Katherine,
A few thoughts: First, I really like your approach of a monthly theme
with variations.
While square dancers know the configuration as an ocean wave, my
experience has been that in contra dance circles it's much more
frequently referred to by the far more descriptive term that you used,
Short wavy line.
There are lots of exciting dances that take dancers from a short wavy
line out of their minor to interact with their next neighbors or even
second next neighbors before returning home, those often generate great
confusion even for experienced dancers. The end effects tend to be
especially troublesome.
On a positive note, I think that the most straightforward way to get
into an short wavy line is to start the dance in that arrangement.
Balance the wave, do some stuff, eventually end back in the same wave
half way through B2. Balance again, then walk straight forward to make
a short wavy line with your next neighbors. If B1 ends with a partner
swing on the appropriate side, B2 can be circle left 3 places and ooze
into a short wavy line. Balance the wave and walk forward to the next
neighbors.
Dave Harding
On 4/1/2024 12:30 PM, Katherine Kitching via Contra Callers wrote:
Hi folks-
As I've mentioned before, our Halifax group is not very advanced - we
welcome a lot of beginners each month, and our regulars are not super
regular or super skilled.. - and so the practice we've settled on is
to choose one "feature figure" each month to focus on teaching....
in the first part of the evening we break down the figure in detail so
everyone gets a chance to learn it inside-out... then do a few dances
that has that figure in it, but nothing else difficult (not even
swings! unless swing is the feature figure for that evening).
Then at the very end of the evening we do an "advanced segment" where
we call a few dances quickly with little teaching (probably more like
what all of your dances look like!) - and those dances include all
sorts of figures that have been featured over the past 6+ months.
(Usually most of the beginners have been tired out and gone home at
this point)
Anyhow, this month our feature figure will be short wavy lines - and I
don't have a lot of experience with them myself.
Could anyone point me towards some videos where short wavy lines are
featured?
I'm interested in being able to watch different fun things that can be
done in SWLs... including the Rory O'Moore sequence, and other
simple/basic actions.
No need to send me videos of more elaborate and unusual types of SWL
figures.
Also no need to worry about the content of the rest of the dance - I
generally write custom dances to incorporate the feature figure while
keeping everything else way simpler than you folks are used to :)
I want to do 3 dances with SWLs - each one with a slightly different
type of SWL figure - I can think of balancing then allemanding haflway
around, repeat...
and the Rory O'Moore sequence as the final more tricky one...
But is there something else I could do in short wavy lines too?
and I would like to see the first two in action so I can make sure to
feel confident in my teaching!!
Many thanks :)
Kat in Hfx
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