Jack & all,
Been there, done that! Here's what I learned.
Forget the stylistic stuff, start with the basics of how do contra lines
progress.
Contra dancers make loads of assumptions, MWSD do not make
assumptions. They want (need) to be told almost everything. Most
importantly, which way to face and where to stand. Be very specific, even
when you don't think you need to be. Watch carefully during the walk thru(s)
and you'll see the trouble spots.
To contra dancers, the term Partner always refers to the same person. Not
so with MWSD.
MWSD works with beats of music, not phrases. Tell them how many beats
to move and they will be fine.
I insisted on bringing musicians and alternated with the MWSD caller. He
used recorded music(?). It didn't take long before the musicians were
playing along and filling in the recordings.
I'd do it again but would definately ask for more money.
Have fun, John McIntire, Unity, ME
Hi
Does anyone recognise this one?
N balance, box the gnat
M allemande left 1.5
P balance, box the gnat
Hey (1/2, men start left)
P balnce & swing
Ladies chain
Star left
Michael Barraclough
www.michaelbarraclough.com
I hear the IRS is moving to strip nonprofit status from groups that haven't
filed returns for several years running, you might want to check it out just
to maintain the exemption for your dance group.
>From National Public Radio:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126745771
>From the IRS website:
http://www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=169250,00.html
I encourage you to pass this along to your groups' treasurers or other
officers to make sure your organization's status is maintained.
--Jerome
--
Jerome Grisanti
660-528-0858
http://www.jeromegrisanti.com
For the good are always the merry,
Save by an evil chance,
And the merry love the fiddle
And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats
Hi everyone,
I have a question about dance length - not the length of time you run a particular dance, but the length of an evening of dancing. In Chicago, we recently went from a three-hour Monday night dance to a two-and-a-half hour Monday night dance. Some dancers like ending earlier, some really hate it and others don't seem to care.
>From a caller's perspective, will you generally keep calling contras when there are three or four couples left? I know one can always call squares or triplets, or ask the band to play waltzes, but I'm specifically curious about contras. Do people think there's a minimum number of dancers necessary for a contra line? I've danced in four-couple contra lines, and I don't think it's a whole lot of fun. And I've been the caller at 10:45 p.m. trying to call a square dance, which I'm not good at yet, and I don't think that's a lot of fun either.
Thanks for any input you all have....
Meg
Hi there,
> Who wants to take bets that the answers to this poll shake out thusly:
>
> 1. one walk-through - East and West coast
> 2. two walk-throughs - all others
>
I must contradict this conclusion. Maine is definitely the East Coast. Dancers here don't generally seem to care if there are two walkthroughs or one. (At least most dancers, at most of the regular dance series.)
That said, whether the majority actively cares or not, I take Dan's points to be a reminder to aim for calling excellence in general, and in this case, to look at why one is doing two walkthroughs. If it mostly comes down to a failure on my part, I'd hope to make improvements in my calling practice such that I could do one walkthrough in the future (for a similar dance, with similar dancers, at a similar event.) While there are some regular contra series where I might do two walkthroughs every time anyhow (and start the dance with Galopede) it would be nice to have that necessitated by the situation and not weaknesses in my calling practice.
Of course, we callers are human (!) and for me, if I'm juggling too many things during the night (a band with wildly inconsistent tempos, an inexperienced sound person, a hall packed with hopping and loudly chatty dancers, sleep deprivation, program plan that's completely inappropriate, etc.), it's a blessed thing to be able to rely on two walkthroughs to get us all through to 11pm. And if everyone else (band, dancers, sound person) is smiling after a night of two walkthroughs, well, it can't be all that important in the scheme of things. Seems like they are all happier w an imperfect caller than w no caller at all.
Chrissy Fowler
Belfast, ME
_________________________________________________________________
The New Busy is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with Hotmail.
http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multiaccount&ocid=PID28…
I just led a session on conducting walk-throughs at NEFFA, so the topic is fresh on my mind. (BTW if anyone wants a copy of the handout from that session, drop me a line, and I'll send you a pdf.)
