Re: [Callers] Looking for a particular sort of becket dance

Note that right and left diagonal relative to the the do-si-dos are just within the foursome, not like the couple left diagonal. I should probably have edited that out. Martha > On Jul 23, 2017, at 4:05 PM, Martha Wild via Callers > <callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: >

Re: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography

Maybe I’m late in coming to this, but has anyone mentioned Pat Shaw’s Margaret’s Waltz (contra to tune he wrote of same name)? Actually, maybe he wrote it as a Sicilian Circle, but I’ve done it as a contra. Martha ___ Callers mailing list

Re: [Callers] Pirate Themed Dances!

How about: Treasure of the Sierra Madre James Hutson Forgotten Treasure Beth Parkes The Seagull Erik Weberg Golden Chain Nick Hawes Ocean View Reel Donna Hinds Woven Wave Cary Ravitz Ride the Wave to Love JoAnn Kopanny Dancing Sailors Ed Shaw Night Sail Rick Mohr Smooth Sailing Becky Hill > On

Re: [Callers] Pre-dance preparation

If you have to travel a long distance, LEAVE EARLY. So many things can go wrong with traffic etc. on the way to a dance. Give yourself time to get there without stressing and arriving at the last minute (or after the last minute). Martha > On Sep 16, 2017, at 6:01 AM, Mary Collins via

[Callers] Names and authors for a few dances

OK, I've got a few dances here (actually more than a few but I'll start with a few) that I don't have attribution for. I'd appreciate any help, thanks! Number 1 4 face 4 A1 Forward and back Swing corner A2 Heads right and left through Sides right and left through B1 Men star

Re: [Callers] When the dancers aren't paying attention

Good point Erik. Also, if you travel, different groups can have vastly different cultures. Some years ago I was asked to call a zesty contra in another state. I assumed they would want to do a lot of zesty dances and planned accordingly. The food was placed outside the dance floor in a long

Re: [Callers] Itty-bitty dances, triplets, odd numbers

Though it may seem like heresy to do it without the associated tune, Levi Jackson Rag can be done to other thirty-two bar tunes if the band doesn't know the required tune, and is good for 5 couples. On May 3, 2015, at 12:53 PM, Kalia Kliban via Callers wrote: > I just called a tiny dance last

Re: [Callers] How to explain the charms of square dances (was More on Programming)

I don't call squares often - it is a different feel than calling contras, and for our contra dance, I would want to be better at it to do it regularly (of course, if I did it I'd get more practice). But I do often call visiting squares like the Grapevine Twist or Birdie in the Cage for barn

Re: [Callers] Title and author if this dance, please?

Duple Improper version: A Piece O' Cake by Carol Kopp On Jul 11, 2015, at 11:55 AM, Ron Blechner via Callers wrote: > Instead of an odd progression, I'd just start the dance at the A2 and make it > duple improper. > > N B+S (4,12) > Hey (GL, PR, LL, NR) (16) > Gents cross L (2) > PS (14) >

Re: [Callers] Shadow Swing Disclaimers?

Hear, hear, Eric! My sentiments exactly. And for a slightly different perspective: I danced a shadow dance at Glen Echo some years back, and after swinging my shadow a few times, we both suddenly realized we knew each other from way back (my how we change)! Every swing was an opportunity to

Re: [Callers] Rollaway sans sashay?

The instructions for If I Was Dead and It Wouldn't Go to Waste can be found at this link (page 9): http://www.lloydshaw.org/Resources/adc/201303.pdf On Sep 10, 2015, at 8:47 AM, Perry Shafran via Callers wrote: > I think the full title is "If It Were Dead It Would Not Go to Waste". >

Re: [Callers] Dances For Short Line

It's a good time to call dances that might need extra space along the line - for example, there are some dances with a ladies chain up and down as opposed to across the set such as Saint Louis Cruise by Robert Cromartie. On Oct 15, 2015, at 6:46 PM, Laur via Callers wrote: > I think I meant

