<p dir="ltr">This topic has been on my mind in recent months. It's been very helpful for organizers to communicate the local culture for callers doing a gig for the first time, for the reason Martha noted.<br>
"We're chatty, but the dancers pay attention. Don't take it as rude." was recent advice, as an example.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I find a few things I can do as a caller:<br>
- Shorter dances. I aim for 5 dances per hour as a target. Many callers do 4. When dancers have shorter dances, they are hungrier for the next dance, and they don't physically need as much of a break, so they line up faster.<br>
- Remind them of hands 4 early. I like "As you line up make sure you pass hands 4 down..." I repeat myself, but I've found this works for me.<br>
- Becket dance? Have them swing partner on the side.<br>
- Non - Becket? Do a zero move like a circle all the way or long lines. The movement of many people in the room is a really nice way to get attention without bossing people.<br>
- In general, earn trust. When I teach and call well, I garner attention easier. When my program fits the crowd well with varied moves at the right skill level, people are more attentive.<br>
- Develop a teacher voice. Some callers just don't sound confident and assertive. - Worse, I've seen a few callers get openly frustrated. No matter what, stay cool.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ron Blechner</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Apr 23, 2015 11:26 AM, "Martha Wild via Callers" <<a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div style="word-wrap:break-word">Good point Erik. Also, if you travel, different groups can have vastly different cultures. Some years ago I was asked to call a zesty contra in another state. I assumed they would want to do a lot of zesty dances and planned accordingly. The food was placed outside the dance floor in a long hall from the start. After the first dance, which seemed to go well, everyone disappeared outside to eat and talk just as I was saying "take partners for the next dance". After a five minutes while I worried that they hadn't liked the dance I'd called, people drifted back and lined up again and about 10 minutes later I did the next dance. Same thing. I finally realized that it was their custom to break after each dance, and relaxed and stopped trying so hard to get them back and lined up. I got through about four dances in the first half and four in the second, where I had expected to do more like 11 or 12 total for the time. At the end of the night, people came up and said, Wow, you really got us through a lot of dances! <div><br></div><div>Martha</div><div><br><div><div><div>On Apr 22, 2015, at 6:59 PM, Erik Hoffman via Callers wrote:</div><br><blockquote type="cite">
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
On the question of paying attention:<br>
<br>
A while back, in one of these e-groups, someone pointed out that we
contra dancers keep talking about "community." This post pointed out
that we contra dancers go to a dance, and, often forsaking applause
(yet another topic...), run off to find our next partner and line up
for a dance. This posting compared that to country-western dance, or
swing dance, where they would sit around a table and talk, get to
know others through chatting, and not dance every dance, but have
other social things happen. It got me to thinking:<br>
<br>
Often, after people have lined up, they talk with each other, their
partner, their minor set, or other people around them. Often callers
strive to get everyone to shut-up so they can start the dance. I've
come to believe this time of conversation is the main time we get to
know a little about each other and is thus a "community building
time." <br>
<br>
My practice now is to say into the mic in a regular talking voice,
"Are you ready?" If the general banter keeps going on, I wait a
couple beats, and say, again, "Are you ready?" After two to four
times of asking the question, someone will say, "Yes!" Then another
might do a loud, "Shhhh!" When people finally quiet down, I teach
the dance. <br>
<br>
~erik hoffman<br>
oakland, ca<br>
<br>
<div>On 8/4/2014 10:26 AM, barb kirchner via
Callers wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">sometimes when dancers aren't paying attention,
it's because there are too many other things going on in the
hall.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>sometimes it's the band warming up or sound checking, but
i've seen all kinds of things going on - bake sales, people on
their mobile devices, a group of beginners coming in who don't
yet know dance etiquette, or maybe the dancers are having
trouble hearing you. sometimes musicians talk loudly behind
the caller (i'm a musician and a caller) and it's hard to
understand the caller because the chatter can be heard through
mics or pick-ups.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>you can't fix some of those things, but you can address
retail events in the hall, cell phones, sound system, etc</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>are your experienced dancers modelling good dance
etiquette? <span style="font-size:12pt">are you teaching
efficiently, or are you spending so much time talking that
people lose interest?</span></div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>sometimes, i just start the walkthru anyway. as soon as
people realize that most people are starting to swing, they
get a little more interested :-)<br>
<br>
cheers,</div>
<div>barb<br>
<br>
<br>
<div>> Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2014 13:05:57 -0400<br>
> To: <a href="mailto:maia.mcc@gmail.com" target="_blank">maia.mcc@gmail.com</a><br>
> CC: <a href="mailto:callers@sharedweight.net" target="_blank">callers@sharedweight.net</a><br>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] When the dancers aren't paying
attention<br>
> From: <a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net" target="_blank">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a><br>
> <br>
> It depends why the dancers aren't paying attention. Are
there lots of<br>
> experienced dancers, such that the walkthrough isn't
really necessary?<br>
> Are they ignoring walkthroughs the first time through
because they<br>
> know there will be a second one? Are they just having a
lot of fun<br>
> with their friends and prioritizing that above
listening to the<br>
> caller? How does the dance go once it starts?<br>
> <br>
> A few strategies I might try:<br>
> <br>
> * Not bother with the walkthroughs entirely. If the
crowd is ignoring<br>
> the walkthroughs because as a whole they don't need
them, then just<br>
> call the dance. This means only picking dances that can
be called<br>
> no-walkthrough, but there are still a lot to choose
from.<br>
> <br>
> * Give the dancers a bit longer between dances before
starting the<br>
> walkthrough. If they're chatting with neighbors and
catching up, let<br>
> them do that for a bit. Then once you start the
walkthrough go<br>
> quickly.<br>
> <br>
> * Ask the band for rolling starts, where they play
music under the<br>
> walkthrough. This makes it harder for people to talk
and feels more<br>
> like dancing. You don't have time to explain complex
things, so you<br>
> have to give that up, but it's much more forgiving than
straight-up<br>
> no-walkthrough.<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> On Mon, Aug 4, 2014 at 11:08 AM, Maia McCormick via
Callers<br>
> <a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net" target="_blank"><callers@lists.sharedweight.net></a> wrote:<br>
> > At Falcon Ridge this weekend, I saw a couple of
different styles of dealing<br>
> > with that frustrating state of affairs when 50%+
of the hall just isn't<br>
> > paying attention to the walk-through. I'm curious
if you all have any<br>
> > particular strategies you employ here, thoughts on
how to deal with this,<br>
> > how to get the attention of the hall, etc.<br>
> ><br>
> > In dance,<br>
> > Maia<br>
> ><br>
> > _______________________________________________<br>
> > Callers mailing list<br>
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> >
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