From brucemorgan at earthlink.net Tue Aug 1 08:18:40 2006 From: brucemorgan at earthlink.net (Bruce) Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2006 08:18:40 -0400 Subject: [Squaredancing] test Message-ID: <001401c6b564$a91dfe30$6401a8c0@Bruce> There has nothing been happening on this list for sometime. I am just checking to see if it is working. Bruce -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cynde at twistercom.fi Tue Aug 1 09:32:48 2006 From: cynde at twistercom.fi (Cynde Sadler) Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2006 16:32:48 +0300 Subject: [Squaredancing] test References: <001401c6b564$a91dfe30$6401a8c0@Bruce> Message-ID: <008601c6b56e$fb1a1b60$8a00a8c0@eotfd7dz4lxz7tm> Hmmm not 10 mails a day surly but I think it is working. I've received a couple of mails in tha past few days. Cynde in Helsinki ----- Original Message ----- From: Bruce To: Squaredancing at rbnsn.com Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 3:18 PM Subject: [Squaredancing] test There has nothing been happening on this list for sometime. I am just checking to see if it is working. Bruce ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Squaredancing mailing list Squaredancing at rbnsn.com http://rbnsn.com/mailman/listinfo/squaredancing_rbnsn.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cmbaker at tiac.net Wed Aug 2 10:16:32 2006 From: cmbaker at tiac.net (Clark Baker) Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006 10:16:32 -0400 Subject: [Squaredancing] Clark's San Antonio trip report Message-ID: I posted this on sd-callers at the end of June. Perhaps some of you were also there. -- cmb I have just returned from the National Square Dance Convention in San Antonio, TX and thought I would give you my observations. Having attended the last 4, my daughter wanted to avoid the bus system and stay in a nearby hotel so I signed up to call and we stayed at the "callers" hotel. With respect to dancing, we knew what to expect and how to pace ourselves. Attendance was around 7200 this year. One of the great things we have gotten from NSDC is new friends. Laura stays in touch with them throughout the year (e-mail and IM) and convinced me to start our trip 2 days early since her friends were doing the same. We arrived late Monday and she spent Tuesday at Schlitterbahn -- a large water park. I spent the day shopping for a few items I forgot to pack, going to registration (though caller registration wasn't open), and visiting each of the halls so I knew the lay of the land. The convention center is large -- large enough to accommodate us along with another 3500 immigration lawyers! I think we should have hosted a one to two hour party dance for them. About half the large halls had built-in wood floors and the rest were polished concrete. The smaller halls were carpet with a dancing surface on top -- usually those black, plastic, interlocking squares. The contra hall spent its budget on covering its carpet with a wood floor (like what you would rent in a hotel). A/C was OK but not impressive. Sound was fine in the small halls and OK in the large halls. No sound bleed problems. While dancing, I did experience several overheated amplifiers which cut out. Tuesday night was the ContraLab energizer dance. I found this by googling "contra dance san antonio". It took place in San Antonio's regular contra dance venue (3 miles west of the convention center) but on an unusual night. We had live music and each of the ContraLab members present called a tip. There were about 40 people in attendance. The "open dance format" of contras allowed me to dance with the student who books the hall even though she had never contra danced before. Each of the dances was walked thru before we danced it. Wednesday morning I attended the ContraLab board meeting. While I do not call contra, I enjoy dancing it and was interested to understand more about their organization. In addition to a business meeting, Stew Shacklette gave an educational presentation. There were 17 people at the meeting and I learned that their membership was 101 in 1999 and is now 62. Many of these leaders are the ones who will be staffing the contra hall at the convention. ContraLab (http://www.contralab.org/) is a member of the ARTS (http://www.arts-dance.org/) and reflects our couple oriented, club structured, dress code favoring, MWSD sensibilities. Their membership list did not contain the names of any of the contemporary contra callers that I encounter at NEFFA (http://www.neffa.org/), in New England, or who I dance to LA, San Francisco, Chicago, Charlotte, Suracuse, etc. Bottom line, there are two completely separate contra dance communities -- ContraLab and, for lack of a better name, contemporary (http://www.neffa.org/Top/Folk_Dancing/Contras/). This being my first time calling at the convention, I signed up for only challenge and said I would do advanced if needed. While I was scheduled for 30 minutes of chellenge every day, I was shocked to be assigned two high-energy Mainstream tips, one prime time Plus tip. I have no clue what they were thinking giving me Mainstream. I went with the flow, prepared the easiest material I could for my calling spots and did the best job I could. It was a thrill to call to 800 Plus dancers. The Challenge room could comfortably hold 3 squares and I saw between 1 and 3 squares in it. Dancers were doing OK and depending on who was dancing I could call easy and some medium written C1. The New England Convention (with less than 1000 dancers) also has a challenge hall with the same number of squares. I attribute the lack of challenge dancer support at NSDC to the Academy for Advanced and Challenge Enthusiasts (AACE) which happens the week before (see http://www.ceder.net/aace.php4). AACE is a follow-on to the National Challenge Convention which sprung out of NSDC afterparties and dissatisfaction with challenge dancing at the Nationals. At the NSDC afterparties in 1966 the idea for "a better level of dancing on a national basis" started and was continued in 1967 with private challenge afterparties at the NSDC. This turned into the National Challenge Square Dance Convention in 1968 which initially was an invitation-only event for top challenge callers and dancers. I am a big fan of Hexagon dancing (see http://www.tiac.net/~mabaker/) and there was a hour clinic scheduled every day. There were 12-14 hexagons each day (!) who were interested in receiving instruction in this hot, new craze. I was able to dance some hexagons in the back of some halls at night, but less than past years. I attended a panel discussion on "What Youth Want" with 4 older youth on the panel. There were about 30 of us in the room, and I am guessing that 15 of us were either other youth supporting those on the panel or parents and friend of youth. I don't believe the average 60-80 year old MWSD cares one bit about what youth want (though the people who took the time to attend the panel do). This talk was offered twice. While the topics were wide ranging, the subject of the Youth Hall did come up multiple times. The youth hall at NSDC is run under some strict rules and doesn't always serve the youth well. One caller from Germany was shocked at what those who run the convention feel needs to be done for a youth hall. Dress code was also touched on with differing views. Some, especially those who grew up in square dancing (because their parents danced or called) were happy with square