Ideas on Grand March?
Neal Rhodes
Since it's a community/beginner affair, I'm going to make it real basic.
I wanted to start off with a Grand March. Of course, my memory of
doing same is spotty.
I'm thinking in terms of:
Promenade, around once, then up the middle
Split every other couple left and right, up the middle 4 abreast
Split every other couple left and right, up the middle 8 abreast
Leader snakes through each group, pulling them into a big circle
Spiral in and out
AND THEN I DRAW A BLANK....
Ideas?
--
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Neal Rhodes MNOP Ltd (770)-
972-5430
President Lilburn (atlanta) GA 30247 Fax:
978-4741
ne...@mnopltd.com
http://www.mnopltd.com/
david
Neal Rhodes <ne...@dexter.mnopltd.com> wrote:
> We may be lead band for a community dance here at a local church in May.
>
> Since it's a community/beginner affair, I'm going to make it real basic.
> I wanted to start off with a Grand March. Of course, my memory of
> doing same is spotty.
>
> I'm thinking in terms of:
> Promenade, around once, then up the middle
> Split every other couple left and right, up the middle 4 abreast
> Split every other couple left and right, up the middle 8 abreast
Then we always got down to dancing a square in our eights!!!
> Leader snakes through each group, pulling them into a big circle ..
> Spiral in and out
> AND THEN I DRAW A BLANK..
> Ideas?
Jonathan Sivier
>We may be lead band for a community dance here at a local church in May.
>Since it's a community/beginner affair, I'm going to make it real basic.
>I wanted to start off with a Grand March. Of course, my memory of
>doing same is spotty.
>I'm thinking in terms of:
> Promenade, around once, then up the middle
In here you do a variety of things. Some possibilities are:
- have the men go left and women go right and rejoin at the back of
the hall
- have the men go left and women go right and when they reach the
back corners of the hall cross diagonally to the opposite front
corners, then possibly cross again and finally rejoin their
partners at the back of the hall (like a giant figure 8)
- have the lead couple make and arch and go back over the line.
Everyone follows, joining the end of the line going under the
arches when they reach the end, until the lead couple returns to
the top again.
> Split every other couple left and right, up the middle 4 abreast
> Split every other couple left and right, up the middle 8 abreast
> Leader snakes through each group, pulling them into a big circle
> Spiral in and out
Go into a big circle. When everyone has finished with the spiral, go
into the center and back a couple of times. You can end here or have
everyone promenade off the floor, OR have everyone promenade, following
the lead couple who go back up the center to reform the original line.
Then end the Grand March and do the next longways dance from here, split
it into multiple lines if necessary.
Jonathan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Jonathan Sivier |Q: How many angels can dance on the |
| j-si...@uiuc.edu | head of a pin? |
| Flight Simulation Lab |A: It depends on what dance you call. |
| Beckman Institute | |
| 405 N. Mathews | SWMDG - Single White Male |
| Urbana, IL 61801 | Dance Gypsy |
| Work: 217/244-1923 | |
| Home: 217/359-8225 | Have shoes, will dance. |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Home page URL: http://www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/j-sivier |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neal Rhodes
>
> Neal Rhodes <ne...@dexter.mnopltd.com> writes:
>
> >We may be lead band for a community dance here at a local church in May.
>
> >Since it's a community/beginner affair, I'm going to make it real basic.
> >I wanted to start off with a Grand March. Of course, my memory of
> >doing same is spotty.
>
> >I'm thinking in terms of:
> > Promenade, around once, then up the middle
>
> In here you do a variety of things. Some possibilities are:
> - have the men go left and women go right and rejoin at the back of
> the hall
> - have the men go left and women go right and when they reach the
> back corners of the hall cross diagonally to the opposite front
> corners, then possibly cross again and finally rejoin their
> partners at the back of the hall (like a giant figure 8)
I think I like that idea. Thanks.
> - have the lead couple make and arch and go back over the line.
> Everyone follows, joining the end of the line going under the
> arches when they reach the end, until the lead couple returns to
> the top again.
