Hi,
I am wondering if you have any dances for low numbers of dancers (perhaps 6
or less), when most or all of the dancers are beginners and adults. I am
also wondering if you have any dances (presumably different dances), that do
not require choosing a partner and are good openers for beginner adults.
Thanks as always to all,
Rickey Holt.
I can only speak with reference to calling at NEFFA, as I have never applied to DownEast. As some of you may know that Linda Leslie is NEFFA's program chair, I will note that the program chair does not select performers for contra sessions.
Regarding NEFFA 2007, the following notice is now posted at http://neffa.org/perf_app.html - The Program Committee is not prepared to take your application at this time, since it is too late to apply for this year's NEFFA Festival. Please note that the application to perform is always available during the month of September, with a deadline in October. If you'd like to get an e-mail notice of application availability, send a blank e-mail to NEFFA_Performers-subscribe(a)yahoogroups.com
So you can note on your calendar that September is a good time to check the NEFFA web site, and also arrange for a notice to pop up in your e-mail.
The NEFFA application invites you to come up with a briefly-described theme for your session, with a title of 20 characters or less. IMO, use your own judgment as to how important the theme is. If you are offering a concept that's really meaningful to you, don't be afraid to describe it. If what you really want to do is just call some hot contras, then IMO I wouldn't go overboard on the theme.
Unlike Northwest Folklife, callers and bands apply SEPARATELY to the New England Folk Festival. And I believe that this is a very good thing for beginning callers who hope to have a chance at getting onstage. This mix-and-match policy gives a fresh perspective for experienced performers, and can be an eye-opening experience for newcomers who may get to work with seasoned veterans. I will never forget calling at NEFFA with Northern Spy, a band that has worked with caller David Millstone for 25 years. And where was David during this session? Out on the floor, happily dancing to the music of his own band. NEFFA's selection process made that wonderful hour possible for me.
For what it's worth, the first year I successfully applied I asked for a "Festival Orchestra" slot, which means that instead of calling a themed, hour-long session I called two dances in the Main Hall with the assembled orchestra and then got off the stage as the next Festival Orchestra caller had a turn. IMO, the key here (as well as in submitting a session proposal) is to choose dances that you know by heart, can teach well, fully believe in, and love to share with a crowd. You don't want to have second thoughts as you approach the microphone.
If you're wondering why performer applications are required so far in advance of a festival, note that NEFFA may have 1700 performers, many of whom perform in multiple sessions (perhaps performing alone, and with a participatory dance group, and also with a concert performance group!). You can't doublebook a performer (or larger groups to which she may belong), you have to give her time to move from one venue to another, plus a bunch of other scheduling etceteras that would drive me loony to contemplate further. How scheduling was done in the days before computers is beyond me.
--
Robert Jon Golder
164 Maxfield St
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 999-2486
If there are a lot of children, and no other contra dancers, for the
first workshop, don't start with a contra.
Start with something that breaks the ice and is easy and gets them
facing each other in long lines.
For my "one night stands", weddings, etc., I start with a dance
sometimes called "The Hat Dance" - except I use a large stuffed
animal gorilla, so people call it the "gorilla dance' - you know,
three chairs at the top of the set, two lines on either side, one
person sits in middle with gorilla on lap, one head of each line sit
on the side, band starts up and plays like a house afire, mid person
gives gorilla to one of the seated people, dances down set with the
other in a sashay or polka or whatever they choose, gorilla receiver
moves to mid seat, next two sit down. I don't know why this is so
successful, but people love this dance. They love watching other
people get or give the gorilla. I gave up on the hat idea because w.
kids there may be head lice. Really. The gorilla is cuter anyway.
This gets people moving, touching, laughing, and standing in two
lines and learning top of set and bottom of set.
Then follow perhaps with a reel, like Virginia reel. This gives a
vague concept of progression and doing something different at
different positions in the dance. There are some other simpler reels
than Virginia reel as well, without the strip the willow but with the
follow around and arch and under.
I think the one of the easiest contras is Ellen's Green Jig. I don't
have time to put it up here, maybe someone else could if you don't
know it, but it's one where everyone pretty much is in contact all
the time so it's hard to screw up, has just balance and swing, do-si-
do and circles pretty much, and the progression is oh-so-obvious, and
it doesn't matter if the genders get all screwed up as long as ones
are ones and twos are twos.
Oh, I called for a dance where 15 foreign exchange students showed up
with limited English. I'd keep the calls in English as you are a
beginning caller and it would be too much to think of to do it in
Japanese as well. But just pick the way you are going to call the
figure, e.g. Ladie's Chain - and NEVER vary it. It will always be
Ladie's Chain, not "Chain the women", not "women chain" not "chain
across" just flat out plain "Ladies Chain". People will catch on.
