[Callers] Re: Spilled Milk analysis (was Re: Do you add a 'do anything' move into a contra? OR other playful strategies? :) )

[Bill Baritompa via Contra Callers]

Hi Jim and all,

   This dance intrigued me and I thought I'd try and use a program I wrote ages 
ago to analyse it. It proved a bit tricky until I realized that the dance

really begins with Shadow Bal and Swing. Starting with P Bal and Swing
might be what confuses the dancers. Of course as it is a mixer, Partner and
Shadow change each time.

   This link gives screen shots of the dance which illustrates Jim's points.
https://youtu.be/pWC51unqhvs

   Larks shift clockwise 3 places each time, Robins 1 place. With 6 couples 
dance repeats after 6 times. Over that cycle swing with everyone at A1, swing 
with 3 at A2, allemand left with the other 3 at B1, chain with everyone at B2. 
For an odd number of couples, will meet everyone at A2 and B1.


  What makes this a mixer is that after the first time
   A1 New Partner (which is the  Shadow) bal and swing.

This has the effect of moving the Larks one more place clockwise and
the Robins one less place than the progression distance of the dance.
(eg 3 and 1 resp for Spilled Milk)

Any becket that starts with P bal and swing, can be turned into
a mixer by replacing with Shadow bal and swing. (It won't necessarily
have the nice flow of Spilled Milk, also if the becket is only single 
progression, the Robins will stay in the same spot!).


Cheers, Bill


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[Callers] Re: Spilled Milk analysis (was Re: Do you add a 'do anything' move into a contra? OR other playful strategies? :) )

[jim saxe via Contra Callers]

Jacqui,

I think there are two rules for the robins to handle the end effects:

(1) When the dance calls for you to swing or allemande someone on the side of 
the set (regardless of whether they're described as a "partner" or as a 
"neighbor") and there isn't someone in the appropriate position on your side of 
the set, dance with the other leftover person across from you on the end of the 
set. Finish with the lark on the left and the robin on the right as usual as 
you face the body of the set. (That means that a twosome waiting at the top of 
the set will have the lark toward the caller's left and the robin toward the 
caller's right, and a twosome waiting at the bottom will have the lark to the 
caller's right and the robin to the caller's left. Again this is just the usual 
position for twosomes at an end of a set waiting for another pair of dancers to 
dance with. There are some dances where people who are out at the ends need to 
wait on what feels like the wrong side; regardless of whatever other challenges 
it may offer, "No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk" isn't one of them.)

(2) If it feels like you're repeating an action that you did just a little 
while ago, and in the same place where you just did it, don't panic, and don't 
try to fix things.

For some dancers, that second point may fall in the category of "easier said 
than done." If the caller perceives that someone has been at an end of a set 
for an unusually long time, it might be helpful to start calling again for a 
while until they've safely escaped.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *

Having looked again at my diagrams of the dance, and having watched a video 
(specifically, the second one linked from The Caller's Box, since that's the 
one where the camera stays put and someone trying to study the dance can see 
what's going on), I want to mention a point that I omitted from my previous 
message. (And I hope I won't inspire Amy to wreck her liver and/or her lungs.)

In my previous message, I wrote:

> The dance is a single progression for the women/robins ...


That's a bit of an oversimplification. Before elaborating, I need to point out 
that people commonly use the word "progression" in two different ways, namely 
(a) to refer to actions that move individual dancers up or down the set, and 
(b) to refer to moments when dancers identify themselves as being in new 
current foursomes. For example, consider a straightforward single-progression 
improper contra that has no out-of-minor-set action and that starts with

A1. Neighbors balance and swing (and end facing across).

and ends with

B2. ... Star left (and look for new neighbor).

The swing in A1 causes dancers to swap positions, and some people would refer 
to that as a "progression." There might be several other actions in the dance 
sequence that move individual dancers to spots within their foursomes that are 
closer to of farther from the band (for example, chaining across but not back, 
or circling 3/4). But the dancers don't progress in the sense of grouping 
themselves into new foursomes until the transition from the end of B2 to the 
beginning of the next A1. In what follows, I use the words "progress" and 
"progression" strictly in reference to identify new current foursomes.