I have a hard-and-fast rule about walk-throughs: "There are no hard and fast rules." The number of walk-throughs depends on a zillion factors, so I usually make the decision about another walk-through at the end of the first walk through. But because I'm a big-city-slicker from the East Coast, my goal is usually one walk through. Why?
1) I like the pace of the evening to be at a reasonable clip. Extra walk-throughs tend to slow the evening down, in my opinion.
2) I want to train the dancers to pay attention the first time, and not rely on omnipresent subsequent walk-throughs.
3) I want to maintain my credibility by doing the right amount of teaching that a dance requires.
4) The level of the evening should be attainable by most, with just a few challenges.
5) I think the dancers want to dance.
Exceptions? Sure! Here are some:
a) Monthly dance, lots of new dancers? Two walk-throughs (especially 1st half of the evening). This is where I explain about "out at the ends". I might go to one walk-through later in the evening.
b) Experienced crowd? Maybe no walk-through. [Actually, a real-time walk-through with music, if you get my drift]
c) Triple Minor dance? Two walk-throughs. (so the 2's and 3's can experience the "other" role).
Decision Time: Do another one?
LISTEN to the crowd at the end of walkthrough 1 and differentiate between friendly chit-chat sounds, and worried murmurs of people asking each other what to do.
I would recommend to all callers that have tried one walk-through with little success to
a) Examine the material you have chosen. Is it reasonable dance material, or challenging, unorthodox, etc.?
b) Record yourself and analyze later whether the words you chose were the best ones to get the dancers to do what you wanted. If not, figure out better ones. In my mind, better = shorter, less ambiguous, more memorable, etc.
Happy dancing!
Dan
I agree with Tom. Each dance group is different - some have huge
influxes of beginners, or have regulars that are, for various
reasons, still challenged after years of dancing. Sometimes the first
half of a dance may require two walk-throughs for most dances, even
for forgiving dances, and the second half, after many newcomers get
tired (I think they tire more quickly because they are thinking more
and correcting their movements and just use more energy), can be one
WT or for dances without unusual figures, none. There are no hard and
fast rules and I watch whether there is confusion during the walk-
through, whether a bunch of inexperienced people suddenly joined the
end late and haven't even walked it through once, etc., etc. , and
mix in a decision on how much chaos I think the dance (and dancers)
can tolerate happily before it settles in, and decide on whether to
call a second walk-through. Better a second walk-through than a line
falling apart.
As for getting negative (and positive) feedback about these choices -
you'll never please everyone. There will always be someone who comes
and tells you that they didn't like "x" - and right after that
someone will walk up and thank you profusely for doing "x". One
friend of mine hates having the men do things together - like walk
down the hall four in line where men have hands together, or have a
mens swing, and doesn't like dances that have those moves, and he
tells me so. Other guys tell me they loved the mens swing in a
particular dance because they got to swing powerfully with someone of
equal weight and height and it was a blast. So don't even try to
please everyone, you won't. Basically, I figure that if there is
good energy on the floor during a dance, it flowed well, and the
dancers are smiling and clapping after the dance finishes, it's a
success. So, not to discount feedback, but try to put it in the
context of the person who gives it to you, and how much of it you are
getting.
And yes, different dance groups are amazingly different. There are
dance groups that love dances that have such moves as "sashay down",
or hand-claps, and other groups would hate them. One gets to know
one's local groups pretty well, but when you go to a really different
venue, it's sometimes surprising. Even the culture can be surprising.
Some places do a dance, then they socialize and eat for five minutes
before you can get them back to the floor. Others have formed new
lines before you've bent over to check your notes. Flexibility is key.
