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Ones dosido below while twos seesaw above (8). >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Long lines forward (4), swing on the side (8), long lines back (4). >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Circle left 1x (6) pass through (2) >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Jeff >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Mon, Aug 5, 2024 at 9:51 PM Tepfer, Seth via Contra Callers < >>>>>>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> - A right chain INTO a swing >>>>>>>>> - A swing into a circle right >>>>>>>>> - Standard right shoulder hey into a swing >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Plenty other bad flow examples >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Seth Tepfer, MBA, CSM, PMP (he, him, his) >>>>>>>>> Senior IT Manager, Emory Primate Center >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> <https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/[email protected]?anonymous&ep=signature> >>>>>>>>> Book >>>>>>>>> time to meet with me >>>>>>>>> <https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/[email protected]/bookings/> >>>>>>>>> ------------------------------ >>>>>>>>> *From:* Jonathan Sivier via Contra Callers < >>>>>>>>> [email protected]> >>>>>>>>> *Sent:* Monday, August 5, 2024 9:48 PM >>>>>>>>> *To:* New Contra Callers List < >>>>>>>>> [email protected]> >>>>>>>>> *Subject:* [External] [Callers] Re: Choreographic No-Nos >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> I don't agree with your list. Yes, swings on the first half of a >>>>>>>>> phrase are challenging and I might try to avoid them. There are >>>>>>>>> dances >>>>>>>>> with this that generally work fine, especially if the caller is aware >>>>>>>>> of >>>>>>>>> the potential issue and teaches and calls accordingly. The do-si-do >>>>>>>>> across >>>>>>>>> can be a bit awkward in a crowded line, but only if everyone is doing >>>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>>> do-si-do. If only the 1's or 2's are doing it then there is no >>>>>>>>> problem. >>>>>>>>> Shadow swings seem to be a personal preference or dislike and not >>>>>>>>> really a >>>>>>>>> choreographic issue. I actually think that a right chain after a >>>>>>>>> swing can >>>>>>>>> work very well. If you end the swing with the pointy hands pointing >>>>>>>>> across >>>>>>>>> then the right hands of the right hand dancers are right there ready >>>>>>>>> to >>>>>>>>> pull by. I suppose you might say there is a momentum change, but >>>>>>>>> that can >>>>>>>>> be very welcome in a dance where everything seems to be traveling the >>>>>>>>> same >>>>>>>>> way. Not every dance has to have continuous motion in the same >>>>>>>>> direction >>>>>>>>> all the time. I danced a dance with that set of figures just last >>>>>>>>> Friday >>>>>>>>> and I was thinking to myself how well it seemed to work. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> So I see #1 and #3 as more of a challenge than a problem. #4 is a >>>>>>>>> personal preference and #2 seems like a perfectly fine transition >>>>>>>>> between >>>>>>>>> figures. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Jonathan >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> On 8/5/2024 7:37 PM, Michael Fuerst via Contra Callers wrote: >>>>>>>>> > I am accumulating a list of figures, or figure sequence that >>>>>>>>> significant dance writers (not necessarily a majority) consider >>>>>>>>> Choreographic No-Nos >>>>>>>>> > My list so far: >>>>>>>>> > 1. do-si-do across >>>>>>>>> > 2. right chain after a swing >>>>>>>>> > 3 short swings on an odd phrase >>>>>>>>> > 4. Shadow swings >>>>>>>>> > Does anyone have further suggestions? >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>>>> Contra Callers mailing list -- >>>>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe send an email to >>>>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>>>> Contra Callers mailing list -- >>>>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe send an email to >>>>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>>> Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] >>>>>>>> To unsubscribe send an email to >>>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>>>> Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] >>>>>>> To unsubscribe send an email to >>>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>>> >>>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] >>>>> To unsubscribe send an email to >>>>> [email protected] >>>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] >>>> To unsubscribe send an email to >>>> [email protected] >>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe send an email to >>> [email protected] >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] >> To unsubscribe send an email to >> [email protected] >> > _______________________________________________ > Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > -- * Elizabeth Bloom Albert *
_______________________________________________ Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
