Re: [Callers] What can you do.....?

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Becky --

Thanks so much for this!  I think this is really helpful.

-- Alan


From: Becky Liddle 
Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2019 1:06 PM
To: Winston, Alan P. 
Cc: callers@lists.sharedweight.net ; tom hinds 

Subject: Re: [Callers] What can you do.?

Alan (and all),

I’m a relatively new dancer (only dancing 4 years or so ) so I remember what it 
was like to be new: Partly because moves are taught from a stand-still in the 
walk thru (thus causing me to not notice direction of flow) and partly because 
as a beginner I was overwhelmed with too many things to pay attention to, I 
seldom noticed issues of flow for the first several months of dancing. I 
thought of the dances as long strings of discrete moves.

What was helpful to me to begin to feel/notice flow were comments from the 
caller during the walk-thru that primed me to pay attention to flow: things 
like “when we dance this to music, you’ll notice that your momentum from the 
___ move carries you right into the ___ move, so you naturally know which 
direction to move." But without someone pointing that out, I might have counted 
myself lucky that I didn’t have to jerk to a stop and move in another 
direction, but it would not have occurred to me that the writer of the dance 
was deliberately engineering a pleasing flow.

So I’d recommend just pointing out those lovely moments as you’re teaching the 
walk-thru, so that folks (when not overwhelmed by too much information) can 
begin to feel the natural direction of the moves.

I am still new enough to remember the dawning awareness (more than once) when 
another dancer said “this dance has a lovely flow” and I thought, “Really? Let 
me pay attention... [then we danced one more time thru] Oh, why, yes, it does!”

If you are a kinaesthetic person, it might seem bizarre to think anyone would 
learn to dance cerebrally. But (as a psychology professor) my cerebral skills 
are my best asset, and so when learning any new skill that is what I naturally 
use. You have to cue me to think about listening to the flow of my body before 
it will occur to me to pay attention to that, even when dancing!

Becky

On Sep 29, 2019, at 3:37 PM, Winston, Alan P. via Callers 
mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:

Tom --

It's possible, if not likely, that what I'm calling "seems to have no sense of 
flow" has different causes for different people at different times.  I've 
definitely seen it happening at gents/ladies dances as well as at larks/robins 
dances as well as at English dances.  When I lead a beginner session at a 
larks/robins dance I introduce role names when teaching the swing, emphasize 
that larks open on the left, ravens/robins on the right, and do a circle mixer 
that's just into the center and back, swing the next etc, repeating the larks 
left robins right thing.  So they get to hear the role name a lot.

Of course new comers often take quite a while to get sorted regardless.  Last 
Sunday I called a single contra dance at a party - the party honored a queer 
activist who also liked contra dancing, so the honoree wanted there to be a 
dance, although hardly anybody at the party had done it before.  Did a 
Haste-to-the-Wedding variant which only had a partner swing, felt no need to 
use any role names at all (beyond partner and neighbor)  and every foursome one 
couple was in spent about 6 of the 8 beats available to do a right hand star 
getting the star organized.  I couldn't see what was going on, but they'd pass 
through and circle on time, and then their foursome would be huddled like the 
Peanuts kids around the sad little tree in the Christmas special and then a 
star would start moving.

(This isn't an example of a "no sense of flow" problem, and I didn't see any of 
that at that event.)

What I'm talking about here is that there's choreography that seems fairly 
inevitable - if you're going to circle left into a half-poussette isn't the 
probable direction of the half-poussette pretty obvious, or if you did a 
clockwise half poussette into a mad robin why should you even have to use a 
role name to say who goes through the middle first?  Getting it wrong requires 
fighting your momentum - and some people will do that.  [Although if they're 
generally tentative, or late, or executing one call and stopping and then 
executing the next call, then they don't have appropriate momentum anyway.]

-- Alan



From: Callers 
mailto:callers-boun...@lists.sharedweight.net>>
 on behalf of tom hinds via Callers 
mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>>
Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2019 5:44 AM
To: callers@lists.sharedweight.net<mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net> 
mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>>
Subject: [Callers] What can you do.?

Alan,

You raise an interesting question.  After I’ve had time to sleep on it, I’ve 
come up with some other issues to raise and

Re: [Callers] What can you do.....?

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Tom --

It's possible, if not likely, that what I'm calling "seems to have no sense of 
flow" has different causes for different people at different times.  I've 
definitely seen it happening at gents/ladies dances as well as at larks/robins 
dances as well as at English dances.  When I lead a beginner session at a 
larks/robins dance I introduce role names when teaching the swing, emphasize 
that larks open on the left, ravens/robins on the right, and do a circle mixer 
that's just into the center and back, swing the next etc, repeating the larks 
left robins right thing.  So they get to hear the role name a lot.

Of course new comers often take quite a while to get sorted regardless.  Last 
Sunday I called a single contra dance at a party - the party honored a queer 
activist who also liked contra dancing, so the honoree wanted there to be a 
dance, although hardly anybody at the party had done it before.  Did a 
Haste-to-the-Wedding variant which only had a partner swing, felt no need to 
use any role names at all (beyond partner and neighbor)  and every foursome one 
couple was in spent about 6 of the 8 beats available to do a right hand star 
getting the star organized.  I couldn't see what was going on, but they'd pass 
through and circle on time, and then their foursome would be huddled like the 
Peanuts kids around the sad little tree in the Christmas special and then a 
star would start moving.

(This isn't an example of a "no sense of flow" problem, and I didn't see any of 
that at that event.)

What I'm talking about here is that there's choreography that seems fairly 
inevitable - if you're going to circle left into a half-poussette isn't the 
probable direction of the half-poussette pretty obvious, or if you did a 
clockwise half poussette into a mad robin why should you even have to use a 
role name to say who goes through the middle first?  Getting it wrong requires 
fighting your momentum - and some people will do that.  [Although if they're 
generally tentative, or late, or executing one call and stopping and then 
executing the next call, then they don't have appropriate momentum anyway.]

-- Alan



From: Callers  on behalf of tom hinds 
via Callers 
Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2019 5:44 AM
To: callers@lists.sharedweight.net 
Subject: [Callers] What can you do.?

Alan,

You raise an interesting question.  After I’ve had time to sleep on it, I’ve 
come up with some other issues to raise and.discuss.

I’m curious if you have a beginning workshop before the dance.

In my opinion the skills needed for a new dancer to not only survive their 
first dance but to actually enjoy it are many   And that means having a 
beginning session that approximates as close as possible the dance itself.

In your email you mention larks and ravens.  If you do have a beginning 
workshop, are the newbies given the opportunity to practice/react to their new 
titles?   Not having that opportunity to practice reacting to their new titles 
may cause a bit of confusion on the dance floor.

Tom


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[Callers] What can you do as a caller to help people on the floor who clearly have no sense of the flow of a dance?

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

What do you as a caller to help people on the floor who clearly have no sense 
of the flow of the dance? (Sometimes you see people who will absolutely fight 
the flow of the dance to go the wrong way / do the wrong thing; there are 
others who are just sufficiently tentative about every figure that they've 
arrived at this figure late or with no useful momentum, or maybe they take so 
long to process a prompt that they'e dumped all their momentum by the time 
they're ready to move. ) How do you help those people?

Who goes through the middle first in a Mad Robin was the example that made me 
think about this , but there are also questions like "coming out of the circle 
left which direction do the larks orbit while the robins allemande and which 
hand do the robins allemande with?" where answers seem inevitable but aren't.

If you see people who are confused about the answers to these questions where 
the flow of the dance should answer them there's certainly always the 
possibility of continuing to prompt with the answers, but that's not really 
helping to develop an important skill I think is central to satisfying contra 
dance.

-- Alan
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Re: [Callers] Including Mobility Challenged Dancers

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

You can do the hand jive standing or seated and you don't need seats in any 
particular configuration, and you also don't need partners.

I organized the dance program for the World Science Fiction Convention last 
year and among Susan's program items was a hand jive session, which did get 
some mobility-impaired participants, who enjoyed it.


Here are posts on her (highly-recommended for vintage and historical dance) 
blog, Capering & KIckery, describing how to do it and including some video.  
(At least one of them played "Willie and the Hand Jive" without my asking it 
to, so maybe don't click these links at work unless you have the volume way 
down.

https://www.kickery.com/2010/11/hand-jive-basics.html

https://www.kickery.com/2012/01/hand-jive-style-three-tons-of-joy.html

https://www.kickery.com/2012/01/hand-jive-style-clapping-it-out.html

This is not exactly typical family dance material but clapping and rhythm games 
are definitely things kids get exposed to, so I don't think this would be 
terribly out of place.


-- Alan


On 9/11/2019 11:26 AM, Don Veino via Callers wrote:
I have a private family dance gig with a church this weekend. In our touching 
base just now, the contact brought up a request to include some material that 
would be amenable to a couple of folks who wish to participate but have 
mobility issues.

I'm seeking further detail from them to know the scope of the challenges but 
thought I'd reach out to see how others have dealt with similar situations. In 
my normal calling for family events, I'll often mention alternative moves for 
folks who don't bend as well as they used to, etc. but I'm guessing the needs 
here may be more significant.

Do you have any particular material you'd use within an otherwise standard 
family/community dance context to suit mobility challenges? I know there are 
things like the seated squares session at NEFFA but am hoping for material that 
wouldn't require rearranging the furniture, etc. between selections.

Thanks!
Don



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Re: [Callers] Public Dance, Ideas Wanted

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Around where I am, anyway, parents of teeny children have little sense 
and assume everything is perfectly fine for their little children to 
participate.  (I mean, like, they'll send in their 4 year olds while 
staying back on the sidelines and watching, sometimes with a baby in a 
stroller.)  So then you either have to bar the kids who can't manage 
from dancing [and you don't want to do that - downer for everybody] or 
do stuff they can manage or at least isn't actively unsafe.  Also, you 
want to do as little instruction as possible.  When you're at a 
multi-ring-circus event and you want to catch people who are just 
passing by, you want them to be able to jump on right now.  A bunch of 
people standing around while some guy talks reads like "nothing's 
happening here!"  Or, you get halfway through teaching something and 
some people will wander in and join the set and you have to either just 
carry on and hope they pick it up (they won't, not right away) or try 
everybody's patience by going back to the beginning, and some of the 
people who are lined up will get bored and wander off 

If you think the crowd needs a break between country dances, have the 
band (or recorded music) play a waltz or polka so it'll still seem like 
something's happening for the people who stick their heads in during 
that five minutes.

(If you have a lot - like 70% of the people on the floor of experienced 
contra dancers who are acting as dance hosts and breaking up newbie 
couples, great, you can probably do Sicilian Circles with either pass 
thru or promenade progression, but even a ladies' chain is really 
difficult if half the people haven't done it, and you don't want to 
spend your attention credits on teaching that and doing multiple 
walkthroughs.  Without a huge percentage of support from ringer dancers, 
you shouldn't consider even the easiest of regular contras in this 
situation.   )

One thing that works well for me is to get the music going and take 
somebody's left hand in my right (so we're both facing the same 
direction) and start traveling encouraging people to join on, so we 
eventually get a snake going.  You can wander around, you can wind up 
the ball of twine, you can thread the needle, without saying a word.  I 
like to wander around for a while, starting on A music, and on some B 
music (maybe several iterations of the tune later) draw the line into a 
circle, circle left and right, into the center and back, repeat, and 
then break off and do something different.  [Last year it occurred to 
me, finally, that once you're in the circle and you have somebody's 
right hand in your left, you can drop your right hand and now you're on 
the other end of your long line, and you can lead the same figures and 
they'll feel new and different.  Adjust your step size, etc, so any 
teeny kids in the line don't get yanked too hard.

I'd also recommend this snowball scatter mixer, which can be done with 
few words.  Start the music, caller (and possibly a confederate, but 
also possibly an alert-looking youngster, any gender presentation ok)  
right elbow turn  (8 bars - it'll take them time to get organized to do 
it at the start) left elbow turn (8 bars), crossed-hand turn (8 bars);  
pattycake (clap own together, right hand, own together, left hand, own 
together, both, and turn your back on this person and look for a new 
person to start right elbow turn with.)  Lost and found is in the 
middle. Parents with their own little kids can just not mix and it's fine.

Assess the people on the floor at all times and give them more challenge 
if they can handle it, but the audio situation won't be great, there 
will be people who surprise you by not understanding spoken English, and 
it is way more important that people feel successful and had a good time 
dancing than that they get a taste of contra dancing.

tl,dr; Get people dancing, spend no time "teaching", do stuff that works 
with these constraints.  You can earn some talk time by giving them some 
instant fun, but a constant flow of newcomers means you need to keep 
re-earning that.

-- Alan



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Re: [Callers] Family Dances

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Traffic Jam.  (I haven't called this, but here's notation shared by other 
people on mailing lists. )

TRAFFIC JAM

Random singletons - no partner

(via Barb Kirchner)


A1: clap 3x, stamp 3x, walk 4 steps

repeat

(it's fun to face people when you do clap/stamp, then walk off and face

 somebody else)


A2: eight sliding steps to the right, eight slides back to the left


B1: make circles of any size, circle left, circle right


B2: break circles, promenade in lines




TRAFFIC JAM (John Krumm)

via David Millstone

no partners needed at start

any standard reel, played AB

(or just done AA then done again to the BB)


Dancers stand individually anywhere on the floor to start.


