I found the book fascinating when I bought and read it a couple of years
ago. He debunks a number of myths about the history of our dance
traditions.
On 7/30/2017 3:51 PM, Aahz via Callers wrote:
I don't recall seeing this mentioned, passing along to people interested
in the history of
Or swat the flea instead of box the gnat. Then there wouldn't be a hand
switch into the allemande.
-Dave
On 4/16/2015 6:08 PM, Roger Hayes via Callers wrote:
Hmmm. How about, rather than ring balance:
neighbor balance, box the gnat,
switch to left hands, allemand 1 1/2
This might have some
In a few squares a few moves leave ladies 1 and 2 on the side with gent
2 and ladies 3 and 4 on the other side with gent 4. Gents 1 and 3 are
then the "lonesome gents". The set-up and subsequent figures typically
repeat in the obvious fashion with gents 2 and 4 being the lonesome gents.
I'll make the suggestion that you be very careful about any dances you
want to call that involve traveling outside the foursome. Those dances
often introduce end effects that can ripple one or two foursomes into
the set from each end, so with only 5 or 6 foursomes, the whole line is
confused.
After finding The Weevil (4 facing 3) on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM1vr2-QK_Q
I stumbled on a 3 facing 2 dance "inspired by 'The Weevil'"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GAAf-9unRg
At Squirrel Moon this September Carol Ormand did an enjoyable workshop
on this theme. I don't
If the group can tolerate a little chaos, there is no reason to limit
the sets to three couples. The first time through everyone in a set
with an odd number of couples gets a new partner in the same gender
role, but in a set with an even number everyone gets a new partner of
the same gender.
Last night I had a five-minutes chat with some beginners at the break.
This was at the second occurrence of a newly-started series of monthly
community dances. The crowd was half-and-half experienced and new
dancers. It was mostly squares, a few circle mixers, one reel, one
contra. My wife
So, which flows more smoothly onto the swing? Ladies by the left as
Roger describes or ladies by the right as Frannie describes?
-Dave Harding
On 3/2/2016 2:17 PM, Roger Hayes via Callers wrote:
Hmm, with enough space a figure like this might be fun:
Pass through to a Swing
(like
We danced it at Meet Me In St Louis (can't remember which caller) and I
enjoyed it, so countthat as an endorsement.
-Dave
On 6/8/2016 4:45 PM, Mark Hillegonds via Callers wrote:
Looks like Little Green Heron, by Joseph Pimentel.
On Jun 8, 2016 4:40 PM, "Vicki Morrison via Callers"
Hi Luke, thanks for a great weekend. I'm piping up as a dancer who had
hoped that you would call a grand square in a contra formation after the
discussion here. Tonight I find myself in an analytical frame of mind,
thinking about where we stumbled, in the hope that you (and others) will
keep
Rich,
Let's do a bottom up estimate driven by an exerise. Stand comfortably,
hold the hands of the opposite role dancers on either side of you
(imaginary or real), and execute a long-lines-forward-and-back.
The distance from your left hand to your right hand is the distance
along the line
Let me echo my thanks, but put in a word of defense for the denigrated
Lump Star. I would rather have a lump star moving promptly than a
beautiful wrist star three steps late.
On 10/19/2016 4:40 AM, John Sweeney via Callers wrote:
Alternative Star Holds:
Hands Across (that term goes
I'm interested in familiar holiday tunes that work for contras. I know
I've danced to Jingle Bells a couple of times (as Alan suggested), and
think I remember doing a mixer to Gloria in Excelsis Deo. Any other ideas?
David
On 12/2/2016 6:10 PM, Winston, Alan P. via Callers wrote:
Claire --
Here's something I envisioned last fall and have been meaning to post
for comment. There were conversations here about gents chains and about
balancing the activity levels of ladies and gents. At Squirrel Moon
Weekend, Tom Hinds called a dance whose details I don't remember, except
that it
Scratch that. Now that I look at it in light of Tom's comments, I
realize that there is no progression. Doh!
On 3/26/2017 9:26 PM, David Harding via Callers wrote:
Here's something I envisioned last fall and have been meaning to post
for comment. There were conversations here about gents
I've danced "The weevil" three times in very different settings: once at a guinea pig dance, once at a weekend workshop, and once at our regular barn dance on a nasty weather night when the caller ran out of triplets after two+ hours. The dance is sufficiently different from contra or square
In observing the teaching of The Weevil, I found it helpful for some contra
dancers to have the progression explained. Every time through the dance you
should be moving two places to the right, wrapping around the aT the ends.
Also known as "California Fruit Basket," or "Ladies Bow, Gents Bow Under" The
signature move is the basket swing. Couple 1 visits first Couple 2, then couple
3, then couple 4. Et cetera.
http://www.lloydshaw.org/swing-like-thunder.html
> On June 14, 2017 at 8:21 AM dje h via Callers
>
Look at Cary Ravitz's web page on contra dance choreography
(http://www.dance.ravitz.us/chor.php), especially the section on what he calls
black boxes. http://www.dance.ravitz.us/chor.php#m I think that is exactly
what you are asking about. He did a useful workshop on that subject at Pigtown
This evening I mentioned the brilliant idea to my Tai Ji instructor.
She loved it and plans to try it with her senior classes, where some of
the participants can get a little confused. This will be especially
useful for her, since she sometimes has trouble with left and right herself.
David
"Entangled in Monte Carlo" by Luke Donforth
http://www.madrobincallers.org/2014/11/12/contra-with-a-swing-dance-move/
> On February 7, 2018 at 8:58 AM Ron Blechner via Callers
> wrote:
>
> Hey callers,
>
> I'm looking for dances with nerdy inspirations
Cary Ravitz calls the concept a black box. See his notes on choreography.
http://www.dance.ravitz.us/chor.php#m
Dave Harding
> On July 11, 2018 at 11:58 AM Kalia Kliban via Callers
> wrote:
>
>
> John's comment reminds me that a while back, somebody posted (a link
> to?) a list of equivalent
If you haven't done so, take a look at Cary Ravitz's web site on contra
dance choreography. His discussion of black boxes might help in
situations like this where you need a combination to get from one place
to another. http://www.dance.ravitz.us/chor.php#m
Dave
On 4/8/2018 7:59 PM, K
I think this works:
A1 N B
A2 Down hall, turn as couple, up hall
B1 Circle RIGHT 3/4, swing partner
B2 Gents/Larks chain, RH star
This preserves the simple turn as a couple. The momentum of the transition
from circle into swing changes in a way that might be thought of as
foreshadowing
I don't read the request as going beyond beat counts. The basic message
is hearing the music, stepping in time, and getting to where you need to
be in eight beats. Then you have various balance-and-four beats and
balance-and-twelve beats figures. You have the timing of the turns on
I agree with Jim. As a dancer, I've danced through a fair number of
bouts of caller confusion. My two cents: What seems to me to work best
is for the caller to know at least one point in each dance that we might
call an anchor point. "Oops, I slipped up there. Find your partner and
swing
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