Thanks for this thread. I'm always on the lookout for new community dances. This is one of my favorites that I learned from Susan Michaels at a square dance caller's workshop. It's a variation of the Boston Tea Party so I call it Susan's Tea Party.
*Susan’s Tea Party* Susan Michaels Type: Longways Formation: Duple-Improper Level: Beginner-Easy Music: Doesn't need to be square A part Down the road part: Everyone sashays down the set with partner, drops to the bottom until top couple is back to the top. B part Toaster time: Top couple forms an arch to go over the left hand line, switches hands at the bottom and toasters back up the right hand line C part Peel the banana: top couple casts off to the bottom Follow the leader, top couple forms an arch at the bottom everyone else ducks under the arch reforms lines and there is a new top couple. Notes: If lines are really long do a double toaster with top two couples each going over one of the lines trading at the bottom and coming back up. and Double Peel the banana with a 4 person arch at the bottom. On Mon, Oct 9, 2023 at 2:39 PM Erik Hoffman via Contra Callers < [email protected]> wrote: > I’d love to collect a few more whole set dances for one night stands. > > > > I have done my version of the Virginia Reel, of course. Some Running Set > figures (though not in a big circle, but, “find another couple and circle > left), Sasha, the Broom Dance and/or the Fan Dance, Blobs, and possibly > teach Jefferson & Liberty, or a slightly simplified version of Haste to the > Wedding and the first “Hands Four” dance. So, I’ve been collecting the > Simple Contra Dances, and adding them to my repertoire with thanks to all > sharing them! I am looking for Whole Set Dances. > > > > Here’s one from me: > > > > *Building a Tunnel* > > I put some figures together after looking at dancing in Douglastown, > Quebec, that I found from Laura Risk’s wonderful collection of music and > notes she coproduced with Brian Morris, the *Douglastown* cd ( > https://www.laurarisk.com/recordings.html). I call this Building a > Tunnel. Then I stole part of what I think is The Flying Scottsman (which I > learned from the wonderful Sandy Bradley) or is it Kingston Flyer as Tony > Parkes mentioned. > > > > Building a Tunnel > > Longways set a Whole Set dance > > Not too phrased to the music > > > > In long lines, Head Person of Line One leads their line all the way around > Line Two > > Then Head of Line Two leads line around Line One > > All Partner Do Si Do, Swing (any way: elbow, 2-hand, ballroom) > > Top Couple arch over one line to the bottom—Mow The Lawn… > > Top Couple arch over the other line back to the top—Cut Their Hair… > > Top Couple Sashay to Bottom, Make an Arch > > The two lines face down, go down and around the Top (soon to be Bottom) > Couple > > Through the arch, and, as the line goes under, make an Arch when couples > go through the last arch (made by the couple they’ve been following). > > In other words, Building a Tunnel. > > > > When teaching the Top Couple to make an arch I teach taking one hand as > they face the line. By the second or third time, couple start doing the > arch with two hands, thus, I don’t know why I bother… > > > > Like other dances as the Virginia Reel, sets can easily get out of sync. > If they do, I watch and stop calling except to remind un-sync-ed if they > forgot something. > > > > So many times when teaching the Virginia Reel, dancers want to do the > “build a tunnel” and I (and most likely most of you) have to teach > promenading up and not passing anyone. Now they get to build it! > > > > *Thinking of making the first Hands Four dance Easier* > > > > For years I’ve called the dance at the Full Belly Farm’s “Hoes Down” where > they put their hoes down and dance. I’ve used Jefferson & Liberty, but, in > sets on an empty field where sets can easily get 20-couples long or longer, > and not wanting to take even more time bi and trifurcating sets into > shorter sets. I think I presented Barbarella earlier, and it got me > thinking: would it be easier to teach a phrased progressive dance in Becket > Formation ending by sliding left to a new couple? So, I’m going to try a > couple of ideas at my next One Night Stand: > > > > Start getting lines in becket formation. My first thought is to star with > Long Lines going forward and back, to reinforce that we are dancing with > everyone, but I can also starting by teaching a slice and then putting that > slice as B2. > > > > That said, these just thinking right now: > > > > My First Try: > > > > A1 LLF&B; Neighbor across Do Si Do > > A2 Partner Do Si Do, Swing (any way) > > B1 Face Down for Line of Four Down the Hall, Turn as a Couple (or, uh, > not), Return > > B2 Circle Left, Circle Right, Slide Right to next couple to A1 LLF&B > > > > Or > > > > A1 w/ Couple Across: Circle Left, then Right > > A2 w/ Neighbor Across: DSD, Two Hand Turn > > B1 Back on Own Side: Ptnr DSD, Two Hand Turn (or Swing any kind) > > B2 Looking to the Left: Long Lines go Forward to a New Couple, then > Straight Back, to A1 with New Nbr > > > > I think these might be easier to explain to complete novices. Any thoughts? > > > > ~Erik Hoffman > > Oakland, CA > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > -- twirls, Frannie
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