BASIC TRAFFIC JAM

A  Clap clap clap; Stamp stamp stamp; Walk - 2 - 3 - 4 (repeat all this)


B   Sashay across the hall for 8 counts; Reverse


You try to go in a straight line, but avoiding collisions. "Reverse" doesn't

mean go exactly back where you started, but rather change directions. Do this

half a dozen times or so, then move into...


IMTERMEDIATE TRAFFIC JAM


Turn around, quick! Find someone standing there and stand in front of them.

That's your buddy. On the clapping part, instead of clapping your own hands,

you and your partner clap both hands together with each other. On the walking,

you just hold closer hand and walk four steps with your partner. On the sashay,

you hold both hands and gallop sideways (in the same direction!), still trying

to avoid collisions with other couples. Do this variation a few times, then

move into...


ADVANCED TRAFFIC JAM


Same as above, except that on the "reverse" caller says "Switch" and you find a

different partner for the sashay back.

"Sasha" is really popular around here, needs a specific tune.

Hope this helps!


From: Callers  on behalf of T Claw via 
Callers 
Sent: Thursday, September 5, 2019 12:27 PM
To: callers@lists.sharedweight.net 
Subject: [Callers] Family Dances

Does anyone have any recommendations, for silly fun called/led 
dances/figures/games for a family dance that has lots of young kids and perhaps 
not enough adults joining in the mix?

Thanks,
T-Claw
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Re: [Callers] Brain Dead - Need Suggestions

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

I'd think if you could get them to do "Lucky Seven" and count the progression 
aloud (1 .. 2.. 3 ..) so that they're hearing 2 beat or 4 beat chunks on the 
pull by, you'd be exceeding the request.

-- Alan

From: Callers  on behalf of Linda S. 
Mrosko via Callers 
Sent: Friday, August 16, 2019 9:40 PM
To: Callers List 
Subject: [Callers] Brain Dead - Need Suggestions

Although I've been calling forever and I know things, I'm not currently 
inspired to do this and am asking for help.

Been hired to lead a dance for a music school -- ages 5 and up to teens and 
their parents and my contact asked if I could lead "dances that encourage 
really paying attention to beat counts….throw in some music education in 
addition to fun."

So I'll do my standard ONS dances for this group to recorded music that has 
very good beat counts and distinct phrasing.  That's not the problem.  The 
problem is "throw in some music education."  I don't need a dissertation, just 
bits and pieces.  The dance is only 1-1/2 hours long followed by ice cream.

I've got a job that keeps me pretty busy and am training for a new job that's 
taking up a lot of my time and I just can't think anymore.

Any suggestions?

--
Looking forward,

Linda S. Mrosko
102 Mitchell Drive
Temple, Texas 76501
(903) 292-3713 (Cell)
contradancetx.com
www.zazzle.com/fuzzycozy* (Dance buttons, 
t-shirts, & more)
[https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download=1kuZrPZVFDxB2sUbGAG-r3fr1mI0l4SlI=0B6Wx3S_CPEZlQ0RZaStSazBLNENhOVVBaFE0SXhUUHhxbCtFPQ]
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Re: [Callers] Coconut Cream Puff vs Pie + choreographer?

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

My understanding is that Lynn adapted Ron Beeson's dance, Apple Pie Quadrille, 
by changing B2 into a can't-fail circle progression from a "Devil's Backbone" 
progression.

I'm going to guess that Nils called it at a dance and somebody misattributed 
the dance to him and got the name wrong.

Here's the notation Ridge Kennedy posted for Apple Pie Quadrille on the 
trad-dance-callers list:


APPLE PIE QUADRILLE
Ron Beeson (via Ridge Kennedy)
Four Facing Four

Called by Kathy Anderson at Buffalo gap 2002
Ask for lively music that's a bit silly to suit the dance.

A-1  Lines of Four, Forward and Back
(Reminder - this is original direction!) (8)

Center Four (dancers in the middle of each line of four):
Star Right Once Around  (8)

A-2 Partners Allemande Left Once and a Half  (8)

Ends (Original ends of each line of four, now Center Four)
Star Right Once Around (8)

B-1 Partners balance and swing (16)

B-2 "End Man" (Man on left end of line):Lead back over left shoulder to
 invert line.  Lead around the *other* end of the other line and all
 face original direction and a new line of four. (16)


Notes: Tricky Part: Leading the line back and around is counter-intuitive.
End man starts turning in opposite direction that his line is progressing.


Original dance:

A-1 Lines forward and back (8)  All do sa do opposite dancer(8)
A-2 Centre four star right (8)  All allemande left with partner x 3/2   
(8)
B-1 New centre four star right (8)  All swing partners  (8)
B-2 Circle left all eight once round(16)
C-1 The left hand man casts left taking his line around the other line
to face the next line   (16)



-- Alan


On 5/29/2019 5:36 PM, Liz Burkhart via Callers wrote:
I have found two identical dances. First I collected Coconut Cream Puff by Nils 
Fredland, then I lost the card, and in the process of looking for it online, 
discovered Coconut Cream Pie by Lynn Ackerson. It is the same dance:

4 Facing 4
A1 Lines of 4 go forward and back
 middles star R once
A2 Partner allemande L 1 1/2
 new middles star R once
B1 Partner balance & swing
B2 All 8 circle L 1/2 (4 places)
 Balance ring, partner California twirl


So who really wrote it? Does anyone know why there are two names and two 
choreographers attributed?



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Re: [Callers] Looking for "fun" dances

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

On 5/15/2019 5:51 AM, Charles Abell via Callers wrote:
I'm sure there is already a thread on this somewhere, but I'm wondering what 
are your favorite dances for those in the 4-10 year old range. Specifically, 
dances that are not mixers since many younger dancers prefer to stay with a 
particular partner the whole time. I have a number of good ones already 
(Alabama Gal, Haste to the Wedding, La Bastringue, etc), but I'd like to expand 
my existing collection of dances geared towards "little ones".

Let 'em rip!


I don't know how this would with exclusively 4 year olds (really, all I know 
how to do with exclusively 4-year-olds is a variation on 
wind-up-the-ball-of-twine where you bring the snake around into a cricle, do 
into the center and back, circle left and right, and then break the snake off 
again, repeat until you feel like you're done), but I'd think 8 year olds could 
handle this fine, and it's just fine if you have talls and smalls mixed up.


UP THE SIDES AND DOWN THE MIDDLE

(I have it from community dances manual, which says it's from the village of 
Symondsbury)

4 or 5 couple longways (you can maybe do 6 but you'll end up less phrased)


Lines facing, do step-swing balance r-l, r-l.

Drop hands, cross right shoulder with partner and face back in.


Repeat all that to home.


Top couple raise an arch and walk slowly down the middle WHILE

second couple, with the the rest of their line following, cast off briskly down 
the outside and go under the arch to the top.

Original tops finish at bottom, original seconds at top.

Whenever you get to thtat spot, swing partner until the end of B2.


(This was collected with a very specific tune that changes meter for the lead 
down.  When I have  a band I tell them "bouncy reels, jigs, or polka" but when 
I have to do this with recorded music I like "Sandy Boys" (or, specifically, a 
"Sandy Boys"/"Kitchen Girl" medley by Pig's Eye Landing.)



-- Alan
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Re: [Callers] How would you teach this? What would you call it?

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Just getting to my email now.

I have an ECD with a similar move - star into couples chase out, swap leads, 
come back in; in my dance, they go around each other, so it's clearly a 
poussette variation.

I tried calling it "dolphin poussette" but that really doesn't speak to people; 
another caller tried "couples chase out, turn right about and head back in" 
which got people to the right place but in a more angular way than I'd 
envisioned.

Here's my dance (with terminology from 2010; substitute "shoulder round" and 
preferred role names where appropriate).

---

SOUTHWIND
Longways duple minor IMPROPER
Southwind (flowing waltz) 16-bar A, 16-bar B, no repeats.
7/1/2010 - Radically revised 6/14/2011, words revised 10/16/2011.

A:  1-4: Neighbors right hand turn 1x, launching women into
5-6: half-gypsy R finishing inside set line, facing neighbor
7-8: All chassee up or down to change places with partner while looking at
 neighbor, finish facing partner.

  9-12: Partners left hand turn 1x, launching women into
 13-14: half-gypsy L, finishing inside set line facing partner
 15-16: All chassee up or down to change places with neighbor (to home place),
while looking at partner, finish facing in.

B:  1-4:right hand star 1x which leaves men
facing out, partners behind them
5-8: "Dolphin Poussette":
 Partners lead individually the way they're facing
 cast right to face the other way
 lead individually into progressed place and women (now in lead)
 loop right  while men continue forward to face in into

   9-12: Partners gypsy right shoulder once round into
  13-16: Partners two-hand turn once round and  open to face new neighbors.


Notes: You could also describe the women's half-gypsy as a "hole in the wall"
cross but they may want to back out to the set line if you do that.  Recommend
demo as early part of instruction.

The "dolphin poussette" is fairly hard to get across in words, but it does have
that "dolphin hey" sense of changing leads.  The paths are roughly parallel.
Breakdown is something like this:

   5: each lead three steps out; at end women are on the men's set line while
   men are well out from the set line)
   6: both start right shoulder cast; man's, on the wider track, gets halfway
  to neighbor's place while woman's gets all the way
   7: man finishes cast still well out from set line while
  woman crosses set to progressed place facing out
   8: man takes three steps forward to set line while
  woman loops right through her place to face in.

-

Anyway, for your use case, maybe "turn the star once around, stay facing the 
way the star leaves you.  Single-file in couples, go straight out, individually 
turn up and go up, individually turn in, and walk in until you're back in the 
set in a new spot."

Star burst is a nice name!

-- Alan


On 3/8/2019 9:28 AM, Luke Donforth via Callers wrote:
Thank you all, for your thoughts and discussion, and I do like the name star 
burst.

As I'd envisioned it, the path on the floor is very much like a poussette, but 
the dancers wouldn't be holding hands. It's almost like the tandem turn in a 
dolphin hey; but with motion up and down the hall. I think of zig-zag when 
there's lateral movement relative to the direction the dancers are looking, 
which this doesn't have either. So yeah, it's a blender-mix of a bunch of 
different stuff.

I'd be curious to hear more from the square dance callers on the list about the 
Tag the Line analogy; although I'm unlikely to call it a half-tag.

The triplet that inspired it will unfortunately probably not see much use. I'll 
let folks know if I ever successfully (or unsuccessfully) run it.

I'll see if I can work a star burst into another choreography.

Star Burst Triplet
by: Luke Donforth
Proper triplet, 123->231

A1 ---
(8) Lines of three, forward and back
(8) Partner Do-si-do
A2 ---
2s:
(8) Lady round two and the gent cut through around 1s above
(8) Gent round two and the lady cut through around 3s below
B1 ---
(8) 1s & 2s Left hand Star at the top
(8) 2s & 3s Right hand Star at the bottom
B2 ---
(6) Star-burst: 1s walk to bottom while 2s and 3s make space and move up
(12) partner swing, end facing up

Notes: The B2 star-burst: 2s and 3s make room by continuing their direction out 
of the star.
2s curve up and left, slotting into the 1s position
3s curve up and right, slotting into the 2s position
animation of it:
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/292197780/

Thanks again all for kicking it around with me.


On Thu, Mar 7, 2019 at 4:30 PM Luke Donforth 
mailto:luke.do...@gmail.com>> wrote:
Hi All,

I'm playing around with choreographing triplets, and I've got a sequence that I 
think 

Re: [Callers] Colds

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Bob --

I've called an entire English dance so debilitated by a sinus infection 
that I had to lean against a wall the whole time.  It's not ideal.

Cancel if you're contagious.  Cancel if you're enough under the weather 
that your performance will suffer.  Cancel if it's not safe for you to 
get there and back.  Don't risk your life and health or anybody else's.

As a series programmer, I think I would prefer honest communication as 
soon as you know there's an issue.  I'd way rather hear on Thursday, for 
a Saturday dance, "I'm starting to feel under the weather and if this 
gets worse I may have to cancel."  Once we're in touch we can work out 
whether you'll find a replacement or I will.  (In my case, I'm in a 
caller-dense area and I have the addresses of a lot of callers, so if I 
have a day or two of notice I can likely find somebody I'd want to hire 
anyway, or call the dance myself if I need to.  I call some outlying 
dances where if I'm not up to making the three-hour drive somebody else 
will have to, in which case my finding an acceptable substitute can be a 
mercy.)

The one thing that makes you less popular with a booker than canceling 
at the last minute with no replacement is canceling at the last minute 
and lining up a replacement that dance series would never want to hire, 
so talk to your booker.