Martha
On May 2, 2010, at 9:00 AM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
> Send Callers mailing list submissions to
> callers(a)sharedweight.net
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> callers-request(a)sharedweight.net
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> callers-owner(a)sharedweight.net
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. walk-throughs/pay off (Tom Hinds)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 12:55:46 -0400
> From: Tom Hinds <twhinds(a)earthlink.net>
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: [Callers] walk-throughs/pay off
> Message-ID: <2706BF14-AC9F-478B-8B24-DE34D4197CA2(a)earthlink.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
>
> Great discussion about walk-throughs. In particular I like the 'mix
> it up' approach. Not too long ago I got chewed out by one person for
> doing two walk-throughs for several contras at Glen Echo on a
> Friday. Do we like to make up rules or what?
>
> I'd like to throw in an idea that I think others may have touched
> on. I like to use the square dance figure, teacup chain for groups
> that haven't danced it. I usually walk it through twice for the head
> ladies and let them do it by themselves a third time. Ditto for the
> side ladies. Then I walk it through for all four ladies once or
> twice. The total number of times the figure is walked through is 8
> but the figure is only 32 beats long. Add to this the instructions
> to the men and some of the rules for everyone, we have a great deal
> of instruction. Here's the catch: the teacup chain always gets the
> most applause from the crowd. It's the big thrill of the evening.
> What I've learned is that for some dances there's a pay off. My goal
> is to figure out what dances will pay off the most for each group.
>
> In the last year or so, I've noticed that what really turns on one
> group will bore or turn off another. I don't have a crystal ball yet
> and can't figure out why this is-still lots to learn.
>
> Tom
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On May 1, 2010, at 12:00 PM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
>
>> Send Callers mailing list submissions to
>> callers(a)sharedweight.net
>>
>> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
>> callers-request(a)sharedweight.net
>>
>> You can reach the person managing the list at
>> callers-owner(a)sharedweight.net
>>
>> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
>> than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..."
>>
>>
>> Today's Topics:
>>
>> 1. Re: Walk-throughs (Rich Goss)
>> 2. Re: Walk-throughs (Martha Edwards)
>> 3. Re: Walk-throughs (Katy Heine)
>> 4. Re: Walk-throughs (JohnFreem(a)aol.com)
>>
>>
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>> -
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:02:46 -0700
>> From: Rich Goss <richgoss(a)comcast.net>
>> To: Shared Weight <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
>> Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
>> Message-ID: <C8008576.8DA5%richgoss(a)comcast.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 4/30/10 11:29 AM, "Bob Isaacs" <isaacsbob(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Chris Weiler wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> "I subscribe to the theory that if I need more than one walk thru,
>>> then
>>> I'm calling a dance that is too difficult for the crowd. The main
>>> reason
>>> that I might run a second walk thru is if there is a clump of
>>> beginners
>>> and I need to get them progressed to new couples who can help
>>> them out. "
>>>
>>
>> Bob Isaacs wrote:
>>>
>>> Just curious - what are the dancer expectations where you call?
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Often I find that is just depends on the dance. Our Portland
>> Saturday
>> dances tend to have a fair number of beginners, somewhere around
>> 20-30
>> percent (we get between 100-150 total) If I observe that folks
>> seemed to
>> get it the first time, back it up and go. If it's a dance with a
>> tricky
>> move, second walkthrough. If I've had to demo a move in the first
>> walkthrough, definitely a second with the feel of the flow. I
>> always try to
>> throw in a no-walkthrough sometime during the evening, with
>> familiar moves.
>>
>> Rich
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:26:33 -0500
>> From: Martha Edwards <meedwards(a)westendweb.com>
>> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
>> Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
>> Message-ID:
>> <z2g7d8d864a1004301426m67c8b0c3wdadfb9ea70806b7c(a)mail.gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>>
>> I've had East coast callers tell me in no uncertain terms that if
>> you have
>> to walk it through more than once you'd better figure out a better
>> way to
>> call or choose simpler dances.
>>
>> But we're used to two out here in the Heartland, so we have all
>> kinds of
>> reasons why it's better. Number one is that the two walkthroughs have
>> different functions - the first one to explain the moves, the
>> second to show
>> what you have to do when you do them at speed.
>>
>> The number two reason is that the experienced dancers are talking
>> during the
>> first walkthrough, knowing that another one is coming...
