Re: [Callers] What can you do.....?

ng during the dances. The same is true for "once and a half" of course. The wonderful mixer Nervous Breakdown starts with four "once and a half" figures that each send you on to a new person. It could be a good lesson on momentum, flow and timing. Richard Fischer Princeton, NJ >

Re: [Callers] Contra Corners Dance

tner. Suggested tune: Chorus Jig! I did emphasize that the Gents have to finish their dosido on time, and that everyone has to begin B1 together and dance it in a coordinated way. The dancers made that happen. Richard Fischer Princeton, NJ > On Jul 11, 2019, at 10:08 AM, Helle Hill via Callers &

Re: [Callers] Hand Turns & Safety

lding their hands on one another's wrists." With best wishes, Richard Fischer Princeton, NJ > On May 18, 2019, at 12:14 PM, Andrea Nettleton via Callers > wrote: > > Hi all, > I’m going to add a controversial note. I also loathe the many poor > allemandes I get, unw

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

m do a courtesy turn. And I imagine the courtesy turn (now the "old-fashioned way") was itself once a flourish, and that the second half of a ladies chain was originally a left-hand turn. Just some thoughts! Richard Fischer > > From: Callers <mailto:callers-boun...@lists

Re: [Callers] Glossary dances with promenade, no chain/RL through?

he Gent's side. Richard Fischer Princeton, NJ > On Aug 13, 2018, at 11:42 AM, Alexandra Deis-Lauby via Callers > wrote: > > I find that there aren’t many dances with a Promenade or RL that are NOT > followed by a circle left. When Dancing promenades to circl

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

Ah, long ago I suggested "bine" (from binary star) for the same reason. It didn't catch on. Richard > On Mar 14, 2018, at 10:51 PM, Darwin Gregory via Callers > wrote: > > I just heard a scientific term that I think would be a great, and concise, > name to

Re: [Callers] 4 couple set Chorus Jig

1/2, allemande the other Same-Sex Neighbor by L 1x. B2) All balance and swing Partner. End facing new neighbors in direction of progression, Ones with near hands joined, Twos separating a bit from partner. Suggested tune: Chorus Jig! Richard Fischer Princeton, NJ July 20, 2017 > On Jul 1

Re: [Callers] New Dance to Share

say the dancers at our regular Princeton contra dance mastered it and enjoyed it. I think it’s a fabulous dance! Instructions are here: http://www.patshaw.info/dances/#kande It has its own tune, which is in Barnes 1. Richard Fischer Princeton, NJ > On Jun 8, 2017, at 8:24 PM, Frederick P

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

A couple of people have kindly got in touch with me to alert me to some problems with my early morning creation. I’ll be back in touch if I can revise it and try it out with some dancers. Richard > On Jan 25, 2017, at 6:31 AM, Richard Fischer via Callers > <callers@lists.sharedw

Re: [Callers] Contras which feature a "Dublin Bay" figure ("Pivot the Line", yay)

Well, I don’t write a lot of dances, but I’ve been inspired by all the Dublin Bay dances. In mine I’ve tried to use the figure as I recall dancing it in the English dance of that name. Comments or corrections most welcome! Sheepshead BayImproperRichard Fischer A1 Balance & s

Re: [Callers] Positive values on the mic

Especially at community dances, but also at contras, I look for was to encourage dancers to say thank you. At community events one of my first dances is usually a kind of Appalachian square dance. Couples do one or two simple figures to my calls with another couple, and then I go, "Everybody,

Re: [Callers] Ralph Page Style

It's good to be reminded that "swing" had various meanings. I'm pretty sure I've seen "Swing all four" in old dance instructions for what we would call "Circle to the left". About Chorus Jig, I seem to remember that Ralph Page wrote in one of his books (around 1950?) that he didn't like the

Re: [Callers] Contra friendly squares

I like The Compost Pile Breakdown by Gene Hubert. (You can find it online.) Richard On Oct 14, 2016, at 11:51 AM, Ron Blechner via Callers wrote: > Hi all, > > I'm looking to expand the number of contra-friendly Squares in my box. > > 1. Keepers preferred unless it's a really good mixer. > 2.

Re: [Callers] Walk around, ease around etc.

The Oxford English Dictionary gives both pronunciations for "gimbal" with the "soft" g first: /ˈdʒɪmbəl/ /ˈɡɪmbəl/ I followed their etymology trail, and it seems to ultimately come from a word meaning "twin." Richard On Jan 27, 2016, at 6:30 PM, Andrea Nettleton via Callers wrote: >

Re: [Callers] 9-person dance?