dance dress. Others who came to square dancing later had more of a take it or leave it attitude but didn't want stuff forced on them. A common complaint is that teens hate it when old dancers push them around, assume the teens don't know what they are doing, are rough and hurt the teens, and blame square breakdowns on the teens. Trust me -- this happens more often then you know. Just ask my daughter (and stand back). Another topic that came up was learning speed. Teens learn fast and most lessons are oriented towards old people. Teens get bored real fast in these kinds of lessons. In 1975 the New England square dance magazine listed 2 pages of teen clubs. Today 0. How are we doing supporting our future? This year the exhibition dancing was on a stage in the theater. The advantages included comfortable seating, reduced house lighting, good sound, and everyone's attention was focused on the dancing. The disadvantages were a smaller dance space and a reduced ability to get a good "top view" of the intricate patterns. I brought some non-MWSD friends in to see the Colorado Rocky Mountain Dancers and they were blown away. This performance (every one is different) was in a true hexagon and they did a cool Venus and two Mars star figure with a central 6-dancer star and two 3-hand stars and exchanging back and forth. Of course there were several aerial moves, including one for 12 dancers. We should all appreciate the amount of effort and coordination it takes to bring any of the exhibition groups with younger dancers to NSDC. I spent a lot of my time dancing in the contra hall. I like the fact that I can ask anyone to dance, and that I can bring anyone into the room, no matter what their dance experience. While I appreciate partners with energy and who can (partner) swing, I danced with most everyone. We usually had one line and occasionally two lines. What we lacked was people with energy and who could swing. The leaders did their best with what they had to work with. Friday and Saturday nights featured a live band. Several from the local contra dance community paid our steep admission price and danced with us, adding energy and new faces. What they encountered (low energy, lame dances, people who can't swing) came as a shock to them, and some didn't return. I really enjoyed breakfast at the caller hotel. There were lots of people to talk with and it wasn't too noisy. I felt like the callers all supported each other. Many times, there were two or three at the mike doing singing calls. I don't know all the ins and outs of which callers get along with each other, record labels, etc., but if there are problems they were below the surface. Things I didn't see: There was no rainbow room. There was no handicapable room. There was no dinner hour youth calling. Last year this was a eye opener and should have been repeated. Dress code: I wore clean shorts and a clean contra dance themed t-shirt during the days. I wore a long sleeved western shirt and slacks at night. While I wasn't accosted by the dress code police, there were many signs which said that proper attire was required on the dance floor or else you would be escorted out of the facility. As I represent callers (I was calling at the convention) and Callerlab (I am on the board), it was suggested to me on Friday that I "get with the dress code". I thought long and hard about it, buckled under, and dressed appropriately from Friday evening on. I don't like it, but my other option is to not attend. I spoke with one person about the dress code and they asked me if I would wear shorts and a t-shirt to the presidential inaugurations. They consider this to be the premiere square dance event and we should be wearing our finest. I think the premiere square dance event should have better dancing. One area in which the National can do better is showing us what our options are at any particular time. There is a lot going on at once and, unfortunately, even when you purchase the convention program and the daily pocket guides, it is hard to see what your alternatives are. The seminars, clinics, and panels are listed in one place, exhibitions another, dancing a third (spread over many pages), etc. Check out how NEFFA presents their options. Also, the NEFFA grids are posted in the web in advance of their Festival: http://www.neffa.org/grid/index.html If all of the above sounds a little negative, I had a great time, got to vacation with my daughter, renew old friendships, make some new friends, do some calling, dance some MS, some Plus, some A2, some C1, and a lot of contras, watch exhibitions, support callers I know and like, teach some hexagon, watch a woman's wallet get stolen in the food court and immediately recover it for her (money intact), and have Continental fly us first class and give us $1200 in travel vouchers for volunteering and getting bumped, twice, on the trip home! I am appreciative for all the hard work and meetings that it takes to put on such a large party. Any insight I have had behind the scenes of convention planning has shown me dedicated volenteers who are trying their best given lots of rules and regulations and a limited budget. They want to put on the best convention possible and they gave us a good show. Congratulations and props to all of them. -- Clark Baker, Belmont, MA cmbaker at tiac.net From squarekopp at gmx.de Wed Aug 2 16:14:57 2006 From: squarekopp at gmx.de (squarekopp at gmx.de) Date: Wed, 02 Aug 2006 22:14:57 +0200 Subject: [Squaredancing] Star Theme (was: Christmas In July) Message-ID: <20060802201457.275930@gmx.net> > For one of my next themes, I am looking at "A Night of Stars" Star Promenade seems a bit neglected lately. Here is a singing call break with it: Allemande left your corner dosado your partner four boys make a left hand star (and for Nick Turner: And turn 'em!) pick up your partner, star promenade all four couples wheel around, star promenade with the ladies in everybody swing your own and promenade around the town. > I should be able to work out some sort of a Star into a Single File Promenade If you dare to, and have a suitable piece of music, here is a Whole Set Contra: BRIEF ENCOUNTER Formation: 5 couples proper a b c d e A B C D E twc to the right, by the right hand change places (4 steps) everyody, by the left hand change places across (4 steps) twc to the right, by the right hand change places (4 steps) everyody, by the left hand change places across (4 steps) Now the formation is c d e E D b a A B C 4 girls at top, 4 boys at bottom right hand star (8 steps) same groups left hand star (8 steps) Those in the center may balance and swing, or grimace each other, or do whatever they like. Original top lady (a) and originally bottom man (E) lead their star into a single file promenade around, until everybody is back to the original place. Those in the center fall in behind their own group. (16 steps) Top couple down the center (8 steps) (and stay there) Everybody forward and back (8 steps) You should use something with 110 ... 