Re: [Callers] Including Mobility Challenged Dancers

I find the real challenge sometimes is getting other dancers to adjust speed, stride length, etc. in order to support fellow dancers who may be limited by age or something not visible. I encourage people to be mindful of their fellow dancers and may mention that adjusting to others in various

Re: [Callers] Family Dances

One of the selling points of Sasha (besides the fact that it's REALLY fun) is this: In Russian, Sasha can be either a boy's name or a girl's name, so it doesn't matter who you face or who you are. (Some kids of a certain age are reluctant to interact with all their classmates, but I find this

Re: [Callers] Easy flourishes or other "bonus" movements?

Lenore, I taught a workshop on this exact topic. I'll send you my notes when next I'm at my computer. (Saturday, perhaps). Jerome On Friday, April 26, 2019, Lenore Frigo via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > I would like to teach some of my more advanced dancers some

Re: [Callers] Southern Nights square question

Thanks to all of you who replied with the directions for this dance. Cheers, Jerome Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com "Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe On Mon, Apr 22, 2019 at

[Callers] Southern Nights square question

Hivemind: I would like to have someone (or several someones) who know the Kathy Anderson square check my transcription to see if I've got it right or wrong. Please reply directly to me, since I can't find the dance published online and I presume that is intentional. --Jerome Jerome Grisanti

Re: [Callers] Calling for the visually impaired

Helle, I echo calls for connected dances, and to put aside the impulse to call duple minor dances. Consider as well that many experienced dancers, despite a desire to be helpful, may not actually be particularly helpful. This is because the skills involved in being helpful are both subtle and

[Callers] Trying to reach Tom Hinds

I attempted to send Tom Hinds a private query today and got a message that his mailbox is full. I don't have his phone number. Can someone in direct contact with Tom let him know I'm trying to reach him? (Alternatively, share his phone number directly to me -- i.e., off list). Thanks in advance!

Re: [Callers] Who’s in the middle?

Alexandra, >From the subject line of your note I'm guessing you're familiar with Roger Diggle's Two Whos in the Middle, but I'm sending it offline in case you're not. --Jerome Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com "Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has

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

I wonder if this might be considered the second half of Tag the Line (Half Tag is a common term, but it's the first half that square dancers use). Modern western square dance callers may think differently. --Jerome Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com "Whatever you do,

Re: [Callers] Transgressions

In the English repertoire, in Freeford Gardens and really most any dance that has people leading out to the side of the set there is the opportunity to loop around folks in the next set. Similarly, in progressive squares such as grapevine twist when I'm in the couple that's last in a figure, I'll

Re: [Callers] Intrigued by a Photo

Fellow Callers, Deborah Denenfeld of Dancing Well confirms that this is indeed Bottoms Up. And if I might put in a plug here: Dancing Well does wonderful and worthy work, and while gifts are always welcome, TODAY is a special fundraising opportunity, as all gifts on Sept. 13, 2018 (before 11:59

Re: [Callers] does this dance already exist?

Jean, At the end of the A2 Box the Gnat, the gents have their backs toward their original neighbor and so must release the box-the-gnat hand with intention in order to turn their body into the neighbor balance & swing. Not necessarily a problem, just a heads-up. The ladies, it appears, will be

[Callers] Susan Moffett's Obituary

Some of you may have known Susan Moffett, who was a dancer and a caller and a musician (and an artist and a mother and a wife and a friend and a professor and a teacher in the truest sense). She danced and called dances in Louisville and the surrounding region. She was consistently positive and

Re: [Callers] Challenging Contras

Chuck, I would encourage you to have plenty of easy to medium-easy dances available, and avoid programming all complex dances. Consider an easy dance done as a no-walk-through, or with minimal walk-through, or with a focus on executing this one little timing thing well so the whole crowd can

Re: [Callers] Moving past self-flagellation

Maia, I agree with what others have said about attitude being the most important tool, and to be gentle with yourself. I will sometimes tell the beginners lesson that they shouldn't get caught up on making mistakes, we all make mistakes, in fact tonight I will make a mistake to increase their

Re: [Callers] Marie Cassady of Louisville

You can see videos that Art Hoffman made a few years ago taking with Marie in her home: https://youtu.be/0DE1yiMT2Yo Jerome On Wednesday, October 11, 2017, Jerome Grisanti wrote: > Lovers of traditional dance, >> >> > It is with sadness I announce that Marie

[Callers] Marie Cassady of Louisville

Lovers of traditional dance, > > It is with sadness I announce that Marie Cassady, a dancer and teacher of dance in Louisville Kentucky for many many years, died on Sunday afternoon. She was 104, just two months shy of 105. Marie founded Louisville Country Dancers, which has since become a mostly

Re: [Callers] Genderless calling

Amy, Nice work. This sort of occasion is why I have some dances in my repertoire that don't have roles of any type, but the cows/chickens approach is clever and creative. Jerome On Monday, July 31, 2017, Cara Sawyer via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > This is THE BEST

Re: [Callers] Does this dance already exist?