I've never gotten that to work with a beginner group. I've rehearsed
it. I've stationed spotters at the end to point people. But I've
always cleared the deck doing that.
>
> > Split every other couple left and right, up the middle 4 abreast
> > Split every other couple left and right, up the middle 8 abreast
> > Leader snakes through each group, pulling them into a big circle
> > Spiral in and out
>
> Go into a big circle. When everyone has finished with the spiral, go
> into the center and back a couple of times. You can end here or have
> everyone promenade off the floor, OR have everyone promenade, following
> the lead couple who go back up the center to reform the original line.
> Then end the Grand March and do the next longways dance from here, split
> it into multiple lines if necessary.
>
> Jonathan
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> | Jonathan Sivier |Q: How many angels can dance on the |
> | j-si...@uiuc.edu | head of a pin? |
> | Flight Simulation Lab |A: It depends on what dance you call. |
> | Beckman Institute | |
> | 405 N. Mathews | SWMDG - Single White Male |
> | Urbana, IL 61801 | Dance Gypsy |
> | Work: 217/244-1923 | |
> | Home: 217/359-8225 | Have shoes, will dance. |
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> | Home page URL: http://www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/j-sivier |
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
KMsSavage
...besides all the other good suggestions, I have a few.
--Everyone's holding hands. Leader (one hand free) does a tight turn and
reverses direction, going back along the line. When you reach the end, turn and
go back the other way. Nice way to greet everyone.
--When concluding in lines of eight, you can bend those into circles to use up
the rest of the music, then segue into Portland Fancy.
The moving arches can be fun, but it's tricky to position its start so the
dancers don't smush the band or the landscape.
Cross Corners needs a bit of instruction beforehand. Jonathan wrote: >> -
have the men go left and women go right and when they reach the back corners of
the hall cross diagonally to the opposite front corners, then possibly cross
again and finally rejoin their partners at the back of the hall (like a giant
Sounds very simple but I've had limited success getting semi-experienced
dancers to do it successfully...even when I have the same President & Mrs
Lincoln leading it several times in the summer.
Neal, remember to pick wacky music...
--Karen M.
will try it again on Saturday at the CW Ball
Jim Saxe
Jonathan Sivier <j-si...@uiuc.edu> wrote (in response to a request
from Neal Rhodes for Grand March ideas):
>...
> Go into a big circle. When everyone has finished with the spiral, go
>into the center and back a couple of times. You can end here or ...
After ending the Grand March in a big circle, you can teach and call a
simple circle mixer before they have a chance to wander off the floor.
(I've done this a few times at weddings. You get the bride and groom to
be the front couple in the Grand March, recruit a few other couples to
follow them and parade through the room past all the little socializing
groups. Everybody sees what an easy thing you're doing and joins the
parade. The when you finish in a big circle, they're right in place
for the next dance without having to be cajoled onto the floor.)
It's also possible to transition from the Grand March into a circle
dance without actually stopping to teach.
--Jim Saxe
Palo Alto, California
arge...@bcpl.net
>> - have the lead couple make and arch and go back over the line.
>> Everyone follows, joining the end of the line going under the
>> arches when they reach the end, until the lead couple returns to
>> the top again.
I'm sure that I'm not the only dancer with a bad vertebral disk who
greets that development in a grand march with a bit of worry, if not
horror. Stooping for the length of time it takes to walk under
dozens, if not hundreds, of arches makes me think of the weeks of pain
that it can cause. I usually drop out of the grand march at that
point.
Alan
(To reply, remove the "r" in my username.)
Don Richmond
>
> We may be lead band for a community dance here at a local church
> in May.
>
> Since it's a community/beginner affair, I'm going to make it real
> basic.
> I wanted to start off with a Grand March. Of course, my memory of
> doing same is spotty.
>
> I'm thinking in terms of:
> Promenade, around once, then up the middle
> Split every other couple left and right, up the middle 8 abreast
> Leader snakes through each group, pulling them into a big circle
> Spiral in and out
>
> Ideas?