-- Alan


On 11/14/2018 7:47 PM, Bob Peterson via Callers wrote:
> Cold and flu season is on us. Where is the line between cancelling on a gig 
> and forging ahead despite how I feel? I guess it’s a matter of how composed I 
> can be and how quiet I can keep my conditions from the dancers. Medication 
> can help, but can interfere with safe driving.
>
> If I feel I must cancel, what’s the right amount of notice to give? Who finds 
> the replacement if I have to cancel?
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Re: [Callers] super-simple square for rollaway practice was: "Second" ONS

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Allison wrote (responding to Jim):


> >Notes on the roll away dance say "succeeded at walkthrough, weren't 
> going to make it through the dance."  If you could tell, did the 
> confusion seem to have to do with figuring out who was in what role, 
> or was it mostly about something else, such as getting from the star 
> to the lines of four?
>
> I think that the difficulty was that there were TWO roles to remember: 
> a person was a head OR a side, AND a raven OR a lark. That was too 
> much intricacy for people who don't know at least one of the roles on 
> autopilot. Lesson learned.
>
>
> >[Two side comments on that dance: (1) Notes say "This variation is 
> Wade Pearson's, removing the right-left-through. ...", but the 
> "original" version you link to doesn't have a right and left through.  
> It has a cross trail.  (2) Personally, I don't think it would be a 
> great loss to drop this dance from the repertoire, regardless of the 
> role terminology or the manner of setting up the lines of four.  I 
> could say more on both points but don't want to go even further off 
> topic.]
>
> Agreed, I really wanted something with a rollaway since it's my 
> favorite move for "teaching giving weight," but it seems to require 
> intricate choreography to get people back to place. I hoped the square 
> would do it, but I overshot the audience. They were gracious when I 
> had us switch, at least :)
>
I'm interested in the rollaway for "teaching giving weight"; I mostly 
beat allemandes to death.

Anyway, you might get to your goal with this dance which barely has 
choreography(La Guaracha, from "Companion to the Ballroom" 1827, here 
from the COmmunity Dances Manuals):
===
SPANISH WALTZ (CDM, any 32-bar waltz, esp. "My Lodging is on the Cold 
Ground")

Four couple square.

A1&2: Balance forward, back, left hand woman to man's right hand.  Four 
times.

B: Waltz the set.
=

That A1 is balance and roll away (with gent not half-sashaying); four 
times gets everybody home.
For a barn dance where you can't rely on everybody being able to do a 
traveling waltz, you can easily adapt this in multiple ways;
first off, sub a promenade for the waltz, or sub a circle left and 
promenade home.
second, you can just make it  duple meter if you prefer, and then make 
it balance  and swing and promenade.
Third, you can change it to be roll away with a half sashay, and it's 
more important to reach your partner than to get home on the rollaways; 
the promenade takes care of that.
Fourth, change the figure to
  1st time: all balance, ravens roll left to right in front of larks 
(start crossing neighbor) 4x
  2nd time: all balance, larks  roll left  to right in front of ravens 
(start partner)
(For ONS you might be fine just repeating those two times, but if you're 
a little ambitious ...
  3d time: all balance, ravens roll left to right 2x,  / all balance, 
larks roll left to right 2x, meet partner on other side ...

Anyway, it's barely choreography but it gives you rollaway practice in 
square formation without having to do heads or sides.

-- Alan

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Re: [Callers] "Second" ONS

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

In general, I'd say to prepare mostly the same easiness-level of dances, mostly 
different dances, a repeat of whatever the most popular dance was, and have a 
couple slightly more challenging ones - with progression, etc - up your sleeve 
but without any emotional investment in actually using them.

Expect very little to carry over to a second dance five months later.  Maybe 
more facility in getting  lined up, but also (if you're lucky) they'll bring 
friends with no experience.

-- Alan


On 10/24/18 10:25 AM, Allison Jonjak via Callers wrote:
Hi all,

I hail from a rural area with no nearby dance communities. This June I held a 
free community barn dance, featuring lots of Linda Leslie's "very easy dances". 
 Through the magic of newspapers I was able to connect with a string band, and 
we had about 25 dancers, lots of whom left their email addresses 'so you can 
invite us again next time.'

I'll head home for the holidays, the band is willing and the hall is willing, 
so I'm planning to host another dance. The question is: should I prepare
-the same dances
-the same easiness-level of dances, but different actual dances
-a dance or two that uses progressions?

The dancers in June learned very quickly, and aced the proto-progressions in 
both Jefferson & Liberty, and Peak Bagger.

How much of that practice in June do I expect to carry forward to November?   
Here was the program I wound up calling, https://contradb.com/programs/76 , 
pardon that the calling notes are mixed in with my followup notes. Here were 
the dances I had prepared: https://contradb.com/programs/71

Thanks all in advance for your help!

--
Allison Jonjak, M.S., E.I.T.
allisonjon...@gmail.com
allisonjonjak.com




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Re: [Callers] Gate vs Hand Cast

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

"Hand cast" is definitely a thing I've heard, but only in the context of a 
couple down the middle and back and cast off (which was not at all unknown in 
the 80s when I started contra dancing (though more a feature of chestnut 
contras) , but hasn't turned up too much since.  In contra, the actives casting 
off was definitely something they did with the inactives.  You could do an 
eyes-only cast off or an arm around the waist cast off or a hand cast.) In any 
case, at the end of the cast off the actives had progressed and everybody was 
facing partner.

I think the hand cast tended to be 1s up the middle until between the 2s, who 
also face up and take the handy hand with the nearest 1.  2s backing up 
strongly as 1s go forward strongly, go 3/4 around until facing partner in 
progressed place.

The mechanics of a gate in English dance are pretty much the same - both people 
facing the same way, one moves as strongly back as the other forward around a 
pivot point at the hands.)  [It seems to be that back in the 80s there wasn't 
as much emphasis on the equality of the turns; one person could be a gatepost 
and pivot in place while the other more or less orbited around them.  That 
doesn't seem to be how it's taught now, so modern American English gates and 
contra hand casts are about the same.

In my personal idiolect, hand casts go with casting off, which implies somebody 
coming up the middle and symmetrical casting.  (The gates in "The Bishop" are 
360 degree hand casts, no question.)

Gates (in the 21st century) are more flexible.  You can have asymmetric gates 
(in improper formation circle left once round and neighbors gate around with 
the ladies going forward and the gents backing up (as in Madeira Dream or 
Woodshed, or in contra in Susan Kevra's "Circle of Love" ); you can describe 
the moment in Bellamira when the 1s proper lead down, turn alone, lead up and 
turn as couple to finish improper facing down as a gate but nobody's casting 
anywhere; the opening moments of "Come Let's Be Merry" (1s face up, take inside 
hand, gent backs round and lady forward) are gates, but I don't think they're 
hand casts.

So according to me, the hand cast is an instance of the class of gate turns 
limited to being a cast off with hands.  The class of gate turns includes many 
things that aren't hand casts.

If I'd been on the floor and you called the move you describe a hand cast, it 
would have taken me longer to understand it, but I wouldn't have tried to argue 
from the floor that you were calling it the wrong thing - that's just rude.  If 
I were calling it I would have called it a gate.

I seem recall Sarah vanNorstrand at BACDS American dance week calling a dance 
with a symmetrical turn of this class that maybe could have legitimately been 
callend a hand cast and she called it a gate, so your dancer and I are not the 
only ones with this opinion.

-- Alan

On 10/7/18 10:20 PM, Don Veino via Callers wrote:
You may have seen my "Feeling Gravity's Pull" which I posted at the end of the 
recent Mad Robin teaching thread.

In that dance, there's a move where partners are facing in side by side on the 
outside of the set (where the Gents have forward momentum and the Ladies 
neutral to backward momentum) and my intent was for them to rotate around their 
inside hand connection with the Gents going forward and Ladies backing up once 
around. (As opposed to the Gent walks a circle around the Lady.) So the net 
effect would be like a courtesy turn, in going around a central point between 
the dancers, just a little "wider."

I believe the correct term for this would be "Hand Cast" but I had a dancer who 
was adamant about it being a "Gate" in ECD so when I posted the dance that's 
the term I used. I've again done some googling and found no ready reference to 
a "Hand Cast" in ECD and only the slightest in a contra context, yet the term 
sticks in my mind.

What say ye? Is "Hand Cast" a thing and correct in this context?

Thanks,
Don



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[Callers] Does this dance exist already?

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

I don't recall seeing the dip-and-dive-across-the-set figure before 
(choreographically equivalent to right and through), came up with this, 
called it tonight and people seemed to have fun.  I don't think it 
registers as too  gimmicky for hot contra dancers because they get the 
twirls to face back in, and it goes well pretty early in the evening


DIPPING DOTS
Improper contra
Bouncy, jolly (Quebecois, polka?), or smooth and driving.
Alan Winston, 9/27/2018


A1: Neighbor balance and swing, face across

A2: Dip and dive across the set (couple containing #1gent arches first)
     1-2: Cross over
     3-4: All California twirl
     5-6: Other couple arches, cross back
     7-8: All California twirl, let go.

B1: Gents/Larks pass right shoulder to partner
     Partners right shoulder round and swing on the ladies/ravens side

B2: Cl 3/4 (to progressed crossed over places)
     Balance the ring
     California Twirl

-- Alan


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Re: [Callers] Barn dances for teens

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

I've gotten good mileage out of "Up the Sides and Down the Middle" (which has 
its own tune that changes meters in the B part, but works just fine to bouncy 
jigs, polkas, etc.)

UP THE SIDES AND DOWN THE MIDDLE (CDM, own tune or any bright jig)

Long set for four to six couples.  (Seven is doable but makes the timing tight).

A1: Step-swing balance in lines twice; cross over with polka step.

A2: Repeat to places

B1: (Reel time) 1s down the middle (walking, 8 bars) while 2s lead a single
cast (polka step) down, then up through the 1s moving arch.

[I can never get the dances to actually do B1 as described. The 1s zoom down 
the middle, they get there before the 2s (and everybody else) get to the 
bottom, so the trip takes longer than eight bars.  I make B2 "swing when you 
get there if there's time". ]

B2: Swing partners.

(Repeat until 1s at top again).

-- Alan Winston

On 9/19/2018 1:55 PM, Rick Mohr via Callers wrote:
I call a small monthly dance for teenagers, a blast and interesting in many 
ways.

We always do a few barn dances -- great fun, and a nice break from worrying 
about progressing the wrong way and ending swings on the wrong side. But the 
kids are smart and game, so most of the family dances in my box are too easy.

Here are some favorites. Have other good ones to add?

Bottoms Up - https://www.barndances.org.uk/detail.php?Title=Bottoms_Up
Country Bumpkin - https://www.barndances.org.uk/detail.php?Title=Country_Bumpkin
Falling Masonry - http://www.ceilidhcalling.co.uk/danceviewpage.php?id=33
Firehose Reel
Intersection Reel
Roll the Arches
Sashay the Donut
Waves of Tory

Dances that can include everybody are best (longways, circles) rather than 
fixed-size sets (squares, triplets) where some people have to sit out.

Thanks!

Rick




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Re: [Callers] Circles, Crazy Circles

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

On 7/10/2018 9:03 AM, John Sweeney via Callers wrote:


I agree with Colin that it is much more satisfying if you start the move
with your arm around the person you just swung and go forward together.


I see that Larry specified that the woman is drawn to the men's side, 
and for that shoulder-waist hold is great.


Nowadays I encounter choreographies where the gent is drawn to the 
ladies' side, and for that the gent's arm being at the lady's shoulder 
is a problem (because the just-swung lady is now trying to draw back the 
other ent and the just-swung gent's arm is in the way).  It's not a 
*big* problem, but it adds more friction to the move.


-- Alan

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Re: [Callers] Cinco deMayo dances

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Is this limited to contra dances?

I've got:

May the Fourth Be With You (Jim Saxe)

Brimmer & May Reel (Dan Pearl)

First Turn in May (Circle mixer by Tom Hinds)

Lucky Five (Circle Mixer by Bob Dalsemer)

(Also an Early American "First of May" and Dudley Laufman's 48-bar 
"Sweets of May", which is more of a barn dance.  There's a Scottish 
five-person dance called "Domino 5" if that's any help.)


-- Alan

On 4/10/2018 9:49 AM, Mary Collins via Callers wrote:

Looking for dance ideas. Either with May or '5' idea in title. Thanks!

Mary Collins


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Re: [Callers] Dance logs and record-keeping

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Oddly enough, I was just in Seattle at the end of February and had a 
conversation about this with Lindsey Dono, who told me to my surprise 
that dancers at Lake City, at least, will complain about getting the 
same dance two weeks in a row, and said that there *was* a log kept of 
dances called locally.


So, Amy, I suggest checking with Lindsey and see if the effort is 
already under way.


In the SF Bay Area, I think our dance populations kinda slop around, so 
that while a core of people may go to the central Bay Area dances (SF, 
Berkeley, Palo Alto), East Bay people may also go to North Bay dances 
(San Rafael, Petaluma) and North Bay people may go to Berkeley or SF but 
not usually Palo Alto, while Monterey Bay people (Monterey, Santa Cruz) 
go to those dances and some come up to Palo Alto, and some South Bay 
people (Palo Alto, San Jose, etc) go to Santa Cruz or Monterey.  The 
result is that every dancer does the dances that are called at the 
dances they happen to go to, it would be a huge coordinating effort to 
keep all the dances at different dance series with somewhat-overlapping 
attendance separate, and nobody but callers seems to care anyway.


