SharedWeight links

SharedWeight is a groups of mailing lists devoted to contra callers, musicians, organizers, and webmasters. Seth Seeger and Chris Weiler created them in 2004, to continue the dialogue of a Pinewood's caller's session led by Tom Hinds. The original focus was on teaching and information-sharing. Since then the lists (all with open archives) have continued to grow.

This is my collection of many of my favorite or notable articles. If you like one, you may want to wander around the thread of linked conversations. To find the author and date of a post, hold the mouse over the initials to view the hover text.

If you are the author of an article below and would like that link removed, please email me privately.

Last updated 3/31/2014. New links from the past yearish are in red.

Quick index

• Calling technique
• Individual dances
• Figures
• Beginners
• Calling evenings
• Overviews and philosophy
• Career development
• Dances
• Contras
• Instructions
• Family dance
• Instructions
• Other formations
• Music
• Bands
• Sound
• Organizer's issues
• Miscellaneous

Calling technique

• Individual dances

  • Walkthroughs

    AS   Becketing.
    JK   Brevity.
    DM   Demos.
    JS   Hands four.
    ME   Set drift.
    EL   Word order.
    DP BI   One or two?
    RM TH   Confidence.
    PW JM CP   End effects.

  • Prompting

    TS   Chanting.
    AW   Dropping out.
    JS   Early.
    CW   Timing sheet.
    TF   Voice care.
    AW MW   Breakdowns.
    BP DM   Dance length.
    CL DC BI   Last time.

  • Medleys

    DP   Prompting.
    BG   Not doing.
    AC   Recovery.
    MW JM   3-dance.
    LG SE   NEFFA.

• Figures

  • Heys

    JS   Origins.
    JS   Ricochets.
    JS   Statistics.
    RH JG JM DW   Teaching.

  • Petronellas

    JM   Claps.
    DM   History.
    CF   Teaching.

  • Swing

    LG   Buzz step.
    AC   Ending position.
    CB   MWSD.
    ML CS   Safety.
    RG JS BK AN   Teaching.

  • Miscellaneous

    AN JS CF EH   Allemandes.
    JM   Circle right/left progression.
    DM   Cloverleaf turn single.
    AC   Contra corners.
    AN   Courtesy turn.
    EH   Do-si-do.
    LG   Gents chain.
    JS   Ladies chain.
    JK   Mad Robin.
    AW JS   Pousette.
    JS   Seesaw.
    JS   Square through, crosstrail.
    AW AC   Star promenade.
    JK   Regional variations.

• Beginners

  AW   Mid-dance.
  JS KK   Confusion.
  LG DM   Dancer's impact.
  LL KK TK   Getting partners.
  TH CW RH KT   Caller's impact.

  • Introductary sessions

    BI   Second timers.
    JE KT   Advice.
    TM BK DM ML CB   Syllabi.

• Calling evenings

  • Repertoire management

    DV   Sharing.
    SW SW   LaTex cards.
    PA BO   Memorizing.
    JS CH   Storage.
    KF BB   Writing cards.
    WW AW PA   Databases.
    NJ LG AC   Sorting cards.

  • Programming

    MD   Allemande dances.
    LG   Crowded halls.
    JR   End dance.
    LG   Heat.
    DM   Neighbor swings.
    JM KK   Creating.
    LL BB   Grid.
    BH CP EH   No circle left.
    JK AW CF   School dance.
    AW DP JS MW   Variety.

  • Style

    RD   Skipping figures.
    JS   Tension.
    ME   Waves.
    BB   Workshop.
    CW JE   Safety tips.
    CH JS JE DM SM   Twirls.

  • Different dancers

    JS   UK.
    BB JM   MWSD.
    AC DM   Non-English speakers.

  • Gender

    BG   Role-swap.
    TM   Roles.
    TM   Swings.
    AN LS AW   Lead/follow.
    RG RG AW JE BP   Gender-free.

