I have my first public family dance Sunday....stealing this idea!!!!!!!!
Thanks Rich
On Nov 6, 2017 7:19 PM, "Rich Sbardella via Callers" <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> I had a Girl Scout Dance coming up Sunday and I was thinking how I would
> get 150 six to nine year old girls to know which hand was right and which
> hand is left. On the way to my contra calling gig on Saturday, the thought
> arose that right hand sounds very close to red hand. On the way to the
> Scout Dance, I stopped and purchased scissors and some red ribbon (the
> store did not carry yarn) and asked that the leaders tie a red ribbon
> bracelet around each scout as they entered the hall. When I called dances
> with arm turns I called, "Turn your partner with your red hand, change
> hands, other way back." It worked so well that I know I will do it again.
>
> I thought I would share this trick, and then ask if anyone has useful
> methods when working with only children. Please share some trade secrets.
>
> Rich Sbardella
> Stafford, CT
>
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>
In my experience, on Beat 1 a dancer's weight is more likely to land on
their right foot. This is why balancing left is inherently a challenge
when it flows from other moves. So I also agree that Forward and Back is a
nice solution.
Erik Erhardt
(505)480-4462 StatAcumen.com/dance
On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 2:41 PM, Amy Wimmer via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> In my experience the momentum of an allemande right automatically takes
> one either to the right or forward. Same goes for an allemande left:
> momentum takes you to the left or forward. A balance left just doesn't flow
> after am AR, because if you have a good connection with your allemande
> you're already pulling to the left a bit. That leaves you nowhere to go,
> left-wise. SO! I agree with the multitudes here: make the balance F&B.
>
> -Amy
>
> On Nov 8, 2017 11:07 AM, "Maia McCormick via Callers" <
> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> Recently called a dance with an allemande R into long waves, balance
>> wave, allemande L. Because of personal preference, I taught the balance as
>> "balance left, then right", but cuz I didn't teach it all that clearly, the
>> dancers defaulted back into balancing right first, and enough tricky stuff
>> was happening in the dance that I didn't wanna correct them in flight.
>>
>> I'm just wondering: do others agree that a balance left makes more sense
>> / flows better in this context, or is this a weird personal preference? In
>> your opinion, does the flow of the balance left outweigh its potential
>> unidiomaticness?
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Maia
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
> _______________________________________________
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>
In my experience the momentum of an allemande right automatically takes one
either to the right or forward. Same goes for an allemande left: momentum
takes you to the left or forward. A balance left just doesn't flow after am
AR, because if you have a good connection with your allemande you're
already pulling to the left a bit. That leaves you nowhere to go,
left-wise. SO! I agree with the multitudes here: make the balance F&B.
-Amy
On Nov 8, 2017 11:07 AM, "Maia McCormick via Callers" <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Recently called a dance with an allemande R into long waves, balance wave,
> allemande L. Because of personal preference, I taught the balance as
> "balance left, then right", but cuz I didn't teach it all that clearly, the
> dancers defaulted back into balancing right first, and enough tricky stuff
> was happening in the dance that I didn't wanna correct them in flight.
>
> I'm just wondering: do others agree that a balance left makes more sense /
> flows better in this context, or is this a weird personal preference? In
> your opinion, does the flow of the balance left outweigh its potential
> unidiomaticness?
>
> Cheers,
> Maia
>
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>
>
For flow, it depends what comes after the balance. If it's followed by an
allemande left, you'd be better balancing left. Allemande right: balance
right. Walk forward: balance forward and back. Box circulate: right and
back.
But getting dancers to balance left - except as the second half of a Rory
O'More-type figure - is hopeless, in my experience. It's my vote for
"hardest move in contra dancing".
So I'll say "balance forward and back" in such circumstances.
Yoyo Zhou
On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 11:07 AM, Maia McCormick via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Recently called a dance with an allemande R into long waves, balance wave,
> allemande L. Because of personal preference, I taught the balance as
> "balance left, then right", but cuz I didn't teach it all that clearly, the
> dancers defaulted back into balancing right first, and enough tricky stuff
> was happening in the dance that I didn't wanna correct them in flight.
>
> I'm just wondering: do others agree that a balance left makes more sense /
> flows better in this context, or is this a weird personal preference? In
> your opinion, does the flow of the balance left outweigh its potential
> unidiomaticness?
>
> Cheers,
> Maia
>
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>
>
Hi Maia,
A balance, ideally, is first toward, then away from, the dancer with whom one is about to interact, and even better if it is in, then against, the flow of movement. Even better if the choreography does the work for you by flowing into the balance.
In this particular dance, you have the best of all worlds, but I slightly disagree with your preference.
The Allemande R has everyone flowing forward. The flow of the Allemande L is also, fundamentally, forward. In my opinion, a balance (gently) forward, and back, is ideal. The choreography helps a little with a left first lean as you reach for the next person's L hand. But in this case, I think the safe teach is for both balances to be forward and back. Noting before you say F&B, that body flow is supported by that choice helps mark it in people's minds. To further get people's minds away from the R balance, I'd not say R after the word balance at all, even if you decide to go for L instead of back.. You want them to only have in their heads words which reinforce the movement you want. Well worth the extra moment to emphasize the gathering of LEFT hands with the next, and letting the body flow of the forward movement of the first Allemande to go into the balance Fwd.
if the following move had been, for example, a Rory o More, I would have completely agreed with the L balance, FWIW. Body flow is partly there getting in, and the person you are interacting with and eventually moving past is on the L.