In "No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk"

https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=1608

there are three places where dancers progress into new foursomes, namely the 
middle of the A2 part, the middle of the B1 part, and the end of the B2 part. 
For the larks, all three of those progressions are forward progressions. That 
is, if you're a lark progressing down the set, the center of each new foursome 
you get into will be farther from the band than the center of your previous 
foursome. For the robins, two of the progression are forward progressions and 
one is a reverse progression. Specifically, as you go from the star in B2 to 
balancing your new partner in A1, you're progress in the opposite direction to 
your overall direction of travel.

The "two steps forward; one step back" progression for the robins has another 
consequence. For a robin in the process of reaching an end of the set and 
turning around, there will be _three_ separate times when you go from being in 
a full foursome to being in a lone twosome at the end and back to being in a 
full foursome. Thus phenomenon of going out and then back in three times before 
you're permanently back in is something that happens very frequently in 
(non-mixer) contras with even simple out-of-minor-set actions. Depending on 
other feature of dance sequences, it can be disconcerting in some cases and go 
practically unnoticed in others. In "No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk," 
re-entering the set at the beginning of A1 and reentering halfway through A2 
might feel very much alike.

--Jim

> On Feb 25, 2023, at 6:08 PM, Quiann2 via Contra Callers 
>  wrote:
> 
> Jim I found your analysis to be

[Callers] Re: Potentially dumb question not quite about calling

[Amy Cann via Contra Callers]

edit: you know what? I'm probably conflating sharedweight with the
pourparler archives, that *are* linked to the listserve
emails...apologies.



On 2/25/23, Amy Cann  wrote:
> I'm in the midst of changing my email for the first time in twenty two
> years
>
> (I've had invasive surgery that was more fun)
>
> and could use a hand --
>
> the various resources/archives/boxes/files we regularly link to on here --
> any warnings on which ones I'll need to re-register/sign in/update?
>
> I'm trying to remember all the places where this email is part of my
> bonafides/access and I KNOW I'm missing a few.
>
> For the record, the new personal one is amycannmu...@gmail.com,
>
> and the other work ones (amy.c...@uvmusic.org and
> ac...@thegrammarschool.org) are both still valid,
>
> it's this venerable Putney School one that's finally sunsetting.
>
> Thanks
> A
>
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[Callers] Re: Spilled Milk analysis (was Re: Do you add a 'do anything' move into a contra? OR other playful strategies? :) )

[Quiann2 via Contra Callers]

Jim I found your analysis to be interesting but it didn’t get to a summation 
that I was hoping to read- what is it that Robins should do at the end of the 
set to ensure that they get back into the dance? What are the teaching tips for 
end effects?