115 bpm and significiant phrasing (e.g. Scottish dance music), played 5 times through. Sorry, it will take at least 3 walkthrus before it works (better 5). Of course you should not do too many walkthrus at the same night. So if you need walkthrus for e.g. Star the Route, and Star and Travel (will have to check Burleson for this) and ... then save this for another night. Yours squarely, Heiner Fischle Hannover, Germany www.heinerfischle.de From M0220sr at aol.com Thu Aug 3 08:39:48 2006 From: M0220sr at aol.com (M0220sr at aol.com) Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2006 08:39:48 EDT Subject: [Squaredancing] Topic: Too many "Weave The Ring"s Message-ID: <51a.71931480.32034894@aol.com> (Background: Called in the '70s-'80s, club caller for teen club for four years, square dancer since June 1974. Started round dancing in the '80s. Now square and round dance, cuer/instructor for round dancing for over 10 years.) I am opening this topic because no matter what dance I go to (local or out of town) I feel that there are entirely too many singing calls with Weave The Ring figures in singing call choreography. Can't composers of singing calls put more creative figures in their work other than Weave The Ring? At your club your great caller/teacher does a wonderful job on his/her dance, right? You like your caller(s), fine people, fun to be with, and most callers mix up the figures and deliver the calls in a smooth flowing manner so that you can dance all night and never get tired. Lots of fun...as far as the patter. Then comes the singing calls. Weave The Ring, Weave The Ring, Weave The Ring. Time after time, just about every tip. Dancers like variety. They don't want to do Weave The Rings all night long on the singing calls. Perhaps it would help a lot if the singing calls could be chosen before the dance or at the beginning when the equipment is set up. If that is not a likeable idea then at least change the opening-middle-closer routine on every other singing call to eliminate the "seemingly" constant Weave The Rings in them. We love to square and round dance. My wife and I are up for the majority of tips every dance we go to. We like the callers who call and the cuers who cue. The only reason for writing this is because a lot of our friends have expressed similar comments as those above and I thought I would post those feelings here to see how you felt about it. Thank you. Richard Matthews PS: Next time you go to a dance, count the number of singing calls with Weave The Ring in them. You will always have more than those without per dance. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From NShukayr at aol.com Thu Aug 3 14:28:47 2006 From: NShukayr at aol.com (NShukayr at aol.com) Date: Thu, 3 Aug 2006 14:28:47 EDT Subject: [Squaredancing] Topic: Too many "Weave The Ring"s Message-ID: <57b.2bca600.32039a5f@aol.com> A lady in the San Francisco Bay area vehemently hated the combination "Four Ladies Chain, Four Ladies Chain". She loudly complained every time it was called. After several months of this, whenever this combination was called dancers would all shout together "MAGGIE SPECIAL!!". Sooner or later it got to where the callers could actually call "Maggie Special" and the dancers would do a Four Ladies Chain, Four Ladies Chain! So it sounds to me that people need to holler "Richard Special!!" whenever Weave the Ring is called. That could be a fun way for callers to gradually become aware that some dancers do not care for this particular call. Callers certainly cannot guess by ESP what dancers like. Another possible solution is to approach a caller before a dance starts and say "we'd like to see how many different singing call breaks you can call which do NOT include Weave the Ring". Or, approach the caller after the second tip and say "we had a vote and we've already danced enough Weave the Rings for an entire evening. So we want to see what else you've got in the Singing Call Breaks department!" The point is, if dancers do not make their preferences known, callers will never know dancers' preferences! Nasser "will not call quite as many Weave the Rings on October 14th" Shukayr -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From M0220sr at aol.com Sat Aug 5 02:16:46 2006 From: M0220sr at aol.com (M0220sr at aol.com) Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2006 02:16:46 EDT Subject: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer? Message-ID: <505.37a99e.320591ce@aol.com> Lines: Pass Thru, Wheel & Deal Lines: Pass Thru, Bend The Line Wave: Swing Thru, Centers Run, Bend The Line (or any call where the dancers temporarily break contact then remake contact before turning to another position) What happens on that last call of the three examples above? Somebody turns in a small space to make the turn and somebody takes longer steps to make the arc of the turn to finish in the ending position. When dancers are taught, they are generally (hopefully) told that whenever they come to a position adjacent to someone else that they make hand contact. If this is true, then why is it that some dancers who are in the position to do the small turn usually forgets that they are dancing with at least one or two more people who they will come into contact with them? What do they do? They forget to take the hand of the person next to them who has just finished doing that Pass Thru or Run figure and they...by themselves...turn to the ending position and the other person has to play "catch up" to end in position next to them. Don't you think this is kind of rude on the part of the person who left the other person "in the dust"? These people are so worried that they will not be position to do the next call that they forget that they are dancing WITH seven other people. I've seen these same types of people get big frowns on their faces when they are promenading, getting real close to the couple in front of them as if to push them out of the way so they can get home to do their "end of promenade" swing, hip bump, hands clap, etc. I was always taught that a lady is not twirled if she doesn't want to be twirled. She initiates the twirl, not the man. Do they still teach that in class so a lady's arm is not wrenched or hurt so badly that she has to go home? Is it that some aggressive male wants to twirl and thinks, "Darn it, you are going to twirl or I'll break your arm!" As to the above scenario, don't you think that the person who is going to make the small "inside" turn do the following: He/she should wait for the person that did the Pass Thru with them or the Run around them remake contact with them before they initiate their turn? Are they dancing by and for themselves or are they "working with the team"? I doubt if I am the only member of this group who has some pet peeves about what happens in a square. Whatever happened to being the polite dancer? Thank goodness that the number of the type of people described above are in the small minority. Thanks for letting me get one item off my chest. Richard -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cynde at twistercom.fi Sat Aug 5 04:00:12 2006 From: cynde at twistercom.fi (Cynde Sadler) Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2006 11:00:12 +0300 Subject: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer? References: <505.37a99e.320591ce@aol.com> Message-ID: <006a01c6b865$2e526fc0$8a00a8c0@eotfd7dz4lxz7tm> Do you think a caller could/should/would remind people now and then of this? I know I have been to dances where the callers call too quickly, double speed or two or three calls in a row causing 'dancers' to race through -everyman/woman for him/herself to get to the final position before the next set of calls are blurted.