Re: [Callers] Advice about "gypsy"

I can see from this discussion that there is definitely merit in giving this move a different name, though I had never thought of it as a derogatory term before. I rather like the idea suggested in a previous post of "eddy" because it is short and to the point and sounds different from other

Re: [Callers] Advice about "gypsy"

Since we are all operating on assumptions here about what might or might not be offensive to the Roma people, I have sent a question to "Voice of Roma" (www.voiceofroma.com/) asking for their opinion as to whether our using the word gypsy for the past century plus as a name for a dance move

Re: [Callers] Gypsy Synopsis

Gyre makes me chortle. Could work. Martha On Oct 29, 2015, at 12:16 PM, Amy Wimmer via Callers wrote: > I LOVE that word as a replacement for "gypsy." It makes absolute sense and > conveys the idea of the move perfectly. > -Amy > > On Oct 29, 2015, at 9:23 AM, bill fischer via Callers >

Re: [Callers] dances in unusual formations

Levi Jackson can be done perfectly well to other tunes, though of course it is best with it's own tune. Ragtime Annie (A and B parts only) is a nice compromise that some bands know. Martha On Nov 1, 2015, at 4:17 AM, Bree Kalb via Callers wrote: > Levi Jackson Rag is a favorite of mine but not

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

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:

[Callers] Fwd: Josefins Dopvals (Waltz)

All, This is Josefins Waltz. Chris Peoples provided me with a copy. It is a very beautiful and fairly easy waltz to play (not many eighth notes). If you get a chance, play through it, and see what you think. We could add it to our repertoire and try it this week - thoughts from other fiddlers?

Re: [Callers] Josefins Dopvals (Waltz) (oops)

Sorry, about sending it to you all. I was sending that file to a BCC list of Community Band members, and so I usually send it to myself in the “To” area - and the computer defaulted to me via Callers instead of my e-mail. The other list did get it as a BCC. But if some of you are also

Re: [Callers] Contra with Hey

The first is very close to Bill Olson’s “Perihelion” except for slightly different A1. Probably easier than that one though. > On Dec 9, 2015, at 1:04 PM, jill allen via Callers > wrote: > > Here's something new: > > Signs of Life > duple improper contra >

Re: [Callers] As in Petronella

Hear, hear, John. I agree with you. I’ve heard this move called "petronella turn" at least since the late 80s and, as you do, just call it as such, and teach where necessary, without a reference to the original dance. Why bother? Most dancers don’t know the original dance - now if I were

Re: [Callers] As in Petronella

n. > > -- Alan > > On 12/17/15 7:42 AM, Martha Wild via Callers wrote: >> Hear, hear, John. I agree with you. I’ve heard this move called "petronella >> turn" at least since the late 80s and, as you do, just call it as such, and >> teach where necessary,

Re: [Callers] That g word

;gypsy" the dance move with the slang for wandering people? >> >> Regardless of its origin, its current use is relevant. >> >> Ron >> >> On Jan 21, 2016 12:15 PM, "Martha Wild via Callers" >> <callers@lists.sharedweight.net <mailto

Re: [Callers] 9-person dance?

There’s a really neat oddball one by Erik Hoffman called “The Millennium Bug”. Not sure what book of his it is in, though. There’s another traditional one called “Pride of the Pingle” for four couples +1. Line up as for a reel of four couples, doesn’t really matter if it is proper or not. The

Re: [Callers] Choreography and Copyright

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

Re: [Callers] 9-person dance?

