Tarporley U3A country Dance group

 My latest venture is an interest group for the U3A

We meet twice a month in Utkinton. On Thursday afternoon.

New dancers welcome, musicians would be a bonus.

Thinking about calling.

A conversation last night started me thinking about calling, and learning to call.

In 2010 I ran a callers workshop at Chester Festival, and in preparation started a an online discussion group.
Then in 2011 I started Have a Go, for those who wanted to play, dance or call. There were not enough dancers to keep this going regularly.

It seems to me that there are at least 3 types of dance events needing 3 types of callers.
a) Dance clubs.
b) Ceilidh series
c) Dances for the general public - weddings and fundraisers

a) Meet regularly, dance a variety of dances, maybe include Playford dances, ceilidh dances, American squares and Contras. These are where a would be caller is most likely to get a chance to call (maybe just one dance then build up), and other members will be tolerant of their friends attempts. Being a member of the club already, you will know what kind of dance is suitable for that particular club, or can call one they have already done, so that you aren't teaching everyone 'from scratch'. Usually they use recorded music - the organiser might have a club library of suitable music and instruction books that you can borrow and practice. It is a BIG advantage to have done the dance yourself, so that you know which parts might cause problems, and can word your 'walk through' accordingly.

b) These are more energetic and the dances are simpler as there might be a bigger proportion of newcomers. They usually book established callers and bands.

c) Again fairly simple dances, the caller needs to judge just HOW simple (how they line up for the first dance can give a clue). Live music is best for this, the caller needs to pay attention to the band as well as the dances.
So you need to know -
If you need a 32 or 48 bar tune or some other length.
If you need a particular type of tune (waltz, hornpipe etc.) or 'any jig or reel'
What speed - a smooth walk needs much faster music than a bouncy skip. Listen to the band play the tune through and try out a few steps.

When preparing a dance you need to work out how you will explain it in the walk through and how you will give short reminder 'prompts' during the dancing. How much you need to explain and how soon you can stop calling varies with the dancers. Even if you will be calling with a band it is good to find a suitable CD track and practise getting the words out at the right time. 


The Cambridge club website has all sorts of advice.
Colin Hume's site is good for club callers, with advice that can be applied ceilidh callers.
Eceilidh is a discussion group  for 'serious' ceilidh dancers, not so much for those calling for weddings etc.

I suppose the best advice is that it should be fun. So let's all enjoy ourselves.

See you Sunday

There is an article in the Chronicle about the event.

The Street entertainers will be on first at 12.30. Come and enjoy the spectacle

then on the Northgate stage, near the walls :
1 -1.30 Black Cat Band (folk songs)
1.30- 2.00 Black Cat band play for adult Maypole dancing*
2.00-2.30 Mystery Band (singer songwriters**)
2.30 -3.00 Frank will lead the musicians*** for family Maypole dancing
3.00 - 3.30 Mystery Band**
Fingers crossed for fine weather. If 'rain stops play' we may be running late and the rest will merge flexibly till they move us to let the cars in
3.30 - 4.30 'Foreign exchange' Frank will lead musicians*** for Maypole dancing and Rondez Vous? French dance tunes.
4.30 -5.30 Musicians session on and around the stage


* Although this will be advertised as adult Maypole I would not expect anyone to leave a young child alone in the crowd. Share your ribbon, or let them stand in the middle as one of our mascots.

** The event organisers are providing these bands, so I will be surprised too.

*** Musicians could you please meet me and Frank before these spots (say 2.20 and 3.20) to agree a set list. If anyone wants the latest Rondez Vous? tune-book contact me

Say hello to me when you arrive. I'll be around from 11.30 and hard to miss in a black and orange flowery waistcoat.

Frank's other tunes

Non-French

Easy tunes…

Polkas – Bluebell / Jenny Lind

Hornpipes – Speed the Plough / Morpeth Rant

Hornpipes – Trumpet (Pugwash) / Portsmouth / College (Sailor’s)

Reels – Boston Tea Party set

Reels – Curly headed Ploughboy

Reels – Holmfirth Square set

Reels – Father Kelly’s set

Mount Hills

Jigs – Merrily kissed the Quaker set

Jigs – Foula Reel set

Jigs – Star above the Garter set

Hornpipes 1

Polkas 1

Tunes for Rondez vous session (3.30 - 4.00?)