(even though the music is the same!) If you ask me, even if three calls are given at once the music should still dictate how many beats each call takes, wouldn't it?. The above mentioned just causes 'dancers' to become charging buffalos to the amusement(?) of the caller(?) I certainly don't find it amusing when it happens too often and without humour. We had a guest caller, Nasser Shukayr, come recently and call an unusual dance with odd calls causing a mild chaotic scramble. This is NOT what I'm taking about. This was welcome silliness and a lot of fun, as it was intended, to be fun. The caller was laughing the dancers were laughing and it didn't continue throughout the day.(but will be fondly remembered) Richard, as a caller you are in charge, if you see dancing you don't like could you not prompt, encourage, force them (as often as it takes) away from these bad habits and teach them about dancing and manners? I like twirling but I don't like my shoulder and elbow in a sling for the rest of the week or my feet (even ankles!) stomped on either! (funny, that) I'm sure most dancers really want to dance well. Dancing is one thing, stampeding for the blue light special is something competely else. Cynde, dancer dependant on caller ----- Original Message ----- From: M0220sr at aol.com To: squaredancing at rbnsn.com Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 9:16 AM Subject: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer? Lines: Pass Thru, Wheel & Deal Lines: Pass Thru, Bend The Line Wave: Swing Thru, Centers Run, Bend The Line (or any call where the dancers temporarily break contact then remake contact before turning to another position) What happens on that last call of the three examples above? Somebody turns in a small space to make the turn and somebody takes longer steps to make the arc of the turn to finish in the ending position. When dancers are taught, they are generally (hopefully) told that whenever they come to a position adjacent to someone else that they make hand contact. If this is true, then why is it that some dancers who are in the position to do the small turn usually forgets that they are dancing with at least one or two more people who they will come into contact with them? What do they do? They forget to take the hand of the person next to them who has just finished doing that Pass Thru or Run figure and they...by themselves...turn to the ending position and the other person has to play "catch up" to end in position next to them. Don't you think this is kind of rude on the part of the person who left the other person "in the dust"? These people are so worried that they will not be position to do the next call that they forget that they are dancing WITH seven other people. I've seen these same types of people get big frowns on their faces when they are promenading, getting real close to the couple in front of them as if to push them out of the way so they can get home to do their "end of promenade" swing, hip bump, hands clap, etc. I was always taught that a lady is not twirled if she doesn't want to be twirled. She initiates the twirl, not the man. Do they still teach that in class so a lady's arm is not wrenched or hurt so badly that she has to go home? Is it that some aggressive male wants to twirl and thinks, "Darn it, you are going to twirl or I'll break your arm!" As to the above scenario, don't you think that the person who is going to make the small "inside" turn do the following: He/she should wait for the person that did the Pass Thru with them or the Run around them remake contact with them before they initiate their turn? Are they dancing by and for themselves or are they "working with the team"? I doubt if I am the only member of this group who has some pet peeves about what happens in a square. Whatever happened to being the polite dancer? Thank goodness that the number of the type of people described above are in the small minority. Thanks for letting me get one item off my chest. Richard ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Squaredancing mailing list Squaredancing at rbnsn.com http://rbnsn.com/mailman/listinfo/squaredancing_rbnsn.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From M0220sr at aol.com Sat Aug 5 09:53:11 2006 From: M0220sr at aol.com (M0220sr at aol.com) Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2006 09:53:11 EDT Subject: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer? Message-ID: <4c3.6539b73.3205fcc7@aol.com> Thank you, Cynde, for your reply. It was very informative and I agree with you. We have several elderly people in our club who can no longer dance faster than the standard 128 beats per minute. If a caller generally plays his records (patter or singing call) faster than that, these elderly dancers do well just to get through a tip without breaking down the square they are in. You can see it in their faces that they are having trouble: faces red, breathing hard, etc. But the caller often has no idea that he is causing a lot of stress for people in the squares before him/her. He/she is calling what he/she feels is a good dance, keeping the dancers "up" and happy. It isn't until a member of the club comes up and asks that the speed be reduced due to whatever the conditions are in the hall that changes are made. Whenever I'm in control of a dance (primarily rounds now, not calling) and I see rowdy behavior on the floor I know other people see it as well...as far as our club is concerned. I rarely have to say anything to someone being rude, there are several other people in the club who I have seen talking quietly and in a very diplomatic manner to someone who has been pushing or being rude. Usually it is taken care of and the aggressive person eventually finds out that his/her manners are not welcome and "calm down". I was speaking primarily (and I didn't say that) of when we go on vacation or to a special dance out of town. There, you have dancers from many different places and, yes, it would likely be difficult to "control" their behavior unless they cause a bad problem like hurting someone or cause the beginnings of a fight in a square. We are supposed to be having fun, after all. I've known Nasser for years. He is a great caller and provides a wonderful evening of square dancing. His "creativity in delivering material" is well known throughout the world. If you have never been to a dance where he is calling, you should make every effort to attend the next one if he is in your area. Some people like him, some don't. You just can't like everybody and that's fine. We're entitled to our opinions. No one should have to leave a dance because of an injury inflicted by someone else in a square. If that aggressive person is not taken aside (maybe by someone who knows him/her well) and asked to cease the rude actions, then it's likely that other kinds of trouble and bad feelings will happen sometime during the evening. Our activity is supposed to promote fun and fellowship and generally does. We can't let that periodic instance of someone who wants to dominate their actions over others spoil an evening of fun. But let a friend of that person or a club officer handle the situation for the best solution to the problem. Richard In a message dated 8/5/2006 3:01:33 A.M. Central Daylight Time, cynde at twistercom.fi writes:Do you think a caller could/should/would remind people now and then of this? I know I have been to dances where the callers call too quickly, double speed or two or three calls in a row causing 'dancers' to race through -everyman/woman for him/herself to get to the final position before the next set of calls are blurted.