We traditionally commence the programme for our Colonial Balls with a
Grand March followed by a Quadrille (often a multi-figure one). The
march usually concludes with the dancers 8 abreast, after the "platoon"
movement (as I have seen it called) with the dancers advancing in line
towards the stage as couples, alternating left and right, reforming at
the bottom to advance as lines of four (two couples), then separating
again, to advance in lines of 8 (four couples). We usually finish there,
perform the official welcomes etc, then introduce the musicians prior to
commencing the first dance. At our next Ball run by the BUSH MUSIC CLUB
here in Sydney (this year called the Heritage Gold Medal Ball - 2000)
(27th May at Parramatta, NSW) we have The Heritage Ensemble playing, a
collection of about 25 musicians representing quite a few of our bush
bands (but I digress).
During the Grand March at our balls for the past couple of years, when I
have been MC I have introduced a now-popular movement into the Grand
March that fits in with a couples promenade prior to the platoon
sequence. As the couples promenade around the perimeter of the hall, the
leading couple stop and stand apart, the next couple pass through them
then stop and stand apart just past the leading couple. Each successive
couple does the same until the dancers are standing apart from their
partner and there is a long gap between the line of men and the line of
ladies. After sufficient delay to allow the trailing couple to be far
enough away from the leading couple, the leading couple then join hands
again and advance down between the two lines, with each couple in turn
joining in behind them. With dancers in costume, it provides a great
opportunity for everyone to see each others costume. I have seen a
similar movement described as an "arbor" march, where the dancers form
arches, but as a previous writer mentions, the arches can create some
physical discomfort with repeated bending, not to mention some
difficulty in passing under the arches as a couple, particularly if the
ladies are wearing crinolines.
Good luck with your march!
Don Richmond
Bush Dance Caller
BUSH MUSIC CLUB
http://folk.mountaintracks.com.au/bushmusic/
Michael Bergman
> Jonathan Sivier wrote:
> >
> > Neal Rhodes <ne...@dexter.mnopltd.com> writes:
> >
> > >We may be lead band for a community dance here at a local church in
> May.
> >
> > >Since it's a community/beginner affair, I'm going to make it real
> basic.
> > >I wanted to start off with a Grand March. Of course, my memory of
>
> > >doing same is spotty.
> >
> > >I'm thinking in terms of:
> > > Promenade, around once, then up the middle
> >
> > In here you do a variety of things. Some possibilities are:
> > - have the men go left and women go right and rejoin at the back
> of
> > the hall
> > - have the men go left and women go right and when they reach
> the
> > back corners of the hall cross diagonally to the opposite
> front
> > corners, then possibly cross again and finally rejoin their
> > partners at the back of the hall (like a giant figure 8)
>
> I think I like that idea. Thanks.
>
> > - have the lead couple make and arch and go back over the line.
> > Everyone follows, joining the end of the line going under the
> > arches when they reach the end, until the lead couple returns
> to
> > the top again.
>
> I've never gotten that to work with a beginner group. I've rehearsed
> it. I've stationed spotters at the end to point people. But I've
> always cleared the deck doing that.
Having done both, with moderately experienced dancers, I would say that
the former (the 'X') is *harder* than the bowers or arches figure. Its
quite difficult to get people to keep moving, with a good understanding
of who has the right of way, during the crossover -- and any hesitation
causes the whole thing to bog down.
Several later posters comment on bowers variations that are somewhat
easier to do.
I'd like to add that you don't have to do each figure exactly once and
once only. Columns of 4 can split back into 2s, rather than progressing
to 8s immediately, the zigzag figure can be done both the length of the
hall and later the width of the hall, or vice versa, having split the
couples into a line of men and a line of women they can circle the hall,
passing women inside once and men inside once, two circles of 2s can
pass through each other, instead of rejoining as a column, when they get
to the bottom, either as a passage of ladies, or of gents, of "the first
half" or "of the second half" -- all these figures can be used in the
same dance.
If your dancers are up to it, you can end with a polka or galop, or
galop out of the spiral, or galop through the bowers (if done with
stationary arches); also, after a little free polka or galop the circle
of couples can be reformed. A lot depends on the size of the room and
the skill of the dancers. If doorways are suitably large, you can take
the line out of the ballroom, around the lobby, and back in again (or
whatever makes sense in your hall).
