Re: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography

[Martha Wild via Callers]

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

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Re: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography

[John Sweeney via Callers]

Hi,
Dugan asked about waltz contra choreographies.

The music in the Allison Wonderland video is much faster than I
would use for a contra waltz.  Many of the dancers seem to end up almost
running to keep up.  The waltz at the beginning or end of an evening at a
contra dance is usually significantly slower, and more the sort of speed
that I would use to get the feel of a waltz.  (Yes, I know the Irish like to
waltz 50% faster, but that is a very different style!)

Here are some contras that were written specifically for waltz
music:

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Tulsa Tribute (by Keith Tuxhorn)
Contra; Becket - Waltz

A1:  Circle Left Half Way (2); Balance the Ring (2)
  Circle Left* Half Way (2); Balance the Ring (2)
A2: Open Ladies' Chain x2
B1: Full Hey with hands - Ladies start with Right Hand
B2: Partner Waltz in Place (4), Waltz Left** to face a New Neighbours (4)

An Open Ladies' Chain is an old form in which you do NOT do a Courtesy Turn.
I always teach it and call it as "Ladies Pull By Right, Allemande Left the
Man you meet"

* I go Right to make it easier for inexperienced dancers  ** I go Right
because my brain tells me that is the direction in which I should waltz
around the room

Easy B2: Ladies Gypsy (4); Yearn Left (2); Step Right & Honour (2)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

A Waltz for Terry (by Don Armstrong)
Contra; Improper - Waltz

A1: #1s with #2 Man: Balance the Ring twice; Circle Left
A2: #1s with #2 Lady: Balance the Ring twice; Circle Right to a Line of Four
facing Down the Hall (#1 Lady lets go with Right Hand; #1 Man raises Left
Hand to left #2 Lady through)
B1: Down the Hall in  Lines of Four (2) bars, Balance Forwards (1), Turn
Alone (1)
  Up the Hall in Lines of Four (2), #2s Gate the #1s Up to progressed
positions with a wide hand-cast (2)
B2: Open Ladies' Chain  (the Men can do a Turn Single to the Left while the
Ladies cross)
  Open Ladies' Chain back

An Open Ladies' Chain is an old form in which you do NOT do a Courtesy Turn.
I always teach it and call it as "Ladies Pull By Right, Allemande Left the
Man you meet"

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Equal Opportunity Waltz Contra (by Becky Hill)
Contra; Improper - Waltz

A1: Star Left; Star Right
A2: Neighbour Allemande Right; Partner Allemande Left
B1: Ladies Cross (2); Men Cross (2)
 Balance the Ring; Partner Roll Away with a Half Sashay
B2: Partner: Take Right Hand: Balance & Box the Gnat
  Partner: Take Left Hand: Balance & Swat the Flea

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

If I was going to use a standard contra then I would choose a smooth,
flowing one like:

The Mad Gypsy (by John Sweeney)
Contra; Becket

A1: Ladies' Chain
  Mad Robin - AC - Ladies through the Middle
A2: Full Hey - Ladies start Right Shoulder
B1: Ladies Gypsy (slow & wide)
  Neighbour Two-Hand Turn (or Waltz)
B2: Balance the Ring; Ladies Cross
  Yearn on the Left Diagonal

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Happy dancing,
John

John Sweeney, Dancer, England j...@modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent


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Re: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography

[Don Veino via Callers]

Here's one I'm fond of. One could argue whether this is a Contra, ECD, or...

Linda’s Gifts (of Time) – Longways Duple Proper in Waltz Time – Don Veino
20160818

*Type:* Longways Contra or English Dance, Duple Proper
*Status:* Public, Proven

In grateful recognition of Linda Leslie’s investments of time in the folk
dance community and in particular her consultation and mentoring given me
as I hone my dance calling and composition.

