Re: [Callers] Chinese Fan from Square dance

[Chris Page via Callers]

Another thing to consider is progressing on to the next. Chinese Fan
is fuzzy about where moves end, as the star turns. So you need to have
dancers promenade "to progressed places", rather than just circling
halfway or some such. I've found dancers have great trouble with this,
at least partly because 4-face-4 is an uncommon formation, so they
can't just progress by autopilot.

Some of my biggest and most memorable crashes when testing dances have
resulted from this problem.

-Chris Page
San Diego

Re: [Callers] Chinese Fan from Square dance

[Gloria Krusemeyer via Callers]

--snip--
> If you call Chinese Fan such that the mini stars are longer, folks end up
> back with their partners.  With skilled dancers you can do that
> intentionally just by adding an extra four counts of patter in.  At speed,
> the ladies wind up turning 1 and 1/2 times, the men go all the way around,
> and that is perfectly legitimate for the caller to do.
--snip--

Just thinking about the elbow hold as a mini star will confuse some
dancers. It certainly confused me. Having this duo hang out (or
migrate rotationally) while the center star rotates all the way around
sounds to me like a disaster. I'd have difficulty doing it. I can keep
oriented while swinging, and I have good timing. I'm not sure what
you'd gain by doing the long girl's spin.

I have danced the Chinese Fan many times, and called it twice to
teenagers - some of whom have never danced anything before. Aiming for
the next spoke is easy. When first teaching, coach the one who rolled
back to hook elbows with the next.

The Chinese Fan works because the Turn Back / Pickup / Drop off /
Catch are so close in space and well in sync. The only times I've seen
it totally fall apart is when the center star stops turning.

Once the dancers have the basic fan, you can do a butterfly whirl and
put the girls in the center. (Texas Star)

If things are going really well, you can do the Chinese Fan with half
sashayed couples alternating with standard couples. (or with same sex
couples). Set it up again.  Maybe: Heads make a Star. turn it once
around, then Pick up your Corner for a Star Promenade. Side [Boy /
Girl] Roll Back for a Chinese Fan.

Both the Chinese Fan and Texas Star work for 6 couples. You should be
able to call at the same time to groups with both 4 and 6 couples.
---
I had problems trying to call the Chinese Fan to the phrase, contra
style. This is a good time to have the band play a crooked tune.

Gloria Krusemeyer

Re: [Callers] Transgressive contras

[Lindsey Dono via Callers]

Hi Luke,
Thanks for sharing all of this! I'm looking for ideas for a sophisticated crowd 
and a very square room; 4x4s (and 6x6s etc) end up progressing folks to the 
same neighbors multiple times, and no one cares to be inactive. I could likely 
get away with one dance where I'd call all the way through; typically I've been 
dropping out after ~5 times through with this crowd.
I'll check out the Mad Robin site and let you know what, if anything, I decide 
to try!
Lindsey
(PS: Odd connection- I'm the girlfriend of your brother's former housemate in 
WA; we've had Jason over for dinner.)  From: Luke Donforth 

 To: Lindsey Dono  
Cc: "callers@lists.sharedweight.net"  
 Sent: Friday, May 1, 2015 11:37 AM
 Subject: Re: [Callers] Transgressive contras

I should note, I've never actually tried calling "Luke's Options are Limited" 
it was mostly a theoretical exercise for me. To my knowledge it's never been 
danced.

If you have only two sets, it's not clear to me how a transgressive contras are 
functionally different than 4 face 4 dances or their cousin, Tempest Formation. 
(In my box, I'd put "Kim's Game" under Tempest Formation.)
The Tempest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qNp-n4CbdI
It becomes a question of if everyone is changing lines, or just half the 
couples are, but you're bouncing back and forth. 

If that's all you want, great. There's lots of room to write more 4 face 4 and 
tempest formation dances, and you can incorporate pass through lines there.

If you have more than two sets involved, I haven't found a way to keep things 
from being either complicated or boring for some dancers.

Option 1: all 1s and 2s progress the same way every time
If you have a progression that's down one couple, and over one set to the left 
for the 1s, and up one couple over one set to the right for the 2s, you no 
longer change numbers when you reach the bottom of the hall, you also change 
numbers when you reach the sides. So even with 5 sets across and 20 hands four 
deep, nobody is going to go more than 5 hands-four from their original 
position. If you've got a square (10 sets across, 10 hands four deep, etc) some 
folks on the main diagonal see 10 different couples, but other folks will 
bounce back and fourth on short diagonals of just a few couples. 