Thanks for El Capitan! Richard On Jan 23, 2016, at 4:49 PM, Martha Wild via Callers wrote: > 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

Re: [Callers] 9-person dance?

g with 1st man in the centre of the > set as the new nine-spot, and the nine-spot opposite 1st woman, 2nd and 3rd > couples swing with ceilidh hold > Cheers > > Keith > >> Can anyone suggest a 9-person dance? I'm aw

[Callers] 9-person dance?

Can anyone suggest a 9-person dance? I'm aware of the traditional Nine-Pin, and Monkey in the Middle by Sherry Nevins. Thanks! Richard Fischer Princeton, NJ

Re: [Callers] dances in unusual formations

Hi Donna, There's a lively circle mixer (from England, I believe) called Nervous Breakdown, with a balance and swing each time thru. I can send it to you if you're not familiar with it. I think people at HftH would enjoy it. I second the recommendations for Levi Jackson Rag and Walpole

Re: [Callers] Gypsy Synopsis

Alan, thank you so much for posting that link. I've been completely ignorant about the Romani people, and after reading that brief article I plan to learn more. Richard On Oct 30, 2015, at 6:36 PM, Winston, Alan P. via Callers wrote: > > > On 10/30/2015 2:08 PM, John Sweeney via Callers

Re: [Callers] Gypsy Synopsis

For those who may not have access to the online OED, here the beginning of the entry for the noun "gyre." I agree that "gyre" is a good candidate! (OED = Oxford English Dictionary; and the pronunciation given is the "jire" one.) gyre, n. View as: Outline |Full entryKeywords: On

Re: [Callers] Advice about "gypsy"

I have a suggestion for a new word to replace "gypsy." My word is "bine" and I derive it from "binary stars" which, especially if they are of similar mass, circle each other as in our dance move. I consulted with an astrophysicist friend, who told me that under certain circumstances binary

Re: [Callers] Shadow Swing Disclaimers?

lize the caller's doing > something (calling a shadow swing dance) that should never be done. > > Michael Fuerst 802 N Broadway Urbana IL 61801 217 239 5844 > > > > On Wednesday, September 9, 2015 3:45 PM, Richard Fischer via Callers > <callers@lists.shar

Re: [Callers] Shadow Swing Disclaimers?

Here's a suggestion I don't think I've seen in this discussion. If you want to call a dance with a shadow swing, how about save it for time when you can have several shorter sets, and remind couples they can join other sets when they reach the top or the bottom, to get an opportunity to dance

Re: [Callers] Bubble Sort Contra Dance

Oh, that's a very clever dance! Richard On Apr 18, 2014, at 6:24 PM, Yoyo Zhou wrote: > I found this dance, which I wrote down from Nils's calling. You do start > out with a partner, but you lose them multiple times. > > It's an entertaining dance to do once in a while, but it can be less fun

Re: [Callers] Bubble Sort Contra Dance

Well, here's a stab at a Bubble Sort contra. It's just a theoretical exercise. As with any sorting dance, I guess, a defect is that once you're sorted you just keep dancing with the same people. (At school we danced in small groups and kids turned their backs and stopped dancing to indicate

Re: [Callers] Bubble Sort Contra Dance

I haven't seen a Bubble Sort contra, but a few years ago, kids at my school (third grade to eighth) did Bubble Sort dances as a Problem of the Week, inspired by this wonderful video. (The sorting begins at 0:54.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyZQPjUT5B4 As in the video we sorted by numbers

Re: [Callers] Levi Jackson Rag

My school has a theme each year, and this year the theme is cycles. So I'm teaching my older dance club (5th thru 8th grade) Levi Jackson Rag. The recording we're using (from Yankee Ingenuity) is a nice steady 120 bpm. Oh, and lucky me, I just happened to have 20 kids sign up for the club this

Re: [Callers] Unsual dances

Hmm, cool! But I *think* this version for six means the head ladies just stay head ladies (switching from top to bottom each time) and you get your partner back on the fourth time thru, so you only get three of the six opposite sex dancers as partners. Did I do the math right? And I *think*

Re: [Callers] More unknown dances!

And #5 is The Cure for the Claps, also by Bob Isaacs. Richard On Sep 15, 2013, at 10:33 AM, Maia McCormick wrote: > While we're at it, here are some mystery dances I've been assembling. (For > those curious, these come mostly from Dawn Dance and a little from FRFF, > but there's also one from

Re: [Callers] More unknown dances!