(even though the music is the same!) If you ask me, even if three calls are given at once the music should still dictate how many beats each call takes, wouldn't it?. The above mentioned just causes 'dancers' to become charging buffalos to the amusement(?) of the caller(?) I certainly don't find it amusing when it happens too often and without humour. We had a guest caller, Nasser Shukayr, come recently and call an unusual dance with odd calls causing a mild chaotic scramble. This is NOT what I'm taking about. This was welcome silliness and a lot of fun, as it was intended, to be fun. The caller was laughing the dancers were laughing and it didn't continue throughout the day.(but will be fondly remembered) Richard, as a caller you are in charge, if you see dancing you don't like could you not prompt, encourage, force them (as often as it takes) away from these bad habits and teach them about dancing and manners? I like twirling but I don't like my shoulder and elbow in a sling for the rest of the week or my feet (even ankles!) stomped on either! (funny, that) I'm sure most dancers really want to dance well. Dancing is one thing, stampeding for the blue light special is something competely else. Cynde, dancer dependant on caller ----- Original Message ----- From: _M0220sr at aol.com_ (mailto:M0220sr at aol.com) To: _squaredancing at rbnsn.com_ (mailto:squaredancing at rbnsn.com) Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 9:16 AM Subject: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer? Lines: Pass Thru, Wheel & Deal Lines: Pass Thru, Bend The Line Wave: Swing Thru, Centers Run, Bend The Line (or any call where the dancers temporarily break contact then remake contact before turning to another position) What happens on that last call of the three examples above? Somebody turns in a small space to make the turn and somebody takes longer steps to make the arc of the turn to finish in the ending position. When dancers are taught, they are generally (hopefully) told that whenever they come to a position adjacent to someone else that they make hand contact. If this is true, then why is it that some dancers who are in the position to do the small turn usually forgets that they are dancing with at least one or two more people who they will come into contact with them? What do they do? They forget to take the hand of the person next to them who has just finished doing that Pass Thru or Run figure and they...by themselves...turn to the ending position and the other person has to play "catch up" to end in position next to them. Don't you think this is kind of rude on the part of the person who left the other person "in the dust"? These people are so worried that they will not be position to do the next call that they forget that they are dancing WITH seven other people. I've seen these same types of people get big frowns on their faces when they are promenading, getting real close to the couple in front of them as if to push them out of the way so they can get home to do their "end of promenade" swing, hip bump, hands clap, etc. I was always taught that a lady is not twirled if she doesn't want to be twirled. She initiates the twirl, not the man. Do they still teach that in class so a lady's arm is not wrenched or hurt so badly that she has to go home? Is it that some aggressive male wants to twirl and thinks, "Darn it, you are going to twirl or I'll break your arm!" As to the above scenario, don't you think that the person who is going to make the small "inside" turn do the following: He/she should wait for the person that did the Pass Thru with them or the Run around them remake contact with them before they initiate their turn? Are they dancing by and for themselves or are they "working with the team"? I doubt if I am the only member of this group who has some pet peeves about what happens in a square. Whatever happened to being the polite dancer? Thank goodness that the number of the type of people described above are in the small minority. Thanks for letting me get one item off my chest. Richard -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bi434 at hotfootspin.com Sun Aug 6 12:41:13 2006 From: bi434 at hotfootspin.com (Karl Springer) Date: Sun, 06 Aug 2006 09:41:13 -0700 Subject: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer? In-Reply-To: <505.37a99e.320591ce@aol.com> Message-ID: <44D5B939.4465.3379EA@bi434.hotfootspin.com> On 5 Aug 2006 at 2:16 ED, M0220sr at aol.com wrote, at least in part: > I doubt if I am the only member of this group who has some > pet peeves about what happens in a square. Some others: 1. The dancer who hedges on what direction he is supposed to be facing by standing at 45 degrees to a head or side wall. 2. The "experienced" dancer who often uses his opposite to know what to do. 3. The caller who calls sequences with overflow which results in dizziness and/or the feeling you're getting screwed into the floor, e.g. Fan The Top followed by Acey Deucey 1 & 1/2. Karl From M0220sr at aol.com Sun Aug 6 14:26:38 2006 From: M0220sr at aol.com (M0220sr at aol.com) Date: Sun, 6 Aug 2006 14:26:38 EDT Subject: [Squaredancing] Square Dancing pet peeves..... Message-ID: <4a1.7d01e300.32078e5e@aol.com> Those are some good ones, Karl! :)) Richard Some others: 1. The dancer who hedges on what direction he is supposed to be facing by standing at 45 degrees to a head or side wall. 2. The "experienced" dancer who often uses his opposite to know what to do. 3. The caller who calls sequences with overflow which results in dizziness and/or the feeling you're getting screwed into the floor, e.g. Fan The Top followed by Acey Deucey 1 & 1/2. Karl -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Robert.Morris at uboc.com Tue Aug 8 12:18:44 2006 From: Robert.Morris at uboc.com (Robert.Morris at uboc.com) Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2006 09:18:44 -0700 Subject: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer? Message-ID: Richard brought up a good point. If you have people that cannot dance 128 beats per minute what do you do as a caller. You have 1/2 of the floor that wants to go 128 beats per minute or faster and others that cannot go that speed because father time was not nice to them. Do you slow the dance down so that the slowest dancer can dance? Or do you only use 48 beat figures so that they can keep up? I angle for a club and you are lucky to be able to do a 48 beat figure. If you tried to do the full 64 beat figure the floor would break down. Some of the people there can go full speed and they get board. Before long all of the dancers that can dance full speed leave and don't come back. I was at Nasser's dance this weekend and he did " I'm so excited". Well when he did it like he was board the energy in the square went down. when he delivered it when he was excited the energy in the square was high. So the way a caller delivers a tip helps the dancers get excited and move. Robert E. Morris M0220sr at aol.com Sent by: To: Squaredancing at rbnsn.com Squaredancing-bounce cc: s at rbnsn.com Subject: Re: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer? 08/05/2006 06:53 AM Please respond to This list for discussing all aspect of MWSD Thank you, Cynde, for your reply. It was very informative and I agree with you. We have several elderly people in our club who can no longer dance faster than the standard 128 beats per minute. If a caller generally plays his records (patter or singing