• Overviews and philosophy

  CF   Contributions.
  DM   Exercising authority.
  GM   Active learning.
  CW ME   Building community.
  DP CW GM   Fault.
  DM MW JM   No single answers.
  DM DM RF   Contra trends.

• Career development

  LG   Evaluation forms.
  CH   Entering rotations.
  RG   NEFFA.
  AS   Practice vs. preparation.
  LA   Weekends.
  PA ST BP   Starting advice.
  CW JG MW   Breaking in.

Dances

• Contras

  • Chestnuts

    KN   1783 collection.
    JS   Barrel of Sugar.
    AW   Chorus Jig.
    AW   Common figures.
    DV   Hull's Victory.
    DS   Inactives.
    DM   Money Musk.
    DM   Programs.
    RH DM   Rory o'More.
    JG CP   Young Widow.

  • Choreography

    CW   Challenging contras.
    BI   Circle/swing.
    LL   Easy heys.
    YZ   Modifying.
    JS   Sawtooth formation.
    BI   Testing dances.
    CP YZ   Easy dances.
    AW DH   Formations.
    JS JS   Perfection.

  • Instructions

    • Collections

      SR   Beginner dances.
      BI   CDNY repertoire.
      NJ   Nathaniel Jack.

    • Individual dances (Inclusion criteria)

      LA   Swoosh.
      RA   The Boomerang Effect.
      BB   Elizabethan Gypsy.
      BB   Mad Robin Imagination.
      BB   Walking Down the Street.
      AB   Salute to Betsy Ross.
      EB   So Much for Romance.
      WD   Nail That Catfish to a Tree.
      WD   Sadie and the Back Door.
      WD   Yes We Can!
      LD   Pluck It.
      LD   Rory's Chewing Star.
      LD   What's to Doubt?
      JE   Sashenka.
      JE   Huntsville's Queen Bee.
      RG   Baby Evelyn's Reel.
      RG   Loose Marbles.
      JG   New Hope Gypsy.
      MH   Julie's Gypsies.
      EH   Down-the-hall dances.
      EH   Ghost of a Chance.
      EH   Waiting for the Passport.
      BK   Rickrack.
      JL   California Twirlin'.
      AM   Panix Dot Chat.
      SM   Stars in Our Eyes.
      AN   Mambo!
      CR   Bob's Valentine.
      SR   Gail's Making Copies.
      JS   Person of the Pond.
      TS   July 13th.
      LS   Mood Ring.
      DS   Our House.
      DV   Raeden's Curls.
      PW   Jeff's Gypsy.

      • Bob Isaacs

        BI   Butterfly Kiss (formerly Trip to Mansfield).
        BI   The Cure for the Claps.
        BI BI   Criss-cross Heys.
        BI   Half a Slice.
        BI   The Judge.
        BI   Kitch as Kitch Can.
        BI   Links in the Chain.
        BI   On Top of the Whirled.
        BI   Pearls of Wisdom.
        BI   Power Surge.
        BI   The Raeden Reel.
        BI   Triple Double.
        BI   Turning in Turn.
        BI   Two Way Street.
        BI   Vote With Your Feet.
        BI   Waiting for the Other Foot to Fall.

• Family dance (ONS)

  BP   Advice.
  DM   Blind.
  JB   Getting people up.
  PC   Mindset.
  AC   Seniors.
  CH   Young children.
  JB   Colonial dance for kids.
  BO   Elementary school.
  CH LL CF   High School.
  AW LL JC DM   Weddings.

  • Instructions

    MM   Le Brandy.
    MM   Can't Jump Josie.
    TH   Catch.
    LL   Do-Si-Three.
    RH   Flying Scotsman.
    RH   Grand march.
    JB   House Dance Special.
    DM   Mixers.
    WD   Sasha.
    JS   Spanish Waltz.
    DM   Traffic Jam.
    LD JS   Contras.
    MW NT   Zodiac.
    RL BP   Squares.
    AW JE LL JS   Sources.
    JJ LS LL AW JS AW SR   Collections.