Option 2: have options that vary the progression
This is what "Luke's Options are Limited" attempts to do 
(http://www.madrobincallers.org/2013/01/25/attempting-a-grid-contra-choreography/
 ). If gives you different dances (thematically linked) to travel to different 
points on the floor. You could find other pairs of improper/becket dances using 
wide lines and long lines, and even incorporate passing through lines. But 
you're stuck with having to have different dances to call and be calling all 
the way through the dance. I personally try and get out of the way of the band 
and dancers interacting, and dislike calling through the entire dance.

Option 3: expand 4 face 4 to 6 face 6, 8 face 8, etc.
I played around with this a bit, and I think others have as well (Roger 
Auman?). There are dances up at 
http://www.madrobincallers.org/2014/02/26/6-facing-6-contra-dances/
I haven't done anything with them after writing them, but if they inspire you; 
feel free to use them. The hard part (in my opinion) is giving everyone 
something interesting to do. If your line of 6 has a pass through along the 
set, you've got to keep your trail buddy groups together and permuting, or some 
folks get a bum ride.

Option 4: I haven't found one, but let me know if you do!

Have fun.

On Fri, May 1, 2015 at 11:36 AM, Michael Dyck via Callers 
 wrote:

On 15-05-01 01:02 AM, Lindsey Dono wrote:


Is "grid contra" the more standard terminology than "transgressive?"


I hadn't heard the term "transgressive contra" before, and I'm not finding hits 
for the term in search engines.

Here's what I've got:

1990-1995
Chris Kermiet: "Beckett's Crossing"
(in his "Zany Contras and Other Stuff!")
http://k-1.us/contras/beckettscrossing.html
(refers to it as "a progressive contra dance")

May 2010
Peter Foster: "Crisscross"
http://pfoster.pcug.org.au/dance/contra.htm#cri
(Doesn't really have a term for the dance form.)

Jan 2012?
Seth Tepfer: "Transgression"
http://lists.sharedweight.net/pipermail/callers-sharedweight.net/2012-January/004159.html
(refers to it as a "grid contra", but also refers to progression across as 
"transgression", hence the dance's title)
See also other posts in that thread.

Jan 2013
Luke Donforth: "Luke's Options are Limited"
http://www.madrobincallers.org/2013/01/25/attempting-a-grid-contra-choreography/
(refers to it as a "grid contra")

-Michael
___
Callers mailing list
Callers@lists.sharedweight.net
http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net






-- 
Luke Donforth
luke.donfo...@gmail.com

Re: [Callers] Itty-bitty dances, triplets, odd numbers

[Kalia Kliban via Callers]

On 5/4/2015 7:14 AM, Bill Olson via Callers wrote:

Kalia, You said you already had a triplet with contra corners in it, BUT
I figured I'd offer this anyway. I often call Chorus Jig as a triplet,
(B2 being 1's (bal and) swing to bottom of set and others move up). I
found that in a triplet dancers can learn contra corners very easily
without the confusion that comes in a duple set. With Chorus Jig, in
addition to the distinctive choreography you mentioned, there's also the
historical significance of calling a dance 100's of years old I guess.

bill


My cunning plan, when I was envisioning a huge crowd of 7 or 8 couples*, 
was to teach Microchasmic early in the evening to get the contra corners 
concept across, and then do Chorus Jig later on.  The best laid plans 
oft gang agley...


Kalia

Re: [Callers] Itty-bitty dances, triplets, odd numbers

[Kalia Kliban via Callers]

On 5/4/2015 6:57 AM, Martha Wild via Callers wrote:

Though it may seem like heresy to do it without the associated tune, Levi 
Jackson Rag can be done to other thirty-two bar tunes if the band doesn't know 
the required tune, and is good for 5 couples.


That was at the top of my mind for this dance, but the band vetoed it. 
"We play old-time tunes, that's it."  Okey dokey, then.  We work with 
what we've got.  And anyway, we topped out at 9 dancers with me on the 
floor, so LJR wouldn't have worked even if the band had been on board. 
Such is life :>)


Kalia

Re: [Callers] Itty-bitty dances, triplets, odd numbers

[Kalia Kliban via Callers]

On 5/3/2015 9:02 PM, Paul Wilde wrote:

Kalia,

I love David's Triplet # 5 (David Smuckler).  It has a lovely hey for 6
w/ a P Gypsy Meltdown to finish.