Martha
On Oct 2, 2007, at 4:00 PM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
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> 1. Japan dance and self intro/update
> (sharedweight.99.kyoto(a)spamgourmet.com)
> 2. Re: Japan dance and self intro/update (Lindsay Morris)
> 3. Re: Japan dance and self intro/update (Greg McKenzie)
> 4. Re: Japan dance and self intro/update
> (Alan Winston - SSRL Central Computing)
> 5. Re: Japan dance and self intro/update (Lisa Sieverts)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2007 11:59:28 -0700 (PDT)
> From: sharedweight.99.kyoto(a)spamgourmet.com
> Subject: [Callers] Japan dance and self intro/update
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Message-ID: <74363.4139.qm(a)web38705.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> [n.b. this has been 'cross posted' to the yahoo traditional callers
> list, in case anyone is on
> both lists...]
>
> This post from a llooonnnngg time dancer and first time caller who is
> requesting some advice for an unusual situation...but as it is my
> first post, I will explain a little about myself, and along the way
> that will explain the unusual situation and help guide and refine any
> replies.
>
> My name is david crespo, a name some of you no doubt fear -- I mean
> recognize -- or would (recognize, that is) (if you saw my ugly
> mug) (well, maybe fear...) from my 20 odd (quite odd) years of
> dancing and involvement in the dance community in New England, mostly
> Vermont (Etna, Norwich, Thetford, to Northern Spy etc.) and Maine
> (SMFA (Yarmouth), Falmouth, Bates, Bowdoinham...). As some of you
> thus know, about 3 years ago, at a Wake the Neighbors Bates dance I
> was met by a cute and not very frightening Japanese exchange student,
> Yukie, who with a very little gentle nudging at Deffa a week later,
> eventually (rapidly, that is) was able to parlay that happenstance
> circumstance into what is now a beautiful and happy marriage. She
> returned to Japan shortly after we completed our courtship and about
> a year later I followed. We're living in Kyoto.
>
> Alas, there is one tragic note attending this otherwise joyous and
> perfect scenario. Japan, you see, is a land thouroughly devoid of one
> essential nutrient: contradancing. You can imagine my dismay, tears,
> and lamentations. Sadly, then, since my arrival, I have been quietly
> (well not so quietly) teaching english while secretly incubating evil
> plans to conquer Japan, then Asia, then the world in 64 (drastic)
> measures (hmmm--- good name for a dance). This month, my long patient
> agony of waiting has begun to pay off. I have been given the
> opportunity to indoctrinate a few trusting and innocent souls into
> the sublime mysteries of la dance du contra and create an army of
> swiftfooted robots, ready and willing to do my bidding at every call.
> SOON I WILL CONQUER THE WORLD!!!
>
> ahem.
>
> please excuse me while my medicine kicks in. Ah, yes, thank you. OK,
> where was I? The fact is, my wife and I have been invited to lead a
> contradance workshop at a local festival on October 20. When we found
> out, we began doing as much research as we could on calling and so
> on. We found a few basic dances, like Baby Rose and Diane's Visit and
> Atonement Reel that we like and figured would be suitable and we have
> been practicing calling them. But I really welcome any suggestions...
>
> Actually, above and beyond some decades of doing things proper and
> improper, I took a caller workshop or two from Rick Mohr (thanks
> Rick) so I have a rough idea of what's involved. And I've learned a
> bit from practicing calling and writing a few ad hoc dances on my
> own. For example, I learned that being a dancer has habituated me to
> act ON the beat, but as a caller I need to act BEFORE the beat,
> eh....this flustered me at first. Are there any other typical first
> caller pointers we should be on the lookout for?
>
> In addition, there are a few other associated circumstances in this
> project that create the aforementioned unique situation. In brief
> (HA! fooled you), since I've rattled on too long, here is what I mean:
>
> I don't speak more than the rudiments of Japanese. My wife is still a
> beginner dancer, to wit, she isn't a strong enough one to call on her
> own. Between us we are trying to teach each other what the other
> lacks and hopefully make one good caller out of the two of us. One
> question that has come up is is it better to keep the standard names
> for the figures, or to Japanify them. (We are leaning to the
> former...Japanese has a very high percentage of english loan words,
> and they learn english (poooooorly) in school.) Still, has anyone
> ever tried to call across a language barrier?
>
> Japanese are touch sensitve. They don't touch, they don't give eye
> contact. They don't give weight. (They give wait). They don't hug.
> They don't even say I love you. They are very shy. For example, I am
> told that this is to the point that standing in a line of men facing
> a line of women is likely be uncomfortable, even for the younger
> generation, so Yukie feels we should use mixed couples with armbands
> to distinguish "gender"--I mean position. As we build a community of
> experienced dancers, it would be expected that some of this
> inhibition might wear off...). You can see why they need to dance. On
> the other hand, they are good followers. Any advice for working with
> a shy crowd?
>
> Some or many of the attendees at this workshop, we just found out,
> are likely to be children. Depending on the percentage, it may be
> necessary to do a kids dance, or at least a dance kids could enjoy. I
> am good at working with kids in general, but I would love any advice
> for doing a dance with young people. I don't know or haven't been
> able to find any children's dances, though I assume the Family Dance
> in Yarmouth is still up and I plan to contact Jeff Raymond about it,
> because I can't remember the caller's name (Nancy....) (though we
> have danced and chatted about dancing and calling several times at
> the May Day Festival...gads! say hi if you're listening..).