call) faster than that, these elderly dancers do well just to get through a tip without breaking down the square they are in. You can see it in their faces that they are having trouble: faces red, breathing hard, etc. But the caller often has no idea that he is causing a lot of stress for people in the squares before him/her. He/she is calling what he/she feels is a good dance, keeping the dancers "up" and happy. It isn't until a member of the club comes up and asks that the speed be reduced due to whatever the conditions are in the hall that changes are made. Whenever I'm in control of a dance (primarily rounds now, not calling) and I see rowdy behavior on the floor I know other people see it as well...as far as our club is concerned. I rarely have to say anything to someone being rude, there are several other people in the club who I have seen talking quietly and in a very diplomatic manner to someone who has been pushing or being rude. Usually it is taken care of and the aggressive person eventually finds out that his/her manners are not welcome and "calm down". I was speaking primarily (and I didn't say that) of when we go on vacation or to a special dance out of town. There, you have dancers from many different places and, yes, it would likely be difficult to "control" their behavior unless they cause a bad problem like hurting someone or cause the beginnings of a fight in a square. We are supposed to be having fun, after all. I've known Nasser for years. He is a great caller and provides a wonderful evening of square dancing. His "creativity in delivering material" is well known throughout the world. If you have never been to a dance where he is calling, you should make every effort to attend the next one if he is in your area. Some people like him, some don't. You just can't like everybody and that's fine. We're entitled to our opinions. No one should have to leave a dance because of an injury inflicted by someone else in a square. If that aggressive person is not taken aside (maybe by someone who knows him/her well) and asked to cease the rude actions, then it's likely that other kinds of trouble and bad feelings will happen sometime during the evening. Our activity is supposed to promote fun and fellowship and generally does. We can't let that periodic instance of someone who wants to dominate their actions over others spoil an evening of fun. But let a friend of that person or a club officer handle the situation for the best solution to the problem. Richard In a message dated 8/5/2006 3:01:33 A.M. Central Daylight Time, cynde at twistercom.fi writes:Do you think a caller could/should/would remind people now and then of this? I know I have been to dances where the callers call too quickly, double speed or two or three calls in a row causing 'dancers' to race through -everyman/woman for him/herself to get to the final position before the next set of calls are blurted.(even though the music is the same!) If you ask me, even if three calls are given at once the music should still dictate how many beats each call takes, wouldn't it?. The above mentioned just causes 'dancers' to become charging buffalos to the amusement(?) of the caller(?) I certainly don't find it amusing when it happens too often and without humour. We had a guest caller, Nasser Shukayr, come recently and call an unusual dance with odd calls causing a mild chaotic scramble. This is NOT what I'm taking about. This was welcome silliness and a lot of fun, as it was intended, to be fun. The caller was laughing the dancers were laughing and it didn't continue throughout the day.(but will be fondly remembered) Richard, as a caller you are in charge, if you see dancing you don't like could you not prompt, encourage, force them (as often as it takes) away from these bad habits and teach them about dancing and manners? I like twirling but I don't like my shoulder and elbow in a sling for the rest of the week or my feet (even ankles!) stomped on either! (funny, that) I'm sure most dancers really want to dance well. Dancing is one thing, stampeding for the blue light special is something competely else. Cynde, dancer dependant on caller ----- Original Message ----- From: M0220sr at aol.com To: squaredancing at rbnsn.com Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 9:16 AM Subject: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer? Lines: Pass Thru, Wheel & Deal Lines: Pass Thru, Bend The Line Wave: Swing Thru, Centers Run, Bend The Line (or any call where the dancers temporarily break contact then remake contact before turning to another position) What happens on that last call of the three examples above? Somebody turns in a small space to make the turn and somebody takes longer steps to make the arc of the turn to finish in the ending position. When dancers are taught, they are generally (hopefully) told that whenever they come to a position adjacent to someone else that they make hand contact. If this is true, then why is it that some dancers who are in the position to do the small turn usually forgets that they are dancing with at least one or two more people who they will come into contact with them? What do they do? They forget to take the hand of the person next to them who has just finished doing that Pass Thru or Run figure and they...by themselves...turn to the ending position and the other person has to play "catch up" to end in position next to them. Don't you think this is kind of rude on the part of the person who left the other person "in the dust"? These people are so worried that they will not be position to do the next call that they forget that they are dancing WITH seven other people. I've seen these same types of people get big frowns on their faces when they are promenading, getting real close to the couple in front of them as if to push them out of the way so they can get home to do their "end of promenade" swing, hip bump, hands clap, etc. I was always taught that a lady is not twirled if she doesn't want to be twirled. She initiates the twirl, not the man. Do they still teach that in class so a lady's arm is not wrenched or hurt so badly that she has to go home? Is it that some aggressive male wants to twirl and thinks, "Darn it, you are going to twirl or I'll break your arm!" As to the above scenario, don't you think that the person who is going to make the small "inside" turn do the following: He/she should wait for the person that did the Pass Thru with them or the Run around them remake contact with them before they initiate their turn? Are they dancing by and for themselves or are they "working with the team"? I doubt if I am the only member of this group who has some pet peeves about what happens in a square. Whatever happened to being the polite dancer? Thank goodness that the number of the type of people described above are in the small minority. Thanks for letting me get one item off my chest. Richard _______________________________________________ Squaredancing mailing list Squaredancing at rbnsn.com http://rbnsn.com/mailman/listinfo/squaredancing_rbnsn.com ****************************************************************************** This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited. Thank you. From ljknews at mac.com Tue Aug 8 13:20:44 2006 From: ljknews at mac.com (ljknews) Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2006 13:20:44 -0400 Subject: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: At 9:18 AM -0700 