French tunes - play each tune 4 times start again if people still dancing (from Helen's latest tune book)

 

Hanter Dro de Languidig

Hanter Dro (two parts)

An Dro 4/4

Laridé

Le Canal en Octobre / Ça ira

Bourrée des Dindes / Bourrée de Concours

Mazurka à Rigal / Mazurka Limousin

Sonny's Mazurka / Ciapa Rousa

Captain Nemo / The RSB

Robin's Waltz / Valse à Bouffard

 

Changes of running order

We don't want to clash with the street entertainers in the Lord Mayors pageant between 12.30 & 1.00 so the order has been changed.
There will be musical entertainment at on at 1.00, 2.00, 3.00, 3.30
Maypole dancing will be at 1.30, 2.30 & 4.00
Music session 4.30 onwards. This will start in Northgate street then move to Alexander's so that the road can be reopened,

Possible detail is
1.00 - 1.30 Black Cat band
3.30 - 4.00 Rondez vous

watch this space, or make sure I  have your email address for updates.
Contact me

Obviously if the heavens open there will be delays and things will run late

Tunes for 28th

Suggested tunes for the first set of Maypole dance.

1.20 - 1.40

Jigs:

Oyster Girl (in G)

Moon and Seven Stars (in D)

Oats, beans and barley (48 bars) (in G)

 

Reels:

Bear Dance (in G)

Chinese breakdown (in D)

Maggie in the Wood (in G)

Boil ‘em cabbage (in D)

 

Email me if you mean a pdf of the 'dots' or a midi file to play.

Music and Maypoles

Come and be part of the  Northgate Quarter Village Green Day.
Sunday 28 July
12.30 - 5.00 pm
Northgate Street Chester (near the walls)

The provisional running order is
12.30 - 1.20 Music session
1.20 - 1.40, 2 - 2.20, 2.40 - 3, 3.20 - 3.40, 4 -4.20 Maypole dancing.
4.20 -5 Music session (which could continue in Alexanders after their musicians finish their spot at around 5)

I am teaching the Maypole dancing, we will probably have separate sessions for adults and children. This is aimed at the general public but I need some dancers/guinea pigs to help me out and get them started. So come and learn some maypole figures, and bring some children for the childrens session.
There will also be stalls and entertainment elsewhere in Northgate street and Rufus Court,  so why not make it a family afternoon out.


I need  a bandleader for each slot (one person or several) and musicians for the dancing. If you can let me know who is coming the bandleader can agree a set-list in advance.
I will be meeting the soundman next week, and he needs to know roughly the size of the band. Please contact me mjw@mowaddington.plus.com
If you need a seat or music stand please bring it.

Between the Maypole sessions we need bands or dance spots to keep the entertainment continuous. Any offers? The organiser would also like to hear from any Morris sides or other dance display teams who could dance at the other end of Northgate street.

See you on Thursday

Callers are prepared to call dances to the Christmasy tunes Jingle Bells, 12 days of Christmas, Y Gelynnen (the Holly Tree), and others.
I've made us a Christmas cake, maybe there will be other snacks too.

A final meeting

Thurs November 29th will be our last meeting.

Thanks to all those who supported us, we just didn't quite have enough since most of us can't make it every time. So I shall not continue into the new year.

The evenings we had over 2 dozen really buzzed, under a dozen we struggled. Most evenings were somewhere in between; marginal I thought.

So on Nov 29th  (the 5th Thurs in Nov.) I'll book the room from 8 - 10.30, we'll play and dance, and finish with a cuppa and a slice of Christmas cake. (If anyone else wants to bring a plate of food it would be welcome.)

Hope to see you all, lets go out with a bang.