I wonder if #1 is Square Thru to You by Bob Isaacs. Here's how I have it: Square Thru to YouBob Isaacs Becket Right A1 Circle L 3/4, Swing Neighbor A2 Long lines fwd & back, on left diagonal ladies chain (to shadow) B1 Balance, square thru two (and give right hand to partner);

Re: [Callers] Dances licensed with CC or similar (Sam Whited)

Hum, ladies chain is a ii chord, left hand star is a V chord, and balance and swing the next is the tonic? Richard On Sep 13, 2013, at 4:59 PM, Jeff Kaufman wrote: > (Now I want to make a mapping from dance figures to chord numbers and > see what dances sound like.) > > Jeff >

Re: [Callers] looking for a Michael Fuerst Dance

I wonder if this is the dance in question? This is how I have it on my card, but I'd be glad to know if I have an error in my transcription. Wonderland Al Olson Duple Improper First woman and second man are designated "leaders" in this dance. A1 Ones half figure eight down thru the twos;

Re: [Callers] Timing & Force

These differing views of swing posture remind me of the old question of whether galloping horses ever had all four legs off the ground at once--a question settled by the innovative photographer Muybridge. I wonder if anyone has made slo-mo video of experienced couples swinging. It would be

Re: [Callers] Tampering with a classic again 3-33-33

May I respectfully disagree with Michael, Bree and Joyce? And offer an analogy? Every five or six years I tell the Odyssey to the students at my school, one book per week, over the course of the school year. I do make a few alterations and omissions befitting my audience. And of course I could

Re: [Callers] Arms Folded in Dosidos

I posed this question to some 4th graders at my school today. They came up with different, and nuanced answers, distinguising between, for example, "is it for one time?"--Don't correct me!--or "is it for a performance?"--Correct me! RAF On May 20, 2013, at 9:57 AM, Rich Goss wrote: > I think

Re: [Callers] Dances With Minimal Partner Time (Was: dances with ultimate partner time)

Sue Rosen's Handsome Young Maids meets your criteria. I've found it to be a fun dance for mixed levels. There's a video of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFX7Bq59ajk Richard On Mar 3, 2013, at 4:40 PM, Greg McKenzie wrote: > Hey Folks, > > I do enjoy dances with good partner

Re: [Callers] Putting names and authors with dances

Hi Sarah, The last one is Seven Sevens by, as you say, Jim Kitch. Nice dance! Richard On Feb 23, 2013, at 3:04 PM, Sarah Ziegi wrote: > Hi everyone, > I've been doing a bit of calling-card box cleaning, and I was wondering if > any of you could help me put some names and authors with these

Re: [Callers] Anyone Up late can you send me Bananna by Becky Hill!!

Sent off-list. Richard On Jun 30, 2012, at 1:50 AM, Laur wrote: > Thanks - don't have my cards and need the dance. > > Laurie > West Michigan > > ~ > When I dance, I cannot judge, I cannot hate, I cannot separate myself from > life. I can only be joyful and whole, that is why I dance.

Re: [Callers] New England Contra Dance History - Old Timers Talk

Thanks, Michael! Just watched the first clip. Wonderful! Richard On May 6, 2012, at 11:14 PM, Michael Barraclough wrote: > There was a wonderful session at this year's NEFFA hosted by David > Millstone. It featured a panel consisting of Bob McQuillan, Ralph > Sweet, Dudley Laufman, Bill

Re: [Callers] Settlement Swing Balance Question

I don't know the dance, but I was thinking somewhat along Jeff's lines. Since you're about to balance and swing your neighbor I guess the allemande right could be just halfway in four beats. Richard On May 3, 2012, at 8:45 PM, Jeff Kaufman wrote: > Richard Fischer wrote: >> I'd lov

Re: [Callers] Settlement Swing Balance Question

I'd love to know what the timing of the components of A1 could be. Especially, on which beats would the balance fall? Richard On May 3, 2012, at 8:11 PM, Nancy Turner wrote: > Hi All, > > I have Settlement Swing by Penn Fix as this: > > A1 Neighbor dosido to long wavy line G face out,

Re: [Callers] Low Numbers, Slow Starts

On Mar 27, 2012, at 4:03 PM, Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing wrote: > If you have a crowd that's expecting contra dances, how well is something like > a goofy three-around-three one-night-stand dance going to go over? (That > sounds like a leading question, but I'm really asking it. I

Re: [Callers] Contra / MWSD parallels?

I am confused by this discussion. I believe Robert G summarized the focus succinctly as "The point is that modern western squares dancing took what some people think was a wrong turn that tended to make their events socially exclusive, rather than inclusive." What I don't see is any evidence

Re: [Callers] Contra / MWSD parallels?

