Re: [Callers] Public Dance, Ideas Wanted

Hi Jonathan, Thanks for taking a gig like this on! It can be challenging, but it's a great way to get the word out about dancing; which is vital to having dancers :-) Are you in the middle of the day? Or late afternoon into the evening? I ask, because I think that'll influence how many kids you g

Re: [Callers] "Dixie Twirl" term

Hi Becky, Thanks for weighing in! We're glad to have you on the list, and I personally appreciate the cultural context you've provided. While some callers may continue to use the term Dixie, I think it benefits even them to have the insight into the phrases nuances. I hope you find the list-serv

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

t; Combination" and "The Nice Combination". > > On Fri, Aug 2, 2019 at 2:28 PM Luke Donforth via Callers < > callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > >> Hello all, >> >> I was programming for tonight, and looked at Gene Hubert's classic "The &

[Callers] Riffing on "The Nice Combination"

Hello all, I was programming for tonight, and looked at Gene Hubert's classic "The Nice Combination" (N B&S, Dwn 4, turn as cpls, C L 3/4, P S, Ld/robin chain, LHS); and wondered what the simplest variant that would flow well with a gents/larks chain instead of a ladies/robins chain. What I've co

[Callers] Loss of a legend

Hello all, Just letting the community know that Ralph Sweet passed away last week: https://memorials.leetestevens.com/ralph-sweet/3877859/index.php I hope to keep dancing and calling for as long as he did. An inspiration. -- Luke Donforth luke.donfo...@gmail.com ___

Re: [Callers] Looking for non-mixer dances for kids (age 4-10)

e > extra into the middle and back as written might fit just fine. > > On 5/15/2019 6:45 AM, Luke Donforth via Callers wrote: > > Hi Charles, > > > > I'm tweaking the subject line slightly to help the next person find this > > in the archive ;-) > >

Re: [Callers] Looking for non-mixer dances for kids (age 4-10)

And the image didn't come through... Sorry, it's online at http://www.uvm.edu/~ldonfort/slalom.jpg On Wed, May 15, 2019 at 1:26 PM Luke Donforth wrote: > I got some off-list questions about Green Mountain Ski Wedding, and I > figured I'd answer them for everyone, since the description isn't > co

Re: [Callers] Looking for non-mixer dances for kids (age 4-10)

I got some off-list questions about Green Mountain Ski Wedding, and I figured I'd answer them for everyone, since the description isn't completely clear. Someone asked about the DSD in A1, but not in B1. You could put a long lines there. This dance doesn't really stay square to the music. So while

Re: [Callers] Looking for non-mixer dances for kids (age 4-10)

Hi Charles, I'm tweaking the subject line slightly to help the next person find this in the archive ;-) As Bree Kalb mentioned, Linda Leslie has a wonderful collection. There are also a lot of resources available at New Engl

[Callers] Contra dancing... on ICE!

I'd like to share this because I think it's really fun. Several months ago, I was approached by the coaches of a Theater on Ice team about helping put together a program for their 2018-19 Choreographic Challenge, which was to showcase cultural dance. Burlington's team, "On Thin Ice" wanted to do a

Re: [Callers] Calling for the visually impaired

(Technical note, I Mac's response, but not Helle's original post?) I don't have extensive experience calling for visually impaired dancers. I have occasionally had an experienced blind dancer on the floor, but never a sizable percentage. But this is conjecture on my part; please trust your own jud

Re: [Callers] Fwd: Caller Enquiry

For those who like to pass on names of callers, feel free to point people to the caller directory at http://tinyurl.com/hnb72wv which lets people sort by area. On Thu, Apr 11, 2019 at 8:33 AM Rich Goss via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > I got this inquiry.Anyone interested

Re: [Callers] Does this exist? (Rory O'Moore > Partner Balance and Swing)

Hi Maia, Not sure if you've already run this one (I'm behind on e-mails). Personally, I would caution that getting dancers out of the habit of Rorying to the right first might be hard. I have in my box a similar dance, called Wildabeasts (that I wrote in 2017), that replaces your A2 with a (8) Ra

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

Alan, I agree that dolphin poussette is an apt description for what's going on; and concur that it probably wouldn't help all the dancers (and less so in Contra than in English, I think). The star bursts as envisioned below definitely have a dolphin hey poussette feel, with the two couples curving

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

version of it in a duple improper > choreography, please! Sans the folks moving through the center, > unfortunately. > > Angela > > > On Thu, Mar 7, 2019, 5:15 PM QuiAnn2 via Callers < > callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > >> If it isn’t already a defined

Re: [Callers] Who’s in the middle?