I just revisited David's site yesterday and looked through his set of 
triplets and that one looked really nice so I added it to my collection. 
 Thanks for the recommendation.


Kalia

Re: [Callers] Chinese Fan from Square dance

[Claire Takemori via Callers]

Hi Neal and All,
thank you for the replies and help.  I can see that it's not a simple 
choreography issue. 
I will give the floor pattern/teaching to my friend to see how choreography 
goes. 
I will ask an Advanced caller who knows how to teach Chinese Fan to see if they 
want to try the Contra 4x4, AFTER teaching a square with the Chinese Fan, so 
the crowd knows it already. 

Neal, I hear you on bringing a square move to Contra.  And I've experienced 
some new contras that are not so rigid or linear, so I thought it might work.  

Thanks everyone! 
claire
 
On May 4, 2015, at 9:46 AM, Neal Schlein  wrote:

Hi Claire,

I can help, but am not certain you asked for what you truly want.  Are you 
really looking for a set of calls for the square, or do you need directions for 
the floor pattern, teaching instructions, a working timing for the square-style 
calls, or the timing of the figure for a contra setting?

I'm asking because I suspect your friend doesn't actually need the calls.  This 
is going to open a can of worms on the list, but contras and mescalonzas (aka 
4x4 dances) are prompted, not called.  Although most dancers and many callers 
don't make a distinction, the mechanics and timing of the two techniques are 
different.  If you move Chinese Fan into a contra-type setting, the calls (as a 
square dance caller would see them) are technically irrelevant because you 
wouldn't want to use them.  (And, with many figures, you can't use them without 
either changing the wording, changing the timing, or stepping outside of the 
contra-prompting technique.)  What I am betting he actually needs to know is 
the full floor pattern and the timing of that sequence.

The Call
For someone who knows the Chinese Fan figure is coming and how to do it, the 
only necessary words for prompting are some variation on:
Head (side) ladies turn back (lead, roll back, open out...) for a Chinese fan.  
(After completion, repeat for either same ladies or other pair of ladies)

That would suffice for a New England style square or a quadrille, as everything 
else in the call is just filler.  A longer call with patter would be 
personalized to the caller and the region; in my calling tradition, there would 
be near-constant running patter throughout.  Both the phrasing and the timing 
of the above would port over to contras and your 4x4, although you wouldn't 
need to identify the leading parties because their identity would be 
pre-defined.

Floor pattern/teaching
Start in a Star Promenade; men keep the star and continue turning it moving 
throughout.  Identified ladies will turn out and away from their partner to 
face the other direction, and then hook free elbows with the lady behind them.  
Ladies turn 1/2 while men turn the star 1/4; lead lady rejoins the star 
promenade with next man to arrive (original opposite).  Star turns another 1/4 
and the following ladies rejoin star promenade with the next man behind 
(original opposite).  Repeat with either lady to return to partner.

Timing
If done precisely, each piece can be accomplished in 2 counts and it takes 6 
counts to complete the figure:
1-2 Lead lady turns away from partner to face reverse direction; star moves 
forward 1/4.  (ending position: Ladies have met to hook elbows in the position 
the lead ladies were in.)
3-4 Men rotate star one position while ladies turn 1/2.  (Ending position: Lead 
lady has rejoined star with opposite man and released following lady.)
5-6 Star rotates 1/4; following ladies ladies loop toward center and rejoin 
star. (Ending formation: Star Promenade.  Ending location: All with opposite 
person from start.  Men have moved forward 3/4 around circle, and ladies have 
moved forward 1/4 from beginning position.)

That is a tight, performance-style timing.  In reality, it takes between 2 and 
4 beats per part and a total of 8 to 12 counts to complete; also, if called 
square to the walls the action will actually happen on the corner diagonals and 
the set will have turned somewhat less than the full men 3/4 ladies 1/4.