> So, children's dances are one thing I am looking for.
>
> We are working in a small space...maybe two lines of six couples
> each. Advice for small spaces???　
>
> We are doing three workshops. If the same people return, we may do
> more advanced things, or we may just repeat teh workshop...but I
> would like to try different dances each time, for my practice.
>
> The room will be full of beginners, so no experienced dancers to rely
> on. Ballroom dancing had a certain following here (and in Kyoto there
> is a small set dancing group that we visited...small 14 or so... and
> a square dancing group that we plan to visit. ) but not enough to be
> helpful, in the sense that there are few cultural supports for
> learning (i.e. in the US most everyone knows (even if they don't
> admit it) how to at least fake a waltz or ballroom position...not
> here.) Think martian territory...
>
> I should add that we are seriously working towards starting a regular
> dance here (we've found an available and very suitable space, a
> church hall in a nearby church, for example) and this is for us a
> tryout and possible stepping stone. We want to whet people's
> appetite, and leave them wanting more. We have a half hour to do it...
>
> OK...apologies for the verbose and windy post. Fond regards to all of
> you I know, hajimemashite ("nice to meet you" in japanese, literally
> "beginning") to the rest and many thanks in advance for your time and
> help...cheers...david
>
> nothing rhymes with nostril...
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> ______________
> Don't let your dream ride pass you by. Make it a reality with
> Yahoo! Autos.
> http://autos.yahoo.com/index.html
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2007 15:23:07 -0400
> From: Lindsay Morris <lindsay(a)tsmworks.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Japan dance and self intro/update
> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <47029A9B.1020203(a)tsmworks.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Wow, you're biting off too much.
> Teach them community-dance stuff first - circle mixers, easy
> things to
> get them used to touching, allemanding, and giving weight.
> If they refuse to take hands and circle left, then I suggest you
> fake a
> heart attack and get out.
> Lindsay Morris
> Principal
> TSMworks
> [1]www.tsmworks.com
> 859-539-9900
>
>
> [2]sharedweight.99.kyoto(a)spamgourmet.com wrote:
>
> [n.b. this has been 'cross posted' to the yahoo traditional callers
> list, in cas
> e anyone is on
> both lists...]
>
> This post from a llooonnnngg time dancer and first time caller who is
> requesting some advice for an unusual situation...but as it is my
> first post, I will explain a little about myself, and along the way
> that will explain the unusual situation and help guide and refine any
> replies.
>
> My name is david crespo, a name some of you no doubt fear -- I mean
> recognize -- or would (recognize, that is) (if you saw my ugly
> mug) (well, maybe fear...) from my 20 odd (quite odd) years of
> dancing and involvement in the dance community in New England, mostly
> Vermont (Etna, Norwich, Thetford, to Northern Spy etc.) and Maine
> (SMFA (Yarmouth), Falmouth, Bates, Bowdoinham...). As some of you
> thus know, about 3 years ago, at a Wake the Neighbors Bates dance I
> was met by a cute and not very frightening Japanese exchange student,
> Yukie, who with a very little gentle nudging at Deffa a week later,
> eventually (rapidly, that is) was able to parlay that happenstance
> circumstance into what is now a beautiful and happy marriage. She
> returned to Japan shortly after we completed our courtship and about
> a year later I followed. We're living in Kyoto.
>
> Alas, there is one tragic note attending this otherwise joyous and
> perfect scenario. Japan, you see, is a land thouroughly devoid of one
> essential nutrient: contradancing. You can imagine my dismay, tears,
> and lamentations. Sadly, then, since my arrival, I have been quietly
> (well not so quietly) teaching english while secretly incubating evil
> plans to conquer Japan, then Asia, then the world in 64 (drastic)
> measures (hmmm--- good name for a dance). This month, my long patient
> agony of waiting has begun to pay off. I have been given the
> opportunity to indoctrinate a few trusting and innocent souls into
> the sublime mysteries of la dance du contra and create an army of
> swiftfooted robots, ready and willing to do my bidding at every call.
> SOON I WILL CONQUER THE WORLD!!!
>
> ahem.
>
> please excuse me while my medicine kicks in. Ah, yes, thank you. OK,
> where was I? The fact is, my wife and I have been invited to lead a
> contradance workshop at a local festival on October 20. When we found
> out, we began doing as much research as we could on calling and so
> on. We found a few basic dances, like Baby Rose and Diane's Visit and
> Atonement Reel that we like and figured would be suitable and we have
> been practicing calling them. But I really welcome any suggestions...
>
> Actually, above and beyond some decades of doing things proper and
> improper, I took a caller workshop or two from Rick Mohr (thanks
> Rick) so I have a rough idea of what's involved. And I've learned a
> bit from practicing calling and writing a few ad hoc dances on my
> own. For example, I learned that being a dancer has habituated me to
> act ON the beat, but as a caller I need to act BEFORE the beat,
> eh....this flustered me at first. Are there any other typical first
> caller pointers we should be on the lookout for?