Do you specifically want folks in the middle of short line? Or would a long line at the sides work as well? Erik Hoffman's Missing Duck sets up a long lines Rory O'More with a partner allemande. If folks over or under allemande that, then the other person is facing in and starts the hey. It all re

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

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

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

Hi All, I'm playing around with choreographing triplets, and I've got a sequence that I think would flow well; but I'm not sure how to teach it short of a demo. The idea is that couples 2 & 3 do a star. Out of that star, they move out, up, and back in; leaving space in the middle for couple 1 to

Re: [Callers] Fan Favorite PROPER Contras?

I'll second Indigo Silk. Not familiar with the second one. I wrote one a while ago that does use the ubiquitous 1/2 figure 8. But also borrows from things like David Kaynor's Open Doors Simply Left in Wisconsin by Luke Donforth Contra/Proper/Int A1 --- PROPER (8) Circle Right 3/4 As coup

Re: [Callers] New(?) dance, transitions?

1, 2019, at 7:50 AM, Gregory Frock via Callers < > callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > > Hi Luke, > > I think this is a great accessible dance. Flow is fine, and I actually > feel that getting too much "rightward" muscle memory is not a good thing. > Sym

[Callers] New(?) dance, transitions?

Hi all, I was thinking about standard transitions; and how similar flows could possibly be created while still adding variation to our dance diet. Chain-> (1x or 1/2) hey -> balance and swing works well; but gyre & swing doesn't work well there, because you've set up left shoulder at the end of t

Re: [Callers] Transgressions

In addition to Pong, the grid contra I've tried at two dance weekends, there's also some six face six dances I wrote; only "two out of three ain't bad" has actually been field tested. I've had it succeed and be enjoyed, I've also had it degenerate into a circle mixer. http://www.madrobincallers.or

Re: [Callers] Barn dances for teens

Hi Rick, On the "longways dances" front, I've written a couple that I use regularly, and few that I wrote, but seem too challenging for the regular longways crowds of weddings and fall festivals. Possibly these would suit your teens. If you do give them a try, please let me know how they go and wh

[Callers] Becket in a Basket

Following up on Rick's request for dances for a monthly group of teenagers, I was trying to put a basket swing in a becket dance; and I'd appreciate folks thoughts and suggestions on flow and timing. Basket swings are not something I'd run in a regular dance, but this sounds like the same group of

Re: [Callers] Easy contras for teens

There are a couple x2 contras, where it's basically the same dance twice through. Those tend to have two swings, so may be less pertinent, but (the similar) "Will you marry me" by Seth Tepher, or "Midwestern Folklore" by Oracle Johnson may be pertinent. Staying in the Becket theme is one I wrote f

Re: [Callers] Luke's Tunnel

Thanks for sharing John. This seems a hair's breadth away from being a square dance. Is there a reason to run it as a "contra" rather than a "square"? Or do you find the distinction doesn't really matter? On Thu, Aug 23, 2018 at 8:19 AM John Sweeney via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> w

Re: [Callers] New contra dance database

Congratulations on getting the database up! And thank you for the massive effort you've put into it! I'd write a dance to celebrate it, but I think you probably don't want a dance with over ten thousand figures... heck at this point it'd be understandable if you wanted us to stop writing dances en

Re: [Callers] dances for Halloween

Well, there's what the kids go for: "All You Can Eat"; possibly of something tasty for the season, like "Apples and Chocolate". If you're not on the food part, there's "Black Cat Mixer", "Dancing In My Bones", or "Witches Star". Having danced at themed dancing where the theme overran programmatic

Re: [Callers] Demolition Derby, a 4 Face 4 of dubious do-ability?