Thanks!
Jacqui  

> On Feb 25, 2023, at 16:58, jim saxe via Contra Callers 
>  wrote:
> 
> Colin Hume wrote, regarding the dance No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk, by 
> Chris Weiler:
> 
>> I called this last night, and one woman said she spent the whole dance 
>> around the end of the set and couldn't get out of 
>> it, and she said a woman at the other end was in the same situation.  I 
>> haven't had time to analyse the dance (or check 
>> that I called it correctly) but I'll do so eventually.
> 
> I did such an analysis several years ago, after doing the dance in the 
> womens's/robin's role and, I'll confess, having a similar experience of 
> getting stuck at an end for multiple rounds. I ended up diagramming about 
> five rounds of the dance to be sure I really understood the end effects. I 
> won't give full details here because people who'd have the patience to study 
> a fully detailed explanation would also have the patience to work it out for 
> themselves. But here's a high-level summary. It's still pretty wordy, and 
> anyone who doesn't have the patience for it can of course feel free to skip 
> the rest of this message.
> 
> The dance is a single progression for the women/robins and a triple (not 
> double, as I've heard someone say) progression for the men/larks, making it a 
> mixer. Here's s sketch of what's supposed to happen as you approach and reach 
> an end of the set if you're dancing as a robin. [Note: Henceforth, I'll use 
> the gender-neutral role names, and the word "you" will refer  to the 
> experience of someone in the robin role.]
> 
> As you progress along the set, you will encounter various larks, some 
> progressing in the same direction as you are (but more quickly), and some 
> progressing in the opposite direction. You will swing as a "partner" with 
> each lark who catches up to you as they progress in your same direction, and 
> you'll swing as a neighbor with just half of the larks you meet as they 
> progress in the opposite direction. (You'll allemande left with the other 
> half.)
> 
> After you swing any particular lark as a "partner," they will continue 
> progressing along the set ahead of you, then reach the end and start 
> progressing back towards you. When you meet again, you might swing as 
> neighbors. As you move closer to the end of the set, the time between 
> swinging someone as a "partner" and swinging them again as a neighbor (if you 
> do) will grow shorter and shorter.
> 
> Eventually, you'll swing with some lark as "partner" on one side of the set 
> and then swing that same person again as "neighbor" at the very end of the 
> set just a few seconds later. Then there will be another lark with whom you 
> swing at the very end of the set, but as a "partner", and with whom you never 
> swing as a "neighbor" (or at least not until you meet again near the other 
> end of the set). And then there will start being larks with whom you swing 
> first as neighbors and then as "partners", with the intervals between two 
> swings with the same person now growing longer and longer as you progress 
> away from the end of the set.
> 
> During the time that your two swings with the same person are first as 
> "partners" and then as neighbors, those swings will be happen on opposite 
> sides of the set (except in the one case where the second swing is at the 
> very top of the set). Let's say that the first swing (as "partners") happens 
> near the "kitchen" wall and that the second swing (as neighbors) happens near 
> the "clock" wall. After you turn around at the end of the set and start 
> meeting people with whom you swing first as neighbors and then as partners, 
> your "partner" swings will now be near the clock wall and your neighbor 
> swings will now be near the kitchen wall. That means that the _first_ of your 
> two swings with the same person will still be near the kitchen wall, and the 
> _second_ will still be near the clock wall, *just as they were before.* Also, 
> since the  dance is a mixer, the "partner" swings don't feel very different 
> from the neighbor swings.
> 
> The result of all this is that when you've reached an end of the set and are 
> just about starting to progress in the opposite direction, you can get a 
> strong sense of déjà vu. It can feel like you've gotten stuck at the end, and 
> you can be tempted to "fix" things somehow.   Whatever you do to "fix" things 
> may then prevent you from progressing normally. Effectively you will have 
> traded places with the robin who had been following you along the set, 
> allowing them to reverse direction a little early and to start progressing 
> the other way just ahead of you. Also, you may have set yourself up to get 
> the same déjà

[Callers] Re: Spilled Milk analysis (was Re: Do you add a 'do anything' move into a contra? OR other playful strategies? :) )

[Amy Cann via Contra Callers]

I think I need either a martini or a cigarette after reading this.
Maybe both.

Well done, Jim!