*A1*
(6,6) First Corners Set to each other (small steps to the Right-2-3,
Left-2-3), Hole in the Wall (forward 3 beats/steps, pass rights and pivot 1
step, fall back 2 steps into each other’s places)
(12) Second Corners, same thing

*A2*
(12) Partner Two-Hand Turn 1x
(12) Circle Left 1x

*B1*
(12) Ones Half Figure 8 up and around Twos to finish below
(12) Twos do similar below, to finish above

*B2*
(12) Partner Back to Back/Dosido
(6) Ring Balance with current Neighbors
(6) Cloverleaf Turn Single over outside shoulder to face new Neighbors

http://veino.com/blog/?p=1464


On Aug 8, 2017 2:03 PM, "Dugan Murphy via Callers" <
callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

Do you have a favorite contra dance written to fit a waltz tune?
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Re: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography

[Alan Winston via Callers]

Dugan --

Over in English-country-dance land there are a zillion longways duple 
minor waltz-time dances.  Some of them have contra figures.


Gary Roodman's "Winter Dreams Waltz" to Jonathan Jensen's tune starts 
off with a leisurely unassisted 1s cast down and face up while 2s lead 
up and face down which will require a demonstration, but after that it's 
mirror gypsy, pass through across, courtesy turn, left -had-star, long 
lines fall back/come forward, circle left 1x,square-thru 2 (no 
balances), partner two-hand-turn once round, whch should all be pretty 
accessible for contra dancers, and it's a gorgeous dance.  (There's a 
couple of videos up of it which each show people who don't have hold of 
it yet.)


I wrote this one which has English figures that have already infiltrated 
contra dance (poussette, dolphin hey); even though it's not standard 
contra figures (and the right hand turn halfway isn't an allemande) I 
think contra dancers will like it.



MOVEMENT AFOOT
Alan Winston - thought of it at AmWeek, Jul 3, 2013
longways duple minor
Tune: "Steciaks" in waltz book II, by Larry Unger

A1: 1-2: Men set forward to women (boureeish, stamping optional)
3-4: Men fall back as women come forward
5-6: All turn single R
7-8: All RH turn halfway

A2: As above, with women leading.  Keep right hands ...

B1: 1-4: ... take left hands as well  for Clockwise half poussette 
(progressed)

5-8: contra-style Mad Robin (W1 and M2 through the middle first)

B2: 1-8: 1s acting as a unit, dolphin hey for three
 (M1 turns round coming out of the mad robin to give Left shoulder
 to M2, W1 takes the lead, giving right to M2 on the other side,
 M1 takes the lead to arrive progressed and proper.)


NOTE: Alan is agreeable to couple-dance style variations in the 
half-poussette,

and in general hopes for a spirit of flirtatious play.

Here's a video into which I had no input, where some of the dancers have 
the spirit.  (They don't seem to understand that in A1 1-2 the women 
should stand their ground rather than falling back, but it's an 
acceptable variation.)



-- Alan

On 8/8/17 11:02 AM, Dugan Murphy via Callers wrote:
Do you have a favorite contra dance written to fit a waltz tune?  I 
danced one once many years ago and haven't thought much about it 
since, though it was pretty special.


Thank you in advance for sharing some choreography!

Dugan Murphy
Portland, Maine
dugan at duganmurphy.com 
www.DuganMurphy.com 
www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com 


www.NufSed.consulting 


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Re: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography

[Tony Parkes via Callers]

Ric, that looks more like a normal contra than a waltz contra to me. Can you 
share your experience of swinging, or teaching a swing, to waltz music?

Thanks…
Tony

Tony Parkes
Billerica, Mass.
www.hands4.com<http://www.hands4.com/>
New book! Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century
(to be published real soon)



From: Callers [mailto:callers-boun...@lists.sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Ric 
Goldman - Letsdance via Callers
Sent: Tuesday, August 8, 2017 2:44 PM
To: 'Dugan Murphy' <du...@duganmurphy.com>; 'Callers List Serve' 
<call...@sharedweight.net>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography

Hi Dugan,

One of my favorites is Bob Green’s Alison Wonderland, (improper):
A1   1-8  Nbrs balance + swing
A2   1-4  Circle L ¾
5-8  Ptnr swing
B1   1-4  Gents star promenade 1x*
5-8  Butterfly twirl
B2   1-4  Women chain to Nbr
5-8  Long lines fwd + back
* Consider gents linking elbows to get into this.

