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Today's Topics:
1. Last call: Workshops in Gilmanton NH ([email protected])
2. Beckets ([email protected])
3. Re: Beckets (Chris Page)
4. Re: Beckets (Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing)
5. Re: Beckets (Laur)
6. Re: Beckets (Will Loving)
7. Re: Beckets (Jeff Kaufman)
8. house party squares (Jeff Kaufman)
9. Re: house party squares (Will Loving)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:29:46 -0500
From: <[email protected]>
Subject: [Callers] Last call: Workshops in Gilmanton NH
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Hi Folks,
Wanted to post one last reminder about callers and musicians
workshops In Gilmanton NH. 12/13 4:00-5:30 PM.........
pot luck dinner following the workshops
Members of SWALLOWTAIL will be conducting the workshops
Callers: Begginer Caller and Advanced Teaching Techniques
Musicians: Taking toons to the next level/ playing for the dance!
Than stick around to dance to Swallowtail!
(sponcered in part by the Country Dance and Song Society)
Details at: www.worldpath.net/~gtwood
PHONE:
603-679-5448
Day of Dance
Gale: 603-817-9879
Lynn: 603-926-9700
Directions:
Gilmanton NH Town Offices
RT 107 (corner of RT 107 and RT 140)
(across from the Gilmanton Corners Store)
Hope to see you there!
Thanks
Gale
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:20:55 -0500
From: <[email protected]>
Subject: [Callers] Beckets
To: [email protected]
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Hay folks,
Typically, how many Becket dances will you call in an
evening?
I seem to be on a Becket "kick" as of late, and don't wish to
over do it.
Thanks in advance Gale
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:01:26 -0800
From: "Chris Page" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Beckets
To: "Caller's discussion list" <[email protected]>
Message-ID:
<[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
On 12/11/08, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote:
Hay folks,
Typically, how many Becket dances will you call in an
evening?
I seem to be on a Becket "kick" as of late, and don't wish to
over do it.
Looking at my programs, it looks like in the last year of
15 contra dances, I've only called 18 Becket dances.
(Last week I realized I hadn't introduced Becket when I
got to the triple minor, and needed to use that term...)
But this isn't intentional. For me, Becket vs. Improper is
just a different way of starting the same dance. I don't
see any deep difference between them. Still, there are
a couple of factors that tilt me improper-wards:
-When programming I seek dances that don't always
end and start the same. Most Becket dances end with
a partner swing.
-Improper dances tend to be simpler than Becket dances,
hence more of them get done.
(This is because an improper choreography must reach three
choreographic mileposts during the dance -- progressed,
neighbor swung, and partner swung. Becket must reach two
mileposts -- neighbor swung and partner swung; so there's
more time in the dance to wander far, far away from these
mileposts/stations.)
(Drop the neighbor swing requirement and the above still holds.)
-My use of other dance formations -- squares,
four-face-fours, circle mixer, triplets, and so forth -- automatically
decreases both the number of improper and Becket dances.
-I think there's more good improper sequences out there than
Becket ones, quite possibly because that's what more
people have intentionally been trying to write. I have no data
to support this, however.
-Chris Page
San Diego
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:40:47 -0800 (PST)
From: Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing
<[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Beckets
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=us-ascii
Gale wrote:
Hay folks,
Typically, how many Becket dances will you call in an
evening?
I seem to be on a Becket "kick" as of late, and don't wish to
over do it.
I don't think dancers particularly care about Becket vs improper
per se.
They care (to some degree *) about the dances seeming too similar, but
I think what gives that impression is largely transitions (do they
all start
the same? do they all end the same?), distinctive figures (do they
all
have Rory O'Moore balance-in-lines in them?), to some degree mood
(are they
*all* slinky? are they *all* rowdy?), not whether you have them
circle left 1
place after they take hands four.
If you aren't boring the dancers with sameness, I don't think you have
to worry about the actual numbers.
That said, I seem to call somewhere between 0 and 4 out of 10.