On 2/25/23, jim saxe via Contra Callers
 wrote:
> Colin Hume wrote, regarding the dance No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk, by
> Chris Weiler:
>
>> I called this last night, and one woman said she spent the whole dance
>> around the end of the set and couldn't get out of
>> it, and she said a woman at the other end was in the same situation.  I
>> haven't had time to analyse the dance (or check
>> that I called it correctly) but I'll do so eventually.
>
> I did such an analysis several years ago, after doing the dance in the
> womens's/robin's role and, I'll confess, having a similar experience of
> getting stuck at an end for multiple rounds. I ended up diagramming about
> five rounds of the dance to be sure I really understood the end effects. I
> won't give full details here because people who'd have the patience to study
> a fully detailed explanation would also have the patience to work it out for
> themselves. But here's a high-level summary. It's still pretty wordy, and
> anyone who doesn't have the patience for it can of course feel free to skip
> the rest of this message.
>
> The dance is a single progression for the women/robins and a triple (not
> double, as I've heard someone say) progression for the men/larks, making it
> a mixer. Here's s sketch of what's supposed to happen as you approach and
> reach an end of the set if you're dancing as a robin. [Note: Henceforth,
> I'll use the gender-neutral role names, and the word "you" will refer  to
> the experience of someone in the robin role.]
>
> As you progress along the set, you will encounter various larks, some
> progressing in the same direction as you are (but more quickly), and some
> progressing in the opposite direction. You will swing as a "partner" with
> each lark who catches up to you as they progress in your same direction, and
> you'll swing as a neighbor with just half of the larks you meet as they
> progress in the opposite direction. (You'll allemande left with the other
> half.)
>
> After you swing any particular lark as a "partner," they will continue
> progressing along the set ahead of you, then reach the end and start
> progressing back towards you. When you meet again, you might swing as
> neighbors. As you move closer to the end of the set, the time between
> swinging someone as a "partner" and swinging them again as a neighbor (if
> you do) will grow shorter and shorter.
>
> Eventually, you'll swing with some lark as "partner" on one side of the set
> and then swing that same person again as "neighbor" at the very end of the
> set just a few seconds later. Then there will be another lark with whom you
> swing at the very end of the set, but as a "partner", and with whom you
> never swing as a "neighbor" (or at least not until you meet again near the
> other end of the set). And then there will start being larks with whom you
> swing first as neighbors and then as "partners", with the intervals between
> two swings with the same person now growing longer and longer as you
> progress away from the end of the set.
>
> During the time that your two swings with the same person are first as
> "partners" and then as neighbors, those swings will be happen on opposite
> sides of the set (except in the one case where the second swing is at the
> very top of the set). Let's say that the first swing (as "partners") happens
> near the "kitchen" wall and that the second swing (as neighbors) happens
> near the "clock" wall. After you turn around at the end of the set and start
> meeting people with whom you swing first as neighbors and then as partners,
> your "partner" swings will now be near the clock wall and your neighbor
> swings will now be near the kitchen wall. That means that the _first_ of
> your two swings with the same person will still be near the kitchen wall,
> and the _second_ will still be near the clock wall, *just as they were
> before.* Also, since the  dance is a mixer, the "partner" swings don't feel
> very different from the neighbor swings.
>
> The result of all this is that when you've reached an end of the set and are
> just about starting to progress in the opposite direction, you can get a
> strong sense of déjà vu. It can feel like you've gotten stuck at the end,
> and you can be tempted to "fix" things somehow.   Whatever you do to "fix"
> things may then prevent you from progressing normally. Effectively you will
> have traded places with the robin who had been following you along the set,
> allowing them to reverse direction a little early and to start progressing
> the other way just ahead of you. Also, you may have set yourself up to get
> the same déjà vu experience all over again, and then to try to "fix" things
> again, leaving yourself stuck at the end for another round. And since the
> dance is a mixer, the other dancers are unlikely to notice that anytihng is
> going wrong, as they would if you inadverte

[Callers] Spilled Milk analysis (was Re: Do you add a 'do anything' move into a contra? OR other playful strategies? :) )

[jim saxe via Contra Callers]

Colin Hume wrote, regarding the dance No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk, by Chris 
Weiler:

> I called this last night, and one woman said she spent the whole dance around 
> the end of the set and couldn't get out of 
> it, and she said a woman at the other end was in the same situation.  I 
> haven't had time to analyse the dance (or check 
> that I called it correctly) but I'll do so eventually.

I did such an analysis several years ago, after doing the dance in the 
womens's/robin's role and, I'll confess, having a similar experience of getting 
stuck at an end for multiple rounds. I ended up diagramming about five rounds 
of the dance to be sure I really understood the end effects. I won't give full 
details here because people who'd have the patience to study a fully detailed 
explanation would also have the patience to work it out for themselves. But 
here's a high-level summary. It's still pretty wordy, and anyone who doesn't 
have the patience for it can of course feel free to skip the rest of this 
message.

The dance is a single progression for the women/robins and a triple (not 
double, as I've heard someone say) progression for the men/larks, making it a 
mixer. Here's s sketch of what's supposed to happen as you approach and reach 
an end of the set if you're dancing as a robin. [Note: Henceforth, I'll use the 
gender-neutral role names, and the word "you" will refer  to the experience of 
someone in the robin role.]

As you progress along the set, you will encounter various larks, some 
progressing in the same direction as you are (but more quickly), and some 
progressing in the opposite direction. You will swing as a "partner" with each 
lark who catches up to you as they progress in your same direction, and you'll 
swing as a neighbor with just half of the larks you meet as they progress in 
the opposite direction. (You'll allemande left with the other half.)

After you swing any particular lark as a "partner," they will continue 
progressing along the set ahead of you, then reach the end and start 
progressing back towards you. When you meet again, you might swing as 
neighbors. As you move closer to the end of the set, the time between swinging 
someone as a "partner" and swinging them again as a neighbor (if you do) will 
grow shorter and shorter.

