Thank you Joe for the list of easy dances. There are a few new ones to me which I'll definitely use at an upcoming event.
I've created a list with all the dances together with their figures: https://contradb.com/programs/647 Cheers, Brian https://contradance.at/ On Thu, Apr 17, 2025 at 7:08 AM Joe Harrington via Contra Callers < [email protected]> wrote: > Jumping in on dance selection and tempo. > > You CAN call duple-minor contras to an all-beginner crowd if you choose > the right workshop and dances. See the video at orlandocontra.org, which > was 45 brand-new beginners. The key is to have very simple dances. Simple > dances done fast are fun, period, even for experts! Some people assume > that slowing things down makes it easier. But, except for dancers with > mobility issues, slow dances (e.g., 100 bpm) can be harder than the > standard 120 bpm of New England contras, if the dance itself is simple > enough. > > What's simple? > > 1. Low piece count - more/all 16-beat figures > 2. Rescue moves - long swings, long lines forward and back, that are done > in one place, so people can catch up and regroup > 3. Highly connected - less chance to wander off in the wrong direction > 4. Near-repeat dances - A and B parts are almost the same, one with > partner and one with neighbor > 5. Use only the moves done in your workshop for the first several dances, > then max one new move (simple ones) per dance > 6. Simple progression at end of B2 > 7. No leaving the set, pull-bys along the set, shadows > 8. Simple figures only - no heys, chains, waves, roll-aways, contra > corners, orbits, spank the alligator, ... > > Also: > > If you try a dance that doesn't work, give them a win with a very simple > dance done quickly for the next dance. Have several of these ready. Don't > waste them early! > > Design your workshop deliberately to teach just the half-dozen moves > you'll need in your first dances. Teach it through dance, not lecture. > Repeat a LOT (let your dances run a bit). Use simple circle dances, not > contras, at least initially. Visit other callers' lessons and take notes. > > Simplicity > Clarity > Repetition > ... > Simplicity > Clarity > Repetition > > Write out your teaching scripts for several dances and edit them down. > Write out your calls and timing. > > Video-record yourself and watch later (prepare to be embarrassed! forgive > yourself! eat some chocolate or ice cream...) > > Know your group. Different beginners are different. There are > generational and stage-of-life differences in learning pace and style, as > well as individual differences in personality, aptitude, and prior > dance/music experience. Two groups of ten random people of the same age > and social background can be quite different! Adapt. > > Label your dances by level. Select from the group that your dancers are > ready for. > > Some of my collection (what's in each level depends on what your beginner > workshop teaches, so YMMV; I don't workshop a star, for example): > > Level 1 > > Airpants > The Big Easy > Family Contra > Midwest Folklore > > Level 2 > > Claire's Request > Easy Peasy > Hypnosis > Kinematic Vorticity > The Nice Combination > Pearls of Wisdom > Push the Button > Thursday Night Special #1 > > Level 3 > > Al's Safeway Produce > Another Easy One > Appetizer > The Baby Rose > The Balter Dance > Bristol Court > Broken Sixpence > The Cure for the Claps > Forgotten Treasure > Hocus Pocus > M.A.D. about Dancing > Missing You > Tica Tica Timing > > Good luck! > > --jh-- > > > On Wed, Apr 16, 2025 at 1:34 PM Taco van Ieperen via Contra Callers < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Thanks so much for all the suggestions and discussion everyone! I picked >> up some great tips. >> >> Taco >> >> On Wed, Apr 16, 2025 at 11:04 AM David Kirchner via Contra Callers < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> From: Taco van Ieperen <[email protected]> >>>> To: [email protected] >>>> >>>> Related, I find the most annoying figures to call are 1.5 figures. >>>> There's just no way to say >>>> "New Neighbor Allemande Left Once and a Half" in four beats. Also, >>>> beginners struggle parsing 1.5x as trading places, especially across the >>>> set. >>>> >>> >>> There are lots of other thoughts on this thread about your other >>> questions, but I will jump in on this specific one. Bear in mind here that >>> you are talking about two different things (1) what move the dancers have >>> to start at the top of the phrase, and (2) where they have to end up when >>> they are done with that move. Those two pieces of information do not have >>> to be presented in the same call, and in fact it may be easier for newer >>> dancers to sort things out if you separate the two. For example: >>> >>> 5 NEW >>> 6 NEIGH-bor >>> 7 LEFT >>> 8 alle-MANDE >>> 1 go ONCE and a >>> 2 HALF to >>> 3 TRADE >>> 4 PLA-ces >>> 5 ROB-ins >>> 6 to the MIDdle >>> 7 for a RIGHT-hand >>> 8 CHAIN >>> 1 do a COURTesy >>> 2 TURN and >>> 3 FACE >>> 4 acROSS >>> etc. >>> >>> Now, I am sometimes more pattery in my calling and use more words than >>> others might. Put in whatever words work for you, and obviously you can >>> reduce the number of calls as the dancers become more comfortable with the >>> figure. But the point is that there is no need to tell the dancers how many >>> times they have to allemande before they start. They need to know where to >>> go and what move to start doing. You have time to add the additional >>> information later. >>> >>> David >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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] >
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