Well, since one of the other threads on here recently has been "Labor
of Love", I'll share one of my favorite alternating contra corners dances:
Labor of Love
Kathy Anderson
Improper
A1 N B&S
A2 LL F&B
1's (2's) RH Bal & Box the Gnat
B1 1's (2's) turn Contra Corners
B2 1's (2's) B&S
This is a great dance to teach contra corners because the only thing
at all hard about it is the contra corners itself. Better still, it
doesn't have a half figure 8, which folks frequently have more
trouble with than the contra corners itself. In any event, it's a fun dance!
Jack
At 01:29 PM 1/28/2008, you wrote:
I've got to say that while I respect the traditional dances and don't mind
the occasional actives-preferential dance (as long as the contra lines
aren't too long to begin with!), I really like the newer dances that I've
seen recently where ones and twos alternate being active. I don't know the
names of these dances (maybe someone can help me out?), but I know there's
at least one where the ones and twos trade off being the couple who does
contra corners and then swings in the middle, and I'm a big fan of that.
Contra corners into a swing in the middle is one of my favorite moves if the
set is working together well.
I definitely agree with Barbara, though, that it's really disappointing to
not have a partner swing at all. And I think there's a responsibility as a
caller to make sure that if you do call a dance where only the ones swing,
the lines are short enough and the dance runs long enough that everyone gets
to be a one for a decent amount of time!
- Koren
On 1/28/08, Barbara Groh <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I occasionally call dances with a shadow swing, but I would NEVER call a
> dance with no partner swing. Many times in my 35 years of dancing, I have
> had an evening where I FINALLY got to dance with some special partner,
> only
> to have the disappointment of doing a dance with no partner swing. What a
> letdown!
>
> Any caller in my area who calls dances without partner swings is either
> going to hear about it from one or more dancers, or at least be grumbled
> about behind their backs. It's probably not a big deal in a roomful of
> beginners, but I think that most experienced dancers feel cheated if they
> don't get to swing their partner.
>
> In fact, there has been much discussion in our dance community (really,
> all
> over the Southeast) as to whether "unequal" dances (where only the 1's
> swing) are "acceptable," given that there are so many great "equal" dances
> available. Of course, this would knock out a whole bunch of the old,
> traditional contras...
>
> Have I opened a huge can of worms here?
> ~Barbara
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Greg McKenzie" <[email protected]>
> To: "Caller's discussion list" <[email protected]>
> Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 2:09 AM
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Shadow swings and Irrational Hypocrisy
>
>
> >
> > Friends,
> >
> > It seems that having folks who really dislike swinging together at a
> > community dance is bad news...with, or without shadow swings. I know
> > it happens, but callers can work to create a more gracious and
> > generous atmosphere. It would feel odd to plan an evening program
> > while considering the needs of people who wish to avoid contact at a
> > social dance.
> >
> > Chris, I wonder; how would you feel about a dance with a shadow
> > swing, and a neighbor swing, but with NO partner swing? I suspect
> > that many of us call a dance or two each night with no partner
> > swing. Would you protest more if there were one partner-swing-free
> > dance with a shadow swing? (And would that be "rational hypocrisy?)
> >
> > Also, how many dances a night do you call that have no partner swing?
> >
> > Just wondering,
> >
> > Greg
> >
> > *********
> >
> > At 02:35 PM 1/24/2008, Chris wrote:
> >>I currently don't have any dances with shadow swings in my
> >>repertoire, by choice.
> >>
> >>Part of that is to avoid the situation where you're forcing two
> >>people to swing together who Really Don't Want To Swing
> >>Over and Over. And they'll let you know it, whether it's a
> >>breakup, or one person's someone that they don't want to
> >>dance with. (In my first community I went to, there was
> >>one person like this. It would drive which lines people went
> >>into, people would refuse sometimes to neighbor swing
> >>with said person, and it really corrupted the whole partner-
> >>asking dynamic of the dance. So I'm shaped by an extreme.)
> >>
> >>There's the secondary reason that it's not as interesting as
> >>it's the same person over and over and over. And you've
> >>already got your partner over and over and over, with the
> >>partner swing I need to pander to. So that cuts out still more
> >>neighbor interaction. It's why I strongly prefer neighbor grand
> >>right and lefts to shadow grand right and lefts, for instance.
> >>
> >>A shadow can be a convenient marker to create the effect
> >>of a lose-and-find partner sequence, so they do have their
> >>uses.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>Yet I call a dance with a shadow swing about one night
> >>of every three. They're the four-face-fours where you swing
> >>your corner. So I fully admit to irrational hypocrisy.
> >>
> >>-Chris Page
> >>San Diego
> >>_______________________________________________
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> >
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