The sense I have of the A2 bit is that you've combined a mad robin with a hey, right? I'd start with that as the description. It's just a hey passing the one you swung by right shoulder, but you're facing your partner in the other line of four as you go. And if it's not a hey, but in fact somethi

[Callers] Barn Weddings are a thing now

This is tangentially related to calling, but apparently the percentage of weddings hosted in barns has grown from 2% to 15% in the last decade ( https://tinyurl.com/ycbm9god). While the article doesn't specific that called dancing has increased as well, I'd be surprised if it hadn't. A decade ago

Re: [Callers] New 4x4 composition with a tunnel, and related questions

Happy dancing, > >John > > > > John Sweeney, Dancer, England j...@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 > 940 574 > > http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events > & DVDs > > http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in

[Callers] New 4x4 composition with a tunnel, and related questions

Hello all, I've had an idea for a 4 facing 4 dance rattling around, and it seems unlikely I'll have enough dancers to house-party it anytime soon, so I'd appreciate feedback on an untested dance. 4 facing 4 contra A1 (4) Lines of 4 go forward, take right hand with the one in front of you (4) box

Re: [Callers] Looking to DANCE!

Definitely worth dancing with the fine folks in Maine if you get a chance. From: https://deffa.org/events/2018-08/ Looks like your best bets in Maine would be Otis (1 hr) or Bangor (1.5 hr) on Friday; and Bowdoinham or Norway (each ~1 hr) on Saturday. Not sure about Sunday on the road back to Al

Re: [Callers] Does a 1/2 figure 8 and cast off exist in ECD? In Contra?

Hi John, While there isn't a person there for the ladies to go around, I'd envisioned them looping around as if they were, and using the space and time to make the move flow. So they'd trace the path of what they'd do with a half figure eight, without a physical presence of the standard post. That

Re: [Callers] Does a 1/2 figure 8 and cast off exist in ECD? In Contra?

feel though. On Tue, Jul 10, 2018 at 10:53 AM, Michael Dyck via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > On 2018-07-10 08:18 AM, Luke Donforth via Callers wrote: > >> Hello all, >> >> I've been thinking about half figure eights, and variations on them. I

[Callers] Does a 1/2 figure 8 and cast off exist in ECD? In Contra?

Hello all, I've been thinking about half figure eights, and variations on them. Is anyone familiar (in ECD, contra, or other traditions), where instead of the 1s or 2s half figure eight, having the gents or ladies do the move from improper formation? As soon as you have something like the ladies

Re: [Callers] Circles, Crazy Circles

Lots of great dances already suggested. Talking about the bigger picture programming thing, I hear wanting to change the feel and not have circles in every dance. While Give and Take might feel like a cheat to you, it will feel different for the dancers, and it's probably not egregious. You can a

Re: [Callers] New dance composition, star to next neighbor hey

next N) > Star Left 1x to Gents face out, Ladies in > B1 NEXT Ns Full Hey (Ladies pass LEFT in center) > B2 Ladies Cross, Partner Swing > > Dan's original is "modified DI" starting with the hey and has a Circle > Left in place of the Long Lines. Page 94 of Give and Ta

Re: [Callers] New dance composition, star to next neighbor hey

m more inclined to consider them separate. On Mon, Jun 25, 2018 at 4:31 PM, Michael Dyck via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > On 2018-06-25 04:03 PM, Luke Donforth via Callers wrote: > >> Hi folks, >> >> I ran this at a monthly dance, and it wa

[Callers] New dance composition, star to next neighbor hey

Hi folks, I ran this at a monthly dance, and it was well received; so I figured I'd share it around. To my knowledge it's new. Please correct me if you know of a prior. The interesting/odd bit is the transition from B2 to A1, where the ladies role comes out of a left hand star with old neighbors

Re: [Callers] Looking for a square caller 9/22 Colorado

Dereck, in addition to pinging folks on this list about it, I'd also encourage you (or anyone else trying to refer outside their own geographic base) to check out the caller directory: http://tinyurl.com/hnb72wv Looking at that, I'd say Tine Fields, Peter Johnson, and Wendy Graham Settle are the c

[Callers] Star 1/2 -> Star 1/2?

I was recently thinking about star to star transitions. There are lots of great dances that go star 1x to opposite hand star 1x (such as Lisa Greenleaf's "Poetry in Motion", Robert Cromartie's "Al's Safeway Produce", Linda Leslie's "Burlington Spirit"...); and then there are the star -> same hand s

Re: [Callers] New (?) simple dance without a neighbor swing

m is that the descriptions of many of the older dances aren't > available on-line. > And I don't happen to have access to them. > > "Heritage Reel" by Tony Parkes is a permutation of your dance, > but it starts off with Neighbor Balance and Swing, > doesn'