>
> In addition, there are a few other associated circumstances in this
> project that create the aforementioned unique situation. In brief
> (HA! fooled you), since I've rattled on too long, here is what I mean:
>
> I don't speak more than the rudiments of Japanese. My wife is still a
> beginner dancer, to wit, she isn't a strong enough one to call on her
> own. Between us we are trying to teach each other what the other
> lacks and hopefully make one good caller out of the two of us. One
> question that has come up is is it better to keep the standard names
> for the figures, or to Japanify them. (We are leaning to the
> former...Japanese has a very high percentage of english loan words,
> and they learn english (poooooorly) in school.) Still, has anyone
> ever tried to call across a language barrier?
>
> Japanese are touch sensitve. They don't touch, they don't give eye
> contact. They don't give weight. (They give wait). They don't hug.
> They don't even say I love you. They are very shy. For example, I am
> told that this is to the point that standing in a line of men facing
> a line of women is likely be uncomfortable, even for the younger
> generation, so Yukie feels we should use mixed couples with armbands
> to distinguish "gender"--I mean position. As we build a community of
> experienced dancers, it would be expected that some of this
> inhibition might wear off...). You can see why they need to dance. On
> the other hand, they are good followers. Any advice for working with
> a shy crowd?
>
> Some or many of the attendees at this workshop, we just found out,
> are likely to be children. Depending on the percentage, it may be
> necessary to do a kids dance, or at least a dance kids could enjoy. I
> am good at working with kids in general, but I would love any advice
> for doing a dance with young people. I don't know or haven't been
> able to find any children's dances, though I assume the Family Dance
> in Yarmouth is still up and I plan to contact Jeff Raymond about it,
> because I can't remember the caller's name (Nancy....) (though we
> have danced and chatted about dancing and calling several times at
> the May Day Festival...gads! say hi if you're listening..).
> So, children's dances are one thing I am looking for.
>
> We are working in a small space...maybe two lines of six couples
> each. Advice for small spaces???　
>
> We are doing three workshops. If the same people return, we may do
> more advanced things, or we may just repeat teh workshop...but I
> would like to try different dances each time, for my practice.
>
> The room will be full of beginners, so no experienced dancers to rely
> on. Ballroom dancing had a certain following here (and in Kyoto there
> is a small set dancing group that we visited...small 14 or so... and
> a square dancing group that we plan to visit. ) but not enough to be
> helpful, in the sense that there are few cultural supports for
> learning (i.e. in the US most everyone knows (even if they don't
> admit it) how to at least fake a waltz or ballroom position...not
> here.) Think martian territory...
>
> I should add that we are seriously working towards starting a regular
> dance here (we've found an available and very suitable space, a
> church hall in a nearby church, for example) and this is for us a
> tryout and possible stepping stone. We want to whet people's
> appetite, and leave them wanting more. We have a half hour to do it...
>
> OK...apologies for the verbose and windy post. Fond regards to all of
> you I know, hajimemashite ("nice to meet you" in japanese, literally
> "beginning") to the rest and many thanks in advance for your time and
> help...cheers...david
>
> nothing rhymes with nostril...
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> ____
> __________
> Don't let your dream ride pass you by. Make it a reality with
> Yahoo! Autos.
> [3]http://autos.yahoo.com/index.html
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> [4]Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> [5]http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
> References
>
> 1. http://www.tsmworks.com/
> 2. mailto:sharedweight.99.kyoto@spamgourmet.com
> 3. http://autos.yahoo.com/index.html
> 4. mailto:Callers@sharedweight.net
> 5. http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
Greetings
This weekend past, I made my annual pilgramage to Gorham NH
to call the dance at Chapel Arts Center...
We had a great time for the first hr. We actually danced some easier
contras! As the evening progressed we lost some dancers, who had other
plans and still others who wanted to sit in with the band...
LSS by 9:30 there were 3-4 people dancing (myself included)
I made up some dances "on the fly" but soon the dances seemed to
resemble the previous "dance" We did some couple dances but the band
wanted to play Jigs and Reels. We danced LaBastrange with 6 people (wich
was interesting!and fast!)
My Q is: are there dances, created for just such situations (3-4 dancers)?
Once again, Gorham was a learning experiance!
Thanks
See ya Dancing
Gale
I'd like some comments about using the move, Down the Hall, Four in
Line, in the first dance of the evening.
This is often done, but two people have told me that when there are
newcomers, it is a confusing move, as it takes you out of your circle of
four, and away from the area in which you are dancing. It was felt that
this is disorienting. The suggestion was that it might be better used
AFTER a dance where the circle of four stays together.
Do any of you have comments on that?
Thanks
Jo Mortland
Chicago
Hi folks
I seem to have hit an interesting wall in my newish calling
career, and would love to know your thoughts and strategies
about how best to deal with it. Ive been calling contra
for two years, the first year learning through guest spots,
classes, and half-dances. Since last November Ive called
full dances, averaging 2-3 dances/month, mostly contras
with a few barn dances.
My problem is this: Im having trouble getting a couple of
our local programmers to book me.