For me personally, different band, different tune set pretty much equals 
different dance even with the same figures - but also dances that are 
3/4 the same figures as other dances feel like the same dances anyway.


-- Alan

On 3/6/2018 6:07 PM, Amy Wimmer via Callers wrote:
Huh! I never thought of that for the dance we run. I keep a file of 
each gig and the dances I called at each. I also write on each dance 
card the date and location of each time I've called it, so I don't 
repeat myself too often.


There's a record of contra dances called at Northwest Folklife 
Festival. I don't know how far back it goes.


I'll talk to my fellow organizers about starting this at Emerald City 
Contra Dance.


-Amy

On Tue, Mar 6, 2018, 5:42 PM Kalia Kliban via Callers 
> wrote:


Dance logs, a cumulative record for a series of which dances have been
called on any given evening, are very common in the English dance
community but vanishingly rare in the contra community.  Why is that?
They're really helpful for incoming callers, and it's probably
nice for
the dancers not to keep getting the same dances week after week.

I've only ever known of one contra series that kept a log, and it's
probably because I suggested it when they started out (the Queer
Contra
series in Oakland, CA).  Are there any contra organizers out there who
maintain a dance log?  Those of you who do, how do you get the dance
lists from the callers?  The Oakland series had a little book on the
stage and the callers would write their programs down as they went
or at
the end of the night.

Part of it comes down to record-keeping on the part of the callers.  I
keep a personal log of all the dances I've called so I can avoid
repeating myself when I return to a given venue.  That makes it
easy for
me to produce a set list after the fact if an organizer wants to
fill in
a gap in the log.  Fellow contra callers, do you all keep records of
what you call, and if you don't, how do you avoid repeating
yourself or
remember what worked well (or not) the last time you called at a
particular place?

If you work with something like Caller's Companion, do you update the
program list with what you actually danced as opposed to what you
programmed?

Just curious about other people's process on this.

Kalia in Sebastopol, CA
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Re: [Callers] Sir Roger De Coverly

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

https://people.well.com/user/cwj/bangersandmash/SRdC.html

http://www.brassworksband.com/recordings.html

Depending on how much you care about the name tune, the dance works to a 
wide assortment of duple or triple meter tunes, and a Virginia Reel 
medley would do the job.



-- Alan


On 2/5/2018 2:48 PM, Rich Sbardella via Callers wrote:

Does anyone have a dance length recording of Sir Roger De Coverly?
I need a source for purchase.l
Rich
Stafford, CT


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Re: [Callers] Calling at Free Folk Festival

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

On 5/31/2017 6:41 PM, Claire Takemori via Callers wrote:

Hi everyone.
I’m looking for advice.  I’m calling a FFF next Sat and live in SF Bay Area, 
where the average person has never heard of contra dance.  I got advice from 
Alan Winston, who called the contra dance a couple years ago when it was a 2 
day event and the contra was Sunday evening.  Now it’s a 1 day festival and the 
contra is Sat 630-10pm.The other dance that evening is Blues/Fusion, which 
I expect will have a HUGE crowd.   There is also a contra dance about 30 
minutes South of the venue and a waltz evening 30 minutes East, so I’m not 
confident that a bunch of experienced contra dancers will show up. I’m sure 
some will, as many are also musicians who will be volunteering that day.
I'm encouraged by Jim's response that there was a good experienced 
dancer turnout last year on Saturday night.  That's going to make your 
life considerably easier.



It’s in a high school gym, so I know to keep calls short and clear due to 
acoustics.
I’m wondering about offering a 20 minute lesson before the dance???


I don't think that's a bad idea, but I think many of the people who need 
it won't be there.  In my experience people tend to trickle in as their 
workshops end or they come back from dinner.  You could get in touch 
with dance coordinator Cassandra and try to get a lesson on the 
printed/posted schedule, if it's not already too late.


-- Alan

Re: [Callers] What to do with a really bad new dancer?

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

I've seen some responses on the organizers list and here, and I've 
thought about the persistent rock-in-the-stream dancer we had in 
Berkeley (who did, eventually, start modifying the dances so he could 
get where he needed on time, and who indeed various women would ask to 
dance or he'd be asking the new young women dancers and confusing them 
horribly).


One thing I'm noticing from the similar stories and responses is that 
all the rocks in the stream I'm hearing about are male, and it's falling 
on experienced women dancers to save the dance from them.


Is this just a problem with small sample sizes?  Has anyone encountered 
this kind of dancer, the kind who really structurally can't ever be good 
at it, spreads confusion, and yet keeps coming back, in female form?


-- Alan



On 3/6/2017 5:24 PM, Mary Collins via Callers wrote:
We have a dancer here in Buffalo that has a hard time hearing and 
ear-mind process-motor response time is very very slow. (I worry about 
him driving).  We have a loose house rule that the regular good lady 
dancers pair with this gentleman.  Otherwise he will ask newbies to 
dance, and often is at the end of the line, after the walk through.  
When you dance with him you have to call to him through the dance and 
guide him to where he needs to be.  This is how we have dealt with our 
own issue.


In your case, you might want to invite him to your beginner's workshop 
where you can address some of the issues you have seen him experience 
(i.e. the 1/2 alemande instead of the 1 1/2 of the call, or a shorter 
swing.  Play up the better never than late thing and talk about 
flourishes and how they are not really a necessary part of the dance 
experience.


the others have mentioned other ideas that are really good.

Good luck Marie!

Mary in Buffalo

“Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass ... it's about 
learning to dance in the rain!” ~ Unknown


On Mon, Mar 6, 2017 at 3:13 PM, Marie-Michèle Fournier via Callers 
> wrote:


Hi everyone,
   Lately a new dancer has started coming to our dance and he is
bad enough that he will often make the set break if the dance is
moderately challenging. He seems to have some kind of impairment
and walks very stiffly which means he will often not be on time
for a figure and also often does not remember what is coming next.
  We want to be inclusive but at the same time his presence
negatively impacts other dancers in his set and while some of the
experienced dancers will take one for the team and dance with him,
it is an unpleasant experience to be his partner. Unfortunately,
we always have many new dancers and having one couple not be where
they should be can really throw them off in some dances so I feel
like I have to push and pull him around to be on time, despite the
fact that it's a little rude.
   A recent caller to our dance called him a "speed bump" which
was quite accurate. I'm sure other dances have had experience with
similar troubles, does anyone have advice on how to deal with this
so that other dancers still have a good time yet we are nice to
this problematic dancer?
Thank you
Marie
ContraMontreal

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Re: [Callers] Holiday contras - BEG/EASY

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Claire --

In my experience, choosing dances because their titles fit a particular 
theme isn't the best way to make programs.


For Christmas holiday dances I'm used to bands slipping familiar holiday 
tunes into their regular sets. (Jingle Bells fits in nicely as a bouncy 
tune.  Several carols can be played as waltzes.) You can also playfully 
alter the names of dances you'd want to call anyway to make them fit the 
theme.


If you insist on dances with Christmas-relevant names, consider stuff 
with "Star", "Winter", "Cradle","Peace" in the title.

--
BALANCE THE STAR
(Tom Hinds recommend Beaumont Rag)
improper contra
suitable for beginners

A1:  make a right hand (handshake) star and balance twice (elbows point 
down)

 Turn that star for 4 counts (halfway)
 Let go and turn alone for 4 counts.

A2:  make a left hand star and balance twice.
 Star left 4 counts and turn alone; finish facing neighbor (orig 
direction)


B1:  Neighbors dosido
 end the do si do facing OUT (away from partner)
 w/ Neighbor on the side  'courtesy turn' plus a little ...

NOTE: It's not a true courtesy turn.  The dancers have to travel a bit more
than in a courtesy turn so that the men end where they started and the women
have traded places.

B2: Partners do si do on the side.
End the do si do facing out (away from neighbor)
Partners 'courtesy turn' (women change back) and neighbors
pass thru left shoulder in order to meet the next couple.

=
This shouldn't be one of the first three dances, but it's fun:

Rock the Cradle Joe
by Ridge Kennedy
Contra/Improper


Form:IC  Figs:ROM,ROM;NBG(Gent);CL.75;BTR,PT:

STARTS IN SHORT WAVES, neighbor right hand

A1 (short waves) (8) Balance and slide to the right (as in Rory O'More)
(8) Balance and slide to the left (as in Rory O'More)
A2 (16) Neighbor balance and swing
B1 Give & Take to gent's side & swing
B2 (8) Circle Left 3/4
(4) Balance the Ring & pass through




"There is no way to Peace; Peace is the way"
Becket
Erik Hoffman

Form: BK Figs: WDSD,PS;MAL1.5,NS;LLF,WREl1.5;Custom;Bt;

A1  Women Do Si Do;  Partner Swing
A2  Men Allemande Left 1-1/2;  Neighbor Swing
B1  Long Lines Forward & Back;  Women Right Elbow Turn 1-1/2
B2  Women Star Promenade Partner 3/4 until two (new-Next Neighbor) Men meet
Men link Left Elbows (women let go of the right elbow) to Star
Promenade
End on Own Side with a butterfly twirl to face that same Next Neighbor
 couple

Erik's Note: the quote is a saying from A. J. Muste, our nations one 
time "most

famous pacifist."  It boggles my mind that, with our corporate media
tied to the military-industrial complex, we could have ever had a famous
pacifist.  Then again, we had Martin Luther King, too...

Winter Storm
becket cw
Linda Leslie

Figs:CL3/4:NDSD1.25:BTW:Walk:NNS:MAL1.5:HH4:PB:


A1 circle left 3/4
   Dosido N 1 1/4 to short waves

A2 balance the wave walk forward
   Swing new N

B1 M allamande L 1 1/2
   1/2 Hey passing partner R

B2 Partner Balance and swing

---


Finally, going by names:

(I tried making the circle 3 into basket swings; some people turn out to 
hate basket swings.)

This is still a relatively old-fashioned dance.

ZESTY CHRISTMAS HORNPIPE
Tony Saletan / Ted Sanella
Duple IMPROPER contra

A1: 1s balance woman 2 and circle 3 to the left TWICE around
A2: 1s balance gent 2 and circle 3 to the left twice,
opening to a line facing down with the woman in the middle;
woman 2 joins the line (now of four).

B1: Down 4-in-line (1s in the center), all turn alone,
return and hand cast off.

B2: Long lines forward and back; 1s swing in the center and end facing the
 next woman (originally #4).

Tony's notes:

Mark (and anyone else interested), in the Boston area (where I danced for
several decades before recently moving to the state of Washington), we
begin  Vinton's (alias Christmas) Hornpipe pretty much as follows: On the
first  four beats all three people involved (woman #1 and the two gents in
the  subset) all balance advancing into a hand-holding circle of three. If
the  set is compact enough side-to-side, forming of the circle is almost
instantaneous, and dancers can enjoy the connection of "balance the ring"
almost from the very first beat.

Incidentally, when the buzz-step swing started to gain such joyful
popularity that it overshadowed many other figures, Ted Sannella and I
created a revised version, in which the odd-numbered couples start 
improper,

have a partner swing, and the circles are zesty:



-- Alan


On 12/2/2016 3:19 PM, Claire Takemori via Callers wrote:

Hi everyone!   Wishing you all fabulous holidays.  I’m so grateful for this 
resource.

I’m calling a small contra on 12/20 and would like to have 

[Callers] Thursday Night Flash! was: Re: suggestions for dances

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

My mail client isn't showing the fraction in A1 that shows how far the 
men turn.


Thinking it through, I guess it's either
  1.25 (gents are closest to partner with their backs to partner, so 
have to turn around)

or
  1.75 (gents are closest to neighbor but facing partner; gents start 
the do-si-do by
   passing  right shoulder (or pulling by with the hand they've 
got) with each other,then finish the do-si-do back to back in 
the line)


Colin, what didf you have in mind?


On 11/2/2016 12:09 PM, Colin Hume via Callers wrote:

On Tue, 1 Nov 2016 18:39:38 -0400, via Callers wrote:

Wanted to know if anyone has dances with days of the week in the title.

Thursday Night Flash!

Longways duple improper 32 bar American jigs

A1: Men right-hand turn 1�, to face partner in a diagonal line of four.  
Do-si-do partner.

A2: Diagonal hey for four, passing partner right to start.

B1: Right hand to partner, balance F and B; swing (6 bars).

B2: Half promenade, finishing opposite the other couple.  Ladies chain 
across.

Written at 5 to 7 one Thursday evening, while planning "Beginners" - I needed a 
dance with a diagonal reel of four.  The whole
dance came to me in a flash - so Andrew Coates gave me the title.  There's even a jig 
called "Thursday Night".
Colin Hume, 1993 -- DWAD5, 1998.



Saturday Special

Circle  32 bar waltzes

A1: All join hands: four waltz steps in.  Four out.