I have a version of it though I’m not sure where it came from. It’s more of a play party dance, and rarely goes along with the music. El Capitan 2 lines facing, can be 4 or 5 couples, 1 extra person with a handkerchief to wave (El Capitan). Music plays. Person who is El Capitan yells

Re: [Callers] another new word idea

How about “mimsy” then - kind of like Jets and Rubies, it has a similar feel to the word it replaces. Martha > On Jan 25, 2016, at 3:53 PM, Jonathan Sivier via Callers > wrote: > > That's what made me think of it. In some earlier message someone mentioned >

Re: [Callers] another new word idea

Well, I have changed my opinion. I decided to talk to Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett at Away With Words about the g-word controversy, figuring that if anyone could shed light on the origins of the words and the ethical use of language it would be them. They said that the origin is NOT the

Re: [Callers] Contras for One Nighters

At one nighters I start with non-contra dances and if there is time work up to Family Contra which is a good one for easy progression, and then to this one: Ellen’s Green Jig by Roy Dommett (doesn’t matter if it’s proper or improper) A1 Do-si-do neighbor Ones do-si-do A2 Ones balance

Re: [Callers] Novelty & Gimmick Contras

> This is one I wrote that I’ve called a couple of times and people liked it. > It is unequal in that the ones swing, but you can easily alternate between > ones and twos if the dancers are more experienced. If you look at the link it > will make the move clear, in case my explanation doesn’t

Re: [Callers] Rates for private events (weddings etc)?

After having some serious delays at weddings (like 5 hours between when we were supposed to be on and when we actually went on) I now (either as a caller or with one of my bands) charge at least $100-$150 per band/caller person, but include the caveat that a half hour delay is free, but every

Re: [Callers] Is this a new dance?

Agreed. Once around is hard enough to get done in 8 counts sometimes. > On Jul 19, 2016, at 2:16 PM, Chris Page via Callers > wrote: > > As a general comment, I actively dislike dances that try and squeeze > circle left 1 & 1/4 into eight beats. > > One dance I

Re: [Callers] Name that dance

I have it as Holiday Haze by Cheri Glaser - is that correct, or is it Daze? Martha > On Jul 21, 2016, at 4:46 PM, Lisa Greenleaf via Callers > wrote: > > >> On Jul 21, 2016, at 7:41 PM, Vicki Morrison wrote: >> >> But is "Cheri" the

Re: [Callers] Another Existential Inquiry

What is it with people and every dance having to have a neighbor swing? I personally dislike dance programs where every dance has a neighbor swing. Sometimes I’d like to pay attention to the partner I’m dancing with and not everyone else. Sometimes interesting choreography is available when you

Re: [Callers] Favorite dance to teach a ladies chain?

Hey, I’m an experienced dancer, and I actually like the continuous flow of a “full” ladies chain. And having done it from the man’s side, it’s kind of fun there, too, to sidestep and then swoop the women’s role around or if the dance and partner permit, twirling them under. It’s a flowy move, I

[Callers] Want to contact Harry Brauser

Hi, Harry Brauser is a dancer and former caller who has moved back to San Diego. He called me when he got here and I screwed up and erased his phone number from my phone before I had a chance to write it down. Does anyone have his phone number? He used to call in Maine and Boston. Martha Wild

Re: [Callers] Contra friendly squares

I don’t dislike squares. But I hesitate to call them unless there are only four or maybe 8 couples left at the end of the dance for a number of reasons - one being the large teaching to dancing ratio in general as mentioned below, another being the fact that you can have two - seven people who

Re: [Callers] Ralph Page Style

One of the reasons I wrote “Hot Cross Bunny” was because I love the transition of swinging, facing up, and going proper down the outside, but I don’t like the wait to be active. So it’s a double-progression dance, and usually everyone gets their chance to be active. In a crowd that won’t be

Re: [Callers] suggestions for dances

Wednesday’s at Amherst Ron Blechner Saturday Night Line Joseph Pimentel Saturday Night Reel Herbie Gaudreau > On Nov 4, 2016, at 10:26 AM, Karin Neils via Callers > wrote: > > Monday Jim Hemphill >

Re: [Callers] Four face fours

I wrote this one (after some discussions with Chris Page about disorientation at the finish of an earlier version), and it works pretty well. Diving Ducks Redux 4 face 4 A1 Lines forward and back Dip and dive around the square* A2 Continue the dip and dive Women