Re: [Callers] New (?) simple dance without a neighbor swing

Not having heard from anyone as already having it in their box, I'll add it to my box as "Calliope's Promenade". Hope it's useful for others out there as well. Thanks all, On Wed, Apr 18, 2018 at 7:35 AM, Luke Donforth wrote: > Hi folks, > > This is a pretty simple dance without a neighbor swi

[Callers] New (?) simple dance without a neighbor swing

Hi folks, This is a pretty simple dance without a neighbor swing. Anyone recognize it as already existing? A1 Neighbor Allemande Right 1 1/2 Gents Allemande Left 1 1/2 A2 Partner Balance and Swing B1 Long Lines forward and back Promenade across set with partner B2 Ladies chain back to neighbor Le

Re: [Callers] Playing With Butterflies

> > > Butterfly DRAFT 20180410.2 - DI - Don Veino > A1 N Balance & Swing > A2 Gents Allemande Left 1+1/2x (Ladies left arm over P’s right as picked > up), > P Star Promenade 1/2x, Butterfly Whirl CCW along set to next Ns*, stay > connected with P > B1 Ladies Catch RH, Star Promenade P 1/2x CW, Butt

Re: [Callers] New (?) 4x4 contra

Thanks all, for the factors you eloquently put into words :-) Read, I think you're right that contra dancers are more familiar with it; and that will help too. The proof is in the pudding though; or the dancing as the case may be. I'd say get three friends and see what the two stars feel like; and

Re: [Callers] New (?) 4x4 contra

Last night I ran a version of Tamlin's Cross at the local monthly dance. Many dancers found it challenging, but folks seemed to enjoy it. The version I ran: Tamlin's Cross (variation) 4x4 A1 (4) All 8 go into the middle (4) Ladies roll partners away on the way out (8) Corner Swing, square set A2

Re: [Callers] New (?) 4x4 contra

Hi Dugan, Thanks for the feedback! I liked the gents roll partner away (from R to L) when it went into a DSD (it feeds the common twirl direct); but I can see your concern when it's running right into the swing. Would ladies roll their partner (L to R) work better in your opinion? The gents woul

Re: [Callers] New (?) 4x4 contra

Thanks all for the feedback! I'll reach out to Erik and Nils. As Rick pointed out, the dance could work from standard 4x4 lines; and I certainly wouldn't object to folks dancing it that way. In my head, the half grand hey precludes this from many dance events, so I figured dancers I could toss thi

[Callers] New (?) 4x4 contra

Hello all, I was playing around with a new (?) composition; and since it's a 4x4, it's unlikely I'll get a house-party together to test it any time soon. I'd appreciate feedback on flow (would it work), timing (is it too much?) and how you'd teach it. I'm especially curious if something similar ex

Re: [Callers] The loss of one of our own

Chris eloquently addressed this tragic loss. I remember the encouragement and advise she provided me after my guest slot calling at the Ralph Page Dance Legacy Weekend, when I was still new and nervous. I will miss her incredible warmth and support. On Tue, Feb 13, 2018 at 1:50 PM, Seth Seeger v

Re: [Callers] Nerdy dances

rm-around variant as couples; but I think taking away the ability for the lines to connect for the diagonal motion would add to the complexity. On Mon, Feb 12, 2018 at 2:14 PM, Colin Hume via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > On Mon, 12 Feb 2018 13:51:14 -0500, Lu

Re: [Callers] Nerdy dances

Thank you for the shout out to Entangled in Monte Carlo :-) Two others to add to your list: Angela DeCarlis: Dr Whiting's Delight https://www.angeladecarlis.com/original-choreography (written and named for one of the astrophysicists involved in confirming gravitational waves) Mike Richardson's "

[Callers] star to hey?

Hello all, I'm on the road for vacation instead of calling, which means that I don't have easy access to dancers to try things with; so I'm pinging the hive mind. What do folks think about the transition star->hey with the next. For instance: A1 Ladies start left shoulder hey A2 Neighbor right

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

At the dances I've seen/called in and around VT, we don't address this directly (with signs or such). I've heard of the practice of sitting after declining, but I don't think it's a common practice for most folks these days. I'd say it's mostly fallen by the wayside. The one time I've seen it com

Re: [Callers] Put Your Red Hand In

Thanks for sharing! I wonder about getting a bulk order of red hair-scrunchies that could be used as loose bracelets. On Mon, Nov 6, 2017 at 7:19 PM, Rich Sbardella via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > I had a Girl Scout Dance coming up Sunday and I was thinking how I would > g