Good question.
Best,
Andrea
Sent from my external brain
It depends on what will happen after the balance
Can we see the rest of the dance?
Mac McKeever
On Wednesday, November 8, 2017, 1:07:46 PM CST, Maia McCormick via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Recently called a dance with an allemande R into long waves, balance wave, allemande L. Because of personal preference, I taught the balance as "balance left, then right", but cuz I didn't teach it all that clearly, the dancers defaulted back into balancing right first, and enough tricky stuff was happening in the dance that I didn't wanna correct them in flight.
I'm just wondering: do others agree that a balance left makes more sense / flows better in this context, or is this a weird personal preference? In your opinion, does the flow of the balance left outweigh its potential unidiomaticness?
Cheers,Maia_______________________________________________
List Name: Callers mailing list
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Accidentally sent only to Maia.
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
> From: "Winston, Alan P." <winston(a)slac.stanford.edu>
> Date: November 8, 2017 at 11:30:06 AM PST
> To: Maia McCormick <maia.mcc(a)gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Balancing LEFT in a wave?
>
> I would say the potential unidiomaticness of the balance left is *very high*. In a regular Rory O’More kind of balance R&L, slide R, balance L&R, slide L, I always see a quarter to an eighth of the dancers balance right first both times. (I can get it down a lot by pointing out that you always balance to the same person first, but very rarely can get everybody.).
>
> So as you saw, if you try to overcome the “right first” balance you’re really fighting the tide, and it’s going to be a lot of work.
>
> In the particular case you describe I’d think you’d do a lot better (both for flow of the dance and for getting the dancers to do what you tell them) to strongly suggest they balance forward and back to set up the allemande rather than L&R *or* R&L.
>
> That said, to answer what you specifically asked, I agree that L&R makes more sense than R&L, but I don’t think it’s a *lot* more sense (that is, R&L isn’t even close to fatal) , and it’s not the hill I’d choose to die on.
>
> -- Alan
> From: Callers <callers-bounces(a)lists.sharedweight.net> on behalf of Maia McCormick via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 8, 2017 11:07:20 AM
> To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Subject: [Callers] Balancing LEFT in a wave?
>
> Recently called a dance with an allemande R into long waves, balance wave, allemande L. Because of personal preference, I taught the balance as "balance left, then right", but cuz I didn't teach it all that clearly, the dancers defaulted back into balancing right first, and enough tricky stuff was happening in the dance that I didn't wanna correct them in flight.
>
> I'm just wondering: do others agree that a balance left makes more sense / flows better in this context, or is this a weird personal preference? In your opinion, does the flow of the balance left outweigh its potential unidiomaticness?
>
> Cheers,
> Maia
I've noticed that dancers' natural tendency is to balance towards the hand
that touches first in these situations, which is consistent with what you
report. Should the rest of the dance be truly worthwhile in fighting that
tendency, I would opt for doing a balance forward and back in this
situation. Otherwise spin the wheel of dance and pick one that matches
custom?
On Nov 8, 2017 2:07 PM, "Maia McCormick via Callers" <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Recently called a dance with an allemande R into long waves, balance wave,
> allemande L. Because of personal preference, I taught the balance as
> "balance left, then right", but cuz I didn't teach it all that clearly, the
> dancers defaulted back into balancing right first, and enough tricky stuff
> was happening in the dance that I didn't wanna correct them in flight.
>
> I'm just wondering: do others agree that a balance left makes more sense /
> flows better in this context, or is this a weird personal preference? In
> your opinion, does the flow of the balance left outweigh its potential
> unidiomaticness?
>
> Cheers,
> Maia
>
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>
>
Recently called a dance with an allemande R into long waves, balance wave,
allemande L. Because of personal preference, I taught the balance as
"balance left, then right", but cuz I didn't teach it all that clearly, the
dancers defaulted back into balancing right first, and enough tricky stuff
was happening in the dance that I didn't wanna correct them in flight.
I'm just wondering: do others agree that a balance left makes more sense /
flows better in this context, or is this a weird personal preference? In
your opinion, does the flow of the balance left outweigh its potential
unidiomaticness?
Cheers,
Maia
I don’t have any additional suggestions but want to thank Maia for the
original post and appreciate all the replies. I think many of us identify
and it reassures me that I’m not the only one who has had to figure out how
to forgive my errors. I’ve found it especially helpful to notice the
mistakes made by well respected callers and how un-flustered they seem to
be by them.
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 6, 2017 at 11:10 AM, Maia McCormick via Callers <
> callers(a)listssharedweight.net <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:
>
>> So after a gig, I find myself haunted by one or two missteps from an
>> evening — the rolling start that was a little muddy, the thing I didn’t
>> teach clearly enough so the dancers never quite got it — even though the
>> dancers adjusted and all had a good time, and I still had the hall’s trust
>> and goodwill at the end of the evening.
>>
>> Is this a familiar experience for anyone? Assuming you’ve already learned
>> the lesson to be learned there, how do you move past it and stop
>> self-flagellating?Would love to hear some people’s thoughts!
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Maia
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> Archives: https://www.mail-archivecom/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
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>>
>>
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>
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