-- Alan
--
======================================================================
=========
Alan Winston --- [email protected]
Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone:
650/926-3056
Paper mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 99, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park
CA 94025
======================================================================
=========
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:01:46 -0800 (PST)
From: Laur <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Beckets
To: [email protected]
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
I too enjoy Becket dances.? But when I think about the why of
incorporating them in my planning a dance, its more about variety
of flow, dance moves, and level of difficulty.? I personally find
dancing a night with 6 balance? the waves or 4 Rory O'Moors, or
worse,? the combination of them, very less enjoyable, regardless of
the band, caller, or dance partner(s).? And? I try? to? remember
this in planning a program for others.? Not all Beckets are
"difficult" so I use the "easier" Beckets to vary programs when I'm
working to enhance perspective and create variety and keep the more
experienced engaged in a dance evening.?? And I use? the the more
difficult, or engaging, Beckets to challenge or enrich.
So I enjoy Beckets, and find that sometimes I? have to "hold
back".? And I also agree with what Alan has said.
Laurie
West Michigan/ Grand Rapids
--- On Thu, 12/11/08, Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing
<[email protected]> wrote:
From: Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing
<[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Beckets
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, December 11, 2008, 6:40 PM
Gale wrote:
Hay folks,
Typically, how many Becket dances will you call in an
evening?
I seem to be on a Becket "kick" as of late, and don't wish
to
over do it.
I don't think dancers particularly care about Becket vs improper
per se.
They care (to some degree *) about the dances seeming too similar, but
I think what gives that impression is largely transitions (do they
all start
the same? do they all end the same?), distinctive figures (do they
all
have Rory O'Moore balance-in-lines in them?), to some degree mood
(are they
*all* slinky? are they *all* rowdy?), not whether you have them
circle left 1
place after they take hands four.
If you aren't boring the dancers with sameness, I don't think you have
to worry about the actual numbers.
That said, I seem to call somewhere between 0 and 4 out of 10.
-- Alan
--
======================================================================
=========
Alan Winston --- [email protected]
Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone:
650/926-3056
Paper mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 99, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park
CA 94025
======================================================================
=========
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
[email protected]
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:17:57 -0500
From: Will Loving <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Beckets
To: "Caller's discussion list <[email protected]>"
<[email protected]>
Message-ID: <c567ceb5.2f541%[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
On the topic of becket dances, I have a sort of minor questions:
The majority of beckets rotate left-flowing or clockwise (CW) but an
increasing number are being written and danced which flow to the
right or
counter-clockwise (CCW). To setup for teaching a becket dance, most
callers
will simply say, "take hands four and circle one place to the left
to becket
formation" regardless of the direction of flow.
However, for a CCW dance, some callers will give the instruction to
"take
hands four and circle one place to the right". Though this is
technically
correct with regard to the flow of the dance it seems that, at
least to the
dancers, it's not really necessary and they sometimes scratch their
heads
about "circle to the right?".
More recently, I've noticed that as becket dances have become more
common at
least at Greenfield, MA dances (which is generally a very experienced
crowd), the instructions are simply "this is a becket formation
dance, so
stand with your partner beside you facing across the set to another
couple
and take hands four".
Thoughts anyone?
Will Loving
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:03:16 -0500
From: [email protected] (Jeff Kaufman)
Subject: Re: [Callers] Beckets
To: Caller's discussion list <[email protected]>
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
On Fri, Dec 12, 2008 at 08:17:57AM -0500, Will Loving wrote:
The majority of beckets rotate left-flowing or clockwise (CW) but an
increasing number are being written and danced which flow to the
right or counter-clockwise (CCW). To setup for teaching a becket
dance, most callers will simply say, "take hands four and circle one
place to the left to becket formation" regardless of the direction
of flow.
However, for a CCW dance, some callers will give the instruction to
"take hands four and circle one place to the right". Though this is
technically correct with regard to the flow of the dance it seems
that, at least to the dancers, it's not really necessary and they
sometimes scratch their heads about "circle to the right?".
I should think whether to tell people to circle one place to the right
for a CCW dance would depend on how important it is to the dancers to
be going the direction they thought they would be going when they
lined up.
In my experience, people who were dancing when there were more unequal
turn dances want to know if they are a one or a two. People who
started more recently often don't care. So what I would say would
depend on the crowd.
If you really want to start an argument, write an improper dance that
progresses backwards and ask people who are the ones and who are the
twos.
Jeff
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Message: 8
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:15:12 -0500
From: [email protected] (Jeff Kaufman)
Subject: [Callers] house party squares
To: [email protected]
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I'm wondering if anyone has any squares that work well for house
parties?
Background: I've called contras a good bit, primarily at swarthmore
college, and sometimes find myself in a situation where there are
people who want to dance, good music, and space for a square but not a
contra. Generally the dancers are more familiar with contra dance
than square dance, perhaps even people who sit out squares when
they're called at the weekly dances.
