<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:12px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_284919">Sorry - I menat this to go to the group but only sent it to Tom by mistake....<br></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_284922"><br></div><div style="" class="" id="yiv2919626116yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_279882">Tom has mentioned some of the things I like to do to make squares more fun for contra dancers:</div><div style="" class="" id="yiv2919626116yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_279883"><br style="" class="" clear="none"></div><div style="" class="" id="yiv2919626116yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_279880">I have the band step up the tempo - usually around 128 bpm so the squares can be danced more aggressively than contras.</div><div style="" class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv2919626116yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_279884">I avoid visiting couples squares (with some exceptions) I like to keep the dancer moving as much as possible</div><div style="" class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv2919626116yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_279928">I try to avoid pauses between figures and breaks.</div><div style="" class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv2919626116yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_280061">I
like to use squares that have some figure that they do not normally
find in contra - so they are doing something fun that wouldn't get
otherwise.</div><div style="" class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv2919626116yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_280759">I especially like squares where the set seems really mixed up - bu then all of a sudden there is your corner or partner.<br style="" class="" clear="none"></div><div style="" class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv2919626116yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_280142">I get excited and have a lot of fun and hope some of that is passed to the dancers.</div><div style="" class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv2919626116yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_280278"><br style="" class="" clear="none"></div><div style="" class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv2919626116yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_280277">I
rarely get complaints about calling a couple squares - but I wouldn't
get a lot of complaints if I left them out either (but I would get a few
- there are dancers who even ask me when they will be called so they
can get a favorite partner).</div><div style="" class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv2919626116yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_280413"><br style="" class="" clear="none"></div><div style="" class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv2919626116yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_280414">What
really hurts is when callers call squares that are boring or call them
badly - then the dancers start projecting that to all squares. In a
conversation not long ago a dancer commented that she doesn't like
squares except when one specific caller calls them. My response was it
wasn't squares she didn't like - just the way a lot of our callers
present them</div><div style="" class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv2919626116yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_280672"><br style="" class="" clear="none"></div><div dir="ltr">Mac McKeever</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_284895"><span></span></div><br> <div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_284891" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> <div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_284890" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_284889" dir="ltr"> <hr size="1"> <font id="yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_284888" face="Arial" size="2"> <b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_284887"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_284886" style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Tom Hinds via Callers <callers@lists.sharedweight.net><br> <b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_284893"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1435064307915_284892" style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Jacob Nancy Bloom <jandnbloom@gmail.com> <br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cc:</span></b> Shared_Weight_Callers <callers@lists.sharedweight.net> <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Saturday, June 27, 2015 8:38 AM<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [Callers] How to explain the charms of square dances (was More on Programming)<br> </font> </div> <div class="y_msg_container"><br>Yes you are correct, pointing out the benefits of squares is a much <br clear="none">better option than telling them to stay home. I included that <br clear="none">comment in hopes that callers might consider being less afraid of <br clear="none">what dancers think. I have no illusions that others would say that <br clear="none">to a dancer.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">One aspect that makes squares attractive is the changing patterns. <br clear="none">For myself and others, dancing choreography that wasn't walked <br clear="none">through is very enjoyable. And changing the pattern doesn't have to <br clear="none">be challenging.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">For partner changing squares there's a certain satisfaction/challenge <br clear="none">in performing the choreography well as a group and ending with your <br clear="none">partner again. Picking the correct square for this is crucial-not <br clear="none">too easy and not too hard.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Some people enjoy dancing squares to music where the phrasing is less <br clear="none">distinct. It's hard for me to describe but it's like dancing without <br clear="none">holding back. Or could it be described as charging ahead? Perhaps <br clear="none">some of you can describe this gooder than I can. This works well <br clear="none">with driving old time music.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Although I don't enjoy the visiting couple type square, I understand <br clear="none">that there are a number of groups who enjoy these types of squares <br clear="none">with very fast music. In central Virginia there're getting large <br clear="none">turnouts. I'm told that most of these dancers are young and not <br clear="none">contra dancers. I often hear of other groups in the country where <br clear="none">young dancers are discovering squares. Is this the future?<div class="qtdSeparateBR"><br><br></div><div class="yqt2178976289" id="yqtfd24759"><br clear="none"><br clear="none">T<br clear="none"><br clear="none">_______________________________________________<br clear="none">Callers mailing list<br clear="none"><a shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net" href="mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net">Callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a><br clear="none"><a shape="rect" href="http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net" target="_blank">http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net</a><br clear="none"></div><br><br></div> </div> </div> </div></body></html>