I teach the box circulate using a right-hand star, moving it one place and then
pointing out that the circulation is the same thing, just without hands.
Several people have made a point of telling me that it was the most effective
way they’ve seen of teaching it, which pleased me as it was the r
Hi all,
I collected a dance from a colleague, and she didn’t know its name or
choreographer. Can you help us?
Duple minor
A1 (Face your neighbor) Right-hand chain (up and down the set); ptr do-si-do 1
1/2
A2 w/next N (shadow), bal & box the gnat; pull by R and ptr swing
B1 Circle left 3 places;
I have a friend who danced for the pure joy of it until he got sick of being
asked why a black man wanted to contra dance. I dance with more, purer joy now
that fewer men “offer” to split me up from my girlfriend when we join a line
together.
I’d love everyone to dance for the pure joy of it, b
I agree wholeheartedly with Jen, and appreciate her thoughtful response.
Donald makes the excellent point that history is the source of an ongoing
challenge (it’s not the present, and the values of any one historical moment
are not the same as those of another) for which language usefully offers
In Oklahoma, Sandy Knudson has been active maintaining (and encouraging the
rest of us contra callers to help maintain) a Google spreadsheet of dances in
the state (because our org is statewide and many of our dancers travel to other
cities for dances). It includes location, caller, dance name,
Tulsa Tribute was written by Keith Tuxhorn (Austin, Texas) in memory of G.
Wesley (Wes) Brown, a Tulsa contra and square caller (and friend/mentor to me)
who was killed in 2012 as a bystander in a gang-related shooting. He is very
much missed, and it is wonderful to see that the dance has travel
Hi all,
I know there is a musicians' list, but as a caller I'm not on it — and I
thought some of you multitalented folk might still be able to answer this
question.
We have (it's not mine, so please forgive all inaccuracies in this description)
a 50-yr-old Gibson acoustic guitar in need of re
Here in Oklahoma I call it a wagon-wheel grip, but I think I picked up that
term in either Michigan or California when I was starting to dance contra circa
2008. Wagon-wheel stars are the default in OK/TX/KS/MO local dances, and also
seem standard in the SF Bay Area.
When I teach a star in a r