Eventually, you'll swing with some lark as "partner" on one side of the set and 
then swing that same person again as "neighbor" at the very end of the set just 
a few seconds later. Then there will be another lark with whom you swing at the 
very end of the set, but as a "partner", and with whom you never swing as a 
"neighbor" (or at least not until you meet again near the other end of the 
set). And then there will start being larks with whom you swing first as 
neighbors and then as "partners", with the intervals between two swings with 
the same person now growing longer and longer as you progress away from the end 
of the set.

During the time that your two swings with the same person are first as 
"partners" and then as neighbors, those swings will be happen on opposite sides 
of the set (except in the one case where the second swing is at the very top of 
the set). Let's say that the first swing (as "partners") happens near the 
"kitchen" wall and that the second swing (as neighbors) happens near the 
"clock" wall. After you turn around at the end of the set and start meeting 
people with whom you swing first as neighbors and then as partners, your 
"partner" swings will now be near the clock wall and your neighbor swings will 
now be near the kitchen wall. That means that the _first_ of your two swings 
with the same person will still be near the kitchen wall, and the _second_ will 
still be near the clock wall, *just as they were before.* Also, since the  
dance is a mixer, the "partner" swings don't feel very different from the 
neighbor swings.

The result of all this is that when you've reached an end of the set and are 
just about starting to progress in the opposite direction, you can get a strong 
sense of déjà vu. It can feel like you've gotten stuck at the end, and you can 
be tempted to "fix" things somehow.   Whatever you do to "fix" things may then 
prevent you from progressing normally. Effectively you will have traded places 
with the robin who had been following you along the set, allowing them to 
reverse direction a little early and to start progressing the other way just 
ahead of you. Also, you may have set yourself up to get the same déjà vu 
experience all over again, and then to try to "fix" things again, leaving 
yourself stuck at the end for another round. And since the dance is a mixer, 
the other dancers are unlikely to notice that anytihng is going wrong, as they 
would if you inadvertently stole someone's partner in a dance that wasn't a 
mixer.

Whew! There you have it. Feel free to ask questions if I haven't confused you 
enough and you need me to confuse you more.

Cheers,
--Jim



___

[Callers] Re: Do you add a 'do anything' move into a contra? OR other playful strategies? :)

[Colin Hume via Contra Callers]

> On 5 Feb 2023, at 18:20, Maia McCormick via Contra Callers 
>  wrote:

> One of my faves in this niche is No Use Crying Over Spilled Milk, by Chris 
> Weiler.

I called this last night, and one woman said she spent the whole dance around 
the end of the set and couldn't get out of 
it, and she said a woman at the other end was in the same situation.  I haven't 
had time to analyse the dance (or check 
that I called it correctly) but I'll do so eventually.

Colin Hume

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[Callers] Re: Do you add a 'do anything' move into a contra? OR other playful strategies? :)

[Amy Cann via Contra Callers]

One night in Nelson it was someone named - I think - Larry's birthday.

I was calling a generic dance with a generic "First gent + second lady
do something for 8 beats that makes them swap sides" moment.

(I don't remember what the exact original move was - maybe allemande R 1&1/2?)

but Larry hollered "I don't want to do that, makes my arm hurt! It's
my birthday so I'm going to do a gypsy instead!"

So I said on mic -  "OK, folks, you heard him, everyone has to do what
Larry says instead, it's his birthday"

So each time through the dance Larry hollered "Swing!" or "DoSiDo!"
and we all did that.

Being Nelson on a Monday in the summer, the choices started to
get...creative...and by the time the dance was over we'd done The Swim
and the Funky Chicken and the Macarena as well as the whole repertoire
of contra moves.