>>
>> Hmmm....
>>
>> M
>> E
>>
>> On Fri, Apr 30, 2010 at 3:02 PM, Rich Goss <richgoss(a)comcast.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 4/30/10 11:29 AM, "Bob Isaacs" <isaacsbob(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Chris Weiler wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "I subscribe to the theory that if I need more than one walk
>>>> thru, then
>>>> I'm calling a dance that is too difficult for the crowd. The
>>>> main reason
>>>> that I might run a second walk thru is if there is a clump of
>>>> beginners
>>>> and I need to get them progressed to new couples who can help
>>>> them out.
>>> "
>>>>
>>>
>>> Bob Isaacs wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Just curious - what are the dancer expectations where you call?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Often I find that is just depends on the dance. Our Portland
>>> Saturday
>>> dances tend to have a fair number of beginners, somewhere around
>>> 20-30
>>> percent (we get between 100-150 total) If I observe that folks
>>> seemed to
>>> get it the first time, back it up and go. If it's a dance with a
>>> tricky
>>> move, second walkthrough. If I've had to demo a move in the first
>>> walkthrough, definitely a second with the feel of the flow. I
>>> always try
>>> to
>>> throw in a no-walkthrough sometime during the evening, with
>>> familiar moves.
>>>
>>> Rich
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Callers mailing list
>>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> For the good are always the merry,
>> Save by an evil chance,
>> And the merry love the fiddle
>> And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 3
>> Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 07:23:16 -0400
>> From: "Katy Heine" <kheine(a)twcny.rr.com>
>> To: "'Caller's discussion list'" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
>> Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
>> Message-ID: <0F40BEA5136F43BBA70CE3BE69348CC9@stewart>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Interesting discussion. Here in central New York, I don't think the
>> dancers
>> have a clear expectation about the number of times a dance should
>> be walked
>> through (although generally there's a preference for single walk-
>> throughs,
>> and little tolerance for more than two). The approach that I've
>> decided to
>> take is to mix it up: use one walk-through for simpler dances and
>> two when a
>> dance is particularly complex ... or when the dance is new to me,
>> or when I
>> feel I haven't done the best job teaching it the first time. So far
>> no one
>> has complained....
>>
>> Katy Heine
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net
>> [mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Martha Edwards
>> Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 5:27 PM
>> To: Caller's discussion list
>> Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
>>
>> I've had East coast callers tell me in no uncertain terms that if
>> you have
>> to walk it through more than once you'd better figure out a better
>> way to
>> call or choose simpler dances.
>>
>> But we're used to two out here in the Heartland, so we have all
>> kinds of
>> reasons why it's better. Number one is that the two walkthroughs have
>> different functions - the first one to explain the moves, the
>> second to show
>> what you have to do when you do them at speed.
>>
>> The number two reason is that the experienced dancers are talking
>> during the
>> first walkthrough, knowing that another one is coming...
>>
>> Hmmm....
>>
>> M
>> E
>>
>> On Fri, Apr 30, 2010 at 3:02 PM, Rich Goss <richgoss(a)comcast.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 4/30/10 11:29 AM, "Bob Isaacs" <isaacsbob(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Chris Weiler wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "I subscribe to the theory that if I need more than one walk
>>>> thru, then
>>>> I'm calling a dance that is too difficult for the crowd. The main
>> reason
>>>> that I might run a second walk thru is if there is a clump of
>>>> beginners
>>>> and I need to get them progressed to new couples who can help
>>>> them out.
>>> "
>>>>
>>>
>>> Bob Isaacs wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Just curious - what are the dancer expectations where you call?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Often I find that is just depends on the dance. Our Portland
>>> Saturday
>>> dances tend to have a fair number of beginners, somewhere around
>>> 20-30
>>> percent (we get between 100-150 total) If I observe that folks
>>> seemed to
>>> get it the first time, back it up and go. If it's a dance with a
>>> tricky
>>> move, second walkthrough. If I've had to demo a move in the first
>>> walkthrough, definitely a second with the feel of the flow. I
>>> always try
>>> to
>>> throw in a no-walkthrough sometime during the evening, with familiar
>> moves.