A2: Right-hand turn partner.  Left-hand turn corner.

B1: Give right hand to partner: balance forward and back; pass on.  Give 
left hand to the next: balance; pass on.

B2: Take ballroom hold with the next: two chass�es in; two out.  Waltz.

(I don't know who it's by.)



Tuesday Contra

Longways duple improper  32 bar lively American reels

A1: Right-hand star.  Do-si-do partner.

A2: Balance to neighbour (Ken says twice).  Swing.

B1: Down in a line of four (4 steps), California twirl.  Lead back, bend 
the line; circle balance.

B2: Circle left.  Left-hand star.

Ken Bonner -- Ken's Contras No. 2, 1993



Colin Hume


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Re: [Callers] Ralph Page Style

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

On 10/17/2016 3:26 PM, Neal Schlein via Callers wrote:


Thanks for pointing that out!  I was aware of the fact but didn't 
think of it here.


The older New England swings also would have been 2-hand swings, which 
lend themselves to a different choreographic flow--for example, 
swinging and casting down the outside.  Not a very nice transition 
from a ballroom swing, but perfectly lovely from a 2-hand turn and 
showcasing the English heritage.


I call and dance English (and Regency, so I have a specialty in dances 
of the Chorus Jig time period) as well as contra, and you're right about 
it not being ballroom swings (which seem to come in around 1900), and 
likely two-hand turns (although the instruction "swing corners" in 
Regency-era dance manuals seems to mean hand turns at least part of the 
time, and comes out to be contra corners).


But I really don't mind the transition into casting off from a ballroom 
swing in a proper dance.  You shouldn't twirl out of it, but you can 
just face up at the end of the spring and peel off (away from the pointy 
end); it's pretty smooth.


For comparison,  the typical reconstruction of the English "Trip to 
Tunbridge" (originally using 3 out of 4 of the same standard figures 
Chorus Jig uses) finishes with a progression that has the old 2s turning 
two hands in first place, ready to cast off, while the old 1s cast to 
the bottom of the three couple set.  I don't really like the 
two-hand-turn into down-the-outside transition any better than the 
swing-face-up into down the outside transition.



-- Alan

Re: [Callers] Fewer than 6 dancers - Ideas?

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Jacqui --

I feel your pain.  (I spent a couple of years trying to run an English Ceilidh 
series - bouncy sweaty dances with swings - and while we once had 42 people we 
more typically had 6 or fewer.  I collected and made up a bunch of five person 
dances, but most of them aren't very contra-y.  Once I had a set of five person 
dances I barely needed them.)  Over the years I've gotten a lot of use from 
"Polka Dots", which is almost the same dances as "Domino 5", which Kalia posted.

Anyway, here's a couple of two-couple contra dances which should work with 
whatever the band wants to play for it, plus a five person dance and something 
that goes to the English tune "Sellenger's Round' but accommodates 3 to about 7 
people.  (Ended up doing it with 9 recently because 3 people came late and 
joined in.)

Its really tempting to cancel a contra if you only have a few people, but  you 
don't want to punish the people who showed up - they may have foregone other 
options for their evenings.  And there's a sense of triumph if you can show 
them a good time.  I think its important to have options ready to go, so you 
can start on an energetic note and keep things happening, and if any new person 
shows up they see something going on rather than nothing and maybe stick around 
to get in the next one.


PROMENADE FOUR
Two couples facing, improper, up and down.
duple-meter 32 bar music
Alan Winston, 9.10.2016
(Came up with at Civil War Dance when I had only two couples left.)
Beginner-ish.


A1: forward to meet the other couple and retire
  1s cast down, 2s lead up, face other couple again (now indecent)

A2: Repeat with the 2s casting down.

B1: Ladies chain up and down the set

B2: From courtesy turn with partner continue into a promenade and wheel to face
the other couple from new places, improper.
If time, swing partner.


X MARKS THE SPOT
Antony Heywood, 1992 (in "An Enchanted Place")
Possible ceilidh use.  NIB: 4x32-bar American reels
Two couple set, partners side-by-side facing across (Becket)

A1: 1-4: Right-hand star once round
5-8: Ladies chain over, not back (men cast L out of the star)

A2: 1-8: Women coming back pass right shoulder to start a straight hey for 4.

B1: 1-4: Opposites swing
5-8: Partners back-to-back by right shoulder

B2: 1-4: Partners swing (progressive)
5-8: Left hand star once round.

(Everybody's progressed one place clockwise; repeat 3x until all are home.)
--
SELLENGER'S WHEEL
Alan Winston, 11/16/2003
cut-down version of Sellenger's Round for 3-7 people, no partners needed.
Formation: circle of people facing in 
Tune in Barnes, 5x.

I: 
A:  Slipping circle (*really* slipping)  left and back to the right.

B:  Chorus (same each time).
Set forward right and left
fall back straight
still facing in, set right and left
turn single
Repeat

II:

A:  Lead into the center and back
Repeat

B: As above

III: 

A: right hand star (contra style wrist grip keeps you from having a mess)
   left hands back

B: As above


IV:

A: Basket left and _keep going_, not back to the right.

B: As above

(Finish with slipping circle again, but if you're repeating don't do slipping
circle twice in a row - it's lame).

-

PEGGING THE NEEDLE
12/3/2004 Alan Winston
5-person-set, in a line holding hands, facing to right of line.
32-bar jig, reel, polka

A1: Thread the needle: keeping hold of hands, #1 leads line
through arch made by 4+5.  Finish in circle facing in.

A2: #2-#5 join hands in ring, raise to make four arches;
they sidestep slowly left throughout WHILE
#1, with any stepping and path, goes in and out through the arches.

B1&2: (0) #2 and #5 break; #1 takes #2s hand, and the other arches stay up.   
  1&2 go under the 2-3 arch;
  1&2&3 go under the 3-4 arch;
  1&2&3&4 go under the 4-5 arch and draw the line straight in any
  direction.
  #1 and #2, holding hands only with each other, raise the joined hands
  as an arch and take it over the heads of 3-5, finish at bottom and turn
  into line, with #1 in fourth place, #2 in fifth place.

NOTE: This has the potential to wander all over the floor.

-- Alan

Re: [Callers] Yet another "Anyone seen this dance?"

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

The Barraclough and Goldman experiences with the dance already have 
belied my suspicion, but what I was thinking was that the extremely 
common use of "circle left 3/4 and swing on the side" was going to 
interfere with "Circle left all the way and swing on the side", and that 
we might see a failure mode of going three places and swinging partner 
there.


Reality has already proven me wrong.

-- A;an

On 9/26/2016 5:38 PM, Yoyo Zhou wrote:
On Sat, Sep 24, 2016 at 4:34 PM, Alan Winston via Callers 
> wrote:


If you call it tonight, I suspect some dancers will have some
trouble with the circle left all the way around the second and
subsequent times through.

But let us know how it goes!

I think circle left all the way around (rather than 3/4) is not 
inherently difficult for contra dancers.


Circle lefts that are hard:

- Circle left 1/2. It's so easy to just keep circling.

- Ending with gents ahead of ladies on the side. (e.g. N swing; *then* 
circle left 1)
  This is because almost all of our circles end with ladies ahead of 
gents on the side (to set up for a swing, or a pass thru/CA twirl 
progression), so we're very used to ending our circle lefts with 
ladies in 1st corner and gents in 2nd corner places.


Yoyo Zhou

Re: [Callers] Box circulate dances

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

On 7/18/2016 4:16 PM, Aahz via Callers wrote:

On Mon, Jul 18, 2016, Maia McCormick via Callers wrote:

Chinese New Year by Chris Page || improper (adv'd)
Starts in long waves, gents face out, Ns by R
A1: bal. wave & box circulate (2x) (LX G loop; GX L loop)
A2: bal. wave & box circulate (LX G loop)

What are "LX G loop" and "GX L loop"?

Ladies cross while gents loop
Gents cross while ladies loop

(She's just annotating who does what in the box circulate.)

-- alan

Re: [Callers] tips for teaching dancing the "other" role?

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

On 7/5/2016 11:32 AM, Susan Pleck via Callers wrote:

Hi folks,

I'm to lead a workshop/extended intro lesson at a local dance this 
Saturday on gender-free dancing/dancing the "other" role/switching 
roles.  Not having done this before, I'd appreciate any thoughts or 
advice about what this should include.  For the gender-free aspect, 
I'm not sure there's much to discuss, really; ir'd be more just giving 
dancers a chance to practice responding to different terms.  For 
dancing the other role, though, what points of emphasis do you think 
would be most useful?  Two that come to mind are swing 
positioning/giving weight, and figures such as a chain where the 
actions of the two roles are different.


I think swing practice from the "other" position, with coaching, is a 
good idea.


Also, like it or not, most flourishes are led by the gent/band/lark 
role, and that's pretty different when you switch.  So a few words on 
leading (including that you don't have to have flourishes at all,  
better never than late bt when "late" is, that leads are invitations and 
can be declined without prejudice, that twirls are generally 
accomplished by the follow rather than by the lead) and on following 
(being aware that people are gonna try to lead you in stuff,  how to 
decline leads you don't want to follow) might be helpful.


-- Alan

Re: [Callers] here it is - sorry

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Whoops, didn't see the "please move on" request.  Please disregard.

-- Alan

On 4/4/2016 3:13 PM, Winston, Alan P. via Callers wrote:



On 4/4/2016 9:10 AM, Darwin Gregory via Callers wrote:


While I am relatively new to contra, and just called my first dance 
this weekend, The Baby Rose... I'll have never considered gypsy a 
term related to a race of people, nor did I know it was applied today 
to a group of people called Romas.


However, my general position on terms that have both discriminatory 
and non-discriminatory meanings is that the meaning needs to be 
derived by context.


Before reading the discussions here, I had only considered the 
meaning of gypsy as related to wandering dancers... Not a particular 
ethnic group.  Perhaps my view has been naive.




Ok, cool.


While I am sensitive to cultural issues, until someone comes up with 
a term that captures not only the physics of the move, but also the 
flirtatious nature of it, I will probably grimace any time someone 
uses a different term. Orbit, no handed swing, whatever... Until 
something emphasizes the flirtatious eye contact it will fall short 
in my mind.  It is more than a figure, it is a figure with an 
attitude.  :)




Wait.  Why does the word "gypsy" imply flirtatious eye contact?

(I'm not trying to police what words you use or what you do when 
calling, but I don't understand your logic here, which seems to be:


 "gypsy in dance context harmlessly refers to dance gypsies, not 
ethnic Gypsies"
 "'gypsy' is the only satisfying term for the figure I've heard 
because it implies flirtatious eye contact".


I'm kinda suspecting that the implication of flirtatious eye contact 
is because of ideas of ethnic gypsies, gypsy dance, etc, but maybe you 
have another reason and I'd like to hear it.



-- Alan


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Re: [Callers] here it is - sorry

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

On 4/4/2016 9:10 AM, Darwin Gregory via Callers wrote:


While I am relatively new to contra, and just called my first dance 
this weekend, The Baby Rose... I'll have never considered gypsy a term 
related to a race of people, nor did I know it was applied today to a 
group of people called Romas.


However, my general position on terms that have both discriminatory 
and non-discriminatory meanings is that the meaning needs to be 
derived by context.


Before reading the discussions here, I had only considered the meaning 
of gypsy as related to wandering dancers... Not a particular ethnic 
group.  Perhaps my view has been naive.




Ok, cool.


While I am sensitive to cultural issues, until someone comes up with a 
term that captures not only the physics of the move, but also the 
flirtatious nature of it, I will probably grimace any time someone 
uses a different term.  Orbit, no handed swing, whatever... Until 
something emphasizes the flirtatious eye contact it will fall short in 
my mind.  It is more than a figure, it is a figure with an attitude.  :)




Wait.  Why does the word "gypsy" imply flirtatious eye contact?

(I'm not trying to police what words you use or what you do when 
calling, but I don't understand your logic here, which seems to be:


 "gypsy in dance context harmlessly refers to dance gypsies, not ethnic 
Gypsies"
 "'gypsy' is the only satisfying term for the figure I've heard because 
it implies flirtatious eye contact".


I'm kinda suspecting that the implication of flirtatious eye contact is 
because of ideas of ethnic gypsies, gypsy dance, etc, but maybe you have 
another reason and I'd like to hear it.



-- Alan

Re: [Callers] ONS with a *tiny* inexperienced crowd?

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

On 1/26/2016 7:53 AM, Don Veino via Callers wrote:
I've agreed to an extremely last minute "Hoe Down" gig this Saturday 
for a local church, where I'm promised 25-75 people of mixed ages. No 
dance experience at all.


I've reset their expectation to a family/barn dance - no cowboy 
outfits on the performers, no line dances. They asked for some squares 
- ok. If the crowd is really that size, I'm all set. Have the 
material, live music with a contra and squares, etc. fiddler & piano 
player. Good to go.


My nightmare is there's only 5 people that show, say: a toddler, a 
teen, 2 parents and a grandparent. I have a few things I might do with 
that small number of inexperienced folks, but not enough to fill 2 
(fun) hours.


