Like Harris recently did, we plan to try Star Trek Phaser for our beginner-heavy college contra next week. Thanks for writing and posting it, Luke.
We often find that our dancers get off-phrase, especially with flowy dances, like this one. Is that what causes the challenge with the oval in this dance? We have the benefit of choosing our music program at the same time as our dance program. So, our Plan A for flowy dances is to choose a tune set with clear differentiation between the 8-bar phrases and some sort of punctuation at the start or end of each phrase. (Maybe a tune set like this one. <https://youtu.be/ADQq_nqqHik?si=UX83w43tUtd8pw6x&t=151>) >From the perspective of callers, what would be a few tips that help ensure flowy dances don't get off-phrase or would help in a case like Harris'? Thanks, Rob - - - - - - - - - - - - Robert Matson Cell: (917) 626-2675 On Tue, Sep 24, 2024 at 12:51 AM Harris Lapiroff via Contra Callers < [email protected]> wrote: > I called Star Trek Phraser at a beginner-heavy college dance last weekend > and it worked quite well! The only thing I noticed was that I had to keep > jumping in to keep the oval on time (dancers kept trying to shift it to A2) > and even still it got pretty messy. But it's a nice whole-set moment that I > think is worth it. (And for attentive beginners I think it also reveals > something to them about the structure of the dance.) I was surprised and > pleased by how well beginners were able to handle the star-to-star > transition, quick though it is! > > Thanks for that one, Luke! > > Harris Lapiroff > > Dance Caller and Organizer > Boston Intergenerational Dance Advocates Board (Cambridge MA) > Pinewoods Camp, Inc Board (Plymouth MA) > https://chromamine.com/contra/ > > On Mon, Sep 9, 2024, at 8:08 PM, Luke Donforth via Contra Callers wrote: > > Thanks all. > > I continue to turn this one over in my head, and I think I've got a new > one (borrowing heavily from Bob Isaac's *To Turn a Phrase* and the > star-to-star transition of Mick Richardson's *Star Trek*) > > Star Trek Phraser > by Luke Donforth > Contra/Becket-CCW > > A1 ----------- > (8) Left hand Star > (8) Whole set oval right > A2 ----------- > (8) whole set oval Left > (8) Groups of 4 Circle Left 1X > B1 ----------- > (8) Partner Do-si-do > (8) Partner swing > B2 ----------- > (8) Long lines, forward and back > (8) Left hand Star 1x, walk on to next star > > On Sun, Sep 8, 2024 at 7:55 PM <[email protected]> wrote: > > https://aptsg.org/Dance/dances.html#Balter > > On Sun, Sep 8, 2024 at 11:50 AM Luke Donforth via Contra Callers < > [email protected]> wrote: > > Hello all, > > Oftentimes at One Night Gigs, I'll do a mix of circle and longways set > dances. With scatter mixers and specialty dances, I can fill an evening. > But sometimes I get a group that "wants contras" or is looking to grow > their familiarity with the dance form. > > I think Becket dances without lark/robin distinctions and no neighbor > swing are AN easy option into "hands-four" contras. There are other ways > in, but I'm looking for more Beckets that match that description. For a > while I've had "Pluck It" in my box as a friendly option: > > Pluck It > Contra/Becket-CW > > A1 ----------- > (8) Circle Left > (8) Circle Right > A2 ----------- > (8) Left hand Star > (8) Right hand Star > B1 ----------- > (8) Partner Do-si-do > (8) Partner swing > B2 ----------- > (8) Neighbor Do-si-do across set > (8) Long lines, yearn left > > This is, in my opinion, pretty close to the traditional mixer Scatter Shot > but done as a keeper in Becket. (It does have a DSD across the set, which > in a recent thread was listed as a no-no for some callers. While I wouldn't > use that move at a dance weekend, for One Night gigs I think it's > accessible and acceptable). You don't have to teach ballroom swing, and if > folks want to elbow swing and swap roles with their partner it doesn't > really impact the dance (this is a small advantage of Becket over improper > for this type of dance; different position on the side is less disorienting > than different side of the set). > > What other Becket dances do folks have that don't rely on roles? No larks > allemande or robins chain, etc. > > On the drive home from my gig last night I came up with this one (which > may already exist), written for Naomi who organizes the community dance I > was at: > > A Pillar of Weathersfield > Contra/Becket-CW > > A1 ----------- > (8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella) > (8) Balance the ring and spin to the right (petronella) > A2 ----------- > (16) Partner balance and swing, end facing down the hall > B1 ----------- > (8) Down the hall, four in line (turn as couples) > (8) Return and face across > B2 ----------- > (8) Long lines, forward and back > (8) Promenade across the Set, turn as a couple and progress > (Go between the ones you danced with, passing by left shoulder, and the > new couple on your right, turn to take hands with new couple) > > I'd be curious what else folks have that they use for entry-level contras > when you don't have a critical mass of experience for improper dances with > neighbor swings. > > Thanks! > Luke Donforth > Burlington, VT > _______________________________________________ > Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > > > > -- > Luke Donforth > [email protected] <[email protected]> > _______________________________________________ > Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > > > _______________________________________________ > Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >
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