Contra Formations

October 30th, 2006
dance, ideas
Rum and Onions XXVII was fun. Not Boston or Asheville, though. Looking forward to NOMAD.

Thinking about different formations in which to start a contra dance in relation to my Ling thesis. What about a proper ocean wave? Or, worse, a proper becket? It would be tricky to get people back to a proper becket with symmetrical calls (I think a right hand high, left hand low would do it) but it would be worth it to see peoples faces in response to:

Now take hands four and don't cross over. This is a proper dance. Now take your hands four and circle one place to the right so you're on the same side as your partner. Men are across from men, women across from women. That's right, this is a proper Becket...

Comment via: facebook, substack

Recent posts on blogs I like:

Shoshannah Tekofsky on how AI agents suck at personality tests, don't express surprise, and lie to themselves

Can you introduce yourself for people who don’t know who you are?

via Thing of Things February 11, 2026

2025-26 New Year review

This is an annual post reviewing the last year and setting intentions for next year. I look over different life areas (work, health, parenting, effectiveness, etc) and analyze my life tracking data. Highlights include a minimal group house, the usefulness…

via Victoria Krakovna January 19, 2026

Why I Don't Think My Braces Were Worth It

A couple weeks ago, I got my braces off. I kind of wish I had never had them, though. When I was younger, two of my teeth were sticking out, and they looked kind of funny. I thought that my teeth were just fine, and I didn't want to get braces. But s…

via Anna Wise's Blog Posts January 3, 2026

more     (via openring)