Re: [Callers] Contras which feature a "Dublin Bay" figure

Note that the Scottish “Gay Gordons” dance, which has been a standard there for I don’t know how long, features a promenade where couples walk forward then turn and continue backward, then come back forward and turn and continue backing up again. Doing four instead of two in line would seem a

Re: [Callers] Contras which feature a "Dublin Bay" figure

To Ron, > > > Personally, I find Dublin Bay in a contra dance an exercise of "why aren't we > just going down the hall?" It just feels gimmicky to me. But I enjoy the > dance Dublin Bay - so it's not a criticism on the figure, but its use. > I don’t feel this way at all about this figure. I

[Callers] Gene Murrow Workshop in Rancho Bernardo area of San Diego

Gene Murrow is giving a caller’s workshop, details below, on Monday evening. This is open to ECD and contra caller’s if you are interested and can attend. I’ve put the details below: "The caller's workshop with Gene Murrow will be at Casa de Las Campanas at 18655 W Bernardo Drive in Rancho

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

I’d like to add another point to Neal’s reasoning: As a 5 foot 1 inch woman dancer (and a caller), I can also add that the female of the human species is known to generally be smaller than the male. This is such a signature difference that on Voyager they included a graven image of the human

Re: [Callers] Difficult dancers as a caller

As one other caller mentioned - what I do as a caller is avoid looking at that dancer AT ALL. That confuses me, and I will miscall if I get to caught up in what is happening there. What I do is look ASAP for the dancers who are doing the moves smoothly and well, and I call to them, making sure

Re: [Callers] Does this dance already exist?

Hi, all. Actually, I think the transition from the petronella to the ladies chain is a good one. There are certain moves in dancing, that I’ve heard called “poise points,” where one purposefully switches direction, and it can be very satisfying. For me, the spin to the right feels like the

Re: [Callers] Untitled Dances

Note that on The Ricochet Hey per the link, the women only ricochet on the second half - so it is a regular half hey with the men passing left shoulders, then a half hey with the women ricochet. Martha > On May 11, 2017, at 6:52 AM, Michael Dyck via Callers >

[Callers] What to do?

So, a while back I was working with a band and they played a tune that was sort of new for them, and the A part was fine, but the B part was unusual anyway, and hard to know where the count was, in particular because they were unfamiliar with it, and I tried to count and call so the dancers

Re: [Callers] Looking for a particular sort of becket dance

Kalia, Don’t know if any of these will suit. It’s for new callers, not necessarily new dancers, so the first may be too family dance oriented. All of the following are Becket formation My variant of Balance the Star #2 by the McLain Family (at least that’s the title I have for it). I changed

Re: [Callers] Solo fiddler or recorded music?

Also, you can just change many right and left throughs into promenade across if you want to make a dance easier for beginners. Martha On Mar 27, 2015, at 8:54 AM, Cheryl Joyal via Callers wrote: > The courtesy turn is the hard part. Sometimes Teaching hat first works as > they practice the

Re: [Callers] New vs. Variation

Michael, If I were writing these dances, I'd probably give them all the same name and call them #1, #2, and #3, because they have the same overall sense and theme - easier for me to keep track of them. If different people had written them at different times, they could probably call them

[Callers] Another non woven wave Gypsy Star dance

I’ve got a gypsy star dance (I actually call it “Star Wrong” and not just because of the g-word, but because if you say “gypsy star” everybody starts to gypsy and NOT star, so I gave up on that confusing terminology). Haven’t seen another dance like it. The move from mad robin into the star

Re: [Callers] Halloween

Ding, Dong, the Witch Is Dead <>Duple improper October 24, 2000 A1Women do-si-do (or gypsy or allemande right as well) Women swing (unisex style or Galway swing) A2Men allemande right 1 ½

Re: [Callers] Etiquette of refusing an offer to dance

Oh, yes, I remember that rule. If I was asked by someone I really didn’t want to dance with, and I declined to dance with them, I would sit out the next dance in order not to hurt their feelings and I had to act as if I was tired or I wanted to sit it out, all the time wishing that I'd avoided

