Hi,
I am wondering if you have any dances for low numbers of dancers (perhaps 6
or less), when most or all of the dancers are beginners and adults. I am
also wondering if you have any dances (presumably different dances), that do
not require choosing a partner and are good openers for beginner adults.
Thanks as always to all,
Rickey Holt.
I can only speak with reference to calling at NEFFA, as I have never applied to DownEast. As some of you may know that Linda Leslie is NEFFA's program chair, I will note that the program chair does not select performers for contra sessions.
Regarding NEFFA 2007, the following notice is now posted at http://neffa.org/perf_app.html - The Program Committee is not prepared to take your application at this time, since it is too late to apply for this year's NEFFA Festival. Please note that the application to perform is always available during the month of September, with a deadline in October. If you'd like to get an e-mail notice of application availability, send a blank e-mail to NEFFA_Performers-subscribe(a)yahoogroups.com
So you can note on your calendar that September is a good time to check the NEFFA web site, and also arrange for a notice to pop up in your e-mail.
The NEFFA application invites you to come up with a briefly-described theme for your session, with a title of 20 characters or less. IMO, use your own judgment as to how important the theme is. If you are offering a concept that's really meaningful to you, don't be afraid to describe it. If what you really want to do is just call some hot contras, then IMO I wouldn't go overboard on the theme.
Unlike Northwest Folklife, callers and bands apply SEPARATELY to the New England Folk Festival. And I believe that this is a very good thing for beginning callers who hope to have a chance at getting onstage. This mix-and-match policy gives a fresh perspective for experienced performers, and can be an eye-opening experience for newcomers who may get to work with seasoned veterans. I will never forget calling at NEFFA with Northern Spy, a band that has worked with caller David Millstone for 25 years. And where was David during this session? Out on the floor, happily dancing to the music of his own band. NEFFA's selection process made that wonderful hour possible for me.
For what it's worth, the first year I successfully applied I asked for a "Festival Orchestra" slot, which means that instead of calling a themed, hour-long session I called two dances in the Main Hall with the assembled orchestra and then got off the stage as the next Festival Orchestra caller had a turn. IMO, the key here (as well as in submitting a session proposal) is to choose dances that you know by heart, can teach well, fully believe in, and love to share with a crowd. You don't want to have second thoughts as you approach the microphone.
If you're wondering why performer applications are required so far in advance of a festival, note that NEFFA may have 1700 performers, many of whom perform in multiple sessions (perhaps performing alone, and with a participatory dance group, and also with a concert performance group!). You can't doublebook a performer (or larger groups to which she may belong), you have to give her time to move from one venue to another, plus a bunch of other scheduling etceteras that would drive me loony to contemplate further. How scheduling was done in the days before computers is beyond me.
--
Robert Jon Golder
164 Maxfield St
New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 999-2486
I recently had the following exchange on a different list with Michael
Shapiro (guitarist with U4):
Michael wrote:
>>> U4 just played the SwingShift weekend in Lexington/Berea. The caller was
Barbara Groh. She did something that I think most callers should do, but I
haven't seen before. After the sets were formed and people had done the hand
four, she then broke up the beginners sets that had formed at the end of the
lines. She asked then to move forward and intersperse themselves with the
more advanced dancers (so that they were more toward the beggining of the
line and the foursomes were not all beginners).
She was also good at letting the music be heard ...
I wrote:
>> Regarding the caller asking sets to reform in order to spread the less
experienced dancers throughout the hall, much tact is required. Generally,
callers strive to avoid calling attention to particular dancers other than
when asking people to watch a demonstration, but asking people to change
sets can have the effect of making them feel like there is attention on
them. In addition, newish dancers want to dance with people they know, even
if those friends may also be newish dancers.
>> Speaking to the entire crowd, I do encourage experienced dancers to share
their experience by asking someone they've never met to dance at least once
in the evening, and praise the community for being so welcoming to newcomer
dancers. So while I might be thinking "let's break up this clump of
confusion," it would not be good to say something that draws attention to
"you people right here."
>> I have asked, off mic, for a set of experienced dancers to offer to
repartner with a set of inexperienced dancers down the line.
To this list, I ask:
I'd be interested in the wording that Barbara Groh used (which I'm assuming
was quite gentle). I'm also guessing other callers on this list have
developed tactful ways to address this issue.