Also...and this is an entirely personal opinion and something of a soapbox... I 
would caution against moving this figure out of its traditional environment, 
especially if you really love it.  I know lots of people on here will disagree 
with me, but figures that are lively, expansive, and joyously free in their 
original square-dance context (such as basket swings, the docey-do, Harlem 
Rosettes, or Texas Stars and the related figures) tend to be greatly diminished 
when shoehorned into the rigid 8 count phrase and linear, mechanical, 
progressive format of contra dancing.  Sometimes it is done successfully, but 
not very often.  (End of soap box.)


Good luck; if your friend does want a set of calls for the square dance 
version, I can write something up.
Neal Schlein

Neal Schlein
Youth Services Librarian, Mahomet Public Library


Currently reading: The Different Girl by Gordon Dahlquist
Currently 

Re: [Callers] Chinese Fan from Square dance

[Jerome Grisanti via Callers]

I think Neal makes very good points about the wisdom of transferring
square-dance moves to contras. I think such transfers can be fun if done
well, but the teach must be very efficient or else will be likely to
frustrate dancers. The challenge grows steeper for a newish caller.
Consider whether such a transfer is justified.

--Jerome



Jerome Grisanti
660-528-0858
http://www.jeromegrisanti.com

“Dance like no one is watching...
Because they are not...
They are checking their phone.

On Mon, May 4, 2015 at 11:46 AM, Neal Schlein via Callers <
callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> Hi Claire,
>
> I can help, but am not certain you asked for what you truly want.  Are you
> really looking for a set of calls for the square, or do you need directions
> for the floor pattern, teaching instructions, a working timing for the
> square-style calls, or the timing of the figure for a contra setting?
>
> I'm asking because I suspect your friend doesn't actually need the calls.
> This is going to open a can of worms on the list, but contras and
> mescalonzas (aka 4x4 dances) are prompted, not called.  Although most
> dancers and many callers don't make a distinction, the mechanics and timing
> of the two techniques are different.  If you move Chinese Fan into a
> contra-type setting, the calls (as a square dance caller would see them)
> are technically irrelevant because you wouldn't want to use them.  (And,
> with many figures, you can't use them without either changing the wording,
> changing the timing, or stepping outside of the contra-prompting
> technique.)  What I am betting he actually needs to know is the full floor
> pattern and the timing of that sequence.
>
> *The Call*
> For someone who knows the Chinese Fan figure is coming and how to do it,
> the only necessary words for prompting are some variation on:
> *Head (side) ladies turn back (lead, roll back, open out...) for a Chinese
> fan.*  (After completion, repeat for either same ladies or other pair of
> ladies)
>
> That would suffice for a New England style square or a quadrille, as
> everything else in the call is just filler.  A longer call with patter
> would be personalized to the caller and the region; in my calling
> tradition, there would be near-constant running patter throughout.  Both
> the phrasing and the timing of the above would port over to contras and
> your 4x4, although you wouldn't need to identify the leading parties
> because their identity would be pre-defined.
>
> *Floor pattern/teaching*
> Start in a Star Promenade; men keep the star and continue turning it
> moving throughout.  Identified ladies will turn out and away from their
> partner to face the other direction, and then hook free elbows with the
> lady behind them.  Ladies turn 1/2 while men turn the star 1/4; lead lady
> rejoins the star promenade with next man to arrive (original opposite).
> Star turns another 1/4 and the following ladies rejoin star promenade with
> the next man behind (original opposite).  Repeat with either lady to return
> to partner.
>
> *Timing*
> If done precisely, each piece can be accomplished in 2 counts and it takes
> 6 counts to complete the figure:
> 1-2 Lead lady turns away from partner to face reverse direction; star
> moves forward 1/4.  (ending position: Ladies have met to hook elbows in the
> position the lead ladies were in.)
> 3-4 Men rotate star one position while ladies turn 1/2.  (Ending position:
> Lead lady has rejoined star with opposite man and released following lady.)
> 5-6 Star rotates 1/4; following ladies ladies loop toward center and
> rejoin star. (Ending formation: Star Promenade.  Ending location: All with
> opposite person from start.  Men have moved forward 3/4 around circle, and
> ladies have moved forward 1/4 from beginning position.)
>
> That is a tight, performance-style timing.  In reality, it takes between 2
> and 4 beats per part and a total of 8 to 12 counts to complete; also, if
> called square to the walls the action will actually happen on the corner
> diagonals and the set will have turned somewhat less than the full men 3/4
> ladies 1/4.
>
>
> Also...and this is an entirely personal opinion and something of a
> soapbox... I would caution against moving this figure out of its
> traditional environment, especially if you really love it.  I know lots of
> people on here will disagree with me, but figures that are lively,
> expansive, and joyously free in their original square-dance context (such
> as basket swings, the docey-do, Harlem Rosettes, or Texas Stars and the
> related figures) tend to be greatly diminished when shoehorned into the
> rigid 8 count phrase and linear, mechanical, progressive format of contra
> dancing.  Sometimes it is done successfully, but not very often.  (End of
> soap box.)
>
>
> Good luck; if your friend does want a set of calls for the square dance
> version, I can write something up.
> Neal Schlein
>
> Neal Schlein
> Youth Services Librarian, Mahomet Public Library
>
>
> 