In their defense, we do have a lot of good callers around
here vying for the few slots. And one of our local
programmers is trying to run a consistently high-powered
dance, booking many world-class callers and bands. I have
never asked her about calling that dance, and in fact
aspire to become a caller she seeks out some day in the
future.
But the other dances are a different story. The one that
prompted me to reach out to you here is a medium-sized
hometown type dance featuring lots of different callers and
bands. I dance there often; its one of my home venues. I
have called one half-dance there, to great reviews from
both the dancers and the other caller. The band said they
enjoyed working with me too. Unfortunately, the programmer
was away at a camp that evening. He has only seen me call
guest spots all of which he says he thoroughly enjoyed
but only one full evening elsewhere, and heres the rub:
wit wasnt my best evening. It was a special 4-hour dance,
the longest gig Ive ever done solo. I made a few minor
mistakes. And the band was a primarily English band which
meant very nice music, but mild, not at all zesty.
The programmer in question is a friend of mine in the
dancing community. Were fond of each other as both dance
partners and people. When I realized he might not be asking
me to call his dance because he doesnt think Im a good
enough caller, it felt devastating. But I got up the guts
to approach him at the end of last nights dance after the
fiddler, notorious for his curmudgeonly pickiness, asked
when I was calling next and announced that he and his
girlfriend are my biggest fans. (I was quite floored,
and grateful. An ego boost can do wonders at moments like
that.) So I approached the programmer. Can I ask you a
question? I asked. I dont know if I want to answer, he
replied, looking very nervous and obviously knowing what
was coming. Well, Im gonna ask it anyway, I told him,
and took his arm as we walked away from the others in the
room. If, as I now suspect, you dont like the way I
call, what is it about it you dont like so I can work on
improving that? He looked relieved then, and was kind
enough to respond very honestly.
He named a number of things he hadnt liked about the one
full dance hed been at. He gave the hairy eyeball to my
inclusion of a particular mixer. He also said at one point
in a contra, one knot of folks was having trouble and I
came down on the floor to help them, but that left the rest
of them floundering awhile with no prompting. His memory
was astounding I dont remember that at all. Perhaps I
didnt think anything of it at the time, or perhaps I was
even proud of myself for being able to then get back up on
the stool and call to everyone correctly after helping like
that. I definitely still have a LOT to learn. I believe
the biggest mistake he pointed out (and rightly) was that I
didnt seem perfectly familiar with how to teach one of the
dances, and dancers had to ask a question to clarify. Its
likely true: I try to call one dance thats new to me each
evening, in order to expand my repertoire, and every time I
call one I seem to learn some new nuance about how to lead
it better.
He said he therefore thinks I need more practice. I
heartily agreed with that, and then pointed out that the
way to get it is by having gigs that allow me to do more
calling! He then said that thats what the tiny venues are
for.
But I feel troubled by this answer. Ive been calling those
venues, and will gladly continue to. However, it seems to
me that if a caller is only exposed to small halls
half-full of beginners, s/he will learn to call to that
level very well, but not to call dances appropriate for
more advanced dancers. How will I ever gain that skill if
Im not given the chance to try it? Its a catch-22. These
venues also often book very inexperienced bands, who dont
know what Im talking about when I try to discuss pairing
dances/tunes. So I have ideas of how Id like to become a
better caller, but these circumstances are keeping me from
achieving that.
I also strongly believe that its every dance
organizations responsibility to foster new talent, if they
want the group to stay alive. My local group has acted on
this seriously in the past, in fact giving me and others
matching scholarships to go to CDSS camps calling classes.
(In my case, perhaps they figured out I wasnt going to go
away, so it was in their best interest to help me learn to
do it better. <g>) Whats happening now, though, is that
Ive hit some sort of glass ceiling. Im like in my calling
adolescence: no longer the cute beginner but also not yet a
rock star. If given the opportunity to call at a more
high-powered gig, I will not be perfect at it, no. But I
will get better and better, given the chance.
Hearing some programmers talk about callers and bands, I
have the sense now that a problematic gig like the one
Chris described in his recent growth post could be a
death sentence around here. That caller might never be
invited back.
My experience of hitting a wall didnt only happen that one
time. Earlier this month, trying to be proactive, I
inquired about potentially calling at a venue a bit more
than one hour from my home, another medium-sized/level
dance Ive danced at many times in the past but not
recently. That programmer asked the very good question,
what sort of program do you do, and is it suitable for our
dancers? I sent him a sample program I successfully called
at a similar venue, along with an offer to discuss his
current communitys particular dance level and to craft my
program accordingly. I have not heard back. Some say that
he likes to call most of the dances there himself, so may
be reluctant to share.
It feels so disheartening to be kept out, Im now
considering whether its worth it to continue trying to
call. Really, its been through frequent repetition that my
skills have improved so far. Ive popped a new level of
understanding in terms of how to envision the moves in
space, how to teach geometrically and in terms of people
the dancers will encounter, and how to really work with the
band to create a synergistic ball o fire. These skills
have recently grown exponentially. I enjoy doing it, and
have gotten some excellent positive feedback from dancers,
bands, and other programmers some of it even in writing,
so I can prove it. But if I have to fight to get one gig
every few months, I never will get better. Ill forget the
nuances of how to do it. Instead of building on each
other, every dance evening will be a singular struggle. And
I doubt its worth it. I love giving to the dance community
through calling, but also love dancing and that I feel
unquestioningly welcomed to do.