Re: [Callers] Publishing dances on the web

Oh! I hadn't seen that. That's neat. Thanks for sharing Michael. And Mary, don't feel bad. Lots of folks have told me my dances are a pain to find. On Sun, Nov 5, 2017 at 9:14 AM, Michael Dyck via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > On 2017-11-04 11:

[Callers] Publishing dances on the web

Hi Folks, I currently have a terrible system for publishing dances I've written on the web (blog-esque thing in wordpress; really hard to search through). There's been talk on and off of a big database of dances, but that doesn't seem to be happening so I thought I should do something for mine. I

Re: [Callers] Vallimont's Silver Hammer

Hello all, Vallimont's Silver Hammer came out in May of 2016. The dance came out of a conversation with the talented musician Julie Vallimont about closing sets; and how callers like dances that end with swings but bands often have something that builds to a big hit at the A to B transition in the

Re: [Callers] pre-school dances?

Thanks for the suggestions! I've gotten lots of fun ideas on and off list; and resources I should go and check out. (I'll admit, I've picked up some of the CDSS pamphlet/books in the past, and been underwhelmed by their utility; but it sounds like there are some other ones to pick up). Part of my

[Callers] pre-school dances?

Hi Folks, I've got my collection of family dances that I use with mixed age groups. But I wonder if anyone has recommendations for family dance stuff when you don't have the full family? What's good for ~12 pre-schoolers (age 3 to 5) when they aren't dancing with their parents; and you have maybe

[Callers] Checking on a new composition - glossary dance

I wrote out a glossary dance; not a first in the evening, but maybe second. Anyone know of a prior version? Spend Some Time Together by Luke Donforth Contra/Improper/Easy A1 --- (8) Long lines, forward and back (8) Neighbor swing A2 --- (8) Men allemande Left 1-1/2 (8) Partner Do-

Re: [Callers] Grid Contra: Contra Bias (as in, on the diagonal)

Hello all, Thank you for the (off-list) feedback on the previous grid contra. I wrote another grid contra; and actually walked it through at a dance camp I was calling at (thank you Echo Summit). We didn't dance it (the musicians were on break). But the patterns worked. I've incorporated their fe

[Callers] Grid Contra: Contra Bias (as in, on the diagonal)

Hello all, I had a three hour drive to a gig the other day, and ruminated (again) on grid contras. I think I've come up with a potentially dancable one. This is advanced-dance stuff, not to be deployed lightly. And while I hope it won't take 3 hours to digest this e-mail, I'm going to get into the

Re: [Callers] New Dance?

Bob, did you put a name on your version? Ric, I admit to being confused by your dance. Are you putting an allemande once and a half AND two full petronella in the B2? Normally I'd give 8 counts to each petronella balance and move; so two fill out one B. Does your dance Fried Rice perhaps not have

[Callers] Two new longways set dances

Hello all, Lately, my choreography brain has been churning on community dances (longways, circles, etc). I've got two new ones that I haven't gotten to test out yet. I'd be curious to hear folks thoughts on them; both the dance moves and how to succinctly explain it to people not used to dancing

Re: [Callers] If You Can Walk...

I wrote a couple different ones, playing with that title. They're all similar, and mostly designed to go after my beginner walk through (which teaches the progression with balance the ring -> pass through) It's highly probable that other folks have also used riffs on that title, and that these dan

Re: [Callers] Lindy move in a Contra Dance

e. On Tue, Apr 4, 2017 at 11:44 PM, Jack Mitchell wrote: > Indeed, the dance with the box the gnat in place of the mini-dip is > written - Becky's Brouhaha by Rhiannon Giddens. > On Mon, Apr 3, 2017 at 3:34 PM Luke Donforth via Callers < > callers@lists.sharedweigh

[Callers] Lindy move in a Contra Dance

Hello folks, There was a recent call for new dances, but I can't find the thread, so here's a fresh post. Continuing what I think of as a long-standing tradition of contra dance choreography stealing moves from other dances; I've written a few with the mini-dip, a move from swing dancing. (Despit

[Callers] Increased number of community dance requests?

Hi all, Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing a bump in requests for community/family dances? I feel like the last month or so, there's been an uptick in schools and community centers requesting them. Could be a local fluctuation, or something bigger. Anyone else getting that impression?