8/8/06, Robert.Morris at uboc.com wrote: > Richard brought up a good point. If you have people that cannot dance 128 > beats per minute what do you do as a caller. There is no satisfactory solution a caller can implement. > You have 1/2 of the floor that wants to go 128 beats per minute or faster > and others that cannot go that speed because father time was not nice to > them. > Do you slow the dance down so that the slowest dancer can dance? Or do you > only use 48 beat figures so that they can keep up? The caller needs to speak to club leadership and ask them to arrange for the slow crowd and the fast crowd to dance in separate tips, whether that is on the same night or otherwise. -- Larry Kilgallen From cynde at twistercom.fi Tue Aug 8 13:41:14 2006 From: cynde at twistercom.fi (Cynde Sadler) Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2006 20:41:14 +0300 Subject: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer? References: Message-ID: <008f01c6bb11$d9068880$8a00a8c0@eotfd7dz4lxz7tm> Sounds like your club has a lot of slower paced people. Is it possible to call every other one faster and every other one slower somehow so that the slowest of people understand this would be a good time to sit and rest/socialize and the faster people could have a challenging dance? Or start the evening slower and build up pace? A lot of the time the older folks want ot go home early anyway. I cater for a dance (folk) where a lot of pensioners come.Many of them are really just so happy to come and watch! The bands there often start slowish and gather momentum. At the end of the evening there are fewer people left but their heels are smoking. (and faces pink cheeked and smiling) It's too bad to scare off either group, but if people are going to leave early let it be happy older people since they probably weren't going to stay long anyway, and they'll be back. Driving younger people off makes no sense at all, 'cause they won't be back. The 'I'm So Excited' dance does illustrate how a caller can influence the crowd! Cynde ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 7:18 PM Subject: Re: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer? > > Richard brought up a good point. If you have people that cannot dance 128 > beats per minute what do you do as a caller. > You have 1/2 of the floor that wants to go 128 beats per minute or faster > and others that cannot go that speed because father time was not nice to > them. > Do you slow the dance down so that the slowest dancer can dance? Or do you > only use 48 beat figures so that they can keep up? > I angle for a club and you are lucky to be able to do a 48 beat figure. If > you tried to do the full 64 beat figure the floor would break down. Some > of > the people there can go full speed and they get board. Before long all of > the dancers that can dance full speed leave and don't come back. > > I was at Nasser's dance this weekend and he did " I'm so excited". Well > when he did it like he was board the energy in the square went down. > when he delivered it when he was excited the energy in the square was > high. > So the way a caller delivers a tip helps the dancers get excited and move. > > Robert E. Morris > > > > M0220sr at aol.com > Sent by: To: > Squaredancing at rbnsn.com > Squaredancing-bounce cc: > s at rbnsn.com Subject: Re: > [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer? > > > 08/05/2006 06:53 AM > Please respond to > This list for > discussing all > aspect of MWSD > > > > > > > Thank you, Cynde, for your reply. It was very informative and I agree with > you. > > We have several elderly people in our club who can no longer dance faster > than the standard 128 beats per minute. If a caller generally plays his > records (patter or singing call) faster than that, these elderly dancers > do > well just to get through a tip without breaking down the square they are > in. You can see it in their faces that they are having trouble: faces red, > breathing hard, etc. But the caller often has no idea that he is causing a > lot of stress for people in the squares before him/her. He/she is calling > what he/she feels is a good dance, keeping the dancers "up" and happy. It > isn't until a member of the club comes up and asks that the speed be > reduced due to whatever the conditions are in the hall that changes are > made. > > Whenever I'm in control of a dance (primarily rounds now, not calling) and > I see rowdy behavior on the floor I know other people see it as well...as > far as our club is concerned. I rarely have to say anything to someone > being rude, there are several other people in the club who I have seen > talking quietly and in a very diplomatic manner to someone who has been > pushing or being rude. Usually it is taken care of and the aggressive > person eventually finds out that his/her manners are not welcome and "calm > down". > > I was speaking primarily (and I didn't say that) of when we go on vacation > or to a special dance out of town. There, you have dancers from many > different places and, yes, it would likely be difficult to "control" their > behavior unless they cause a bad problem like hurting someone or cause the > beginnings of a fight in a square. We are supposed to be having fun, after > all. > > I've known Nasser for years. He is a great caller and provides a wonderful > evening of square dancing. His "creativity in delivering material" is well > known throughout the world. If you have never been to a dance where he is > calling, you should make every effort to attend the next one if he is in > your area. Some people like him, some don't. You just can't like > everybody > and that's fine. We're entitled to our opinions. > > No one should have to leave a dance because of an injury inflicted by > someone else in a square. If that aggressive person is not taken aside > (maybe by someone who knows him/her well) and asked to cease the rude > actions, then it's likely that other kinds of trouble and bad feelings > will > happen sometime during the evening. > > Our activity is supposed to promote fun and fellowship and generally does. > We can't let that periodic instance of someone who wants to dominate their > actions over others spoil an evening of fun. But let a friend of that > person or a club officer handle the situation for the best solution to the > problem. > > Richard > > > > > > > In a message dated 8/5/2006 3:01:33 A.M. Central Daylight Time, > cynde at twistercom.fi writes:Do you think a caller could/should/would remind > people now and then of this? I know I have been to dances where the > callers > call too quickly, double speed or two or three calls in a row causing > 'dancers' to race through -everyman/woman for him/herself to get to the > final position before the next set of calls are blurted.(even though the > music is the same!) If you ask me, even if three calls are given at once > the music should still dictate how many beats each call takes, wouldn't > it?. The above mentioned just causes 'dancers' to become charging buffalos > to the amusement(?) of the caller(?) I certainly don't find it amusing > when > it happens too often and without humour. > We had a guest caller, Nasser Shukayr, come recently and call an unusual > dance with odd calls causing a mild chaotic scramble. This is NOT what > I'm taking about. This was welcome silliness and a lot of fun, as it was > intended, to be fun. The caller was laughing the dancers were laughing and > it didn't continue throughout the day.