Our November meeting

Since we can't meet on the third Thursday in November, and last year people were too busy for a meeting in December we are meeting on the 5th Wednesday in November as our Christmas 'do'. We might add a few Carol tunes to our list.

Tunes for 18th Oct

 I have chosen these from our collection

Grimstock

Basque Stick dance

Ploughboy

Grandfather's Clock

Moon and Seven Stars

Rattling bog

If you would like a pdf of any of these tunes, arranged by Marilyn, they are on http://www.blackcatband.co.uk/Tunes/
Please print them if you play from the dots.

 Marilyn has made midi files. If you would like to hear the tunes  email me mjw@mowaddington.plus.com and I'll send you all or any of them and your computer can play them to you.

If there is time for more dances we will play other tunes from our list

Tunes for Sep 20th

We will play

Maggie in the Wood
My Grandfather's Clock
Quem Pastores
Falmouth Polka
Boil em Cabbage down

a couple more to be added when callers let me know - possibly the Basque Stick Dance.
If time the Curly Headed Ploughboy

See you there. Let me know if you would like midi files to play the tunes on your computer. Dots for the version we play are on Marilyns site http://www.blackcatband.co.uk/Tunes/

A snag for November

The room will be used as a polling station so we will change the date or cancel. Let me know your preference

Looking forward

Our next meetings are September 20th, Oct 18th, and Nov 15th.

In September we will play Maggie in the Wood, and others that the callers choose.

June 21st

We WILL meet on June 21st.
No time for new tunes, we will repeat those we've played before.

June meeting

Still no news about the date. We will only meet if we can have June 21st.

Write a Dance

I was running a workshop at Chester Festival. At the workshop we talked about various aspects of dancing, calling and dance writing. We tried out some fragments of dances and one complete new dance. Here it is 
         
           Reconciliation

Chorus

   A1 Circle left, circle right

  A2 Circle right circle left

Head couples start most figures by facing couple on the right to form diagonal lines. Chains etc. are half way.

Figure 1 (Lady strays)

B1 Ladies chain half way man turns lady enough (three quarters or one and a quarter) to face on the other diagonal. Ladies chain again and face on the original diagonal.

B2  Repeat. (The ladies have visited each man and are back with partner)

Chorus A1 & A2 Circle left, right, right and left.

Figure 2 (Man strays)

B1& B2 Flutter wheel with couple on first diagonal, * finish this with new man facing on the other diagonal.  After 3 more flutter wheels men are home with partner having visited all the ladies.

Chorus A1 & A2 Circle left, right, right and left. Face partner.

Figure 3 (both go their own way)

B1 & B2 Grand chain all the way, when you meet partner in own place there should be time for a quick swing.

Chorus A1 & A2 Circle left, right, right and left.

Figure 4 (reconciliation)

B1 Right and left through on first diagonal, courtesy turn your partner to face on other diagonal, right and left through.

B2 repeat to home place.

*From http://round.soc.srcf.net/dances/elements 

Flutter Wheel

A less common American dance term. It is similar to a half ladies chain, but swaps the men instead of swapping the women. Starting from two facing couples the women do a half right hand turn, and then complete the turn after collecting the other man's right hand in their left. The men have to start moving before they get collected so the women can keep moving smoothly to do a full right hand turn.

June causes problems this year too

After much dithering I thought it might be a good idea to meet in June. But the Deaf Centre can not let me know if the room is available till after the Bank Holiday.
Watch this space.

We had another good evening. Not as packed as last time, but there was no lack of qualtity.
Those of us who struggle to keep up with the tunes (you can have all the notes slowly or a selection at dance speed, from me) are very grateful that we have some good players to keep us together and up to the mark.

Elaine brought a Basque stick dance and tune which we had fun with.
We also danced the Playford dance Grimstock from 1651, a regency dance The Duke of Kent's Waltz, a modern dance to a C14 carol tune, and the dance Pat's Tradition, written by a Dutchman in honour of an English dance writer and set to a Scottish tune . One of our callers learnt that one at a Welsh weekend - dances do get around.