Re: [Callers] Totals for taxes

I've already had two inquires, so I should specify, the $8000 was income paid not counting airplane tickets. It didn't remove mileage reimbursement, CDSS membership and insurance, etc. Net comes to about $5000. On Mon, Jan 16, 2017 at 11:25 PM, Luke Donforth wrote: > Hello all, > > 2016 is done

[Callers] Totals for taxes

Hello all, 2016 is done, which for me means I can total up my calling for taxes and such. It doesn't come up here very often; but payment and mileage and whatnot is the unglamorous logistics side of calling. I figure it's worth sharing that type of information as well, so folks can be informed as

Re: [Callers] Four face fours

Andrea kindly pointed out that half hey where you're about to pass by the left into a swing isn't the smoothest transition (without a balance); something I missed. I see a couple ways of shifting that, like replacing the chain with a women allemande left 1.5; which is unfortunately their "non-stan

Re: [Callers] Four face fours

f they power turn (interpreted as a courtesy turn 1+1/4). > > -Don > > On Sat, Jan 7, 2017 at 10:01 PM, Luke Donforth via Callers < > callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > >> B1 --- >> (8) Women's Chain up and down to partner, power turn to face trail buddy >> couple >> > > > -- Luke Donforth luke.donfo...@gmail.com

[Callers] Four face fours

Hello all. It's been a while since I've had enough folks at a house party to really walk through a 4x4 dance, so I'm sending this out for comment: I'm trying to increase my repertoire of accessible and entertaining 4x4s (my double reverse progression 4x4, etc, not qualifying) This one is in the "

Re: [Callers] Circle Shuffle- author?

I have to apologize Claire; that is a dance I wrote... jeesh, I can't even remember my own dances anymore. I posted it to Shared Weight in February of 2014. :"*For 20 couples, with many dancers still working on the walking thing, it went fine (1 1/2 phrases seemed to be the right amount of time to

Re: [Callers] Catapult 2017 looking for callers

> > >> How many of you out there have participated in this? What did you think > of it? I'm curious, but not sure whether I'm what they're looking for, or > vice versa. And it's a long way to travel for a short gig. > > Kalia > > I'll weigh in as someone who called there in 2013. - I had a g

[Callers] Thank you

Hello Shared Weight, Just feeling particularly grateful to the community of callers and organizers out there. Thank you to all of you for the work that you do. I believe it helps build stronger, more connected communities, and a better world. I personally lose sight of that sometimes, especially

Re: [Callers] Post election day dances?

motion in the dance. > Meg > > On Mon, Nov 14, 2016 at 9:24 AM Luke Donforth via Callers < > callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > >> There's a dance, I think by a choreographer in Chicago, called "Swing >> States". I was in a hall when it was anno

Re: [Callers] Post election day dances?

There's a dance, I think by a choreographer in Chicago, called "Swing States". I was in a hall when it was announced, but don't have more than that. Sorry I didn't get it to the list in time. I've been distracted lately... Here's one, from after the fact. "You can't always get what you want" Impr

Re: [Callers] Positive values on the mic

I don't remember who coined it, but I like the line "how about some lively applause for these live musicians" as a gentle reminder to appreciate the musicians if the applause is a little lackluster. On Mon, Oct 31, 2016 at 10:28 AM, Ron Blechner via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

Re: [Callers] Square dance calling book - What would you like to see?

Thanks for putting this out there. A couple thoughts from someone who only occasionally puts a square in a program. I often wonder about pairing breaks with figures. So some quick index system of this figure goes well with these breaks, avoid these breaks, etc. There are some things I think about

Re: [Callers] Caller Directory - in development

ate the > additional info). If I resubmit does that mean I lose all my previous data > or will it recognize me and just take the new/changed stuff? > > Michael Barraclough > www.michaelbarraclough.com > > -- > > On Sat, 2016-10-22 at 20:01 -0400, Luke Donforth via Callers

Re: [Callers] Caller Directory - in development

Thanks to everyone who's already signed up. Looks like there's some willingness to try this, and I appreciate it. I've already tweaked it slightly based on feedback (Gender Free, levels of MWSD). Feel free to resubmit your name if you didn't keep the link to edit your response (and a note to that

[Callers] Caller Directory - in development

Hello all, When I get an inquiry about calling for a gig that I can't do, I often refer them to the same handful of local callers that I know. But it's not always the most useful if the inquiry came from far away. I've been thinking about trying to create a caller database; with geographic home-b