(but will be fondly remembered) > Richard, as a caller you are in charge, if you see dancing you don't like > could you not prompt, encourage, force them (as often as it takes) away > from these bad habits and teach them about dancing and manners? I like > twirling but I don't like my shoulder and elbow in a sling for the rest of > the week or my feet (even ankles!) stomped on either! (funny, that) I'm > sure most dancers really want to dance well. > Dancing is one thing, stampeding for the blue light special is something > competely else. > > Cynde, dancer dependant on caller > ----- Original Message ----- > From: M0220sr at aol.com > To: squaredancing at rbnsn.com > Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 9:16 AM > Subject: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer? > > > Lines: Pass Thru, Wheel & Deal > Lines: Pass Thru, Bend The Line > Wave: Swing Thru, Centers Run, Bend The Line > (or any call where the dancers temporarily break contact then remake > contact before turning to another position) > > What happens on that last call of the three examples above? Somebody > turns in a small space to make the turn and somebody takes longer steps > to make the arc of the turn to finish in the ending position. > > When dancers are taught, they are generally (hopefully) told that > whenever they come to a position adjacent to someone else that they make > hand contact. > > If this is true, then why is it that some dancers who are in the position > to do the small turn usually forgets that they are dancing with at least > one or two more people who they will come into contact with them? What > do they do? They forget to take the hand of the person next to them who > has just finished doing that Pass Thru or Run figure and they...by > themselves...turn to the ending position and the other person has to play > "catch up" to end in position next to them. > > Don't you think this is kind of rude on the part of the person who left > the other person "in the dust"? These people are so worried that they > will not be position to do the next call that they forget that they are > dancing WITH seven other people. I've seen these same types of people get > big frowns on their faces when they are promenading, getting real close > to the couple in front of them as if to push them out of the way so they > can get home to do their "end of promenade" swing, hip bump, hands clap, > etc. > > I was always taught that a lady is not twirled if she doesn't want to be > twirled. She initiates the twirl, not the man. Do they still teach that > in class so a lady's arm is not wrenched or hurt so badly that she has to > go home? Is it that some aggressive male wants to twirl and thinks, > "Darn it, you are going to twirl or I'll break your arm!" > > As to the above scenario, don't you think that the person who is going to > make the small "inside" turn do the following: He/she should wait for > the person that did the Pass Thru with them or the Run around them remake > contact with them before they initiate their turn? Are they dancing by > and for themselves or are they "working with the team"? > > I doubt if I am the only member of this group who has some pet peeves > about what happens in a square. > > Whatever happened to being the polite dancer? Thank goodness that the > number of the type of people described above are in the small minority. > > Thanks for letting me get one item off my chest. > > Richard > > > > _______________________________________________ > Squaredancing mailing list > Squaredancing at rbnsn.com > http://rbnsn.com/mailman/listinfo/squaredancing_rbnsn.com > > > > > > > > > ****************************************************************************** > This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or > confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, > and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you > should > delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments > and > are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this > communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly > prohibited. > > Thank you. > > > _______________________________________________ > Squaredancing mailing list > Squaredancing at rbnsn.com > http://rbnsn.com/mailman/listinfo/squaredancing_rbnsn.com > From music at square-dance.com Tue Aug 29 15:18:24 2006 From: music at square-dance.com (music) Date: Tue, 29 Aug 2006 12:18:24 -0700 Subject: [Squaredancing] New Age Music Message-ID: <004c01c6cb9f$e692d960$6401a8c0@DCM37D61> Hello All, Rawhide Records just released two new hoedowns - These New Age Hoedowns are uniquely arranged and recorded for the progressive caller, the young dancer and the young at heart dancer! RWH-529-A, "Jamaica Hoedown" - recorded in an up-tempo Latin style with a Salsa influence. RWH-529-B, "Bo Funk Hoedown" - recorded in a swing Funk Groove style with a Bo Diddley influence. You can listen to both hoedowns at -- http://www.rawhide-records.com/hoedowns.htm These hoedowns are available on 45, CD and MP3. You can order from Palomino Records at; http://www.dosado.com/cgi-bin/lib/shop-wrapper.pl?page=06sep&shop=dosado&cart The new issue of the Free Rawhide Newsletter contains an interesting article on music recording. If you do not subscribe, click below. Thanks, Dick Waibel Owner-Producer Rawhide Records Subscribe to the FREE Rawhide Newsletter: http://rawhide-records.com "Rawhide Records music is distributed exclusively by Palomino Records/Hanhurst's Tape and Record Service, and is available on 45rpm vinyl, CD and MP3 downloads." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cynde at twistercom.fi Thu Aug 31 05:24:40 2006 From: cynde at twistercom.fi (Cynde Sadler) Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2006 12:24:40 +0300 Subject: [Squaredancing] New Age Music References: <004c01c6cb9f$e692d960$6401a8c0@DCM37D61> Message-ID: <00f701c6ccdf$49cc31d0$8a00a8c0@eotfd7dz4lxz7tm> I finally had time to get to listen and these are really good! We're always telling newbis that the music is varied and this does prove it! GREAT! I particularly liked the Jamaican one! How cool is that? Thanks! Cynde Hello All, Rawhide Records just released two new hoedowns - These New Age Hoedowns are uniquely arranged and recorded for the progressive caller, the young dancer and the young at heart dancer! RWH-529-A, "Jamaica Hoedown" - recorded in an up-tempo Latin style with a Salsa influence. RWH-529-B, "Bo Funk Hoedown" - recorded in a swing Funk Groove style with a Bo Diddley influence. You can listen to both hoedowns at -- http://www.rawhide-records.com/hoedowns.htm These hoedowns are available on 45, CD and MP3. You can order from Palomino Records at; http://www.dosado.com/cgi-bin/lib/shop-wrapper.pl?page=06sep&shop=dosado&cart The new issue of the Free Rawhide Newsletter contains an interesting article on music recording. If you do not subscribe, click below. Thanks, Dick Waibel Owner-Producer Rawhide Records Subscribe to the FREE Rawhide Newsletter: http://rawhide-records.com "Rawhide Records music is distributed exclusively by Palomino Records/Hanhurst's Tape and Record Service, and is available on 45rpm vinyl, CD and MP3 downloads." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Squaredancing mailing list Squaredancing at rbnsn.com http://rbnsn.com/mailman/listinfo/squaredancing_rbnsn.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: