Neither contras or squares
Dudley Laufman
Undoubtedly there are some callers out there who have been saddled at one
time or another with an evening of dancing for children where parents drop
them off and you are left to baby sit. Kids running up and down the
gym/hall....somebody finds a basketball, lots of screaming. What parents or
adults are there, ignore you and their kids.spend their time gossiping,
talking about who won the football game etc. Or it could actually be a good
family type dance with kids dancing with parents etc, but the attendance
being 300 or more. And your repertoire of whole sets and circles is limited
if not nil. Teaching and walking thru is out of the question, even with a
good sound system. I remember times like that fifty five years ago when I
was first starting. Played the accordion and called at the same time.
Wouldn't do the Virginia Reel. It was beneath me. Only longways whole set
dance I knew was The Mousetrap Reel (Galopede). The circle dances I did
were mostly Croation kolos. I don't know how I ever survived. Fortunately
I went to England and discovered Barn and Celi Dances just loaded with whole
set dances and circles. Then up to Quebec to find their whole set
contredanses. And finally right here in my own backyard, a version of
Portland Fancy. I have adapted what I picked up to fit the above described
scenarios. Following are some dances that are neither of the duple/castoff
type contra, nor are they square dances of the four couple kind.
So here's the drill. You will notice that I do not break the calls down
into so many beats and measures. For the most part trying to make the kids
(could be 100 or more in a noisy gym) dance on the phrase would be a waste
of time. So forget about it. Give the calls when they are ready for them.
Now is the chance for you to use some of those great crooked French or
southern tunes. All the dances herewith are gender free.
BIG CIRCLE. Any 2/4 type tune will do. Circle left/circle right. Face
partners, give both hands to partner, turn once or twice around. Big old
ring again, circle left/circle right, face partner again, 2 hand swing/face
partner, let go of hands, turn around, face one behind you, swing with 2
hands/ go back to partner with a 2 hand swing. Big circle, circle
left/circle right single file Indian style/girls twirl/boys twirl/everyone
twirl. Repeat all the above as long as you want. Then have them all march
around the room. Pick a lead couple, have them lead everyone up the middle
of the hall into long column and face partner in long lines.*
A LITTLE BRANDY. Longways set for as many as will. Any 2/4 tune will do.
All swing partners, (2 hand swing, or elbow hook swings). Top cpl chasse
down the middle and back while everyone clap Everyone make a bridge, same
cpl dance under bridge to bottom and stay there. Repeat til all have been
top cpl. If very long lines, you might have two or even three cpls dance
down at once.
LES SALUT. Big Circle. Use the tune that goes with this dance.** If you
don't have it, any 6/8 jig will do, as long as you slow down for the salute
part. Can be done with no partners. Circle left 16 counts. Circle
right 16 counts. All in 4 SMALL steps/ back out 4 steps/ all in 4 small
steps and bow deeply (hold music here) back out to place. Repeat three more
times.***
DANSE DU CASTOR. Longways for as many as will. They all will. Any good
French tune will do. Top cpl swing by the right arm, then by the left. Top
cpl chasse down the middle and back. Top cpl lead everyone in a grand
gallop around to the left hand side of the set, down to the bottom and back
up to place. Top cpl then continue down the outside again by themselves to
stay at the bottom, while everyone else swing partners. Repeat til
everyone has been first cpl.
THE BREAKDOWN. Big circle. Any reel. Circle left/circle right. Girls in
a little ways, turn around to face out/boys march around outside to right,
back to place. All swing partners. Big ring/circle left/circle right.
Boys in a little ways, turn around to face out/girls around the outside to
right, back to place. All swing partners. Big ring, circle left/circle
right. All swing partners. Swing someone else. Swing another someone
else. Swing anyone else. Swing partners.
OVER THE TOP. Longways for any number. Any jig. Top cpl face down the
set, take inside hands, make a single handed arch, and proceed to dance down
over one of the lines, one partner inside set, the other outside. At
bottom, turn and come back up other side. Folks in the lines might want to
duck down. Top cpl down the middle to bottom to stay. All swing partners.
If the sets are very long, two cpls can go over the top.
Repeat the first circle dance again. To this you can add: Everyone cpl up
with a cpl near you/circle left/circle right/one hand cross/other hand back/
swing partner/find another cpl nearby.
THE DUKE OF YORK.**** Longways for all the way down the hall. Any jig or
reel. (There is a name tune, comes in both jig or reel) Top cpl down the
middle and back. Go down again to remain at foot, and make a bridge. The
new top cpl lead everyone in a grand march around to left hand side of set,
down to bottom to come back UP under the bridge to place. All swing.
Sometimes the Mexican Hat Dance (La Raspa) is a good inbetween dance.
These sort of dance parties are hard work. Pot boilers. But they can be fun
if handled in the above manner. We do a number of them each year. The
purpose of doing the dances described above, is so everyone has a good time
without being yelled at. You are not there to train future contra dancers.
Keep in mind that you do not have to do the above dances in the order above.
We do but that is because it works for us. We don't necessarily do all of
them. Sometimes we repeat them. We have been known to just do the Big
Circle dance, mixing in the Breakdown, several times of an evening along
with the Little Brandy twice or three times.
There you have it. Take the money and run.
Dudley Laufman, Canterbury, NH
*We usually like to set up on the side of the hall. It gets us out from
under the baskets and folks won't think I'm trying to be Bob Cousy. Also it
gives a shorter distance for our voices to have to travel as they can bounce
off the closer wall. Also most gyms have black lines across the floor
marking off something.center court.whatever, and these makes great
indicators for lining up longways sets. And it also has us on the same level
as the dancers which is helpful if we have to go out to straighten out sets.
If we do end up on a stage, we hope it is low, and that the basket can be
raised. Without the lines painted on the floor the long ways, makes it take
a hair longer to form the sets.
** LISTEN TO THE MOCKING BIRD NE Dancing Masters Productions
STEP LIVELY 2 Marion Rose
***In your contract have someone assigned to monitor sets re: pulling boys
out who insist on running full tilt into middle.
****Over The Top is a snippet taken from the Shetland dance Foula Reel.
Also from a variation by Terrence Smith of Duluth.
Castor (Beaver Dance) I adapted from an old book of French dances. It is my
book BRANDY.
Miriam Rose has a version in her Step Lively 2. The Duke of
York is an old NE dance. It is in Canterbury Capers (Laufman by way of
Front Hall)
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