I think the card might still be in my stack, re-named "What He Said!".
Should go find it. :)

Thanks for kicking up that memory!
A


On 2/4/23, Emily Addison via Contra Callers
 wrote:
> Hey folks,
>
> After a number of relatively quiet caller years (parenting; pandemic), I've
> started to dig deep to expand my repertoire and up my skills.  It feels
> like it's time for lots more dance fun! :)
>
> One dance that I've really enjoyed is Heartbeat Contra (by Don Flaherty -
> see below).
> Tom Calwell called it in Ottawa way back in 2010 and  at the top of the B1,
> he called Al R 1.5 or ANYTHING (R shoulder round, swing, DSD).
>
> *Do any of you throw in a 'do anything' moment in an evening of contra
> programming?* I'm always looking for fun, playful moments that make dancers
> smile and this feels like a lovely one.  If you throw in an anything
> moment, how do you choose when?
>
> *And do you have other strategies for adding playfulness to an evening?*
> I've got some dances which I find super playful and fun (e.g., Three's
> Company - Altered & Alternating - Paul Balliet)
>
> Thoughts on this?
>
> Thanks!
> Emily in Ottawa
>
> ---
> Heartbeat Contra (Don Flaherty)
> A1
>
> Bal Ring & Petronella Twirl
> Bal Ring & Petronella Twirl
>
> A2
> Bal Ring & N Sw
>
> B1
>
> ROB Al R 1.5  *OR ANYTHING! *(Al R, Rshoulder round, swing, DSD... original
> was RH round)
> P Sw
>
> B2
>
> Cir L 3/4
> Bal Ring & California Twirl
>
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[Callers] Re: Questions about It's a Pirate's Life for Me

[ROBERT FABINSKI via Contra Callers]

Hi Emily,
When walking through the A1 of Nathaniel Jack's "A Pirate's Life for Me" I find 
it helpful to explain the "Pass thru, Robin's take left hands and turn 1/4, 
Larks attach on to the end of the short wave across" before naming it Pass the 
Ocean.
For the Larks, the Rory O'more trade places ends with an extra twirl or slide 
to have left hands point back to the center to Allemande Left with the other 
Lark. I've related it to the extra twirl to face the next foursome in the  
Petronella-nella figure I first encountered in Maliza's Magical Mystery Motion 
by Cary Ravitz. 
The balance the wave between these figures makes a good break point so they are 
individual figures that the music then ties together, so explaining them as 
separate elements is natural, and the subsequent execution of the dance as a 
whole, with music, will gel them to the flow you want.
Maybe consider programming the rory o'more figure and/or the pass the ocean 
figure in a prior dance that is otherwise glossary, so they are "familiar" by 
the time you call A Pirate's Life For Me?
As for which B version, it depends on what else my program looks like. Is it 
already too do-si-do or right-shoulder-round heavy? Then choose the one that 
will balance it out.
YMMV, of course.
Bob
bob...@aol.com 
 
  On Sat, Feb 25, 2023 at 12:21 PM, Emily Addison via Contra 
Callers wrote:   Hi folks,
For those who call It's a Pirate's Life for Me, I'm wondering if you might be 
able to help with a few questions?
1. I don't have language for describing the A1 very well.  I get what's 
happening for sure but I think there could be little tricks to help cue dancers 
in flowing through all that action. Might you might have some insight?
2. I have two B2 variations, one attributed to Lisa G and another to Seth T. 
I'm wondering what B2 you enjoy calling?
ROB DSD1.5 THEN N Rshoulder round ! then onto next N
ROB Right shoulder round 1.5 /// N R Shoulderround and then onto the next (to 
begin again), can also do with Als                  

3. Finally ... the funny question!  I remember being at a dance on 
International Pirate's day.  I vaguely remember people yelling 'yas' at a 
certain point during this dance.  Have you ever experienced this??? It seemed 
pretty darn fun. :)
Thoughts?Thanks for any insight!:) Emily in 
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[Callers] Potentially dumb question not quite about calling

[Amy Cann via Contra Callers]

I'm in the midst of changing my email for the first time in twenty two years

(I've had invasive surgery that was more fun)

and could use a hand --

the various resources/archives/boxes/files we regularly link to on here --
any warnings on which ones I'll need to re-register/sign in/update?

I'm trying to remember all the places where this email is part of my
bonafides/access and I KNOW I'm missing a few.

For the record, the new personal one is amycannmu...@gmail.com,

and the other work ones (amy.c...@uvmusic.org and
ac...@thegrammarschool.org) are both still valid,

it's this venerable Putney School one that's finally sunsetting.

Thanks
A
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[Callers] Re: Do you add a 'do anything' move into a contra? OR other playful strategies? :)

[Graham Knight via Contra Callers]

> On 5 Feb 2023, at 18:20, Maia McCormick via Contra Callers 
>  > wrote:
> 
> 
> Mixers—especially ones that actually have some choreographic complexity to 
> them—can also be fun! One of my faves in this niche is No Use Crying Over 
> Spilled Milk , by Chris 
> Weiler.

