Re: [Callers] Saving myself after a crash

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

Re: [Callers] Brain Dead - Need Suggestions

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

Re: [Callers] Riffing on "The Nice Combination"

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

Re: [Callers] Circles, Crazy Circles

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

Re: [Callers] Need help teleporting to other side of set - new dance

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

Re: [Callers] Nerdy dances

"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

Re: [Callers] Cheat Sheet of Dance Move Substitutions?

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

Re: [Callers] Put Your Red Hand In

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

Re: [Callers] Phil Jamison: Hoedowns, Reels, and Frolics

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

Re: [Callers] Swing Like Thunder

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 >

Re: [Callers] New Dance to Share

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.

Re: [Callers] New Dance to Share

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

Re: [Callers] In search of un-premiered contras!

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

Re: [Callers] In search of un-premiered contras!

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

Re: [Callers] Holiday contras - BEG/EASY

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 --

Re: [Callers] Wrist Lock Stars - Summary

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

Re: [Callers] Floor Space Requirement

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

Re: [Callers] Grand Square in a contra?

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

Re: [Callers] Anyone know this dance?

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"

Re: [Callers] Simple Revolving door dances?

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

Re: [Callers] Five Minutes with Beginners

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

Re: [Callers] dances in unusual formations

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.

Re: [Callers] dances in unusual formations

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

Re: [Callers] Dances For Short Line

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.

Re: [Callers] Who're all the whos?

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.

Re: [Callers] Anyone seen this sequence?

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