[Callers] Family dance questions

[JD Erskine iDance via Callers]

On 2015-08-04 1310, Claire Takemori via Callers wrote:
> Thank you for all the replies so far !  One other question,
> What are the key elements/movements that you would emphasize teaching with kids?
>
> giving weight,  hearing the music beats,  swing, star, do si do, allemande...... ?

Having fun. Really.

I guess my point is, like many events I do now it's not part of a dance 
series.

While one may build a progression in a program one is looking for less 
in terms of building them to the next dance. The next dance, of this 
nature, will be much like this one.

So, mostly as encouragement to yourself/ourselves when calling/leading 
this kind of thing, and most definitely for those dancing, be kind, 
easy, even gentle. Beyond style of presentation I mean kind in terms of 
material.

Heck, let em stomp, encourage it. Encourage safey and politeness along 
with encouraging exuberance.

I like circles and such. Folks get Less Lost. A first dance with all 
facing in, maybe going in and out is, I believe, a subconciously 
powerful way of pulling a group together. One is dancing with everyone.

I'd not overly focus on terminology that "will be used this time, and 
next time, and the time . . . " Simply find fun accessible terms to get 
a point across.

> And I don't think they will do ballroom swing, so which swing is easy and fun for kids?   2 hands crossed?  or right elbows?

I use both elbow and two hand turns/swings, for kids of all ages . . . 
and levels of sobriety. ;)

As an experiment of some of the bumpf I've chucked into this up above, 
why not simply say Swing and see what happens?

> Thank you so much for your help!
>
> claire

NB the Trad Dance Callers list (Yahoo! Group) has an archive of many 
discussions of this flavour. Loads of good suggestions I've mined. One 
has access to them after subscribing. One need not have a Yahoo! 
account, log-in, or ID.

Have a tonne of funne (and a metric moment while at it.)

Cheers, John
-- 
J.D. Erskine
Victoria, BC

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