The first hurdle in introducing contra corners to dancers these days is to get them to know which side of the dance is their proper side. I've been trying to do a few proper dances when I call and many dancers don't know how to handle it.
Here is a contra corners dance that I like. There are some aspects that are a bit tricky for today's dancers. Circling all the way around is a bit of a challenge. Half-figure 8 is unknown to most contra dancers these days, though English and Scottish dancers will have no trouble. Then there is the whole bit of doing the contra corners figure while everyone is on their proper side. For Those Who Cared Tony Parkes duple improper 1 - circle left 1 time 2 - swing neighbor, end facing across 3 - circle left 1 time 4 - actives half figure 8 above, around inactives 5-6 contra corners 7-8 actives balance and swing Chorus Jig can certainly be done to a different tune, though if the band can play the Chorus Jig tune you might as well use it. As I mentioned above a proper dance is a bit of a challenge these days, and no one knows how to cast off anymore. I've been trying to bring some of those dances back and have had a little luck in doing so. One suggestion I have heard is to use a triplet with contra corners to get the dancers up to speed on the figure and then put it into a longways dance. Jonathan Sivier Champaign, IL On 9/12/2024 11:41 PM, Abbie Sorg via Contra Callers wrote:
Any suggestions on contra corners dances? None have been called at our local dance for years now, and I want to try and re-introduce the move. I've been calling for a few years and think it's a good time to try, but I haven't collected any contra corners dances yet so I'd like to start with something as straightforward as possible. Chorus Jig seems like the natural choice, but I noticed that basically every video I could find of it uses the same tune. How rigid is this tradition? What if the band doesn't have this in their repertoire? Will the contra police raid the dance hall if I call this choreography to a different tune? Abbie Sorg Tucson, AZ _______________________________________________ Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
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