If you are after a Becket mixer try The Spanish Inquisition 
 by Keith 
Wood.

Graham

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[Callers] Re: Do you add a 'do anything' move into a contra? OR other playful strategies? :)

[ROBERT FABINSKI via Contra Callers]

Hi Emily,
It's not exactly what you're looking for, but I've started pointing out in the 
walkthru where flourishes could ADD to the dance, or take away from it by 
making the setup for the next move more awkward (like the clap after petronella 
when hands are used in the next move)
For instance, when coming back up the hall in lines of four 
Lark-Robin-Lark-Robin and then facing across (preparing for a chain or R&L 
thru, e.g.) I point out that the line is asymmetric, and different flourishes 
work "better" on each end; on one side the Robin can cast around to get 
momentum for the next move, while the other side feels smoother with a simple 
Robin twirl.
I've also started pointing out good places to switch roles, and where to leave 
out or modify moves for dances with mobility issues; doing half an allemand 
instead of once and a half, to keep in sync with the music and avoid being late 
for the next move.

bob...@aol.com 
 
  On Sat, Feb 25, 2023 at 10:50 AM, Emily Addison via Contra 
Callers wrote:   Hi All,
Thanks so much Jacqui, Maia, and Joe for chiming in on playful strategies and 
dances. I'm sorry I didn't write back sooner but this was JUST the kind of 
stuff I was looking for.  I love these types of moments as a dancer and would 
like to bring more of them to the dance floor as a caller.
Thank you :) :) Emily in Ottawa
On Mon, Feb 6, 2023 at 11:10 PM Joe Harrington  
wrote:

Bob Isaacs calls a contra dance with a fun chase figure at the end of some 
longer multisession gigs. The ones chase around the twos with the first going 
around both twos and the second going around one, reversing the order of the 
ones on the return leg of the chase. They do this twice in 16 beats (I think. 
That seems short but 32 seems long, hmmm…), each dancer leading once and 
following once. It’s pretty fun with high-tempo music (like 125 bpm). It’s even 
more fun because after he stops cueing, he goes around the room and quietly 
invites those sitting out to run through the set during the chase, and then for 
everyone to chase out of the set. Pretty guaranteed chaotic fun!
—jh—

On Sat, Feb 4, 2023 at 3:47 PM Emily Addison via Contra Callers 
 wrote:

Hey folks,
After a number of relatively quiet caller years (parenting; pandemic), I've 
started to dig deep to expand my repertoire and up my skills.  It feels like 
it's time for lots more dance fun! :)
One dance that I've really enjoyed is Heartbeat Contra (by Don Flaherty - see 
below).Tom Calwell called it in Ottawa way back in 2010 and  at the top of the 
B1, he called Al R 1.5 or ANYTHING (R shoulder round, swing, DSD).
Do any of you throw in a 'do anything' moment in an evening of contra 
programming? I'm always looking for fun, playful moments that make dancers 
smile and this feels like a lovely one.  If you throw in an anything moment, 
how do you choose when?
And do you have other strategies for adding playfulness to an evening?I've got 
some dances which I find super playful and fun (e.g., Three's Company - Altered 
& Alternating - Paul Balliet)
Thoughts on this?
Thanks!Emily in Ottawa
---Heartbeat Contra (Don Flaherty)A1 
BalRing & Petronella Twirl 
Bal Ring & Petronella Twirl

A2Bal Ring & N Sw

B1
ROBAl R 1.5  OR ANYTHING! (Al R, Rshoulder round, swing, DSD... original was RH 
round)
P Sw

B2
Cir L 3/4
BalRing & California Twirl

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[Callers] Re: Questions about It's a Pirate's Life for Me

[Michael Dyck via Contra Callers]

On 2023-02-25 12:21 p.m., Emily Addison via Contra Callers wrote:

Hi folks,


Hi Emily,

For those who call It's a Pirate's Life for Me, I'm wondering if you might 
be able to help with a few questions?


1. I don't have language for describing the A1 very well.


Uhh, the A1 is "Neighbor balance & swing", so I'm guessing you mean A2.