I could visualize giving a left hand to your partner to help the transition from petronella spin to ladies chain. The ladies' orientation remains facing into the set, while the gents would spin a bit more and face out, with a left-hand pull-by helping ladies into the chain and the gents into

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

Dear Maia, I recently composed a contra that may fit your criteria. I've sent it out to a few other callers, and posted it to a small Facebook group, but its challenges make it unsuitable for most dances on my schedule. The challenges are: multiple progressions/regressions and potential

Re: [Callers] ???? Looking for Author of Dance -dancers adjust

I tend to think of the zig as four beats and the zag as four more. Four total would be zesty or rushed, depending on the crowd and music. Jerome On Friday, March 24, 2017, Tom Hinds via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > I believe that zig left, zag right normally takes 4

Re: [Callers] Looking for Author of Dance - The Cows Go Marching

Re: cow-related titles, I believe Carol Ormand wrote a dance called Heifers in the Peonies. --Jerome Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com "Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe On Wed, Mar

Re: [Callers] Do you recognize this dance?

Yoyo, I don't know if such a sequence already exists, but your point about the awkward transition had me wondering about replacing your B2 with: Balance the ring, pass through, turn alone. Star left 3/4 (three quarters). Jerome On Monday, March 6, 2017, Yoyo Zhou via Callers <

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

Kalia, In my mind's eye, lines in B1 are facing the stage at beat 12, outsides turn to face down, insides walk forward to meet partners in beats 13-16. That's what I picture. Erik, is that correct? --Jerome Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com "Whatever you do, or

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

Kalia, In Erik's dance, it appears partners are in adjacent lines of four (whether women or men are in front depends on which side of the set you're on, also which way the lines are turned. It also appears that the first 12 beats of the Dublin Bay figure are as usual, but the last 4 beats are

Re: [Callers] Wrist-Lock Stars

I agree with Chet that Louisville's default star is hands-across, although weekend festivals in nearby cities tend toward the millstone star. I avoid the terms wrist-lock or even wrist-grip star, as I prefer the fingers to lay atop the adjoining wrist without using the thumb to "grip" in any way.

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

Jacqui, I have called proper longways dances (without diagonals or out-of-minor-set interactions) for two couples, switching active couples with every other iteration but maintaining the same orientation in the room. Works well with many English dances -- for example Softly Good Tummas -- because

[Callers] Does This Dance Exist Already?

In 2015 I wrote (and called) a dance that may already exist; if it's unique I'm sure it's only slightly so. Wondering if anyone knows of this sequence (or very similar one) under a different title. Thanks! Jerome Grisanti Another Equal Turn By Jerome Grisanti (?) Improper Contra June 2015 A1

Re: [Callers] New (?) dance, B1 balance, B2 balance and partner swing

Luke, I don't recognize it, but it looks fun. Just curious ... did you have a particular tune in mind that shaped your desire for the balance at the top of the B sections? --Jerome Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com "Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it.

Re: [Callers] medley

As Aahz points out, contra medleys are highly dependent upon enunciation and the sound system. They are also highly dependent upon the crowd's expectations and experience. I recently called for a group that included a high percentage of "experienced" dancers whose approach seemed to be, "every

Re: [Callers] Challenging Contras

If you look at Fiddleheads (a classic), you might also consider Cary Ravitz's Fiddle Tales (Fiddletales?), which retains the signature diamond petronella turns but also includes neighbor swings. --Jerome Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com "Whatever you do, or dream you

Re: [Callers] Calling to a square dance crowd

Joseph, One other thing you might encounter is different interpretations of language and timing. So for example I've seen MWSD groups perform a "do-si-do" as a four-count swing rather than an 8-count back-to-back. And I've seen chains take six counts, with the other two counts spent wondering why

Re: [Callers] Compensating for SharedWeight's Limitation re: Threads

In addition to filtering, for those who use Gmail, there is a More button above your mail, which contains the choice "Mute." When you mute a conversation, new messages in the thread bypass your inbox unless your name is added specifically as a recipient.

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

I was recently calling dances at a small gathering using recorded music, and I altered the duple minor English dance "Easter Morn" just slightly to dance it as a triplet. In the B2, instead of ones leading down and casting back, I had the ones cross and cast down once place (to the bottom, threes

Re: [Callers] sticky floors

anyone with breathing problems, it's a problem for everyone. Please, > do not talc the floor! > Andrea > > Sent from my iOnlypretendtomultitask > > On Jul 20, 2015, at 3:05 PM, Jerome Grisanti via Callers < > callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > > If you

Re: [Callers] sticky floors

If you can find UNscented talc (and good luck with that!), try it in a small area to see if it works on your floor. Do NOT use scented baby power -- the cure would be worse than the disease. --Jerome Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com "There's no point in being unhappy

Re: [Callers] Chinese Fan from Square dance

I think Neal makes very good points about the wisdom of transferring square-dance moves to contras. I think such transfers can be fun if done well, but the teach must be very efficient or else will be likely to frustrate dancers. The challenge grows steeper for a newish caller. Consider whether

[Callers] Projecting That "It's All OK"

One of the lessons I learned in a Bruce Hamilton workshop was that the caller's attitude is a tool and it must be kept sharp. He mentioned the example of Bob Dalsemer always projecting a strong sense of well-being, everything is going just fine. I realized that while my stage presence often did

Re: [Callers] Difficulty rankings?

Erik and Alan make good points. I also think it's worth the exercise to try to rank dances, and individual figures, by difficulty as a way of thinking about what makes a dance hard or easy. For example: Which is easier to teach (or to learn): chain, hey, right & left through? That analysis is