Do-Si-Do and Face the Sides (variation) - Ted Sannella
This clip is part of a series of eight square dances called by Ted Sannella at the Chesapeake Spring Dance Weekend, sponsored by the Folklore Society of Greater Washington. (Ted called another four or five squares during the weekend, plus contras and triplets.) Each dance includes Ted's walkthrough, plus the introduction and first time through the figure. We've included so many clips from one event so callers of traditional New England style squares can hear how Ted taught dances and how he varied the opening of dances throughout the weekend.
In this example, Ted calls a simplified and shorter version of his 1953 composition. The original dance is 48 bars in length, but this one is only 32 bars. Caller Tod Whittemore borrowed this abridged choreography to create his singing square, Chime Bells.
The recording was made by Joel Bluestein, April 3–5, 1987, at Camp Letts, near Annapolis, MD. Musicians are Peter Barnes, piano; Mary Lea and Ruthie Dornfeld, fiddles.
A CD with 14 live recordings of Ted Sannella calling is part of Ted's booklet, Calling Traditional New England Squares, published by Country Dance and Song Society. The tracks on that CD were chosen because of the variety of the breaks. Detailed instructions for the original 48 bar version of this dance can be found in Ted's Balance and Swing book.
You can find numerous moving images of this dance on this website.
Ted Sannella was one of New England's best known and respected callers of contras and traditional squares. He was also a prolific choreographer; this is one example. Biographical information can be found here; a list of additional Ted Sannella recordings and information on our website is here.
On the 25th anniversary of his death, a website of "Sannella Stories" was created by David Smukler and David Millstone; it includes dozens of remembrances, photographs, previously unpublished dances by Ted, and dances that were composed in his honor.
Subjects: Northern / Prompt & Patter
Tags: Camp Letts, live recording, Mary Lea, Peter Barnes, Ruthie Dornfeld, Ted Sannella
Item Relations
| This Item | is related to | Item: Labor Day Quadrille (clip) - Ted Sannella |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Six Pass Thru (clip) - Ted Sannella |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Arch of Six (clip) - Ted Sannella |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Festival Quadrille (clip) - Ted Sannella |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Circle to the Middle (clip) - Ted Sannella |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Alamo Square (clip) - Ted Sannella |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Quadrille Joyeux (clip) - Ted Sannella |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Circle to the Middle - Ted Sannella |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Ted Sannella - photographs |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Do-Si-Do and Face the Sides - Ted Sannella |
| This Item | is related to | Item: Chime Bells - Tod Whittemore |
| Item: Do-Si-Do and Face the Sides - Ted Sannella | is related to | This Item |
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Description
This clip is part of a series of eight square dances called by Ted Sannella at the Chesapeake Spring Dance Weekend, sponsored by the Folklore Society of Greater Washington. (Ted called another four or five squares during the weekend, plus contras and triplets.) Each dance includes Ted's walkthrough, plus the introduction and first time through the figure. We've included so many clips from one event so callers of traditional New England style squares can hear how Ted taught dances and how he varied the opening of dances throughout the weekend.
In this example, Ted calls a simplified and shorter version of his 1953 composition. The original dance is 48 bars in length, but this one is only 32 bars. Caller Tod Whittemore borrowed this abridged choreography to create his singing square, Chime Bells.
The recording was made by Joel Bluestein, April 3–5, 1987, at Camp Letts, near Annapolis, MD. Musicians are Peter Barnes, piano; Mary Lea and Ruthie Dornfeld, fiddles.
A CD with 14 live recordings of Ted Sannella calling is part of Ted's booklet, Calling Traditional New England Squares, published by Country Dance and Song Society. The tracks on that CD were chosen because of the variety of the breaks. Detailed instructions for the original 48 bar version of this dance can be found in Ted's Balance and Swing book.
You can find numerous moving images of this dance on this website.
Ted Sannella was one of New England's best known and respected callers of contras and traditional squares. He was also a prolific choreographer; this is one example. Biographical information can be found here; a list of additional Ted Sannella recordings and information on our website is here.
On the 25th anniversary of his death, a website of "Sannella Stories" was created by David Smukler and David Millstone; it includes dozens of remembrances, photographs, previously unpublished dances by Ted, and dances that were composed in his honor.