Thoughts? Strategies? Commiseration? How to best handle
this situation? Is there a way to encourage programmers to
nurture local talent? How did you manage to wrangle
getting gigs that allowed your skills to continually grow?
Sorry for the length of this post and the woe is me tone.
But I figured some detail might help in this case, and Im
really feeling at a loss.
Thank you, comrades, for any insight you might offer.
Tina Fields
Some thoughts:
If there's room in the general community, or interest, or other wanna-
be callers, or an underserved area in these days when driving is
getting expensive, start your own dance. Three of us in San Diego did
that years ago as we were learning to call. We had dance parties in
our driveways, invited people in the summer to the park for dance
parties (invited anyone who walked by to join in), usually only had
one acoustic musician playing (a dulcimer, a fiddle, a banjo, even a
penny whistle solo) finally found a small rec hall and some aspiring
musicians, and shared the dance until we got good enough to call half
each and then full dances. Start an infrequent dance if running a
regular one seems too onerous - every fifth Friday or something like
that, you run it, you can call at it. You have more control perhaps
of the bands you get to call with. Also, make sure others know that
you are available for emergencies - one never knows when a caller
will get sick or have a flat tire and someone will ask if you brought
your cards. Dance communities vary - some are run by callers, some
by dancers. And if you aren't involved in the managing of the dances,
in volunteering to do set-up, take-down, decoration at special
events, sitting at the door, etc. - if all you do is call, and others
are doing all the work, then get in there and put in more than just
dancing. Sweat equity, though it may have nothing to do with your
ability as a caller, will make others more willing to help you
towards your goals. Yes, it is important to encourage new callers,
but as an organizer, now, too, I know I don't want to do that at the
expense of confusion and dissatisfaction on the floor, especially if
other callers are ready, willing and able. One thing we did here was
to pair a new caller with an established one - split the evening. See
if there is an established caller willing to let you take part of the
evening at the mid-sized dance and if the organizer will go for it.
Go back to square one and ask to call three dances in the first half
- maybe the first three. When those go well, branch out and do just
the second three so you get more experience doing harder dances. And
if you can teach clearly to beginners, you can teach clearly to
advanced dancers. Just faster and with fewer walkthroughs. If you
play an instrument, play in a community band if there is one just to
get more familiar with what tunes go with what dances. But basically,
don't wait for (or expect) other people to make your own dreams
happen. I don't mean that as a slam, it's just the way it is. Most of
them are busy with their own dreams - like the caller who runs his
own dance and likes to call at it - why shouldn't he?
Good luck to you in branching out and finding ways to call more.
Martha
On Aug 18, 2008, at 9:00 AM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
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> 1. Trouble Getting Gigs (very long) (Tina Fields)
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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:25:46 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Tina Fields <tfields8(a)yahoo.com>
> Subject: [Callers] Trouble Getting Gigs (very long)
> To: "callers@ sharedweight.net" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID: <50006.55506.qm(a)web83207.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Hi folks ?
>
> I seem to have hit an interesting wall in my newish calling
> career, and would love to know your thoughts and strategies
> about how best to deal with it. I?ve been calling contra
> for two years, the first year learning through guest spots,
> classes, and half-dances. Since last November I?ve called
> full dances, averaging 2-3 dances/month, mostly contras
> with a few barn dances.
>
> My problem is this: I?m having trouble getting a couple of
> our local programmers to book me.
>
> In their defense, we do have a lot of good callers around
> here vying for the few slots. And one of our local
> programmers is trying to run a consistently high-powered
> dance, booking many world-class callers and bands. I have
> never asked her about calling that dance, and in fact
> aspire to become a caller she seeks out some day in the
> future.
>
> But the other dances are a different story. The one that
> prompted me to reach out to you here is a medium-sized
> hometown type dance featuring lots of different callers and
> bands. I dance there often; it?s one of my home venues. I
> have called one half-dance there, to great reviews from
> both the dancers and the other caller. The band said they
> enjoyed working with me too. Unfortunately, the programmer
> was away at a camp that evening. He has only seen me call
> guest spots ? all of which he says he thoroughly enjoyed ?
> but only one full evening elsewhere, and here?s the rub:
> wit wasn?t my best evening. It was a special 4-hour dance,
> the longest gig I?ve ever done solo. I made a few minor
> mistakes. And the band was a primarily English band ? which
> meant very nice music, but mild, not at all zesty.
