<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><br><div><div>All great suggestions.<div>I would also like to add that when I first started calling, I did many of the things already listed, but I also practiced. </div><div>I practiced with imaginary people in my living room: practicing (out loud!) the walk-through, practicing the calling, dancing in each position while I practiced the calling.... </div><div>I also taped a lot of callers and listened to them in the car, trying to call with them.</div><div>I memorized dances and practiced calling them in the car as well.</div><div><br></div><div>Good luck!</div><div><br></div><div>sue</div><div><br></div><div><br><div apple-content-edited="true"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><i><b>Sue Hulsether</b></i><br><a href="mailto:shulsether@mac.com">shulsether@mac.com</a><br><br></div><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><a href="http://www.suehulsether.com/">www.suehulsether.com</a><br>608-632-1267 Cell<br>608-629-6250 Home<br>P.O. Box 363<br>Viroqua, WI 54665<br></div></span></span></div></div></div><div><br></div><div>On Jul 8, 2015, at 1:46 PM, susanelberger via Callers wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7213"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7219">I'd also be careful about what you plan to call. It's very exciting to call complicated figures, but it may be worth considering doing relatively simpler dances as you develop your self confidence. Simple doesn't necessarily mean boring, and in fact can leave more time for dancers to enjoy the music and each other than complicated dances do, where you have to keep calling for a longer time to make sure that the dancers can manage without you.</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7279" dir="ltr"><br><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7219"></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7292" dir="ltr"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7219">Susan Elberger</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7293" dir="ltr"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7219">Lowell, MA</span></div><br> <div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7276" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7275" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7274" dir="ltr"> <hr id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7278" size="1"> <font id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7277" face="Arial" size="2"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Claire Takemori via Callers <<a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> <a href="mailto:callers@sharedweight.net">callers@sharedweight.net</a> <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, July 7, 2015 4:10 PM<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [Callers] How to teach various steps to beginners?<br> </font> </div> <div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7294" class="y_msg_container"><br>Hi. I just called my first contra dance at camp last week. I didn't die, so I'm thinking of working with our son's nature class to do some family dances. <br><br>In the meantime, I will try to call a contra when I can as a guest at our local dances. <br><br>Do you know of a source/s (would you share yours) that has good clear wording for how to teach things like Hey, Pull-by, California Twirl, Petronella, Rory O'more, etc? <br><br>I will ask good callers if I can record their teachings when I'm at dances with lots of beginners..... <br><br>Where else can I learn good, simple wording? I sure don't want to reinvent it myself...... <br><br>Thanks! <br>claire takemori <br><br>_______________________________________________<br>Callers mailing list<br><a id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7295" ymailto="mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net" href="mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net">Callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a><br><a id="yui_3_16_0_1_1436380718195_7296" href="http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net" target="_blank">http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net</a><br><br><br></div> </div> </div> </div></div>_______________________________________________<br>Callers mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net">Callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a><br>http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net<br></blockquote></div><br></body></html>