Re: [Callers] Moving past self-flagellation

Oh, yeah, that obsessing over the two things that went wrong. It will get better. A few things to take notice of: you can’t please all of the people all of the time. Even if you call an evening with no obvious errors, someone will come up and say they didn’t like a particular dance because it

Re: [Callers] Moving past self-flagellation

Yeah - there’s the dancer response I just commented on in my previous comment - some people think it’s fun when it gets chaotic! Martha > On Nov 6, 2017, at 9:28 AM, John W Gintell via Callers > wrote: > > This is what is important - it is why we go to

Re: [Callers] Moving past self-flagellation

And about switching to another dance when there is trouble with one: Sometimes, this is necessary. Sometimes, you have misjudged the difficulty level of the dance for the dancers, or the dance doesn’t work as written down (oops). Hopefully you notice that before teaching or during, but things

Re: [Callers] A Dance without Partner Swing

One dance I do call occasionally is Eric Hoffman’s Last Swing of Summer. I like it because there's a couple do-si-do 1 1/2 times with your partner, so I always comment to people that as long as they are aware of their neighbors, they have 16 counts with their partner and they should use the

Re: [Callers] A Dance without Partner Swing

I agree with Bill. Calling a neighbor swing only dance first, like Ted Sanella’s Holiday Jig, can help train those beginners that are dancing together. Martha > On May 15, 2018, at 6:40 AM, billinhi--- via Callers > wrote: > > I agree with John Sweeney, but

Re: [Callers] Multiple partner swings?

Dan, Here’s a dance by JoAnn Koppany called Ride the Wave to Love with two partner swings. Ignore the shorthand at the bottom - that’s my own for dance planning purposes and comes along with the Caller’s Companion printout page. It’s a nice dance, I’ve danced it and enjoyed it. And yes, no

Re: [Callers] Good dances with challenging timing

Actually, I have rarely ever experienced Hull’s Victory done correctly and on time. Martha > On Feb 2, 2018, at 11:58 AM, Yoyo Zhou via Callers > wrote: > > On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 7:26 AM, Rick Mohr via Callers >

Re: [Callers] Nerdy dances

Chris Page has Vector Analysis - there’s a nerdy title for you. And a good dance. Martha > On Feb 7, 2018, at 6:58 AM, Ron Blechner via Callers > wrote: > > Hey callers, > > I'm looking for dances with nerdy inspirations to add a few more choices to > an

Re: [Callers] Nerdy dances

Ron, Well, I have one inspired by the mating of Tetrahymena (a ciliated protozoan like a Paramecium) called Tetrahymena Twirl, and it’s kind of nerdy. Three person (one a couple unit) hey. I consider it intermediate - it’s a little weird in teaching but dances easily once it starts. It’s

Re: [Callers] ONS contract

Just make sure that if it is a wedding, you have some sort of clause that adds money for every half hour you are delayed by the hirers from performing! Too many weddings have asked us to start incredibly late with no additional payment. Martha > On Feb 23, 2018, at 3:10 PM, Mary Collins via

Re: [Callers] ONS contract

after that > time, they agree to pay me $100 per hour, in cash, in advance. I’ve never had > to invoke the overtime clause, possibly because it’s spelled out clearly up > front. > > Jim > >> On Feb 23, 2018, at 6:20 PM, Martha Wild via Callers >> <callers@l

Re: [Callers] Folk Festival - Easy Contra dances to teach Beginners

John already mentioned Family Contra, which is my favorite because the progression happens so easily, and it is so obvious that you are facing new people. In addition, it has no obvious differences in gender role - doesn’t matter who dances on which side, so great with piles of kids and parents

[Callers] Fragile dancers, safety policies

What do you do if you have dancers who are becoming frail, but do not seem to acknowledge it, and that you are concerned might fall and hurt themselves (or others) at an English country dance or contra? Particularly dancers who have danced for a long time and given much to the community, but