Any ideas on what you'd do/use in that instance? I'm all ears!



The toddler is kind of a challenge, since they'll be like half a dancer 
and not good at following instructions.


You can get a good 10 minutes starting up by taking hands in a line (you 
at the lead) and wandering around the hall; as the music comes around, 
bend the line into a circle, circle left and right, into the center and 
back twice, peel off and wander around the hall some more, etc, never 
letting go of hands.  That kind of group doesn't know that they need 
more than that to have fun.  Keep your speed down to what the slowest 
walker can manage and don't worry about much phrasing, except form your 
circles at the top of a phrase.



If you have people old enough to follow directions:

COTTONTAIL RAG (or Hot Tub Rag) by Steve Schnur
Circles of 5 dancers; each circle pick jack/jill to start

A1. Left-hand star; jack/jill rolls out, walks clockwise around circle while
others continue single file
A2. Jack chooses anyone, balance and swing
End facing the others who are three in line
B1. Two face three, forward and back
Do si do: the twosome with the center person in the line of three (who
will become new jack/jill)
B2. New jack faces out of circle with hands crossed, others face in and all
join hands in a ring. Jack pulls two individuals through an arch 
made by his
upper arm to form a basket, and all basket swing to the left. 
Finish to form

new l.h. star.

NOTES.


Polka Dots (? author)  (4/4  G  Green Mountain Petronella - in several tune
books, and I have music as well)
5 people - a diamond with #1 in middle, #2 with back to the music)
via Mary Devlin

A1  1 & 2 start hey for 3, R sh (up & down hall)
A2  1 flow into hey for 3 (L sh) across with #3 & #5

B1  1 & 2 set; R-hand turn 1/2 to change places
2 & 3 set; R-hand turn 1/2 to change places
B2  3 & 4 set; R-hand turn 1/2 to change places
4 & 5 set; R-hand turn 1/2 to change places
(and 5 is now #1)

DUMMER'S REEL
Collected from Tony Saletan Houston '93?  [Not by me]
Circle of 5 people

A1 Circle Left; Same way single file
A2 Jack (the "it" person) turn back and weave in and out
B1 Jack swing somebody; Swing their opposite
B2 Hey for 3
A1 Jack swing somebody you haven't swun; Swing their opposite
A2 Hey for 3
B1 Circle left; Jack raise left hand and pull himself and 1 other
under
B2 Basket swing



FIVE-STAR WALTZ
12/3/2004  Alan Winston
five people in pentagon formation
moderate-tempo 32-bar waltz
count off numbers before you start; #1 might be the point toward the band.

A1:  All set R into center, turn single R, circle left.

A2:  All set LEFT and RIGHT, turn single LEFT, circle RIGHT;
 #1 exits circle early and finishes next to choice for B1.

B1:  #1 and #1's choice, orbit outside the set, waltzing or promenading 
WHILE

 the other three right-hand star in the center, left hands back.
 [#1 drops his or her choice off at home and cuts back through the set
  to home place.]

B2:  #1 & #5, RH 1/2.
 #1 & #4, LH 1/2.
 #1 & #3, RH 1/2.
 #1 & #2, LH 1/2.

(Try B2 with "step left and close; pull by right ..." etc if you prefer.)

[For ECDers or a less prankish crowd,  instead of randomly picking somebody
out of the set and having to hustle home, have #1 and #5 (who is one place
CCW from #1) promenade and finish at home, then start the progression in
B2.]

THE LESSER WEEVIL
12/2/2004 Alan Winston
5-person-set, line of 2 facing line of 3
5x 32-bar jig, reel (contra sound for either), or waltz (!)
A tip of the hat to Richard Mason's "The Weevil"

A1: 1-4: Lines balance forward (step close) and back (step close), cross 
over.

5-8: The same back to place.

A2: 1-2: Stepping into "waves" with hands up and joined, balance forward and
 back.
3-4: Allemande right with right-hand neighbor (if any).
5-8: Waves balance f+b, allemande left into line (no hands).

B1: 1-4: Right-hand neighbors do-si-do back into line
5-8: Four changes of a Right shoulder straight hey for five 
(progressive).


B2: 1:  Top person jumps out to THREE side.
2:  Next person jumps out to TWO side.
3:  Next person jumps out to THREE 

Re: [Callers] Choreography and Copyright

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

On 1/22/2016 7:02 PM, Martha Wild via Callers wrote:

Call a dance written by someone else:
Pretty much always, is my guess. If I note down a dance at a festival and I 
like it, I call it, and try to get all attributions for announcement. Maybe if 
there was a caller who stipulate that no one was to call their dances without 
express permission or proof they’d bought the book - but I don’t know of a 
caller doing that.

Agreed!


Publish a dance written by someone else:
If the dance is on the author's open website, or I know the caller personally 
and know they are happy to have their dances spread throughout the community, 
then fine. If a dance is in a book that one has to buy, then never - might 
mention the name and author, and maybe the book, but I wouldn’t give out the 
dance details. Don’t know? Don’t publish it.
I assume you're using "publish" to mean "disseminate" - give out the 
instructions on mailing lists, let people see your card, whatever.
If so, agreed!  To be excessively anal about it, I would disagree if 
"publish" meant "include in a collection I was putting out to sell" 
(without getting express permission from the author.)




Modify, borrow from, a dance written by someone else?
Always! If it’s a small change and I’m calling it I just give the author credit 
and say it’s a slight variant (forward and back instead of circle left for 
example). Using an interesting figure and sticking it in a new context 
substantially different from the original - no problem, but I might credit the 
original on a website for example - “inspired by Title, by So-and-So”.
Agreed.  And sometimes the name of the new dance can have a nod to the 
name of the old dance.



Very different from English Country, by the way. If someone has written a dance 
there, and you realize that a turn single left would be so much more intuitive 
and flow better than a turn single right, heaven forfend that you should 
suggest changing the author’s original intention! Even if maybe it was an 
oversight originally! Liberty is NOT to be taken, at least with modern dances - 
though it’s a little grayer with traditional dances that various people 
interpret differently because the original directions are sometimes obscure.


Not *always*.   I have seen respected ECD leaders call things 
differently than they were written, although they usually call attention 
to it when doing it.  I have also had someone ask me if a particular 
modification of a dance I'd written - a right-hand turn instead of a 
g-word  - was acceptable to me, and I said "sure", and wasn't honked 
that he called it that way.  I was pleased when he put it on the program 
of a ball he was calling, and then honked when the ball booklet had the 
modified version and listed the dance as a collaboration between the two 
of us.





As for me - as a dance choreographer - please feel free to spread my dances - 
they are on my website, and I wrote them to go out into the world and be 
fruitful and multiply and all that.

Thanks for that!  I've called some of them and been happy to have them.

-- Alan

Re: [Callers] Unsubscribe

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

I don't have anything administratively to do with the sharedweight 
lists, but I do run other lists, so
one of my pet peeves is people sending their administrative requests to 
the whole list, which may or
may not do anything and just makes work for the administrators. (Some 
software catches admin requests
in subject lines of posts and sends them to the administrators, but 
since this went to the whole list I think not.)


To unsubscribe, go to the link at the bottom of every single message 
that comes from the list:


http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

Follow fairly-obvious links to unsubscribe.  If you don't remember your 
list password (sent to you every single month) you may need to ask for a 
password reminder.


-- Alan


On 1/22/2016 6:42 PM, Lindsay Morris via Callers wrote:



On Friday, January 22, 2016, Aahz Maruch via Callers 
> wrote:


On Fri, Jan 22, 2016, Lindsay Morris via Callers wrote:
>
> I'm about to leave this list because I'm so appalled at the
amount of time
> spent on this discussion. So many smart, good people: surely we
all have
> something better to do?

Sounds like you're policing what other people choose to spend
their time
on.  Oddly enough, I've seen comments like yours countless times
when the
subject lands on sexism, racism, homophobia, and so on.  What I find
especially interesting is that these types of comments are louder when
it's a subject that isn't "generally recognized" to be hurtful. In my
own lifetime, I've watched the discussion shift significantly when the
subject is homophobia, and I currently watch appalled as fatphobia is
still considered acceptable (with constant deprecatory comments
similar
to yours).

People whose lives are adversely affected by prejudice don't have the
luxury of walking away from the discussion.
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
  <*>   <*>  <*>
Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html
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Lindsay Morris
CEO, TSMworks
Tel. 1-859-539-9900
lind...@tsmworks.com 


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Re: [Callers] Identifying Dances (Was "Anyone know this dance?"]

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

On 11/24/2015 3:47 PM, Aahz Maruch via Callers wrote:

On Tue, Nov 24, 2015, Jeremy Gmail via Callers wrote:

So what can we do?  We could all ask on [Callers] but we'd soon get
fed up with the forum being taken over.  I wondered about a "please
identify this dance" (sub-)forum, similar to the many "ask the expert"
forums (fora?) you see in the IT community.

Do members have any thoughts about this?  Will it work?  How do we get
people on it? What are the issues?  Is there a batter / alternative
approach?

First of all, I think making changes is a bit premature -- nobody AFAIK
is complaining about the current stream of requests.  That said, Mailman
has the ability to create "virtual" mailing lists called topics:

https://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/node29.html

It would be straightforward -- once we agree on any topic names -- for
Seth/Chris to implement topic filtering.


Aahz speaks for me on this.  I don't find the current level any problem 
at all, and a sub-list tag

wouldn't be a problem either.

-- Alan

Re: [Callers] Fwd: Use of the word "gypsy" in various folk dances - Response from Voice of Roma

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Thank you for doing this, Martha.

-- Alan


On 11/3/2015 7:43 PM, Martha Wild via Callers wrote:
All, I have received the following response from a representative from 
the Voice of Roma. This seems to be a pretty definitive response to 
whether the term is insulting or not to the Roma people.

Martha


Begin forwarded message:

*From: *Carol Silverman >

*Subject: **Re: Use of the word "gypsy" in various folk dances*
*Date: *November 3, 2015 7:28:00 PM PST
*To: *Martha Wild >, Voice of Roma >
*Cc: *Petra Gelbart >


Dear Martha,
Sani Rifati, President of Voice of Roma forwarded you message to me. 
Although I am not Romani, I am on the Board of VOR and we do care 
deeply about the terms used for the people we represent.
A large number of Roma (but not all)  are offended by the term Gypsy, 
especially with a small g. To “gyp" someone means to steal and 
swindle; plus the word connotes a false history— it a short for 
Egyptian whereas Roma are from India. Roma have faced centuries of 
discrimination, and today are subject to deportations and racial 
profiling;  this would be an opportunity to teach your community a 
little about their history.


So whatever the history of the dance step, I know that names can be 
changed by sensitive callers like you. I would urge you to change the 
names and seize and educational moment!

Sincerely, Carol Silverman
PS Check the VOR webs page fro my information: 
http://www.voiceofroma.com/culture/gyp_vs_rom.html











From: *Martha Wild* >
Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2015 at 1:56 AM
Subject: Use of the word "gypsy" in various folk dances
To: voiceofr...@gmail.com 


Hi,
I am a folk dancer - I do a lot of contra dancing and English 
Country dance and I call the dances as well.


Recently a newcomer who came to a dance at another venue brought to 
our (a group of caller's that talk about such subjects on a list) 
attention that we have been using the word gypsy for one of the 
dance moves in both types of dance. This dancer (not a Roma) came to 
one of our dances and was upset that we used the term "gypsy" for 
this dance move, as they felt that the word was insulting to the 
Roma people.


I would like to know if this is the case, as we have never intended 
to be derogatory to anyone, but lots of dances have this move, and 
dance names even contain the name, like "The Gypsy Star" and others.


The move in question is a move where two people walk around each 
other and back to place, while facing each other. There is some 
confusion about origin of the term, but the best guess is that there 
was an English Country dance called "The Spanish Gypsy" that was 
written over a hundred years ago, and it was the first to include 
this move of people walking around each other while facing (prior to 
that people generally did a "back to back, or what is also called 
"do-si-do". The move was not called a "gypsy", but because this 
dance used it and other dances copied it, people called it a "gypsy" 
because it was the same move that was in that dance.


I've been calling these dances for over 25 years and have used this 
term to indicate this move, never intending anything by it other 
than as an established name for a dance figure. I am hoping that 
some of the folks at Voice of Roma could give me an opinion as to 
whether you find it offensive or not for us to continue to use it. 
We've been discussing on the web whether we should try to find a 
different name, but if you feel that this use of the word gypsy is 
not an issue then we can stop arguing over words like "eddy" or 
"swirl" and continue to use it. If you do find it offensive, 
however, I will gladly alter my dance cards to something else so as 
not to continue to be offensive.


Thanks for your input,
Martha Wild



--
Sani Rifati
707/823-7941
http://www.voiceofroma.com 


Carol Silverman
Professor
Department of Anthropology and
Folklore Program
University of  Oregon
Eugene OR 97403-1218
Office 541-346-5114
Fax 541-346-0668
csilv...@uoregon.edu 





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Re: [Callers] Gypsy Wrap-Up

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Very nicely done!