Thanx, Ric Goldman

From: Callers [mailto:callers-boun...@lists.sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of 
Dugan Murphy via Callers
Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2017 11:02 AM
To: Callers List Serve 
<call...@sharedweight.net<mailto:call...@sharedweight.net>>
Subject: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography

Do you have a favorite contra dance written to fit a waltz tune?  I danced one 
once many years ago and haven't thought much about it since, though it was 
pretty special.

Thank you in advance for sharing some choreography!

Dugan Murphy
Portland, Maine
dugan at duganmurphy.com<http://duganmurphy.com>
www.DuganMurphy.com<http://www.DuganMurphy.com>
www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com<http://www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com>
www.NufSed.consulting<http://www.NufSed.consulting>
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Re: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography

[Ric Goldman - Letsdance via Callers]

Hi Dugan,

 

One of my favorites is Bob Green’s Alison Wonderland, (improper):

A1   1-8  Nbrs balance + swing

A2   1-4  Circle L ¾

5-8  Ptnr swing

B1   1-4  Gents star promenade 1x*

5-8  Butterfly twirl

B2   1-4  Women chain to Nbr

5-8  Long lines fwd + back

* Consider gents linking elbows to get into this.

 

Thanx, Ric Goldman

 

From: Callers [mailto:callers-boun...@lists.sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of 
Dugan Murphy via Callers
Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2017 11:02 AM
To: Callers List Serve <call...@sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography

 

Do you have a favorite contra dance written to fit a waltz tune?  I danced one 
once many years ago and haven't thought much about it since, though it was 
pretty special.

 

Thank you in advance for sharing some choreography!


 

Dugan Murphy

Portland, Maine
dugan at duganmurphy.com <http://duganmurphy.com> 

www.DuganMurphy.com <http://www.DuganMurphy.com> 

www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com <http://www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com> 

www.NufSed.consulting <http://www.NufSed.consulting> 

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Re: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography

[Tony Parkes via Callers]

Dugan Murphy wrote:
> Do you have a favorite contra dance written to fit a waltz tune?

The one popular waltz contra of the 1945–1960 square dance revival was Hills of 
Habersham, written in I think 1955:
http://www.lloydshaw.org/uploads/3/4/2/3/3423313/hills_of_habersham.pdf

The Lloyd Shaw Foundation will sell you a download of organ music for it (with 
or without calls by Don Armstrong). I like the music even though some might 
find it hokey, but even better I like “Spanish Waltz” on the Civil War Ballroom 
CD by Spare Parts. That track is also excellent for the Spanish Dance (a waltz 
Sicilian, for which it was intended) as well as the Fan Dance / Hat Dance / 
Rose and the Thorn / whatever you want to call it.

Note that there is a typo on the LSF cue sheet: “Habersham River” should be the 
Chattahoochee River, which rises in the Hills of Habersham. LSF could use some 
cleaning up of the information on its download pages; many tunes are only 
listed under the name of the dance chosen for them, and most musicians’ and 
bands’ names have been lost, even those who recorded directly for LSF (as 
distinguished from tracks that were recorded elsewhere and licensed by LSF; 
with those, the omission of names is often the fault of the original recording 
company).

Tony Parkes
Billerica, Mass.
www.hands4.com
New book! Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century
(to be published real soon)





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Re: [Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography

[Colin Hume via Callers]

On Tue, 8 Aug 2017 14:02:07 -0400, Dugan Murphy via Callers wrote:
> Do you have a favorite contra dance written to fit a waltz tune?

Depends what you class as a contra!  Here's one of mine - at least it's 
longways duple improper.
http://colinhume.com/instl.htm#HeidisWaltz

Colin Hume
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[Callers] Waltz-Time Contra Choreography

[Dugan Murphy via Callers]

Do you have a favorite contra dance written to fit a waltz tune?  I danced
one once many years ago and haven't thought much about it since, though it
was pretty special.

Thank you in advance for sharing some choreography!

Dugan Murphy
Portland, Maine
dugan at duganmurphy.com
www.DuganMurphy.com
www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com
www.NufSed.consulting
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