Re: [Callers] More substitute terms for the g-word

I don’t think right shoulder round is going to make the grade. It’s descriptive, certainly, but it is long and unwieldy and can’t be easily shortened to anything recognizable as you eliminate calls in the dance. So, I’m sorry, but I’m not going to be using it. Martha > On Mar 13, 2018, at

Re: [Callers] Programming a Dance

Usually from 2-4 hours, I’d say. I plan in alternatives for harder dances, and I also provide suggestions to the band for what sorts of tunes are needed, smooth, bouncy, marchy, where the balances are. I always pre-program. Occasionally I have to change something on the fly, but not usually an

[Callers] More substitute terms for the g-word

Interesting discussion on the Portland Country Dance Community Facebook page. Lots of great suggestions. A lot of people really don’t like “right shoulder round” (I’m one of them). I tried one of their suggestions last night - Kipsey - and it worked amazingly well. Easy to say, particularly

Re: [Callers] More substitute terms for the g-word

I don’t see that if you substitute a term that ends with a long e it should be nixed just for that reason. OK, maybe kipsy might be considered just a euphemism. But "Look-see", as described by Susan Michaels, has the virtue of involving the fact that you are looking at the other person, and

Re: [Callers] More substitute terms for the g-word

Yeah, except we keep trying different terms here in San Diego, as well as having callers who havent changed it, so there is no one word to put on the map here yet. > On Mar 14, 2018, at 12:10 PM, Linda S. Mrosko via Callers > wrote: > > Perhaps someone, not

Re: [Callers] Down the hall - do something - then come back up

I’ve got these in my database: Hickman’s Hey, Dan Pearl Two Way Street, Bob Isaacs & Lisa Greenleaf Whoops Jamboree, Camy Kaynor Ants Marching, Ron Blechner Brimmer and May Reel, Dan Pearl California Cloverleaf, Margo Gunsenhauser Four Cubed Contra, Martha Wild Lady Madonna, Martha Wild Tag,

Re: [Callers] Calling techno?

I’ve called to a techno contra once - but the person who put the techno tracks together was smart, contra savvy, and mindful of phrasing, and used pieces that had good 8 count beats, and made the transitions work so that they were at proper junctions and could sync people up again. It was

Re: [Callers] Hand Turns & Safety

Hear, hear! My sentiments exactly! How on earth are you supposed to “give weight” (in the proper way, just a tiny bit so you are both part of a unit) and get around each other with a flat, palm to palm contact? The only way that works is that people bend their wrists so that they have some

Re: [Callers] Brain Dead - Need Suggestions

Do Play Party dances like: The Bingo dance: To the tune of the Bingo song - if you remember that from childhood…. Kids are in two lines facing each other. They start by singing and clapping to the beat: Part 1) There was an old dog, sat on the back porch, and Bingo was his name oh There was

Re: [Callers] Feeling Superstitious 

Another thing that can be done, if you don’t want to just choose dances based on their names, is play with the names of the dances you do choose. Nice Tomb-ination. Monday Nightmare in Ballard. Be creative. Martha > On Sep 10, 2019, at 4:12 PM, Erik Hoffman via Callers > wrote: > > Since

Re: [Callers] Mad Robin + Lady/Raven combos

Here’s one of mine with a couple of variations. <> Gateway to Julian #3 <> Becket September 9, 2015 A1Slide left and circle left ¾ Swing your neighbor A2Women chain

Re: [Callers] [Organizers] contra dance gypsy

I hate "right shoulder round". It has the problem of using the term right in it. That makes it easy for people to confuse with a right allemande or a right shoulder do-si-do as you are calling it. Or right and left through. People often hear the first syllable you say to get direction, and that

Re: [Callers] Fuel-efficient dancing

Well, at least I’ve got a full car-pool going up to English Country tonight! 4 of us. Martha > On Oct 7, 2019, at 4:21 PM, Richard Hopkins via Callers > wrote: > > I share the concern about driving a lot to get to dance events. > > FWIW: The Concord Scout House is 0.6 miles from the