Hi all-- I'm Keith Tuxhorn, and this is my first post to this list. I'm a
caller in Austin, TX, and have been calling for about 4 1/2 years now. In
addition to calling around TX, I've called around the Midwest and Northwest,
and just got back from a weekend in CO. I've also called ECD for a year and
a half. I've been on the list for only a couple week, and already have been
given much to think about.
My first comment is more of a question. It seems Tina was asking for dances
that would suit 7-to-10-year-old girls and their fathers, who also probably
know nothing about this dance style. Plue they're going to be worrying about
doing it right, making sure their daughter has fun... Alan, your suggestions
seem quite advanced for the target audience. I've only called a couple
ONS's, to college age and older, and observe they have the most success, and
the most fun, when they don't have to worry about position changes and
direction changes. The dances stay simple, but the dancers have loads of
fun, because they get it quickly.
A couple of moves you include, I wouldn't think about calling for college
beginners until I see they've mastered 4-5 simpler dances. For what Tina
wants, well, I'd be real hesitant... So, my question is, have you called
these dances for children, with inexperienced adults, and how successful
were they? I know kids can sometimes learn faster than adults, but am
wondering what ends up being too much...? Is anyone here learned in
behavioral/growth studies that might tell us what a kid can "spatially" do
at a certain age? I've never called to a crowd with this age/skill
concentration, so whatever enlightenment you can
O
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. easy ONS dances where partner is kept? (Tina Fields)
> 2. Re: easy ONS dances where partner is kept?
> (Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing)
>
> My go-to Sicilians - which you may well already have -
>
> Haste to the Wedding
> [Sicilian Circle)
> [Greatly benefits from the name tune]
>
> A1: Circle left, Circle right
> A2: RH *, LH *
> B1: Neighbors back-to-back, clap, clap, turn 2 hands once round.
> B2: Partners back-to-back, clap, clap, pass through.
>
> Spanish Waltz
> (Any waltz with nice 4-bar phrases)
> [Sicilian Circle]
>
> Note: In A1&A2, men use only right hand; women use only left hand
>
> A1: 1-2: Holding *that* hand with partner, waltz-balance fwd&back to
> neighbor
> 3-4: Givin that hand to neighbor, woman turns under to change
> places; both finish facing partner.
> 5-8: Repeat above with partner
>
> A2: 1-8: Repeat to home place.
>
> B1: 1-4: RH*
> 5-8: LH*
>
> B2: (this can depend greatly on the group. I like coming out of the LH
> star
> with partners holding left hands and gents stepping up to partner's
> right
> hand behind, then waltz-promenading (men's left shoulders closest to
> each other) 1.5 to meet a new couple.
>
> A group that can all waltz can waltz around; a group that can't manage
> the promenade can do forward two waltz steps, back two waltz steps,
> pass thorough and bow to a new couple.
>
> ---
> SOLDIER'S JOY.
> Sicilian Circle ("As for Spanish Dance")
> 32-bar reel.
>
>
> My reconstruction (which is pretty much everybody else's reconstruction)
>
> A1: 1-4: Forward and back
> 5-8: Opposites turn two hands (no progression)
>
> A2: 1-4: Partners balance
> 5-8: Partners turn (could swing if wanted)
>
> B1: 1-8: Ladies chain over and back
>
> B2: 1-8: Forward and back, forward and pass through.
>
>
> Original text:
> All forward and back, swing the opposite-all balance to partners and
> turn-ladies chain-forward and back, forward and cross to face the next
> couple.
> ------------------
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Non-gallopy whole set longways:
>
> UP THE SIDES AND DOWN THE MIDDLE (CDM, own tune or any bright jig)
>
> Long set for four to six couples.
>
> A1: Step-swing balance in lines twice; cross over with polka step.
>
> A2: Repeat to places
>
> B1: (Reel time) 1s down the middle (walking, 8 bars) while 2s lead a single
> cast (polka step) down, then up through the 1s moving arch.
>
> B2: Swing partners.
>
> (Repeat until 1s at top again).
>
> [Also the own tune has a jig part and a reel part, you really don't have to
> worry about that. Experiment shows this works fine with old-timey reels.
> If
> you're tired, you can just do the whole thing walking and it still works.]
> ------------------------------
>
>
> Let us know how it goes!
>
> -- Alan
>
>
>