• Other formations

  • Circle mixers

    RB   La String Bean.
    KK   Lancashire Reel.
    JS   Rhubarb Go Round.
    JE   Tennessee Mixer.
    JS   Two & Four.
    GH   The Wheel.
    KK   Thread.
    LL EH   Collections.

  • Four-face-fours

    LA   Coconut Cream Pie.
    LL   Devil's Dervish.
    LS   K&E.
    BB   Lyttelton.
    EH   Major Hey.
    TS   Villa Olivia.

  • Squares

    CH   The Belgian Connection.
    DM   Breaks.
    JS   Sets in Order.
    SG   Visiting couple.
    DM WL TH   Learning.
    DM DM CH   Resources.

  • Triplets

    BB   Cut to the Chase.
    JB   Luck of the Morris.
    BB   Collections.
    CP PW   Recommendations.

  • Unusual

    RF   Doublet.
    BI   Grid square.
    CL   Grid contra.
    CH   Levi Jackon for 6.
    BR   Quadruplet: Chasing the "L".
    EH   Three Facing Three: Walpole Dollhouse.
    AW   Three-person.
    AW   Triple minor.
    EH   Triple minor: Garbology.
    BI   Zia.
    JB BB   Collections.

Music

• Bands

  • Working with the band

    DK   Awareness.
    AC   Non contra-bands.
    LA   Signals.
    CF JS   Recorded music.
    JS MB   Tempos.
    DC MD   Tune matching.
    SG DC MD   Problematic tunes.

  • Working as a band

    AC   Choosing tunes.
    MB   Community band.
    BP   Crooked tunes.
    AC   Medlies.
    BK   Programming.
    AW   Singing.
    EH   Squares.
    TM   Starting advice.

• Sound

  • Caller

    AC   Caller's monitor.
    WL   Digital recorders.
    MJ   Intelligibility.
    RB WL   Microphones.
    DP DP   Mic usage.

  • Hall

    PC   Equipment.
    WL   Ringing out.
    NC   Volume.
    MJ J?   Problem halls.

Organizer's issues

• Infrastructure

  BB   Floors.
  ME   Website software.
  AW JS   Square footage.

• Money

  JS   Bank accounts.
  MJ   Reserve funds.
  JK CF   Payouts.
  ** AW CW AW   Discounts.

• Running an evening

  **   Event length.
  SM   Snacks.
  WL   Techno contras.

• Organizational structure

  CF   Focuses.
  DC   Registration.
  DP   Restarting.
  DC CW   Starting up.

  • Committee

    MJ   Safeguards.
    AW   Volunteers.
    CF SM   Examples.
    DC SM   Transitioning.

• Policy codes

  RH   Bare feet.
  CF   Cancellation.
  PM   Restraining orders.
  CF   Tolerance.
  CW JJ   Behavioral.
  LG CF   Series info.
  AC CH ME   Sexual harassment.
  AW LK PC   Written policies.

• Recruitment

  CW   Existing dancers.
  RH   New dancers.
  LD   Video.
  DC CF   Families.
  RH AW   Outreach.
  PC DM CF JE LL SV   Youth.

• Talent

  SD&JS   Respectful communication.
  AW CF JS EB AW WL   Bookings.

Miscellaneous

• Event reports

  CW   Champlain Valley.
  CW   Flurry.
  CW   RPDLW.
  AG   Whipperstomper.
  WL   Wild Asparagus.

• Dancers' issues

  AB JM   Shoes.
  ST LG CW   Booking ahead.

• Business stuff

  DC   ASCAP.
  RN   Insurance.
  DM   Pay.
  LS BB   Pre-gig questions.

• Media

  DP   Academic articles.

• Listserve stuff

  DV   Etiquette.
  CW   Post trimming.
  AS   Web list.

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