Welcome to the OFB Dance Development Discussion Page.

 

We want our dance to be the best it can be for everyone involved.  There have been a number of great ideas for improving the quality of our dance, and ensuring that everyone feels safe and comfortable on the dance floor.

 

One idea was to offer advanced contra dance workshops periodically, to offer opportunities for dancers of all levels to learn new moves and fine-tune their dancing.

 

SO, what specific topics would be good for these advanced workshops?  What would you be interested in learning?  What do think would be good for others to learn?

 

Please add your ideas to this discussion.

 

HOW TO ADD YOUR IDEAS:

 

Simply click the EDIT button above.

Enter the password:  contradance

Type like normal.

Click SAVE!

Easy as a peanut butter sandwich!

 

 

---

 

DISCUSSION:

 

Safety/Courtesy 

 

A gentleman may offer a twirl but should not force it.  Women are getting hurt.

 

 

SAFETY

Elbows

Twirling when there's not room

Swinging with arm too far out to side

Giving weight and mirroring strength - easing up if weight is not returned

Dancing with a stranger -- not sleazing those you don't know

Clogging on the contra floor -- appropriate stomping, being WITH the beat

If you can't do a move in balance, don't do it

 

 

ADVANCING YOUR DANCING SKILLS

 

OWN THE MOVE -- doing a move poorly doesn't score you gold stars, cool points, or impress your partner.  Let's learn how to really "own" these moves (that is, do them masterfully):

 

- twirl out of of swing -- on time!

- twirl instead of courtesy turn -- on time!

- spin out of an allemande -- on time!

- gypsy hey

- spinning in Rory O'More balance-and-slides

- hey for four

 

 

Swing dancing on the contra floor:

- lead and follow techniques - gender swapping for increased insight into the others' experience

- leading a rank beginner

- staying within your space

- dipping - very dangerous if done wrong!

 

Additional comments about Swing Dance/Contra Dance: It would be rather difficult to orgainze a contra dance at an event billed exclusively as a Swing dance. Try going to a swing dance and learning to swing dance - there. Swing dance is NOT contra dance. Other regions, especially New England which is the ancestral home of contra dance, frown on mixing these two very different genres of dance. Traditions have their own stories to tell. In essence, the two forms use space and timing in totally different ways. Contra dance is linear and geometrically non-amorphic when done well. Swing dance loves elastic interpretation of music and requires one to recognize spacial considerations of those other dancers surrounding the dancing couple as well as an amorphic use of space. These two considerations are not impossible to reconcile while contra dancers who seek the "groove" of swing dance unashamedly jump between forms in and amongst others who know not the differences mentioned above. Therein lies the potential that swing dance moves toward dancing for one's own selfish pleasure and away from the selflessness inherant in the "community" form of contra.

 

In leading a rank beginner timing is the most notable feature of "what to teach first". Timing is the art of listening with ones body where dance is concerned. New dancers need, dare I say "require", attention to timing first and formost in order that the subtle beauty and pleasures of contra dance be revealed. The mix of musical and geometrical symetry is at the fore in contra dance. Swing can happen on the side of the set but shouldn't be "taught" as though it was part of the tradition. It's not. Such teaching is to infect a beginner with a confused sense of form. And dipping is ALWAYS dangerous, either physically or pedagogically.

 

 

Understand the timing of the music - how to know when to stop the current move and do the next one when the caller stops calling.

 

Teach beginners to count to themselves when learning.  1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8.  It creates a strong image of the timing in your head.  Also explain the basic math of the dance, 8 sequences of 8 counts each and the idea is to be on time for each.

 

Make the workshops a place to learn and practice flamboyant skills like different spins, twirls and twists, and subtle ones like leading a partners hand to the right place for the next move and the best angle to finish a spin for a following move.

 

Also practice on giving weight, and using weight to trigger moves like spinning a partner.

 

About TIMING: The figures of contra dance are intended to move smoothly from one to the other. Timing is the high art of the community working in harmony with the music. To count is appropriate though it should be eventually replaced by simply listening to the musical phrase! Each turn of the music fits 2's, 4's, 6's and 8's. A bar of music, in 4/4, 6/8 or 3/4 time signitures may be interpreted as two dance steps (following the beat preferably). So simple figures afford the best examples. Circle left in a ring of four followed by circle right is to say "take 6 steps round in a ring, stop on 7 and bring your feet together on 8". Thusly can any dancers be ready to circle right ON TIME with the music. In this way all dance figures may be considered to have a stopping or transition point that, when "ironed out" leads toward smoothness. This consideration of the music is a great tool for feeling one's way toward an awareness of those one is leaving (really send them off at exactly the right time in the right direction) and those one is about to meet (which is really an eye-opener in use of peripheral vision anticipating the successful arrival of the next person "just in time"). Weight and balance come naturally to the beginner when most of the room successfully has learned that timing is everything!

 

APPROPRIATE DANCE WEAR 

Skirts that twirl (for the ladies, but fellas can wear them too!)

Minimal arm jewelry, especially the kind that can catch on things, like your partner, your hair, your clothing...

 

 

Add more ideas!

 

Emphasize dancing smoothly. When newcomers skipping and jumping, take a moment to tell them to walk smoothly to the music. Tell them their movements should all be horizontal and not vertical. It's a walking dance.

 

Teach how to spin ... pivot on the ball of the foot, etc.

 

Mirror Exercise on giving weight ... have partners face one another. One leads and the other follows, but not touching, but very close, switch partners leading. Next, have them touch hands very lightly and try and follow ... switch follow/lead. Then be "natural" pushing against the other person with the same "weight" as you normally would dancing, then have them try to "match" the partner's weight ... if the other is lighter, pull back a little, if the other is more forceful be a little more forceful until the connection feels equal. Now play Mirror again, taking turns with lead and follow.

 

 

LET'S HAVE A SADIE HAWKINS DANCE

 

For one night the girls ask the guys to dance.  All the guys will stand haplessly after each dance waiting for the girls to ask THEM.  Have the caller announce after every dance. "girls, choose your guys"

 

Interesting idea of a Sadie Hawkins dance ... but women are already on equal footing; it is appropriate and accepted for all to ask one another. In fact, this is one of the points that might be mentioned in a workshop. Some women still wait for the men to ask, but many of the guys figure if a woman never asks him, she doesn't really want to dance with him so they never ask. So, if you are waiting for a guy to ask you, ask him at least once to let him know you would like to dance with him. 

 

Other excerises discussed, specifically geared toward increasing awareness of the space we inhabit:

 

• Blindfold at least 1-2 people per line during at least one dance per night -- or during every dance during the second half (giving newcomers a chance to be comfortable).

 

• Gender switching - let men learn the follow role and women how to lead ... it's the same as a beginner's lesson, but with experienced dancers doing the opposite.

 

• Hang scarves or beads from the ceiling "between" the lines so you feel it when you cross the line.
• Have dancers wear light wrist weights to become more conscious of how they use their arms.