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A session that plays with contra. Careful and safe trading with your partner, your shadow, your neighbors. Taking care of the others in the dance. Tapping in, playing 'Tag' and much more. Controlled chaos.
A session that talks about flourishes in contra dancing, the twirls, pushbacks, using swing moves, and other fun additions. In reality this is a session on timing, taking care of neighbors/partners/rest of your set, safe dancing, and weight, disguised as a flourishes session. Lots of dancing, lots of practice of right and wrong way to do flourishes. But always through dance (not lecture).
An all dance session using experiential learning to challenge the dancers to think about the dance in new ways. Surprising, silly, illuminating. But always through dance (not lecture).
The many gwas of contra dancing
A playshop in contra styling - how to make your dancing smoother, more flowing, and more enjoyable for yourself as well as the rest of the line. We will play with (within the context of a dance) better allemandes, courtesy turns, swings, hey, timing, weight, and more.
A playshop celebrating those moments in a dance where you go "ahhhh!" Magic moments - flowing from one swing into the next; going from a circle into a circle. focusing on those moments in the dance where it all comes together.
Searching for your partner among a morass of other dancers. Or, how far can you go from your partner and still find them in 32 bars?
Non-stop contra dancing, the music and the calling never stops for anywhere from 36 - 180 minutes. Can be called solo or with other callers. Before scheduling this session, please confirm the band(s) are amenable to play non-stop for the chosen length of time!
Modern Contra dances focus on the duple minor improper formation, with occasional forays into 4-4 or sicillian formations. But there is a whole world of other whimsical formations to play in. Break out of the box and color outside of the lines in hexagons, triangles, double beckets, triple minors, and more. Plus: cross breed a square with a contra to get a Weston-Mountain Zia formation.
Dancers get very attached to a set role in a dance. This playshop challenges normal assumptions about a dance. We mix up the gender role, we change places in line, we cross between the lines. This not only gives dancers permission to break the rules, it gives them an opportunity to learn about dancing from outside their usual modes.
Dancing with two people at the same time A playground of dances with a partner and a shadow.
Exciting, whirling, and challenging contra dances that leave you breathless with delight. New twists on familiar standards, and new standards on familiar twists! Dances that push you to think a little harder (adjusted for each group of dancers).
Explore the hey in all it’s variations: double heys, celtic heys, dolphin heys, and more to bend your mind!
Contra corners, from it's humble beginnings to modern expressions. The holy grail of dance gypsies has many more variations than most ever see. Contra corners in a square, with hey in the middle, along the sides, with half progression and more.
Squares in all their variety - visiting couple squares, partner changing, grand square variations, easy breaks, challenging breaks, wacky and weird stuff.
Grand Square, Grand Galaxy, Grand Tour, double grand square, and more!
Ron is the master of traditional square choreography in the late 20 century. Revisit some of his favorites, including North Fork, Heymania, Teacup, and the fabulous Contra Corners Canon!
In the 1950's and 60's, the square dance magazine Sets in Order published some deliciously devilish squares. Revisit some of these forgotten mind-bending squares!
A session of dances of all no walk-thru's, brief or bare walk-thru's, medleys and hash calling.
Squares and contras where you travel, progress, transgress all around the room.
The folk process enables contra dancing to take from many different styles of dance. We will play with unusual moves taken from club square dancing, including: grand square, flutterwheel, do pa so, 2 leaf clover, and more.
This session teaches that fiendishly challenging yet ultimately satisfying dance "Dutch Crossing" by Ernst van Brakel. The dance for 16 that has dancers hey-ing across and down, and on the diagonal while others are doing a grand right and left around. This can be done in the original English Country version ("Dutch Crossing") or the new 'contra-fied' version ("Yankee Crossing," by Joseph Pimentel (with minor changes by me)).
A session of dances in many different formations for children, parents, grandparents and those not yet born. Suitable for those who have never danced before.
A session of dances, play party songs, and games for children of all ages. Suitable for those who have never danced before.
These playshops in calling all include a mix of lecture, handouts, exercises, discussion, and calling practice, as time permits. Feel free to pull from the topics below to craft a playshop designed for your needs.
What does it take to call a contra dance? The magic behind the scenes revealed. Suitable for the brave, the nervous, the mischievous, and the curious.
What do new dancers really need to learn? How you can turn 15 minutes into a confidence builder and useful introduction to the calm and chaos of contra.
How to call for that wedding, business conference, kids party, wake, or presidential election. A presentation of fun, playful dances suitable for one night stand gigs and the techniques to make them work. Basically, why calling for non dancers is more fun than you might think - but the pitfalls to watch out for. But wait - that's not all you get! If you act now, you'll learn about working with CDs instead of a band. Operators standing by!
A number of resources and dances for kids. Expereince doing dances without any music at all, besides your voice. Basically, a bunch of songs and dances to put in your toolbox.
So, now you know how to call a contra - or maybe even a square. Being a dance caller means much more than just competence with the mechanics of a dance. By getting on stage, you are now an example to the community. What does this mean? This session touches on walk-throughs, programming, and community building.
Thinking about your goals for the evening, putting a cohesive program together that makes sense. What goes on before the evening and after the evening.
Anyone can call, all it takes is the ability to count to eight. The craft is in the teaching. How can you guide your dancers through the dance with minimal effort on their part - and yours? Includes bonus material: recovery after meltdown!
How to pick and call for dances with no teaching. How to work with the band to have the music play while you teach the dance and flow seamlessly into the dance. How to plan a medley of dances. The secrets to hash calling, beyond practice, practice, practice.
Ideas for moving beyond calling locally.
This session teaches that fiendishly challenging yet ultimately satisfying dance "Dutch Crossing" by Ernst van Brakel. The dance for 16 that has dancers hey-ing across and down, and on the diagonal while others are doing a grand right and left around. This can be done in the original English Country version ("Dutch Crossing") or the new 'contra-fied' version ("Yankee Crossing," by Joseph Pimentel (with minor changes by me)).
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