NCSU 10/17/26

http://chrispagecontra.awardspace.us/dances/index.htm#accretion-reel

[1] What ring? The circle at the end of B2. The first time through the dance, skip this part, and begin straight with the individual scatter promenade. (John Sweeney came up with a cool alternate beginning, with everyone in one big circle, before breaking it up into individual pieces. If so, you definitely also want the big circle for the final time through.)
David Millstone writes about a nice modification of this for ONS groups: "Chris's dance calls for folks to balance in and out, and even though I demonstrated that to a group, their inclination was to go into the center in four counts with a whoop! and their arms rising up. Who am I to fight the natural tendency of the dancers? I suspect that this feels more satisfying, and it still gives them 12 beats to say goodbye to their circle and to walk alone to find a new partner."
[2] When I'm calling for ONS (one-night-stand) groups, I'll use "say goodbye" here. Then when they gyre later on, it's "say hello, and go around them, looking at them."
[3] Those allergic to gyres may wish to substitute a do-si-do, or skip it altogether and go straight to the swing. For an ONS group, substitute the swing with a two-allemande, elbow swing, or "whatever you think a swing should be."
[4] For more advanced groups, the gypsy can be with more than one other person. And the swing can be a basket swing.
[5] Last time through the dance, I like to have everyone promenade in one giant circle. Ditto for the final circles.
[6] Here each couple needs to find a few other couples to circle with. Lone couples could always two-allemande each other. James Hutson came up with a nice term for these variable-sized circles -- blobs.

The dance I consider my best. Usable both for non-dancing crowds, and with regular contra groups.

I wrote it after attending a contra dance with a number of beginners that kept breaking down over and over and over. On the way back, I thought what would have worked (a dance that intentionally broke down each time), and came up with a dance that I kept refining and simplifying down to this. It was partly also inspired by Ted Sannella's "Ted's Solo Mixer" and the scatter mixer "Set a' Crochet."

The dance's name came from ideas of planetary system formation, where larger and larger chunks of matter spiral inwards from gravity, accreting to form planetisemals, and then planets. The analogy goes bad where everybody separates every thirty seconds, but you could just consider that a periodic supernova event.

After having danced this, the A1/A2 feels sort of like the rush of looking for a partner, though here the commitment's only for 20 seconds. Kind of reminiscent of the cabeceo of tango.

Videos: (#1) (#2)

Written to fulfill some criteria I had for a teaching dance:

• First swing is with partner. Pairing beginners intentionally with experienced dancers for teaching loses some utility if they end up spending the lengthily-practiced first swing with their inevitably inexperienced neighbor.
• Chain and promenade, but no right and left through. Rehearse and reinforce courtesy turns before dancers are even given the option to mistakenly turn alone.
• Clear progression. So we can talk about progression.

I picture the B1 promenade in courtesy turn position, as it was the local custom where I danced at the time, it allows transfer of knowledge from the ladles chain, and it makes for a lovely partner moment as you are reunited for a cozy, leisurely walk across the set. However, don't feel you have to make a special request if your community's customary promenade differs.

The original B2 of this dance was "circle left, balance the ring, pass through" to emphasize the progression and leave some recovery time. In practice, I found that the extra time wasn't needed even for new dancers, and that it consistently caused the ladles to hesitate before starting the A1. The new ending tightens the timing and gives the ladles a nice flow into their allemande. (New dancers running behind can just skip the do-si-do.)

The ladles' allemande was changed from left-hand to right-hand based on a comment made by Lisa Greenleaf. Both work equally well out of the do-si-do, but the ladles benefit from having a left hand free to start the partner swing.

Number: DJP-000
Composed: State College, PA, fall 2012.
Debuted: Harrisburg, PA, 2012-10-12.
Updated: Warrenville, IL, fall 2018; again in summer 2019.

Bob Fab notes: While it does not have waves at the sides, it has them in the middle so you can use it when the hall is too short for everyone to be in the same waves.

It is an excellent dance for incorporating a large group of beginners, because you hardly ever are without someone in your hand, and the storyline is nice.

Chris Weiler notes:
Written at the Down East Country Dance Festival in Topsham, ME on March 28th, 2009 during the rehearsal period for the Festival Orchestra. Called later that afternoon during the Festival Orchestra slot in the main hall. Named for my host's new kitten (Earl of Grey was his full name) and the baby flying squirrel that he thought would be a better snack than playmate.

This was another case of creating a dance to fit the need. The title of the session was "Well Balanced Contras" and the tune sets had been chosen. I needed a dance with a <u>Rory O'More</u> style <u>balance</u> in the B1 to fit the music and the rest of the session and did not have one in my repertoire.

http://caller.chrisweiler.ws/dances.htm#earlsquirrel

Original published in RosenHill Collection 2005. Available at https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=2ahUKEwjh-ZCcz6reAhUKXa0KHb-qA_sQFjACegQICBAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Faptsg.org%2FDance%2Feasy_dances.rtf&usg=AOvVaw1iKx8xkRMJlMTgwuoBnYep

Halloween Twist by Melanie Axel-Lute meets Chris Page's iconic Heart of Joy eye contact pull across the set into a swing.

If your dancers aren't familiar with Heart of Joy, you can practice this with hands -- it's really just a circle left 2 places then swing your neighbor on the other side of the set, but coming from the right gyre it's much better without hands!

Based on Paul Balliet's First Hey, shifted and with one phrase changed. Offers an opening that works much better with a barn-burner of a tune, with a runaway B section. Manages the energy throughout the sequence better than Paul's original dance, in my opinion. At the very least it offers a distinctly more driving and chunky feel compared to the original.