Hi Kat,
Glad you like my page on music for callers. The full set of
articles is at https://contrafusion.co.uk/DanceNotes.html
Larry Jennings Zesty Contras (1983)
"The dance should be run long enough to satisfy, but not so long as to bore or
tire the dancers or to prevent you from having enough dances within the
allotted time."
That quote is from Larry's 20 pages of minilectures on calling contra dances in
Zesty Contras. Well worth getting yourself a copy just to read them!
If you want even more, then try Larry's Give-and-Take - about 70 pages of
advice and discussion! In Time Management (pp36) he discusses considering
different lengths depending on how much interaction there is with the other
dancers, ranging from about 13 to about 17 times through. He says:
"Although some producers tolerate or even plan for music for 15 minutes or
more, I prefer to have as many partner changes as possible during the evening.
I also like to give the musicians a chance to present a varied repertoire."
Getting back to the top is a concept from when lines were shorter. I would
never use that as a target. I usually go for around 13 times through when
calling in America.
Also, be aware that, if you run a dance for 10 minutes, all those sitting out
(who maybe couldn't get a partner) have to wait 10 minutes before they get a
chance to get back into the dancing!
Quick rule of thumb: once through at 120 bpm is about half a minute.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England [email protected] 01233 625 362 & 07802 940
574
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
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