Re: [Callers] Folk Festival - Easy Contra dances to teach Beginners

[Read Weaver via Callers]

Or don’t have them do a buzzstep—swings work just fine with a walking step. (If 
you’ve got moderately experienced folks mixed in, though, you may need to teach 
the buzzstep, since few moderately experienced dancers will do a walking swing 
even if asked to.)

If you do teach buzzstep, I’ve had the most success teaching it as a gallop 
https://youtu.be/5GmQ868ArAw?t=12 ; I’ll take a group of 8 or so, holding 
hands, and have everyone gallop (clockwise, right/inner foot in front), then 
break it into two circles without stopping, then into pairs; then stop and show 
ballroom position.

Getting them into ballroom position for the swing and then teaching them to let 
go of the pointy hands works much better than “gents on the left, ladies on the 
right” for ending correctly.


Read Weaver
Jamaica Plain, MA
http://lcfd.org

> On Jul 24, 2018, at 12:00 PM, John Sweeney via Callers 
>  wrote:
> 
> Your next big problem is getting them to do a good buzz-step swing and finish 
> with the man on the left, lady on the right.  With large numbers of beginners 
> there will some who get in wrong every time and break down the dance.  I 
> would practice that in a circle mixer like:
> http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/TheExchangeSwing.html 
> 
> or
> http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/VirginiaReelCircleMixer24.html 
> 
>  

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[Callers] Looking to DANCE!

[Mary Collins via Callers]

Will be in Jay Maine for a wedding on August 18th.  Looking for a contra
dance to dance (not call but could be coerced) nearby either Friday night
or Saturday night.  or Sunday afternoon somewhere between there and Albany
area.

Thanks!
Mary Collins
“Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass ... it's about learning
to dance in the rain!” ~ Unknown


Virus-free.
www.avg.com

<#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
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Re: [Callers] Folk Festival - Easy Contra dances to teach Beginners

[John Sweeney via Callers]

Here’s another easy one – my version of J & L, using ideas picked from other 
callers:

 

Jefferson & Liberty #27

Contra; Improper

 

A1:  Circle Left; Star Right

A2:  Star Left; Circle Right – finish where you started

B1:  #1s Dance Down the Outside (6), Turn around (2)

  #1s Dance Back Up the Outside & into the Middle of a Line of Four between 
the #2s (8)

B2: Down the Hall in Lines of Four (4)

  Backwards Up the Hall in Lines of Four (4)

  #1s Arch, #2s go through the Arch to Face New Neighbours (8)

 

Note: A1 is 16 steps in one direction, A2 is 16 steps back the other way.  I 
generally call “Keep Moving” as the prompt half way through each A music.

 

Use fast, lively music!

 

Happy dancing,  

   John   



John Sweeney, Dancer, England   j...@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 
574  

http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs 
   

http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent   
   

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Re: [Callers] Folk Festival - Easy Contra dances to teach Beginners

[Chris Page via Callers]

On Tue, Jul 24, 2018 at 9:00 AM, John Sweeney via Callers
 wrote:
> Hi Lorraine,

As a clarification, this is not my version of Ellen's Green Jig.

It was developed by another San Diego caller, Graham Hempel, by taking
the A1/A2 of Broken Sixpence
and putting it in Ellen's Green Jig.

Cheers,
-Chris Page
San Diego

>
> Flirtation Reel is great and I use this a lot with beginners as well – the
> Chris Page version:
>
>
>
> = = = = = = = = =
>
> Ellen's Green Jig (by Roy Dommett)
>
> Contra; Improper
>
>
>
> A1:Neighbour Dosido; Partner Dosido
>
> A2:#1s Balance & Swing (Step, Kick) – finish facing down
>
> B1: Circle Left; Circle Right – keep holding hands in the Circle
>
> B2: Duck for Oysters: #2s Arch - #1s Peek; #1s Arch - #2s Peek
>
>   #2s Arch over #1s who pass through to New Neighbours
>
>
>
> "Duck for the oyster, dive for the clam, duck through the hole in the old
> tin can."
>
>
>
> Alt (Chris Page):
>
> A1:Dosido Neighbour; Men Dosido
>
> A2:Ladies Dosido; #1s Swing, end facing down
>
>
>
> = = = = = = = = =
>
>
>
>   I hope that helps.
>
>
>
> Happy dancing,
>
>John
>
>
>
> John Sweeney, Dancer, England   j...@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802
> 940 574
>
> http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs
>
> http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
>
>
>
> From: Callers  On Behalf Of Lorraine
> Sutton via Callers
> Sent: 24 July 2018 15:49
> To: Callers@lists.sharedweight.net
> Subject: [Callers] Folk Festival - Easy Contra dances to teach Beginners
>
>
>
> Hello All,
>
>
>
> I am calling a 2 hour Intro to Contra dance at an Ontario Canada
> Festival. ( more a music focus than a dance focus, at this festival)
>
>
>
> I would appreciate hearing from you as to contra dances ( lws proper &
> Improper) that you have found successful with very novice dancers and why
> you think those dances work for beginners.(I love Larry Jennings definition
> of easy vs complicated )
>
>
>
> I do plan on doing some non progressive lws as well as a both a circle and a
> Sicilian  circle in the program mix , to get the concept of progression.
>
>
>
> Thanks so much.
>
>
>
> Lorraine Sutton  ( lorrainesutt...@gmail.com )
>
>
>
>
>
> ...
>
>
>
>
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