Re: [Callers] Chinese Fan from Square dance

[Neal Schlein via Callers]

Hi Claire,

I can help, but am not certain you asked for what you truly want.  Are you
really looking for a set of calls for the square, or do you need directions
for the floor pattern, teaching instructions, a working timing for the
square-style calls, or the timing of the figure for a contra setting?

I'm asking because I suspect your friend doesn't actually need the calls.
This is going to open a can of worms on the list, but contras and
mescalonzas (aka 4x4 dances) are prompted, not called.  Although most
dancers and many callers don't make a distinction, the mechanics and timing
of the two techniques are different.  If you move Chinese Fan into a
contra-type setting, the calls (as a square dance caller would see them)
are technically irrelevant because you wouldn't want to use them.  (And,
with many figures, you can't use them without either changing the wording,
changing the timing, or stepping outside of the contra-prompting
technique.)  What I am betting he actually needs to know is the full floor
pattern and the timing of that sequence.

*The Call*
For someone who knows the Chinese Fan figure is coming and how to do it,
the only necessary words for prompting are some variation on:
*Head (side) ladies turn back (lead, roll back, open out...) for a Chinese
fan.*  (After completion, repeat for either same ladies or other pair of
ladies)

That would suffice for a New England style square or a quadrille, as
everything else in the call is just filler.  A longer call with patter
would be personalized to the caller and the region; in my calling
tradition, there would be near-constant running patter throughout.  Both
the phrasing and the timing of the above would port over to contras and
your 4x4, although you wouldn't need to identify the leading parties
because their identity would be pre-defined.

*Floor pattern/teaching*
Start in a Star Promenade; men keep the star and continue turning it moving
throughout.  Identified ladies will turn out and away from their partner to
face the other direction, and then hook free elbows with the lady behind
them.  Ladies turn 1/2 while men turn the star 1/4; lead lady rejoins the
star promenade with next man to arrive (original opposite).  Star turns
another 1/4 and the following ladies rejoin star promenade with the next
man behind (original opposite).  Repeat with either lady to return to
partner.

*Timing*
If done precisely, each piece can be accomplished in 2 counts and it takes
6 counts to complete the figure:
1-2 Lead lady turns away from partner to face reverse direction; star moves
forward 1/4.  (ending position: Ladies have met to hook elbows in the
position the lead ladies were in.)
3-4 Men rotate star one position while ladies turn 1/2.  (Ending position:
Lead lady has rejoined star with opposite man and released following lady.)
5-6 Star rotates 1/4; following ladies ladies loop toward center and rejoin
star. (Ending formation: Star Promenade.  Ending location: All with
opposite person from start.  Men have moved forward 3/4 around circle, and
ladies have moved forward 1/4 from beginning position.)

That is a tight, performance-style timing.  In reality, it takes between 2
and 4 beats per part and a total of 8 to 12 counts to complete; also, if
called square to the walls the action will actually happen on the corner
diagonals and the set will have turned somewhat less than the full men 3/4
ladies 1/4.


Also...and this is an entirely personal opinion and something of a
soapbox... I would caution against moving this figure out of its
traditional environment, especially if you really love it.  I know lots of
people on here will disagree with me, but figures that are lively,
expansive, and joyously free in their original square-dance context (such
as basket swings, the docey-do, Harlem Rosettes, or Texas Stars and the
related figures) tend to be greatly diminished when shoehorned into the
rigid 8 count phrase and linear, mechanical, progressive format of contra
dancing.  Sometimes it is done successfully, but not very often.  (End of
soap box.)