-- Alan


On 11/2/2015 3:31 PM, Amy Wimmer via Callers wrote:

Hi All,

I finally composed a response to the original complainant. Here it is, 
followed by an almost instant reply from him (yes, it is a male):


Hello Mr.__,

Thank you for letting us know about your experience at our dance. I am 
glad our community was so welcoming and friendly to you. I hope you 
remember that in the future.


As for the term "gypsy," it has been used in contra dancing for 
decades, and is not my invention. I am sorry you were offended by my 
use and description of it. It is my habit to let dancers know the name 
and author of each dance I call, and "gypsy" is in the title of that 
dance. I regret my description of the move as "flirty." I thank you 
for reminding me that some people are uncomfortable with that, and I 
will no longer suggest it. As for the name of the move itself, you are 
correct in that it has never been meant as a pejorative. I cannot, 
however, change it on my own. Contra is a folk dance and the folk 
process takes time. There is no governing body in charge of naming the 
terms used in contra dancing. When someone invents a new move they 
give it a name and it gradually works its way into the vernacular.


I can assure you that callers nationwide are discussing this and other 
terms we use which we are learning are offensive to others. We are 
endeavoring to change what we can, but you might imagine that coming 
to a consensus between many hundreds of callers is neither swift nor 
sure. This is especially true, given the lack of a governing body.


For my part, I have decided to remove the term "gypsy" from my calling 
and am searching for a substitute. It is not in my power to rename 
dances. At Emerald City Contra Dance we book approximately 25 
different callers every year, from across the United States and 
beyond. I am just one. Please understand that if you return to our 
dance you may hear that term used again, until such time as awareness 
has spread as far and wide as the callers themselves.


Sincerely,

Amy Wimmer
Caller and ECCD Organizer

His response:

Thank you for your very thoughtful and informative response. I feel 
much better about continuing to attend, hearing that there is an 
awareness of this issue and conversations happening about it.





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Re: [Callers] Gypsy Synopsis

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

On 10/30/2015 2:08 PM, John Sweeney via Callers wrote:

Pleas could you clarify how you intend to pronounce "gyre"?

I have been saying "gyre" with a hard "g" as in "give" or "gimble".

But if it is related to "gyrate" then maybe people are using a soft "g" and
making it sound like "jire".

Which do you use?  Thanks.

By the way, I am still having major problems with understanding why the word
needs to be changed.  "Gypsy" is not inherently bad.

Just Google, say, "gypsy pope" and you will find countless articles in
countless papers and other media (including Vatican Radio) referring to
"gypsies".  Are they and the pope all racist?  And that is just one example.
Here's an article from 2003 about a guy who was at the time the official 
international ambassador of the Romani people to the United Nations, 
which seems pretty close to being an official spokesperson.

http://www.utexas.edu/features/archive/2003/romani.html

QUOTE:






 What's in a Name?: Professor takes on roles of Romani activist and
 spokesperson to improve plight of his ethnic group


Ian Hancock is not a gypsy. He is a Romani. The difference in 
nomenclature is so important that Hancock, a professor of English, 
linguistics and Asian studies at The University of Texas at Austin since 
1972, has devoted most of his adult life to dispelling ignorance about 
the ethnic group into which he was born.


Romanticized, fictional representation of 'gypsies' from cover of song book

Romanticized, fictional representations of “gypsies” leave the general 
public with little accurate information about Romanies.


“Most people don’t know that appending the name ‘gypsy’ to my people is 
both wrong and pejorative,” says Hancock, the official ambassador to the 
United Nations and UNICEF for the world’s 15 million Romanies and the 
only Romani to have been appointed to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial 
Council. “‘Gypsy’ is simply a shortened form of Egyptian—that’s what 
many outsiders thought Romanies were. Using a little ‘g’ in ‘gypsy’ also 
compounds the problem because that indicates that as a common noun it’s 
a lifestyle choice and not that we’re an actual ethnic group.


“Most people don’t even have a minimal education about Romanies. They 
don’t know that seventy percent of the Romani population of 
Nazi-occupied Europe were murdered during the Holocaust. Or that we’re 
the largest ethnic minority in Europe but have no political strength, 
military strength, economic strength or a territory. Or, for that 
matter, that there are over one million Romani Americans.”


Educating the public about Romani history and culture has been a 
colossal task for Hancock because most individuals do, unfortunately, 
have a graphic mental image of the “typical gypsy,” but they have formed 
their ideas from all the wrong information.


According to Hancock, most people are only familiar with the surfeit of 
romantic fairytale myths that surround the diverse collection of 
individuals erroneously termed “gypsies.”


Novels, poems, plays, films and songs over the past several centuries 
have portrayed ‘gypsies’ as free-spirited, promiscuous, indigent 
criminals who dance around campfires and are fortunetellers, thieves and 
liars. ‘Gypsies’ are carefree and enjoy an almost childlike innocence 
and release from duty. ‘Gypsies’ practice witchcraft, steal babies in 
the dead of night and are filthy and unkempt, so the stories say.


“This ridiculous fictional image has taken on a life of its own,” says 
Hancock. “The cliché description of Romanies is so deeply rooted that it 
may never totally be eradicated. There are countless representations in 
films and books of Italians as Mafia members, but no one actually 
believes that all Italians are Mafia members. That is not true for my 
people.”




So he doesn't like cap-g Gypsy because that implies its an ethnic group 
and his ethnic group is called "Romani", and he doesn't like small-g 
gypsy because that implies that it's a lifestyle choice, etc.  (The 
article goes on to discuss horrific oppression of Romani people in 
Europe, etc.)


I think this bolsters the idea that some 'gypsies' find the use of the 
word 'gypsy' offensive and problematic.




It is only racist if you use tone or context to make it so.  But that can
apply to just about any word.

And in a dance environment it is definitely not racist.


I don't think we can expect people to look into our hearts and tell that 
we're not being racist when we use a term for their people that they 
find offensive.  (It's problematic.  I might want to have a discussion 
about a genre of music popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s, 
usually written by white songwriters but in which the speaker is black; 
they called these "coon songs".  If you want to have an academic 
discussion - what are the themes, what was the demand for them, was the 
demand higher in the South than the North, who performed them, all of 
which are interesting questions - can you call them "coon 

Re: [Callers] gypsy

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Good one!

(I'm really liking the gyre suggestion and may try it out with English 
dancers this weekend.)


-- Alan


On 10/29/2015 2:21 PM, walter Daves via Callers wrote:


Then Gypsy meltdown could be “gyre and gambol (sic)  in the wabe.” 
  This would be particularly true if the gypsy and swing are used as a 
“catch up” move when the couple is wabehind.




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Re: [Callers] Advice about "gypsy"

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Apologies for putting words in your mouth.  I misunderstood what you 
were saying.


-- Alan

On 10/26/2015 3:51 PM, Colin Hume via Callers wrote:

On Mon, 26 Oct 2015 12:48:00 -0700, Alan Winston via Callers wrote:

I didn't know morris dancers used "gypsy" rather than "gyp", as you
say on the web page.

Alan -

I don't believe I say that.  I say that Sharp's handwritten notes use
the word "gipsies", and I give links to prove it.  I agree that morris
dancers use "gyp".

Colin Hume


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Re: [Callers] Another approach to Gender Free calling

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Just clarification again. By first corners you mean the people who are standing 
in first corners at the time of the call?  If so that's why this isn't a 
substitution of role names.

Is this what you mean?

Sent from my iPad

On Jun 2, 2015, at 12:52 PM, Andrea Nettleton via Callers 
> wrote:

Ric,
The ECD confusion is a result of our often using corners to refer to people, 
but not 100% of the time.  I propose that we never refer to corners as the 
people, only use those words to refer to the position.  In any hands four no 
matter where anyone lands, someone is  in the top first corner, someone else in 
too second corner, etc.  you can swap, the dance can move you around, but that 
position is forever.
Andrea

Sent from my iOnlypretendtomultitask

On Jun 2, 2015, at 3:43 PM, Ric Goldman 
> wrote:

Apologies if this has been mentioned already, but even in ECD the terminology 
for corners is subject to confusion.  If folks have shifted from their original 
positions (for example after a “trade places with partner” move), a reference 
to “1st corners do such-and-such” is often met by a question from the dancers 
“is that people or places?”.For example, if you’re facing across the set, 
and during a fwd-and-back, there’s a rollaway with a half sashay, would you 
call the person on the right the 1st corner (right diagonal based on the facing 
direction) or the 2nd corner (left diagonal based on where they were facing at 
the beginning of the dance).  Therein lies the potential confusion.

I wonder what the impact of this would be on chaos contra with the additional 
position or role swappring mid dance.  Of course, that’s the dancers’ 
conundrum, not the callers.  J

Thanx,
Ric Goldman

From: Callers [mailto:callers-boun...@lists.sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of 
Perry Shafran via Callers
Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2015 7:42 AM
To: Andrea Nettleton
Cc: call...@sharedweight.net
Subject: Re: [Callers] Another approach to Gender Free calling

After thinking about this I think I am starting to agree with Andrea in that 
corners (first & second) just might be the perfect term to use.  In ECD, where 
most dances are proper, the first corner is gent 1 and lady 2, because in 
proper dances there are different genders on the diagonal.  In an improper 
dance (most contra dances), there are same genders on the diagonal.  So 
therefore the ladies would be in the first corner positions (same positions as 
in a proper English dance), and the gents are the second corners.  In a swing, 
first corners end up on the right.  I think by thinking about it this way you 
could do any dance, easy to challenging, with the corner terminology in place.  
Just substitute any incidence of "gents" in your choreography with "second 
corner" and "ladies" with "first corner".

Perry


From: Andrea Nettleton via Callers 
>
To: Michael Fuerst >
Cc: "call...@sharedweight.net" 
>
Sent: Tuesday, June 2, 2015 2:31 AM
Subject: Re: [Callers] Another approach to Gender Free calling

Hey Michael,
I think you mean that those who began the dance as first corners, will always 
end swings on the right, just as they are standing relative to their partner in 
the hands four.

The dance is obscure to the dancers only to the degree the caller is unable to 
elucidate it.  It may take effort for callers to learn to teach as effectively 
this way, but that doesn't make it less clear.  When I called to the SFQCD, 
ninety percent of the dancers were men.  Even with bands and bare arms, so as 
clear an indication of role as they could achieve, they struggled with who ends 
where after stuff.  What if I could have given them the tool of knowing their 
corners, and in addition, the clear instruction to note carefully which hand 
they held when standing next to their partner? That would always be their 
connector hand when standing as a couple after swings, chains, and R thrus. 
The twofold active attention might have served them far better than the 
arbitrary labels.  Understanding that the pattern of the dance depends on 
knowing your geography makes sense.  Adding into that the need to remember a 
label doesn't improve the odds the geography will stick, at least it didn't 
there. In my opinion, looking for a person is less reliable than knowing your 
place in the dance.  People mess up, but the place is always there.

AN


Sent from my iOnlypretendtomultitask


On Jun 2, 2015, at 4:05 AM, Michael Fuerst via Callers 
> wrote:
Consider this dance


E.J.M.J.F. in CincinnatiDuple Improper

Re: [Callers] Another approach to Gender Free calling

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

An approach to subtle gender free calling is to choose choreographies where 
both members of the couple do the same thing.  Really traditional contra dances 
often have this feature, as well as lots of English dances which were not 
composed with that in mind.  

Chorus Jigg is one of those naturally gender free ones:

1s down the outside and back
1s down the middle and back
1s turn contra corners
1s balance and swing. 

Since Jim referred to having more dances than usual where 2s swing  in the 
middle I assumed he'd used this approach to at least some degree. This would 
restrict the figure menu. You can do interrupted square thru but you can't do 
ladies chain.  If you're so gender free that you don't have rules you can't use 
swings to progress and neighbor swings could be trouble.  But you could call an 
evening without specific gender reference to a group who already knew roles and 
where swings ends using only partner, neighbor, 1s and 2s, and they might not 
notice that you never said gents and ladies. 