When this has happened to me, I've ended up just trying to call
something, making it up as I go, which has worked ok, but not really
very well. I can generally keep them dancing and keep calling at the
right times, but the resulting dance isn't usually very interesting.
So I was thinking that the best solution would be to memorize a few
suitable square dances.
Thinking about what suitable means. Any standard contra figure is ok.
Nothing that I would have to walk through (simple is better than
boring). Nothing that is too picky about the music (singing squares).
Does anyone have suggestions?
Jeff
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Message: 9
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:39:25 -0500
From: Will Loving <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Callers] house party squares
To: "Caller's discussion list <[email protected]>"
<[email protected]>
Message-ID: <c567efdd.2f556%[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
Jeff,
If you have room for a square, you probably have room for a
quadruplet or
triplet. Some four-on-four contras can be modified into a
quadruplet, but
there are a number of good quads out there.
A fun triplet for experienced dancers is David Smukler's "David's
Triplet
#5" which features a hey for six.
http://www.davidsmukler.syracusecountrydancers.org/DSS.html#trip5
For Quads I would suggest the dances below by Gary Roodman as well
as those
in the back section of Larry Jenning's "Give and Take". Also see my
list
posted here back in October of 20 dances for 5-10 dancers.
Will Loving
-----------------------------------------------------
Square Line Special
By Gary Roodman (From his book "Calculated Figures")
Type: Contra
Formation: Quadruplet
Music: ?Swinging on a Gate? or any 32-bar contra dance tune, 4 times
through.
A1 -----------
(8) Long lines, forward and back
(8) Go forward again and pass through and turn alone
A2 -----------
(4) Take Right Hand with partner across, balance
(4) (in your group of four) pull partner by the Right, neighbor by
the left
(8) Swing the next (partner on the ends, neighbor for the centers)
(End the swing forming a square)
B1 -----------
(8) Head couples Right & Left through
(8) Head couples ladies Chain
B2 -----------
(8) Head couples lead to the right, circle left once
(8) Sides arch, heads duck under, separate, around one
(form lines to start the dance again, your original partner will be
across
from you)
-----------------------------------------------------
Rise and Run
By Gary Roodman
Type: Contra
Formation: Quadruplet Becket
Music: ?My Wife?s a Wanton Wee Thing? (or any 32-bar contra dance
tune - 4X
through)
A1 -----------
(8) Star Right 1X (both sets of four)
(8) Middle four Star Left 1X
A2 -----------
(16) Partner balance and swing
B1 -----------
(8) ?1st couples? Right and left through on the Right diagonal,
courtesy
turn
(4) ?2nd couples? Right and left through on Left diagonal, and
immediately
turn as a couple to the right and (4) progress cw 1 position around
the set
B2 -----------
(8) Women Chain
(8) Women Chain
(for a mixer, substitute N Swing for second chain, or R&L for first
chain)
Notes: How about 4X through with same partner and then make a
change which
will cause you to change partners for 4X more? e.g. B2 could have
women
chain across to swing N, or R&L and then women chain
on 12/12/08 9:15 AM, Jeff Kaufman at [email protected] wrote:
I'm wondering if anyone has any squares that work well for house
parties?
Background: I've called contras a good bit, primarily at swarthmore
college, and sometimes find myself in a situation where there are
people who want to dance, good music, and space for a square but
not a
contra. Generally the dancers are more familiar with contra dance
than square dance, perhaps even people who sit out squares when
they're called at the weekly dances.
When this has happened to me, I've ended up just trying to call
something, making it up as I go, which has worked ok, but not really
very well. I can generally keep them dancing and keep calling at the
right times, but the resulting dance isn't usually very interesting.
So I was thinking that the best solution would be to memorize a few
suitable square dances.
Thinking about what suitable means. Any standard contra figure is
ok.
Nothing that I would have to walk through (simple is better than
boring). Nothing that is too picky about the music (singing
squares).
Does anyone have suggestions?
Jeff
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
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--
William M. Loving
Dedication Technologies, Inc.
7 Coach Lane
Amherst, MA 01002-3304 USA
[email protected]
Tel: +1 413 253-7223 (GMT ?5)
Fax: +1 206 202-0476
------------------------------
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Callers mailing list
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End of Callers Digest, Vol 52, Issue 6
**************************************