For people who'd like to help but don't have their cards handy, there are 
online descriptions at:

https://contradb.com/dances/816
https://lists.sharedweight.net/hyperkitty/list/contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net/message/2YVRAAZ7H57OK5NWL3C4IGVA6Q2H3MAG/

The Caller's Box doesn't have permission to show the figures, but we do have 
links to 26 videos:

https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=2424

-Michael
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[Callers] Questions about It's a Pirate's Life for Me

[Emily Addison via Contra Callers]

Hi folks,

For those who call It's a Pirate's Life for Me, I'm wondering if you might
be able to help with a few questions?

1. I don't have language for describing the A1 very well.  I get what's
happening for sure but I think there could be little tricks to help cue
dancers in flowing through all that action. Might you might have some
insight?

2. I have two B2 variations, one attributed to Lisa G and another to Seth
T. I'm wondering what B2 you enjoy calling?

ROB DSD 1.5 THEN N R shoulder round ! then onto next N
ROB Right shoulder round 1.5 /// N R Shoulder round and then onto the next
(to begin again), can also do with Als

3. Finally ... the funny question!  I remember being at a dance on
International Pirate's day.  I vaguely remember people yelling 'yas' at
a certain point during this dance.  Have you ever experienced this??? It
seemed pretty darn fun. :)

Thoughts?
Thanks for any insight!
:) Emily in Ottawa
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[Callers] Re: Do you add a 'do anything' move into a contra? OR other playful strategies? :)

[Emily Addison via Contra Callers]

Hi All,

Thanks so much Jacqui, Maia, and Joe for chiming in on playful strategies
and dances. I'm sorry I didn't write back sooner but this was JUST the kind
of stuff I was looking for.
I love these types of moments as a dancer and would like to bring more of
them to the dance floor as a caller.

Thank you :) :)
Emily in Ottawa

On Mon, Feb 6, 2023 at 11:10 PM Joe Harrington 
wrote:

> Bob Isaacs calls a contra dance with a fun chase figure at the end of some
> longer multisession gigs. The ones chase around the twos with the first
> going around both twos and the second going around one, reversing the order
> of the ones on the return leg of the chase. They do this twice in 16 beats
> (I think. That seems short but 32 seems long, hmmm…), each dancer leading
> once and following once. It’s pretty fun with high-tempo music (like 125
> bpm). It’s even more fun because after he stops cueing, he goes around the
> room and quietly invites those sitting out to run through the set during
> the chase, and then for everyone to chase out of the set. Pretty guaranteed
> chaotic fun!
>
> —jh—
>
>
> On Sat, Feb 4, 2023 at 3:47 PM Emily Addison via Contra Callers <
> contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> Hey folks,
>>
>> After a number of relatively quiet caller years (parenting; pandemic),
>> I've started to dig deep to expand my repertoire and up my skills.  It
>> feels like it's time for lots more dance fun! :)
>>
>> One dance that I've really enjoyed is Heartbeat Contra (by Don Flaherty -
>> see below).
>> Tom Calwell called it in Ottawa way back in 2010 and  at the top of the
>> B1, he called Al R 1.5 or ANYTHING (R shoulder round, swing, DSD).
>>
>> *Do any of you throw in a 'do anything' moment in an evening of contra
>> programming?* I'm always looking for fun, playful moments that make
>> dancers smile and this feels like a lovely one.  If you throw in an
>> anything moment, how do you choose when?
>>
>> *And do you have other strategies for adding playfulness to an evening?*
>> I've got some dances which I find super playful and fun (e.g., Three's
>> Company - Altered & Alternating - Paul Balliet)
>>
>> Thoughts on this?
>>
>> Thanks!
>> Emily in Ottawa
>>
>> ---
>> Heartbeat Contra (Don Flaherty)
>> A1
>>
>> Bal Ring & Petronella Twirl
>> Bal Ring & Petronella Twirl
>>
>> A2
>> Bal Ring & N Sw
>>
>> B1
>>
>> ROB Al R 1.5  *OR ANYTHING! *(Al R, Rshoulder round, swing, DSD...
>> original was RH round)
>> P Sw
>>
>> B2
>>
>> Cir L 3/4
>> Bal Ring & California Twirl
>>
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>> contracallers-le...@lists.sharedweight.net
>>
>
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