Alan

Sent from my iPad

> On Jun 1, 2015, at 9:12 AM, Kalia Kliban via Callers 
>  wrote:
> 
> Jim, as I look at your set of dances the first question that occurs to me is 
> how you dealt with the improper formation without reference to 
> gender/dance-role.
> 
> Kalia
> 
>> On 6/1/2015 8:14 AM, Jim Hemphill via Callers wrote:
>> A friend told me about Brooke Friendly's style of calling ECD and that
>> was part of the inspiration for this contra program.
>> Jim
>> 
>> On Mon, Jun 1, 2015 at 9:24 AM, Roger Hayes > > wrote:
>> 
>>Check out Brooke Friendly and Chris Sackett's English Country dances
>>- they use "geographic" terms, and structure the dances without
>>gender roles. It's different, but the dance does keep changing, it's
>>a live art.
>> 
>>http://www.brookefriendlydance.com/
>> 
>>Aside from Mr. Hemphill's effort recently here described, I know of
>>no comparable endeavor in contra dance choreography - I suppose
>>we're more traditional than ECD. Does anyone have info to share?
>> 
>>Roger Hayes
>> 
>>Jim - I don't think I am alone in wondering how you managed this
>>without telling the dancers. I take that to mean you didn't make it
>>gender free by the terminology you used (jets or whatever) but by
>>the kinds of dances you chose.  I'd love to read more details about
>>what this entailed.
>> 
>>Please share more!
>> 
>>Amy
>>206 330 7408 
>>a...@calleramy.com 
>> 
>>On Jun 1, 2015, at 5:37 AM, Jim Hemphill via Callers
>>>> wrote:
>> 
>>>The recent discussions on this topic inspired me to try an
>>>experiment in gender free calling.  Last night I called the
>>>contra dance in St. Louis using gender free calling without
>>>telling anyone.The experiment was a great success.  I received
>>>lots of  positive feedback on the evenings dance.  At the break
>>>and after the dance I made a point to ask several dancers, some
>>>were callers as well, if they noticed anything different or
>>>unusual about the dances or how I taught them.   One person
>>>noticed that there were more dances that included a swing in the
>>>center for couple 2 than usual.  No one I talked to noticed that
>>>the calls and teaching were gender free.
>>>It took some extra time to construct a fun, diverse 3 hour
>>>program, but it is certainly possible.  Re-labeling the dancers is
>>>not the only way to call gender free.
>>>If you are interested in the program I used or the larger
>>>collection of gender free dances I chose the program from, send me
>>>an email, arcadia...@gmail.com .
>>>Thanks,
>>>Jim Hemphill
>>>___
>>>Callers mailing list
>>>Callers@lists.sharedweight.net 
>>>http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
>> 
>>___
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>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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Re: [Callers] Another approach to Gender Free calling

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

I'm not Andrea but as someone who's appreciated the value of global calling 
since Chris and Brooke proselytized our West Coast English caller self 
improvement group about it in 2000 and who regularly uses it even in not gender 
free English as well as for gender free English I think I can answer.

The Heather and Rose style (which they didn't invent but have published the 
most in) is designed for proper longways.  Men's line is left file, ladies line 
is right file.   In a square or Becket formation gents place are first 
diagonals, ladies are second diagonals.  Corner is reserved for contra corners 
and the immediate neighbor in a square.

However, mainstream English gives us first corners (in a proper set, first gent 
and second lady) and second corners (first lady and second gent).  If you apply 
that to a typical improper contra, as Andrea was suggesting, the ladies are on 
the first corners, the gents on the second corners.

The answer to each of your questions about how she'd indicate what we now do 
with gender is to substitute a corner reference.  First corners make a wave in 
the middle of the set. They back up and second corners come in.


You'd have to decide whether the same positional reference applies to becket, 
where it would be the gents, or have the corner assignments apply before you 
becketize, which would be my preference.

Does that clear it up ?

Alan


Sent from my iPad

On Jun 1, 2015, at 9:12 AM, Ron Blechner via Callers 
> wrote:


Andrea, how would you handle the following:

1. Lines of one role/position to the center to a wavy line, as in Trip to 
Lambertville, et all?

2. Indication of who walks forward / backs up in a gypsy star?

3. Indication of who-leads-who, such as in Ramsay Chase, Pedal Pushers, 
Jurassic Redheads, etc.

4. Indication of who is passing while calling a hey.

5. Indication of who crosses, who turns in a box circulate?

6. Indication any other role/position specific move that I haven't mentioned? 
Turn over right shoulder, as in Fairport Harbour? Rollaways?

None of these fall under the "most unusual figures" as you stated.

Ron

On Jun 1, 2015 11:59 AM, "Andrea Nettleton via Callers" 
> wrote:
In previous discussions here, on FB, and privately with organizers at Hampshire 
over the last two years, I have discussed the possible use of global 
terminology for gender free contra.  I would contend that if used, everyone 
would become more aware of the structure of dances.  Only the most unusual 
figures/sequences would be unable to be called.  The addition of first and 
second corner positions to the arsenal makes it possible for same role dancers 
to also be called upon to dance together without reference to gender.  Second 
corners chain, or first corners allemande L 1 1/2 for example.  It would have 
to be agreed that this refers to those standing in those positions at that 
moment.  In ECD we use first and second corners to refer to the people, first 
and second diagonals for the positions.  But since we use diagonal to refer to 
those across and over one set, this seems unhelpful.  Simply corner positions 
works better.  I'm glad some folks are trying it out at last.  I had hoped for 
an opportunity myself before now.
Cheers,
Andrea

Sent from my iOnlypretendtomultitask

On Jun 1, 2015, at 8:37 AM, Jim Hemphill via Callers 
> wrote:

The recent discussions on this topic inspired me to try an experiment in gender 
free calling.  Last night I called the contra dance in St. Louis using gender 
free calling without telling anyone.The experiment was a great success.  I 
received lots of  positive feedback on the evenings dance.  At the break and 
after the dance I made a point to ask several dancers, some were callers as 
well, if they noticed anything different or unusual about the dances or how I 
taught them.   One person noticed that there were more dances that included a 
swing in the center for couple 2 than usual.  No one I talked to noticed that 
the calls and teaching were gender free.

It took some extra time to construct a fun, diverse 3 hour program, but it is 
certainly possible.  Re-labeling the dancers is not the only way to call gender 
free.

If you are interested in the program I used or the larger collection of gender 
free dances I chose the program from, send me an email,  
arcadia...@gmail.com.

Thanks,
Jim Hemphill


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Re: [Callers] Transgressive contras

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

Luke --

For option 2 (thematically linked dances in alternation) I wonder if you 
could just way it was a medley; not only keep calling but rather than 
pingponging just between pairs you could use multiple pairs.


--Alan


On 5/1/2015 11:37 AM, Luke Donforth via Callers wrote:
I should note, I've never actually tried calling "Luke's Options are 
Limited" it was mostly a theoretical exercise for me. To my knowledge 
it's never been danced.


If you have only two sets, it's not clear to me how a transgressive 
contras are functionally different than 4 face 4 dances or their 
cousin, Tempest Formation. (In my box, I'd put "Kim's Game" under 
Tempest Formation.)

The Tempest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qNp-n4CbdI
It becomes a question of if everyone is changing lines, or just half 
the couples are, but you're bouncing back and forth.


If that's all you want, great. There's lots of room to write more 4 
face 4 and tempest formation dances, and you can incorporate pass 
through lines there.


If you have more than two sets involved, I haven't found a way to keep 
things from being either complicated or boring for some dancers.


Option 1: all 1s and 2s progress the same way every time
If you have a progression that's down one couple, and over one set to 
the left for the 1s, and up one couple over one set to the right for 
the 2s, you no longer change numbers when you reach the bottom of the 
hall, you also change numbers when you reach the sides. So even with 5 
sets across and 20 hands four deep, nobody is going to go more than 5 
hands-four from their original position. If you've got a square (10 
sets across, 10 hands four deep, etc) some folks on the main diagonal 
see 10 different couples, but other folks will bounce back and fourth 
on short diagonals of just a few couples.


Option 2: have options that vary the progression
This is what "Luke's Options are Limited" attempts to do 
(http://www.madrobincallers.org/2013/01/25/attempting-a-grid-contra-choreography/ 
). If gives you different dances (thematically linked) to travel to 
different points on the floor. You could find other pairs of 
improper/becket dances using wide lines and long lines, and even 
incorporate passing through lines. But you're stuck with having to 
have different dances to call and be calling all the way through the 
dance. I personally try and get out of the way of the band and dancers 
interacting, and dislike calling through the entire dance.


Option 3: expand 4 face 4 to 6 face 6, 8 face 8, etc.
I played around with this a bit, and I think others have as well 
(Roger Auman?). There are dances up at

http://www.madrobincallers.org/2014/02/26/6-facing-6-contra-dances/
I haven't done anything with them after writing them, but if they 
inspire you; feel free to use them. The hard part (in my opinion) is 
giving everyone something interesting to do. If your line of 6 has a 
pass through along the set, you've got to keep your trail buddy groups 
together and permuting, or some folks get a bum ride.


Option 4: I haven't found one, but let me know if you do!

Have fun.

On Fri, May 1, 2015 at 11:36 AM, Michael Dyck via Callers 
> wrote:


On 15-05-01 01:02 AM, Lindsey Dono wrote:


Is "grid contra" the more standard terminology than
"transgressive?"


I hadn't heard the term "transgressive contra" before, and I'm not
finding hits for the term in search engines.

Here's what I've got:

1990-1995
Chris Kermiet: "Beckett's Crossing"
(in his "Zany Contras and Other Stuff!")
http://k-1.us/contras/beckettscrossing.html
(refers to it as "a progressive contra dance")

May 2010
Peter Foster: "Crisscross"
http://pfoster.pcug.org.au/dance/contra.htm#cri
(Doesn't really have a term for the dance form.)

Jan 2012?
Seth Tepfer: "Transgression"

http://lists.sharedweight.net/pipermail/callers-sharedweight.net/2012-January/004159.html
(refers to it as a "grid contra", but also refers to progression
across as "transgression", hence the dance's title)
See also other posts in that thread.

Jan 2013
Luke Donforth: "Luke's Options are Limited"

http://www.madrobincallers.org/2013/01/25/attempting-a-grid-contra-choreography/
(refers to it as a "grid contra")

-Michael

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--
Luke Donforth
luke.donfo...@gmail.com 


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Re: [Callers] Anyone seen this dance?

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

"Dancing Very Close to Amy".

--Alan

On 4/29/2015 9:53 PM, Winston, Alan P. via Callers wrote:

"Dancing Near Amy".

-- Alan


On 4/29/2015 5:34 PM, Erik Erhardt via Callers wrote:

Or "Dancing with Amy Olmos"
Erik
(505)480-4462 StatAcumen.com/dance


On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 6:32 PM, Michael Fuerst via Callers 
<callers@lists.sharedweight.net 
<mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:


Then it should be named "Almost Dancing With Amy"
Michael Fuerst  802 N Broadway  Urbana IL 61801 217 239
5844 <tel:217%20239%205844>



On Wednesday, April 29, 2015 7:29 PM, Linda Leslie via Callers
<callers@lists.sharedweight.net
<mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:


Very close to Dancing with Amy, by Bill Olson.
Linda

On Apr 29, 2015, at 8:25 PM, Perry Shafran via Callers
<callers@lists.sharedweight.net
<mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:


Since folks generally check here to see whether dance
compositions have already been written, I thought I might as
well.  Tentatively calling this "Charm City Contra".

Becket dance

A1 Circle L 3/4
Pass thru, swing next N
A2 L chn
LH star
B1 Al rt shadow #1 to wavy line, gents facing in
Bal wave, spin rt
B2  Bal & Sw P

Perry

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Re: [Callers] Anyone seen this dance?

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

"Dancing Near Amy".

-- Alan


On 4/29/2015 5:34 PM, Erik Erhardt via Callers wrote:

Or "Dancing with Amy Olmos"
Erik
(505)480-4462 StatAcumen.com/dance


On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 6:32 PM, Michael Fuerst via Callers 
> wrote:


Then it should be named "Almost Dancing With Amy"
Michael Fuerst  802 N Broadway  Urbana IL 61801 217 239
5844 



On Wednesday, April 29, 2015 7:29 PM, Linda Leslie via Callers
> wrote:


Very close to Dancing with Amy, by Bill Olson.
Linda

On Apr 29, 2015, at 8:25 PM, Perry Shafran via Callers
> wrote:


Since folks generally check here to see whether dance
compositions have already been written, I thought I might as
well. Tentatively calling this "Charm City Contra".

Becket dance

A1 Circle L 3/4
Pass thru, swing next N
A2 L chn
LH star
B1 Al rt shadow #1 to wavy line, gents facing in
Bal wave, spin rt
B2  Bal & Sw P

Perry

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Re: [Callers] Applause or Not...

[Winston, Alan P. via Callers]

As a caller I model applauding the band - I just stand there and clap.  
I also try the occasional "and how about this music!" over the mic, 
especially after they've done something good; that usually gets some 
results.  And I usually manage to remember reintroducing the band at the 
break; the fact that I'm introducing them enthusiastically seems to hit 
the applause button.


But I've rarely hit the locations you refer to.

-- Alan

On 4/22/2015 7:08 PM, Erik Hoffman via Callers wrote:

Hi All,

There are several places where almost no applause occurs after a 
dance. In some communities, when I've been subjected to that 
experience, I've asked, "were we off tonight?" The reply usually is 
something like, "no, the dance was fine (or even great), we just head 
for our next partner..." I know sometimes it's just the night. 
Sometimes, though, it's the community's habit. I spoke with a renowned 
musician the other day, who will no longer play for a certain series. 
One of the reasons: lack of applause -- lack of that palpable sense of 
appreciation.


I think dancers don't often know that applause really makes the band 
and caller feel better. If they feel better they play better. And, as 
a dancer, applause usually makes me feel better, too. Any ideas on how 
to encourage applause? Or, if you're in one of those communities where 
applause is minimal, does it bother you?


~erik hoffman
oakland, ca
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