Maia Calls Dances

I’m thrilled beyond belief that I got to go to Pinewoods this summer, and dance, and hug all my friends, swim in Long Pond and eat pot de créme on the porch. Being on the mic again after all this bullshit was such a damn delight (and I even remembered which end to talk into!). So many thanks to the organizers who scrambled on 8 weeks’ notice to put together this incredible week. Read on →

I would say I’m alllmost recovered from the all-nighter I pulled this weekend calling the graveyard shift (4AM–7AM)—but heck, what a blast! Here’s the program I called (most of these walked through minimally or not at all):

Last weekend, I called my first techno contra (as part of a double dance at CDNY to celebrate the wedding of two of our lovely dancing humans 😍). It turns out, to no one’s surprise, that calling techno is a fair bit different from calling a regular evening dance. Here are my reflections on calling my first techno (including a bunch of great advice from folks on SharedWeight’s Callers’ Listserv).

Hey experienced contradancers! Have you been looking for a new way to contribute to your dance community? Here’s one that I’ve been trying. It’s really small, and has the potential to make a really big impact on the quality of our dances, especially as more and more of us get on board with it. Ready? Here it is:

Be quiet when the caller starts talking, and don’t talk through the walkthrough.

I’ve been contradancing for over eight years, and can jump into even the most complex and falling-apart of contras and still have some idea of what’s going on. But last summer at English-Scottish-Contra Week at Pinewoods, I tried Scottish Country Dance for the first time and I had an experience I haven’t had for quite a while: I was completely at sea in a set dance.

Friday evening

• The Boys from Urbana (John Coffman) – zig zag, balance and swing everyone
• Summer of ’84 (var.) (Gene Hubert & Steve Schnur) – simple waves and shadows
• Wrinkled Ribbon (Melanie Axel-Lute) – full hey, promenade & circle right Read on →

Friday evening

• No-walk medley:
  • Treasure of the Soda Bar (Maia McCormick) – simple square through dance based on James Hutson’s “Treasure of the Sierra Madre”
  • Alternating Corners (Jim Kitch) – quintessential alternating contracorners dance
  • Triassic Poetry (Lindsey Dono) – visit future N via weaving figure on the side
  • Minimum Fuss, Maximum Fun (Dean Snipes) – the easiest box circulate dance Read on →