>>>
>>> Rich
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Callers mailing list
>>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> For the good are always the merry,
>> Save by an evil chance,
>> And the merry love the fiddle
>> And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 4
>> Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 07:37:47 EDT
>> From: JohnFreem(a)aol.com
>> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
>> Message-ID: <771.741827bc.390d6c8b(a)aol.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>>
>> Good morning!
>>
>> I just returned from watching Ann Arbor Morris brave a torrential
>> downpour
>> to welcome the spring in. We were all soaked clear through
>> to...well, I'll
>> leave that to your imagination.
>>
>> Anyway, since I usually work with mixed crowds, I tend to favor
>> two or
>> three walkthroughs. I think that it give the newbies a few
>> opportunities to
>> learn how the progression works, to learn that it's "places, not
>> faces" that
>> often determines who you will be dancing with, and to rein the
>> center set crowd
>> in a bit so we are on the same page as we begin. I also may switch
>> to a
>> proper dance if the "experienced dancers" cross over before the
>> sets have
>> sorted themselves out. I discourage "flourishes" during the
>> walkthroughs. They do
>> nothing to enhance the teaching, and often really confuse the
>> beginners. I
>> don't mind them later...as long as they don't interfere with the
>> enjoyment
>> of others.
>>
>> And yes, I AM the chief of the Dance Police. :-)
>>
>> John B. Freeman, President
>> SFTPOCTJ
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>>
>>
>> End of Callers Digest, Vol 69, Issue 1
>> **************************************
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 69, Issue 2
> **************************************
Great discussion about walk-throughs. In particular I like the 'mix
it up' approach. Not too long ago I got chewed out by one person for
doing two walk-throughs for several contras at Glen Echo on a
Friday. Do we like to make up rules or what?
I'd like to throw in an idea that I think others may have touched
on. I like to use the square dance figure, teacup chain for groups
that haven't danced it. I usually walk it through twice for the head
ladies and let them do it by themselves a third time. Ditto for the
side ladies. Then I walk it through for all four ladies once or
twice. The total number of times the figure is walked through is 8
but the figure is only 32 beats long. Add to this the instructions
to the men and some of the rules for everyone, we have a great deal
of instruction. Here's the catch: the teacup chain always gets the
most applause from the crowd. It's the big thrill of the evening.
What I've learned is that for some dances there's a pay off. My goal
is to figure out what dances will pay off the most for each group.
In the last year or so, I've noticed that what really turns on one
group will bore or turn off another. I don't have a crystal ball yet
and can't figure out why this is-still lots to learn.
Tom
On May 1, 2010, at 12:00 PM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
> Send Callers mailing list submissions to
> callers(a)sharedweight.net
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> callers-request(a)sharedweight.net
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> callers-owner(a)sharedweight.net
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: Walk-throughs (Rich Goss)
> 2. Re: Walk-throughs (Martha Edwards)
> 3. Re: Walk-throughs (Katy Heine)
> 4. Re: Walk-throughs (JohnFreem(a)aol.com)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:02:46 -0700
> From: Rich Goss <richgoss(a)comcast.net>
> To: Shared Weight <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
> Message-ID: <C8008576.8DA5%richgoss(a)comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
>
>
>
> On 4/30/10 11:29 AM, "Bob Isaacs" <isaacsbob(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Chris Weiler wrote:
>>
>>
>> "I subscribe to the theory that if I need more than one walk thru,
>> then
>> I'm calling a dance that is too difficult for the crowd. The main
>> reason
>> that I might run a second walk thru is if there is a clump of
>> beginners
>> and I need to get them progressed to new couples who can help
>> them out. "
>>
>
> Bob Isaacs wrote:
>>
>> Just curious - what are the dancer expectations where you call?
