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Contras
● Blackbird
Pie
● Oh, Geez!
● Ramsay
Chase
English
● Set for Spring
Key to abbreviations used
Lots more in The Cardinal Collection and The Goldcrest
Collection!
Blackbird Pie
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improper contra, Joseph Pimentel
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A1
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lines of four down the hall (1s in the center)
turn alone, return, fold the line
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A2
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cl L
star L (hands across)
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B1
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W see saw (L-sh DSD)
M DSD
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B2
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F&B
1s sw
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Teaching Notes
A simple dance easy for everyone but with the
uniqueness of the see saw to give some interest to experienced folks.
The only transition which might be challenging is
moving from the men's do- si-do to the long lines
forward and back. New dancers don't find this any more challenging
than any other parts of the dance, and experienced dancers can make it feel
good.
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Background
My favorite first dance of an evening is Don Armstrong's
"Broken Sixpence," because it is gentle for beginners: a
small number of intuitive figures, not too much swinging, some swinging,
neighbor interaction, and community interaction in the lines of four.
I used the dance so much, though, I became concerned that dancers would grow
tired of it. After looking around for other, similar dances and
finding none, I wrote this one to provide some variety.
Fred Todt suggested the title, following the "Sing a Song
of Sixpence" nursery rhyme and a recently developed interest in
birding.
June 2001
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Oh, Geez!
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"indecent" contra (2s crossover),
Joseph Pimentel
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A1
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W al R once around
N sw
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A2
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M pass L to start a hey for four
instead of the last pass L, W L-sh gypsy
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B1
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P R-sh gypsy
P sw
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B2
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F&B, M roll P away with half-sashay
cl R 3/4
N pass L
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Teaching Notes
After the roll-away in B2, knowing just how far 3/4 of the
circle R will take you can be a bit challenging, so it is helpful to let
dancers know that this circle will bring them right back to where they
first started.
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Notes
In November 2000, I was lucky enough to do a ten-day tour with
the Groovemongers, who are among my favorite
musicians and friends. Jane Knoeck, who
plays keyboard and accordian, grew up in Wisconson, giving her a great upper Midwest lilt when
she (frequently) exclaims, "oh, geez!" The expression
tickled the linguist in me, and quickly became a theme for the tour -- and
sat in my head as a good dance title for several years.
After percolating for some time, these figures
presented themselves. They are not particularly unusual, but several
transitions may prompt dancers to smile with pleasant surprise, and maybe
even to say, "oh, geez!"
The dance was debuted at the consistently
incredible River Rendezvous weekend in July 2003 in Coshocton, Ohio, where
I was calling with the Groovemongers. It is
fondly dedicated to them all, with happy memories
of that November tour and the other fun we've had together.
June 30, 2003
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Ramsay Chase
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improper contra, Joseph Pimentel
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A1
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W dance into center to
form wavy line (4) and bal (4)
W back out as M dance in; M don't take hands (4)
M turn over R sh and dance out to place, facing
out (4)
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A2
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single file prom CW 3
places (8)
P gypsy 1 1/2
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B1
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W pass L to start a
1/2 hey
P sw
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B2
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cl L 3/4
N sw
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Teaching Notes
The story line of this dance is pretty clear:
Woman flirts with partner, man flirts back but gets cold feet and runs
away, woman chases, more flirting, woman runs away, man chases, and finally
they swing. I sometimes call neighbors "interlopers" for obvious
reasons.
The dance works well with dreamy jigs, and has
been especially wonderful with Daron Douglas' tune, "Winter
Oranges." It also works well -- with quite a different feel -- with
old time tunes, with which the phrasing of the dance tends to get loose
around the chase, gypsy, and hey.
A1. Because this first line first
suggests interaction between the women, I redirect the women’s attention to
their partner, which sets up the storyline. When the men turn around, the
women then chase their partners. It is important they know to end up on the
same side as their partner. After the gypsy, telling the women to end
facing into the set looking across at each other helps them get oriented.
People really want to swing their partners by this point, so I often say
something about delayed gratification.
B2. The start of the dance comes around
quickly, especially if people swing too long with their neighbors. It helps
if the men are especially conscious of this so that they can help their
neighbor women into the center to start again.
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Notes
I wrote this dance for my partner, Fred
Ramsay Todt. The Ramsays on his mom's side
are a big dancing family: Fred's Uncle John Ramsay is emeritus
director of Brasstown Folk School and the dance school
at Berea College; he commissioned "Levi Jackson Rag" from Pat
Shaw.
The flirting and chasing in this dance
was inspired by a Scottish country dance Fred and I have done together,
which I hope is reflected in the Scottish feel of the title.
March 30, 1999
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Set for Spring
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longways, duple
minor, proper, English country dance by Joseph Pimentel
tune by Dave Wiesler, 108 bpm, 2/2, D minor
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A1
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1-4
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Up a double and back / Side R / Arm R
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A2
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1-4
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Up a double and back / Side R / Arm R
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B1
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1-4
5-8
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1st Corners set and turn single
1st Corners lead a chevron
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5-6
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1st Corners pass
R into each other's places and face out of the set
while 2nd
Corners stand still
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7-8
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1st Corners back
up to cross the set into N's places
while 2nd Corners cast R into N's places
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B2
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1-8
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Repeat B1 with 2nd Corners leading from 1st Corner
places
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9-12
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Half-poussette (CW, 1st
Corners moving forward to start)
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Teaching Notes
A. These are the typical USA verse figures Up a double, Siding,
and Arming, and they alternate each time through the dance. The first time
through is Up a double and back, the second time through is Siding, the
third time through is Arming, and then this sequence repeats for as long as
you run the dance. Which figure comes next poses extra memory load for
dancers; attentive callers will be ready to help, but judicious assistance
will help them become better dancers. I suggest
ending the dance when it feels best rather than focusing on a final round
where having everyone in the dance coincides with Arming.
B. The greatest challenge in this portion will be in
bars 5-6 for those who wait while the others initiate the chevron.
B2 9-12. The musical tag for the final poussette should not challenge dancers, but callers
should be attentive to the subtlety of the phrasing to prompt it well. It
might also help the musicians for you to suggest they think of these final
bars as a tag.
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Background
This dance and tune were debuted at and
celebrate the Set
for Spring weekend of English country dance in Houston TX in March
2015. This great event moves each year among the great dance communities of
Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Oklahoma City. Early spring in Teklahoma coincides with wildflowers blooming -- most
notably Texas bluebonnets -- and also when dance friends further north most
appreciate an escape from winter. You can see the
debut dancing here.
The figures were inspired by another of Dave's
tunes which unbeknownst to me was already claimed. So I explained what I
had in mind and Dave wrote this tune on the plane on the way to Houston.
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Key to Abbreviations in Dance Instructions
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