On Mar 19, 2012, at 10:22 AM, David Millstone wrote: > * And then there are the two whole separate worlds of "international" folk > dancing and "AngloAmerican" folk dancing ... and why don't their two large > populations even know each other? It's as if they were on different planets. I'm

Re: [Callers] teaching a balance

I'd like to add one additional thought to all the helpful posts on balances. Especially for neighbor balances that preceed a swing, a balance is a chance to offer a friendly greeting to, get acquainted with, and "size up" somebody new. Though it only lasts about two seconds, a balance gives

Re: [Callers] Re Allemande Hold (was Analysis of Stars)

On Mar 13, 2012, at 3:40 PM, Chrissy Fowler wrote: > I once heard some great caller point out that you are engaging your upper arm > muscle when you allemande - not your shoulder, not your wrist, not your > fingers, and definitely not your thumb. Which is to say it's the shared, > elastic

Re: [Callers] Overused figures

I tend to agree with Martha about that. I don't find that English country dance leaders limit their use of set and turn single, or up a double and back, to only once or twice an evening. Richard On Feb 27, 2012, at 6:40 PM, Martha Edwards wrote: > But why wouldn't it be okay to have lots of

Re: [Callers] New Dance for Threes

"Promenade" the swinging couples make the spokes of the >> wheel again and extra people join in as the new inside person. >> >> [*] Last time through the caller says "As a group of three, Swing" to end >> the dance. >> >> There was mild conf

Re: [Callers] New Dance for Threes

ouples make the spokes of the >> wheel again and extra people join in as the new inside person. >> >> [*] Last time through the caller says "As a group of three, Swing" to end >> the dance. >> >> There was mild confusion particularly at the transition from

Re: [Callers] thanks for welcome :) + my first full evening program!

Hi Emily, I believe your 7th dance is Monday Night in Ballard by Mike Richardson. I have the A2 as long lines followed by ladies allemande *R* 1 1/2. Richard On Feb 7, 2012, at 10:45 AM, Emily Addison wrote: > Hi folks :) > > (Don and Bill - thanks for the encouragement last week! I love

Re: [Callers] Dances for 3s

I've heard people in Berea call it Silly Threes. My students loved this dance when the Berea Festival Dancers visited us and Theresa Lowder called it. Richard On Feb 3, 2012, at 12:01 AM, Joy Greenwolfe wrote: > Another 3-person dance is one I call Innies and Outie Arches. I don't know > its

Re: [Callers] New Dance for Threes

Actually I've just recently written a dance for threes. It meets only some of Rickey's criteria, and I haven't yet tried it out on my kids at school, but I will soon. I'll paste it below, and if you give it a try, I'd love to hear how it went! Richard Mixer for Groups of Three Tentative

Re: [Callers] Shadow Dances?

The way I have it is B2 long lines fwd & back; ladies allemande right 1/2, partners allemande left 3/4 Richard On Jan 25, 2012, at 3:39 PM, Dave Colestock wrote: > Looks like the B2 is incomplete. Do you have the last move of the dance, > Bob? It doesn't work as written, nor with a repeat

Re: [Callers] Changing on the last round for a partner swing

This reminds me that one way to address this (minor) issue is to enlist the band in certain situations. In a week I'm planning to call Groundhog Daze, a Becket contra that has Gypsy Shadow, Swing Partner as its A1. I'm planning to ask the band to play an extra B2 or A1 of their final tune, to

Re: [Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?

I'd like to echo what Mac has said, and give an example. The late Culver Griffin once showed up unexpectedly at a contra dance I was leading, with a mixed crowd including some adults and children new to dancing. I asked if he would call a dance and he began teaching a square, including a grand

Re: [Callers] easy ONS dances where partner is kept?

In situations like this I often do Family Waltz, and the tune I like to use for it is Tombigbee Waltz. Do you know it? It too is a mixer, but I change it to a keeper with partners changing places back and forth, rather than the women passing repeatedly to the right. (You can simplify the B

Re: [Callers] Telling couples to switch at the end of a contra set

And a related question: when will callers stop saying "Hands four from the top, number ones cross over"--in acknowledgement that improper formation is the default for modern contras? I'm curious how many callers have already stopped saying that. Or to put the question another way, in how many

Re: [Callers] waltz mixers?

I agree with Alan's choices, and will just add that Circle Waltz (or Family Waltz) works very nicely to the tune Tombigbee Waltz, especially at the chassee steps. Richard On Oct 11, 2010, at 10:41 PM, Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing wrote: > Chrissy wrote: > >> A poll: What's your

Re: [Callers] Dances like Haste to the Wedding?

Jeff and Jon, I agree about the magic usefulness of this dance, especially with the progression. While nothing in my repertoire quite matches it, I've found contras that end with balance the ring, pass thru, to be also very helpful. Richard On Sep 8, 2010, at 4:21 PM, Jon Southard wrote: >

Re: [Callers] Strategies for changing skill levels

Here's something I did on the spur of the moment once: I was calling at my home dance when about 15 new young dancers showed up during the first dance of the evening and clumped in the entrance corner. I stopped the dance, welcomed the new folks, and asked the experienced dancers on the dance