>
> The programmer in question is a friend of mine in the
> dancing community. We?re fond of each other as both dance
> partners and people. When I realized he might not be asking
> me to call his dance because he doesn?t think I?m a good
> enough caller, it felt devastating. But I got up the guts
> to approach him at the end of last night?s dance after the
> fiddler, notorious for his curmudgeonly pickiness, asked
> when I was calling next and announced that he and his
> girlfriend are my ?biggest fans?. (I was quite floored,
> and grateful. An ego boost can do wonders at moments like
> that.) So I approached the programmer. ?Can I ask you a
> question?? I asked. ?I don?t know if I want to answer,? he
> replied, looking very nervous and obviously knowing what
> was coming. ?Well, I?m gonna ask it anyway,? I told him,
> and took his arm as we walked away from the others in the
> room. ?If, as I now suspect, you don?t like the way I
> call, what is it about it you don?t like so I can work on
> improving that?? He looked relieved then, and was kind
> enough to respond very honestly.
>
> He named a number of things he hadn?t liked about the one
> full dance he?d been at. He gave the hairy eyeball to my
> inclusion of a particular mixer. He also said at one point
> in a contra, one knot of folks was having trouble and I
> came down on the floor to help them, but that left the rest
> of them floundering awhile with no prompting. His memory
> was astounding ? I don?t remember that at all. Perhaps I
> didn?t think anything of it at the time, or perhaps I was
> even proud of myself for being able to then get back up on
> the stool and call to everyone correctly after helping like
> that. I definitely still have a LOT to learn. I believe
> the biggest mistake he pointed out (and rightly) was that I
> didn?t seem perfectly familiar with how to teach one of the
> dances, and dancers had to ask a question to clarify. It?s
> likely true: I try to call one dance that?s new to me each
> evening, in order to expand my repertoire, and every time I
> call one I seem to learn some new nuance about how to lead
> it better.
>
> He said he therefore thinks I need more practice. I
> heartily agreed with that, and then pointed out that the
> way to get it is by having gigs that allow me to do more
> calling! He then said that that?s what the tiny venues are
> for.
>
> But I feel troubled by this answer. I?ve been calling those
> venues, and will gladly continue to. However, it seems to
> me that if a caller is only exposed to small halls
> half-full of beginners, s/he will learn to call to that
> level very well, but not to call dances appropriate for
> more advanced dancers. How will I ever gain that skill if
> I?m not given the chance to try it? It?s a catch-22. These
> venues also often book very inexperienced bands, who don?t
> know what I?m talking about when I try to discuss pairing
> dances/tunes. So I have ideas of how I?d like to become a
> better caller, but these circumstances are keeping me from
> achieving that.
>
> I also strongly believe that it?s every dance
> organization?s responsibility to foster new talent, if they
> want the group to stay alive. My local group has acted on
> this seriously in the past, in fact giving me and others
> matching scholarships to go to CDSS camp?s calling classes.
> (In my case, perhaps they figured out I wasn?t going to go
> away, so it was in their best interest to help me learn to
> do it better. <g>) What?s happening now, though, is that
> I?ve hit some sort of glass ceiling. I?m like in my calling
> adolescence: no longer the cute beginner but also not yet a
> rock star. If given the opportunity to call at a more
> high-powered gig, I will not be perfect at it, no. But I
> will get better and better, given the chance.
>
> Hearing some programmers talk about callers and bands, I
> have the sense now that a problematic gig like the one
> Chris described in his recent ?growth? post could be a
> death sentence around here. That caller might never be
> invited back.
>
> My experience of hitting a wall didn?t only happen that one
> time. Earlier this month, trying to be proactive, I
> inquired about potentially calling at a venue a bit more
> than one hour from my home, another medium-sized/level
> dance I?ve danced at many times in the past but not
> recently. That programmer asked the very good question,
> ?what sort of program do you do, and is it suitable for our
> dancers?? I sent him a sample program I successfully called
> at a similar venue, along with an offer to discuss his
> current community?s particular dance level and to craft my
> program accordingly. I have not heard back. Some say that
> he likes to call most of the dances there himself, so may
> be reluctant to share.
>
> It feels so disheartening to be kept out, I?m now
> considering whether it?s worth it to continue trying to
> call. Really, it?s been through frequent repetition that my
> skills have improved so far. I?ve popped a new level of
> understanding in terms of how to envision the moves in
> space, how to teach geometrically and in terms of people
> the dancers will encounter, and how to really work with the
> band to create a synergistic ball o? fire. These skills
> have recently grown exponentially. I enjoy doing it, and
> have gotten some excellent positive feedback from dancers,
> bands, and other programmers ? some of it even in writing,
> so I can prove it. But if I have to fight to get one gig
> every few months, I never will get better. I?ll forget the
> nuances of how to do it. Instead of building on each
> other, every dance evening will be a singular struggle. And
> I doubt it?s worth it. I love giving to the dance community
> through calling, but also love dancing ? and that I feel
> unquestioningly welcomed to do.
>
> Thoughts? Strategies? Commiseration? How to best handle
> this situation? Is there a way to encourage programmers to
> nurture local talent? How did you manage to wrangle
> getting gigs that allowed your skills to continually grow?
>
>
> Sorry for the length of this post and the ?woe is me? tone.
> But I figured some detail might help in this case, and I?m
> really feeling at a loss.
>
> Thank you, comrades, for any insight you might offer.
>
> Tina Fields
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 48, Issue 9
> **************************************
Hi all,
Interesting discussion. I've excerpted some of these emails (stripping names and email addresses) and sent the question on to the organizers list.