Good luck; if your friend does want a set of calls for the square dance
version, I can write something up.
Neal Schlein

Neal Schlein
Youth Services Librarian, Mahomet Public Library


Currently reading: *The Different Girl* by Gordon Dahlquist
Currently learning: How to set up an automated email system.

On Sat, May 2, 2015 at 3:58 PM, Claire Takemori via Callers <
callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> Hi.
> I'm new to the list, not a caller yet, but wanting to learn more about
> Contra dance and maybe calling.
>
> I've got a friend who is writing a 4x4 contra for me with a Chinese Fan in
> it.  He needs to know how to call the Fan as he can't figure it out from
> the one video I've found on youtube that has it in it (Three Arches)
> www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8c6Xzn3AyE
>
> Can you tell me how to call a Chinese Fan?
>
> Thanks!
> claire
> ___
> Callers mailing list
> 

Re: [Callers] Itty-bitty dances, triplets, odd numbers

[Bill Olson via Callers]

Kalia, You said you already had a triplet with contra corners in it, BUT I 
figured I'd offer this anyway. I often call Chorus Jig as a triplet, (B2 being 
1's (bal and) swing to bottom of set and others move up). I found that in a 
triplet dancers can learn contra corners very easily without the confusion that 
comes in a duple set. With Chorus Jig, in addition to the distinctive 
choreography you mentioned, there's also the historical significance of calling 
a dance 100's of years old I guess.
bill

> Date: Sun, 3 May 2015 12:53:53 -0700
> To: call...@sharedweight.net
> Subject: [Callers] Itty-bitty dances, triplets, odd numbers
> From: callers@lists.sharedweight.net
> 
> I just called a tiny dance last night, and went through several of my 
> triplets along with a big pile of English 3-couple dances that we did to 
> old-time tunes (that was a little weird for me but the dancers enjoyed 
> them, so what the heck).  I was grateful to have the few triplets I had, 
> and I'd like to expand my collection.  The ones I used were 
> Microchasmic, David's Triplet #7 and Ted's Triplet #24, which all have 
> distinctive bits in them (contra corners, round two/drop through, and a 
> cast to invert then 1s lead up, respectively).  I like triplets that 
> have some choreographic substance to them, something for the dancers to 
> chew on.
> 
> Do you have favorites you enjoy dancing as well as calling?  I get the 
> impression sometimes that triplets are "that thing you do to fill time 
> until the real dancing starts," but 3-couple sets can be a whole lot of 
> fun.  And sometimes they can save your butt as a caller.
> 
> We had lots of odd numbers last night, so in addition to the triplets 
> and 3-couple English dances I used dances like Domino 5 (5 dancers) and 
> Pride of Dingle (for 9).  For a short while we had 4 couples and did 
> contras but most of the evening was "other."  Got any good dances for 
> odd numbers?
> 
> Kalia
> ___
> Callers mailing list
> Callers@lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
  

Re: [Callers] Itty-bitty dances, triplets, odd numbers

[Martha Wild via Callers]

Though it may seem like heresy to do it without the associated tune, Levi 
Jackson Rag can be done to other thirty-two bar tunes if the band doesn't know 
the required tune, and is good for 5 couples. 

On May 3, 2015, at 12:53 PM, Kalia Kliban via Callers wrote:

> I just called a tiny dance last night, and went through several of my 
> triplets along with a big pile of English 3-couple dances that we did to 
> old-time tunes (that was a little weird for me but the dancers enjoyed them, 
> so what the heck).  I was grateful to have the few triplets I had, and I'd 
> like to expand my collection.  The ones I used were Microchasmic, David's 
> Triplet #7 and Ted's Triplet #24, which all have distinctive bits in them 
> (contra corners, round two/drop through, and a cast to invert then 1s lead 
> up, respectively).  I like triplets that have some choreographic substance to 
> them, something for the dancers to chew on.
> 
> Do you have favorites you enjoy dancing as well as calling?  I get the 
> impression sometimes that triplets are "that thing you do to fill time until 
> the real dancing starts," but 3-couple sets can be a whole lot of fun.  And 
> sometimes they can save your butt as a caller.
> 
> We had lots of odd numbers last night, so in addition to the triplets and 
> 3-couple English dances I used dances like Domino 5 (5 dancers) and Pride of 
> Dingle (for 9).  For a short while we had 4 couples and did contras but most 
> of the evening was "other."  Got any good dances for odd numbers?
> 
> Kalia
> ___
> Callers mailing list
> Callers@lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