Re: [Callers] Pre-existing dance?

edit and responsibility to a >> single creative genius. The difference between those two is a significant >> matter in the question of how folklore is created and who owns it. >> Personally, I feel our cultural tendency to accord authorial rights has >> misled us. >> &

Re: [Callers] Pre-existing dance?

on't get bad > habits. > > Michael Barraclough > www.michaelbarraclough.com > > > -- > > On Mon, 2016-10-17 at 22:45 -0400, Luke Donforth via Callers wrote: > > Hello all, > > I was thinking about what I do at the "welcome to our contra dance" >

[Callers] Pre-existing dance?

Hello all, I was thinking about what I do at the "welcome to our contra dance" introduction, and what dance would easily move in to that. Noodling around with moves, I thought of a sequence with glossary moves, but I didn't have it in my box. Anyone recognize it? Improper A1 --- (8) Neig

Re: [Callers] new (?) dance - with a shadow swing

ng up with the larger line, my partner and I > are oriented perpendicularly to it, which takes up less space up and down > the hall. Not sure you could teach that. It requires precision. > > Rich > > On Sep 20, 2016 1:49 PM, "Luke Donforth via Callers" < > callers@li

[Callers] new (?) dance - with a shadow swing

Hello all, I know the list has had big debates about shadow swings in the past. If you don't like 'em, you can pitch this. This dance was written for someone who wanted a shadow swing, and is something I might call at a shadow-themed festival session. As shadow swings go, I like the idea of swingu

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

Interesting approach John. I'd personally hesitate to introduce both chain and a hey in the same dance for mostly new dancers. Do you draw an extensive parallel of the motion on the floor for the ladies? As for apostrophes; well, contra I'm willing to teach. English, I've just about given up on le

[Callers] Favorite dance to teach a ladies chain?

Hello all, I've been thinking about glossary dances, and building vocabulary for new dancers. I'm curious what your favorite dance is for teaching a ladies chain for a crowd of mostly new dancers? Or if you don't have a specific dance, what do you look for in a dance to make the chain as accessibl

Re: [Callers] Surely this already exists?

t; Ricciotti. The only difference in Chris’ dance is that the final move is a >> ladies chain. >> Beth Parkes also wrote a dance that is mostly the same: Forgotten >> treasure. She begins the dance with a N B&S, and ends it with a chain as >> well. >> Lind

Re: [Callers] Surely this already exists?

Excuse me, that B1 is Partner Swing, not Partner Neighbor. (Thank you David Harding for catching my copy/paste error) A1 --- (8) Neighbor Do-si-do (8) Neighbor swing, end facing down the hall A2 --- (8) Down the hall, four in line (turn as couples) (8) Return and Bend the line B1 -

[Callers] Surely this already exists?

Hello all, I was trying to find an easy and accessible dance, a real glossary basic contra. I feel like this must already exist, but I'm not finding it in my notes. Someone got a prior? Type: Contra Formation: Duple-Improper A1 --- (8) Neighbor Do-si-do (8) Neighbor swing, end facing do

Re: [Callers] Grand Square in a contra?

t; more when I'm addressed as a gent (or lady), as a middle or inside or > outside. I know when I'm a head or a side. I know where to find my corner > wherever I am at the moment. But I don't recall dancing a four-facing-four > where the right couples did something differ

Re: [Callers] Grand Square in a contra?

Thanks John, that does seem like a fun bit to incorporate. I ran the Fox Hollow Foibles dance with the Grand Square happening on the diagonal at IndepenDance in Wisconsin. Folks seemed to have fun with it, but it was certainly challenging (my sense is that community doesn't do many squares; Grand

Re: [Callers] Grand Square in a contra?

Thanks all for your help! It seems probably that it was Bases Loaded (based on the write up at http://www.dancerhapsody.com/calling/dances.html); but it's even more likely that it was Bill Olsen calling, so I'd like to hear him weigh in on both probabilities ;-) I found write ups of some of the o

[Callers] Grand Square in a contra?

Hi Folks, Several years ago (2013?) while at the fabulous DEFFA festival in Maine, I danced a contra that had a grand square. I think it was on the diagonal. But that's about all I remember about it. Anyone know the dance? Or can give me more of a lead like the caller or such? I don't think it

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