I could understand feeling frustrated with a desire to have more gigs than one is getting. But I also can see
the point of the organizers, whose first responsibility is not
necessarily to cultivate growth in the caller/musician community but is
rather to run a series that meets the expectations of the dancers and
the organizers themselves.
I am a caller who also is a founding co-organizer of our local series. We have a certain mission and standards for skill/expertise/style of performers. Ours is one of those with only 12 slots per year, and I generally call about half of those. This leaves 6 caller slots and 12 band slots. And frankly, that's not a lot of room for "giving someone a chance" (given the aforementioned responsibility to dancers/organizers over caller/musician cultivation.)
That said, our committee does support caller/musician growth in other ways.
We have an open, all-comers band for our community dance (modeled on bands I'd witnessed with David Kaynor's All-Comers Band dances in western Massachusetts and The Lamprey River Band's open stage policy in Dover, NH) We also do some homework, asking around about bands who come to us wanting to be booked (checking with trusted organizer colleagues or other dancers, listening to demo recordings, going with our gut feelings, etc.) and have sometimes booked bands that were new to us.
We have run additional dances in our hall (on off nights) including one for a group of developing callers in Maine, in conjunction with a short workshop/discussion the next day. As a caller I have occasionally offered a slot in my program to developing callers who I think have particular promise. (Which is to say, they seem like they might be becoming a caller I could stand behind - a subjective analysis to be sure.)
So, back to your question, as a new caller I benefited from open mic and multi-caller nights as well as dance camps. In my experience it was most important to develop trusted relationships with mentors and colleagues. As has been said, they should be people who are willing to give you honest feedback on your calling (and from whom you are willing to receive such honest feedback) and given this, they will be more likely to refer you for gigs that they can't do, or to vouch for you as references, etc. I've played both roles, as mentee/colleague and mentor/critic. Good for all concerned.
And I agree completely with Seth's pithy comment. Excruciating to listen to recordings or to watch video, but enlightening and invaluable.
And finally, I'd say that as I've grown more as a caller, I've found myself having just as much fun calling for family/community/school/small dances with clueless clientele as I do calling for the hot urban-style dances with highly skilled clientele. I'd caution anyone against dismissing the delights and satisfactions of the former in favor of the glory of the latter.
Chrissy Fowler
Belfast, ME
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Thank you Tina!
A lively discussion! you are not alone!
I live and dance in an area where there is a lively dance community
(southern New Hampshire)
Years ago I took over as co-organizer of a dance and inevitably there was
a dance where
the caller could not make it. So, with the aid of my co-organizer,
we called the dance! I had a ball!
This started me on the path of caller. A lot of my calling experience has
been trial by fire. In the beginning I was trying to call dances,
above my ability, to mixed groups
of dancers. The beginners were confused and the old hands were
frustrated but
gracious. I have been at it for 5 years.
I have been blessed with a 2 venues that have allowed me to call one full
evening per season. There is also 1 venue that allows me to call 1 dance
a month, and surprisingly this is where I have gained the most
experience as a caller. (lots of college age newbies!)
I do lots of calling from the floor
i.e.: while dancing. Much of my dance time is spent in the less crowded
side sets
where the newer dancers congregate. I find this helps with quick memory
of moves and Dances (now if I could put them into
long term memory!)
and is a great place to teach dances. (many thanks from beginners!)
I have been frustrated by not being asked to call at smaller dance
venues, that are
organized by friends, its not worth risking the friendship, also Im not
going to beg tocall any venue.
My hope is that these organizers will come to one of my dances and see
that my skill level has improved enough to be acceptable to their
standards.
I was ready to give away all of my notes, dance books, and cards this
past spring because there were no opportunities coming my way,
a fellow caller dissuaded me from taking
that course of action.
Im glad he did because this Fall/Winter I am calling 2 full evening
dances!
One thing you may wish to do is approach organizers and ask if they would
be interested
in doing an open caller night. (they get the callers for free!) Its an
interesting dynamic to co-ordinate with other callers so that your not
calling the same type of dances and have a varied evening and you get
to pick up new material by doing dance swaps!
Organize a house junket, and invite local organizers as your
GPs (feed them well!)
Encourage dancers, who compliment you on your calling, to please let
organizers know your available.
The word will get around!
Good Luck
Thanks
Gale Wood
Tina,
Recently, after two years of calling full nights at various locations in NY metro area, I had to be evaluated while calling a full night for a dance community. This process may have seemed overkill but what the process did was to remove subjectivty from the process. The evaluation form was derived from the Atlanta dance series and here is the link to the form: http://www.contradance.org/pdfs/caller_eval.pdf The form is quite extensive.
Also, I agree what has been stated from others that it is very helpful and important to have a mentor. Someone who would be honest with constructive feedback both good and bad. When I have taped myself, it is possible to review an evening for areas of improvement and areas that were well done. The tape doesn't have selective memory like I sometimes do. A mentor would be able to point out areas for improvement and areas done well.
See ya on the floor,
Dan