>>
>>
>
> Often I find that is just depends on the dance. Our Portland Saturday
> dances tend to have a fair number of beginners, somewhere around 20-30
> percent (we get between 100-150 total) If I observe that folks
> seemed to
> get it the first time, back it up and go. If it's a dance with a
> tricky
> move, second walkthrough. If I've had to demo a move in the first
> walkthrough, definitely a second with the feel of the flow. I
> always try to
> throw in a no-walkthrough sometime during the evening, with
> familiar moves.
>
> Rich
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:26:33 -0500
> From: Martha Edwards <meedwards(a)westendweb.com>
> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
> Message-ID:
> <z2g7d8d864a1004301426m67c8b0c3wdadfb9ea70806b7c(a)mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> I've had East coast callers tell me in no uncertain terms that if
> you have
> to walk it through more than once you'd better figure out a better
> way to
> call or choose simpler dances.
>
> But we're used to two out here in the Heartland, so we have all
> kinds of
> reasons why it's better. Number one is that the two walkthroughs have
> different functions - the first one to explain the moves, the
> second to show
> what you have to do when you do them at speed.
>
> The number two reason is that the experienced dancers are talking
> during the
> first walkthrough, knowing that another one is coming...
>
> Hmmm....
>
> M
> E
>
> On Fri, Apr 30, 2010 at 3:02 PM, Rich Goss <richgoss(a)comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 4/30/10 11:29 AM, "Bob Isaacs" <isaacsbob(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Chris Weiler wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> "I subscribe to the theory that if I need more than one walk
>>> thru, then
>>> I'm calling a dance that is too difficult for the crowd. The
>>> main reason
>>> that I might run a second walk thru is if there is a clump of
>>> beginners
>>> and I need to get them progressed to new couples who can help
>>> them out.
>> "
>>>
>>
>> Bob Isaacs wrote:
>>>
>>> Just curious - what are the dancer expectations where you call?
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Often I find that is just depends on the dance. Our Portland
>> Saturday
>> dances tend to have a fair number of beginners, somewhere around
>> 20-30
>> percent (we get between 100-150 total) If I observe that folks
>> seemed to
>> get it the first time, back it up and go. If it's a dance with a
>> tricky
>> move, second walkthrough. If I've had to demo a move in the first
>> walkthrough, definitely a second with the feel of the flow. I
>> always try
>> to
>> throw in a no-walkthrough sometime during the evening, with
>> familiar moves.
>>
>> Rich
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>>
>
>
>
> --
> For the good are always the merry,
> Save by an evil chance,
> And the merry love the fiddle
> And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 07:23:16 -0400
> From: "Katy Heine" <kheine(a)twcny.rr.com>
> To: "'Caller's discussion list'" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
> Message-ID: <0F40BEA5136F43BBA70CE3BE69348CC9@stewart>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Interesting discussion. Here in central New York, I don't think the
> dancers
> have a clear expectation about the number of times a dance should
> be walked
> through (although generally there's a preference for single walk-
> throughs,
> and little tolerance for more than two). The approach that I've
> decided to
> take is to mix it up: use one walk-through for simpler dances and
> two when a
> dance is particularly complex ... or when the dance is new to me,
> or when I
> feel I haven't done the best job teaching it the first time. So far
> no one
> has complained....
>
> Katy Heine
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net
> [mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Martha Edwards
> Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 5:27 PM
> To: Caller's discussion list
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
>
> I've had East coast callers tell me in no uncertain terms that if
> you have
> to walk it through more than once you'd better figure out a better
> way to
> call or choose simpler dances.
>
> But we're used to two out here in the Heartland, so we have all
> kinds of
> reasons why it's better. Number one is that the two walkthroughs have
> different functions - the first one to explain the moves, the
> second to show
> what you have to do when you do them at speed.
>
> The number two reason is that the experienced dancers are talking
> during the
> first walkthrough, knowing that another one is coming...
>
> Hmmm....