Re: [Callers] Itty-bitty dances, triplets, odd numbers

[JD Erskine via Callers]

On 03/May/15 12:53, Kalia Kliban via Callers wrote:

I just called a tiny dance last night, and went through several of my
triplets along with a big pile of English 3-couple dances

snip

Hullo Kalia,

I've called Mary Devlin's Triplet To Eugene a number of times. Looking 
over Triplet for Joyride again just now. I think I'll add that, as it 
has Actives turning _all_ Corners (your own and your partners.)


http://www.mdevlin.com/dance/marys_dances.html

I like Melanie's Triplet, by Melanie Axel-Lute, and Ted’s Triplet #7.

Antony has a nice find-dance-by-formation search feature on his site
http://www.heywood.nl/antony/dances/formations.php

Michael's dance index site has a page for Formations. The legend is at 
the foot of the landing page.

http://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/index/index.html

I've been meaning to try out (real world test) Rick Mohr's Triplets 1 & 
2 http://rickmohr.net/Contra/DancesByType.asp


At the (late and lamented) Raincoast Ruckus Contra weekend (Vancouver, 
BC) a few years back Kathy Anderson had a session about dances for this 
purpose. Those for odd numbers of dancers or couples. Unfortunately the 
notes have gone adrift, however she might be amenable to a query. 
http://www.contradancelinks.com/callers.html


I regularly mine the Ralph Page Legacy Weekend syllabi
http://www.library.unh.edu/find/archives/collections/ralph-page-dance-legacy-weekend

The index alone is worth the time visiting.

Since I call for what might be considered a variety of dance forms, 
styles, types, I don't mind borrowing. Occasionally, when I think I'm 
being rather loose with that, it's amusing to find some of these dances 
have migrated back and forth quite some time ago. Shows, I guess, how 
there are more views of categorisation (or lack thereof) than what one 
hears right around one.


Anyway, the point is, I think there are loads of really fun dances in 
the Ceilidh or eCeilidh (English Ceilidh) world. Many of them would 
appear to be step-hopped older country dances, or ones written In The 
Tradition.  Australian Bush dances provide a few as well. Yes, a 
number are once-and-to-the-bottom.


So I mine Thomas Green, John Brown, Peter Foster, & Brian Scowcroft's sites.
http://barndances.org.uk/
http://www.ceilidhcalling.co.uk/ (seems to be temporarily goofed)
http://pfoster.pcug.org.au/bushdanc/index.htm
http://web.archive.org/web/20010708002003/www.scroft.demon.co.uk/CDance.html

Just had a look in at Geoff Cubitt's site. He's got a lone, cute triplet 
in there. I'll have to go over the flow in and out of the final Stars to 
decide if I really like it.

http://www.geoffcubitt.com/dances.htm

Colin has amongst his on-line dances, some for 2, 3, 4, and 5 couples.
http://colinhume.com/instruct.htm

Peggy Roe in Vancouver, BC, wrote Triplicate a few years ago. It's an 
"ECD" piece for 3, longways (3 dancers in a line.) She used Corelli's 
Maggot, however one might try other music. It's setting, gypsy, turns, heys.


Mellisa Binde wrote a few Odd Dances for SCD. I can't find them on-line 
however had saved the Spinster & The Polygamous Reel (the latter is kind 
of neat, a dance for one man and two women; in sets of five people.) I 
haven't danced them, just kept them about out of interest.


When I hung out at the SCD class at the local Uni. a few years ago there 
were some months we'd pray for a sixth person or just dance five with a 
ghost anyway. The bulk of SCD dances are triple minor dances done in a 
four couple set. We'd do these without the fourth couple following the 
SCD pattern in this instance of the active couple "dropping to the 
bottom of the set" as the new 1s started, a rather untidy final 
progression I suppose. So, one might adapt any triple minor one likes 
for use with three couples (whether it be from ECD, SCD, or "ACD"/Contra.)


Right, bed time.

Cheers, John
- two May Day Morris dance events done, one to go!
--
J.D. Erskine
Victoria, BC

Island Dance - Folk & Country
dance info - site & mail list
http://members.shaw.ca/island.dance/