--Mike Bergman
Jonathan Sivier
>If your dancers are up to it, you can end with a polka or galop, or
>galop out of the spiral, or galop through the bowers (if done with
>stationary arches); also, after a little free polka or galop the circle
>of couples can be reformed. A lot depends on the size of the room and
>the skill of the dancers. If doorways are suitably large, you can take
>the line out of the ballroom, around the lobby, and back in again (or
>whatever makes sense in your hall).
I once did this with a group of kids I was leading dances for at a
program (called 'Barn Again') at the local library. I failed to let
the band know about it (because I didn't think of it until the dance
was happening) and when I lead the line of kids out of the room, to
circle around and come in the other entrance, the band stopped playing.
Also a few of the kids wouldn't follow the group because they had been
told to never go anywhere with strangers. Despite those problems it
was fun and most of the kids enjoyed it.
Dale Rempert
Hi Neal,
Another Grand March figure I use is a variation of zig-zagging across the room.
While in a circle have the leader start to spiral in wrapping tighter and tighter.
When the leader seems trapped in the middle they u-turn back and start to
unwind the spiral.
Also if the group is not too large, from a circle have a couple make an arch. Then
the couple directly across dives through and seperates, pulling the rest of the
line
with them to re-form the circle. The arching couple has to turn back to back to
re-form the circle. I.e. a rip and snort figure. This figure can be repeated
everal times.
I let the dancer's choose who will dive next. Children like to pick on (I mean
call on)
their friends to lead the next dive.
Dale
S Miskoe
down the center of the hall and then bending around. Lead couple turns left
across the top of the hall (followed by everyone else). When they get to the
edge they turn sharply and march back towards the center line of couples. When
they meet that line they again turn sharply and go back to the side of the
hall. This creates a serpentine and uses lots of hall space. One can greet
others.
If you have the couple split they can serpentine again.
I recently did a grand march for a beginning group's formal evening. They had
such a good time that they asked to repeat it at the end of the evening!
Cheers,
Sylvia Miskoe, Concord, NH
Mike Gormley
--
Mike Gormley
P.O. Box 205
Liberty Center, OH 43532-0205
"Full Time RV'ers currently located in: Kissimmee, FL"
mailto:WA8...@ARRL.net
ICQ #24425724
Web page linking to Genealogy, RV'ing & Square Dancing:
Jacqueline Laufman
item on a program. And we seldom do it first unless we know everyone will
be there and the event is sort of a formal occasion. Sometimes we end the
march in a circle and go directly into a Soldier's Joy or Portland Fancy as
they are called here. Or, we will go from the Soldier's Joy right into a
grand march. Many times we close out the march with everyone facing up the
hall usually in fours or eights. ( This is a good time to do announcements
when you have everyone facing the band and their full attention.) Then we
can have the top two couples turn around and face up, the next two stay put,
the two after that face down etc, and we are set up for the Seige of Ennis.
OR, we can split the lines out into Beckett formation and do the Polka
Contry, or the Tempest. The Snake part of the march (Farandole) we usually
do as closure to any big circle dance.
Dudley Laufman, Canterbury, New Hampshire
--
new website: www.laufman.org
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Jacqueline & Dudley Laufman
PO Box 61
Canterbury, NH 03224
603-783-4719
603-783-9578 fax
lau...@totalnetnh.net
KMsSavage
formation where they fall into a contra line, then the head couple leads
everyone down the middle of the set. We did this last night at a Civil War
ball, and it went very well. (With my cordless mic, I'm the leader. It was
great fun to run that gauntlet, as well as incorporate some of the other
ideas.)
Interesting to find that, once again, Cross Corners can be done on the fly
and works better the second time...and it helps to pick as leaders a twosome
that march in a CW band. They're used to impromptu orders and formations!
Still, you'd think that long-time re-enactors would have a firm grasp of these
figures. (I don't dare try to teach a R&L through. They don't know it, can't
learn it...they were very happy with "Galopede.")
--Karen M.
Ann Arbor
Ewan Cameron
"Flamborough Stick Dance"