>
> M
> E
>
> On Fri, Apr 30, 2010 at 3:02 PM, Rich Goss <richgoss(a)comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 4/30/10 11:29 AM, "Bob Isaacs" <isaacsbob(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Chris Weiler wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> "I subscribe to the theory that if I need more than one walk
>>> thru, then
>>> I'm calling a dance that is too difficult for the crowd. The main
> reason
>>> that I might run a second walk thru is if there is a clump of
>>> beginners
>>> and I need to get them progressed to new couples who can help
>>> them out.
>> "
>>>
>>
>> Bob Isaacs wrote:
>>>
>>> Just curious - what are the dancer expectations where you call?
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Often I find that is just depends on the dance. Our Portland
>> Saturday
>> dances tend to have a fair number of beginners, somewhere around
>> 20-30
>> percent (we get between 100-150 total) If I observe that folks
>> seemed to
>> get it the first time, back it up and go. If it's a dance with a
>> tricky
>> move, second walkthrough. If I've had to demo a move in the first
>> walkthrough, definitely a second with the feel of the flow. I
>> always try
>> to
>> throw in a no-walkthrough sometime during the evening, with familiar
> moves.
>>
>> Rich
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Callers mailing list
>> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>>
>
>
>
> --
> For the good are always the merry,
> Save by an evil chance,
> And the merry love the fiddle
> And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 07:37:47 EDT
> From: JohnFreem(a)aol.com
> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
> Message-ID: <771.741827bc.390d6c8b(a)aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
> Good morning!
>
> I just returned from watching Ann Arbor Morris brave a torrential
> downpour
> to welcome the spring in. We were all soaked clear through
> to...well, I'll
> leave that to your imagination.
>
> Anyway, since I usually work with mixed crowds, I tend to favor two or
> three walkthroughs. I think that it give the newbies a few
> opportunities to
> learn how the progression works, to learn that it's "places, not
> faces" that
> often determines who you will be dancing with, and to rein the
> center set crowd
> in a bit so we are on the same page as we begin. I also may switch
> to a
> proper dance if the "experienced dancers" cross over before the
> sets have
> sorted themselves out. I discourage "flourishes" during the
> walkthroughs. They do
> nothing to enhance the teaching, and often really confuse the
> beginners. I
> don't mind them later...as long as they don't interfere with the
> enjoyment
> of others.
>
> And yes, I AM the chief of the Dance Police. :-)
>
> John B. Freeman, President
> SFTPOCTJ
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
>
> End of Callers Digest, Vol 69, Issue 1
> **************************************
Good morning!
I just returned from watching Ann Arbor Morris brave a torrential downpour
to welcome the spring in. We were all soaked clear through to...well, I'll
leave that to your imagination.
Anyway, since I usually work with mixed crowds, I tend to favor two or
three walkthroughs. I think that it give the newbies a few opportunities to
learn how the progression works, to learn that it's "places, not faces" that
often determines who you will be dancing with, and to rein the center set crowd
in a bit so we are on the same page as we begin. I also may switch to a
proper dance if the "experienced dancers" cross over before the sets have
sorted themselves out. I discourage "flourishes" during the walkthroughs. They do
nothing to enhance the teaching, and often really confuse the beginners. I
don't mind them later...as long as they don't interfere with the enjoyment
of others.
And yes, I AM the chief of the Dance Police. :-)
John B. Freeman, President
SFTPOCTJ
--- Delia wrote:
One circle of four ended up in the wrong places as the dance progressed and it
appeared that the others near them couldn't figure out how to fix it and land
them in the correct spots
--- end of quote ---
Rather than sending everyone home and doing two more walkthroughs, you might
have fixed that one group-- identifying who were the ones and who were the twos
and where they should now be-- and doing one more walkthrough from that spot,
then starting the dance from that next progressed place. It'd certainly be
faster, less talking on your part, and it would move those two couples farther
away from each other. Sometimes all that's needed is to separate the folks
involved in a "clot of confusion" from one another, and as they get mixed in
with more skilled dancers they'll be helped through the parts they didn't
understand.
David Millstone
Lebanon, NH
