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  • Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century by Tony Parkes book cover
  • Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century by Tony Parkes book cover
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Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century

by Tony Parkes

A practical guide to traditional square dance calling

$38.34 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

A practical guide to traditional square dance calling

Tony Parkes organizes square dance calling as both a performance practice and a body of knowledge: the book covers music and dance structure, timing, voice technique, teaching, program planning, and adapting or creating calls. Its scope also reaches beyond the caller’s immediate work, with an overview of square dance history, discussion of basic movements, charts for more than 50 figures and breaks, and a glossary of dance terms. Sections on singing squares and suggested tunes add resources for building a repertoire. Together, these elements make the book a broad reference to the craft and traditions of calling.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Square dance callers seeking guidance on teaching, program planning, or call technique
  • Dancers and callers interested in traditional square dance figures and terminology
  • Readers researching square dance history and calling traditions

Themes

Traditional square dance callingDance music and structureTeaching and program planningSquare dance history and terminology

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

The author of the acclaimed Contra Dance Calling turns his attention to squares! Internationally known square and contra leader Tony Parkes "pays it forward" and reveals the secrets learned over half a century of teaching and calling.

 

This is the first book-length treatment of traditional calling in many years. Not just a rehash of prior works, it includes many thoughts on the activity that have never appeared in print before. Every aspect of the caller's work is dealt with clearly and thoroughly, including:

 

  • Music and dance structure
  • Timing and phrasing
  • Voice technique
  • Calling "breaks"
  • Using patter
  • Planning a program
  • Teaching and walkthroughs
  • Working with live or recorded music
  • Calling for many types of group
  • Ad-libbing or "hashing" calls
  • Adapting others' material
  • Devising new dances

 

In addition, the book includes:

 

  • A bird's eye view of square dance history
  • An in-depth discussion of the basic movements
  • Call charts for over 50 figures and breaks
  • A section on creating new singing squares
  • A glossary of over 600 dance terms
  • Suggested tunes for patter and singing calls
  • Recommended books and recordings, with capsule reviews

 

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