Thanks,
Jerome
--
Jerome Grisanti
660-528-0858
http://www.jeromegrisanti.com
Carrboro is in NC, 30 min from raleigh. If you come down for the weekend, we can arrange housing if needed.
Jack
-----Original Message-----
From: Rickey <holt.e(a)comcast.net>
Sent: Friday, October 16, 2009 8:49 AM
To: 'Caller's discussion list' <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Callers Workshops in NC - 2010
Might be interested in the April 3, 2010 workshop with Cis Hinkle. Is
Carrboro in North Carolina?
Rickey Holt
Fremont, NH
-----Original Message-----
From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net
[mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Jack Mitchell
Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 8:36 PM
To: Recipient list suppressed:
Subject: [Callers] Callers Workshops in NC - 2010
Note: This is going out to multiple lists, so apologies to anyone who
gets multiple copies.
Hello All--
A number of exciting calling related opportunities are coming up in
2010, and I know that some of you need more notice than others to be
able to attend, so I'm trying to get ahead of the game. If you are
interested in any of these, or if you are interested in helping with
logistics for any of these please let me know. Right now, the "Callers
Collective" has been mostly a one person show. I'd really like to get
more folks involved in the organization and hopefully get to where
we're having some sort of gathering at least quarterly.
So without further ado:
*2010 Callers Workshops*
What: Callers' Workshop with Cis Hinkle, in conjunction with the
FoolWind Weekend
When: April 3, 2010 from 10:00 AM - Noon
Where: Balanced Movement Studio, Carrboro
Cost: Around $10
Topics: TBD
What: Full weekend callers workshop with Lisa Greenleaf covering a
wide variety of topics related to calling -- prompting, teaching,
programming, matching dances to music, and much more
The workshop will run Friday evening, Saturday all day, and
have a Sunday wrap up session
Saturday evening will be a dance at which workshop participants
will be the callers
Where: Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area, NC -- specific location to be
determined
Cost: Around $50, scholarships available
In order to attend the course you must:
-Be familiar with the AABB structure of contra dance music
-Know the difference between a jig and a reel
-Know how to cue the first figure off of four potatoes
-Know how and when to signal the band to go out
-Have called at least 3 contras in a real dance setting (individual
dances, not evenings). Some dances sponsor open mics or new callers
nights, and some callers are willing to allow new callers to call one
dance during an evening. Or you can get a bunch of friends together and
host a dance party, but it needs to be to live music.
-Have a repertoire of at least 3 dances you know and feel comfortable
teaching and calling.
-Attend contra dances regularly so that you are familiar with the
moves, the culture and the music.
-Be prepared to receive and incorporate feedback, even if you have a
lot of calling experience.
To help folks get their "at least 3 contras in a real dance setting"
requirement, I'm planning to host one or two open calling dances over
the time between now and then. Details on them to come, but in
general:
Late 2009/Early 2010, dates to be determined
one or two open calling dances at the Down Yonder Farm Music Building
(about 4 miles north of Pleasant Green, near Hillsborough, NC)
These dances will be a chance for new and developing and experienced
callers to call a dance or two (depending on how many callers we have)
hey will likely be held on a Sunday afternoon/early evening. If you
might be interested in calling for one of these, please let me know. I
hope to have at least one scheduled in the next week or two.
Jack
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
Might be interested in the April 3, 2010 workshop with Cis Hinkle. Is
Carrboro in North Carolina?
Rickey Holt
Fremont, NH
-----Original Message-----
From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net
[mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Jack Mitchell
Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 8:36 PM
To: Recipient list suppressed:
Subject: [Callers] Callers Workshops in NC - 2010
Note: This is going out to multiple lists, so apologies to anyone who
gets multiple copies.
Hello All--
A number of exciting calling related opportunities are coming up in
2010, and I know that some of you need more notice than others to be
able to attend, so I'm trying to get ahead of the game. If you are
interested in any of these, or if you are interested in helping with
logistics for any of these please let me know. Right now, the "Callers
Collective" has been mostly a one person show. I'd really like to get
more folks involved in the organization and hopefully get to where
we're having some sort of gathering at least quarterly.
So without further ado:
*2010 Callers Workshops*
What: Callers' Workshop with Cis Hinkle, in conjunction with the
FoolWind Weekend
When: April 3, 2010 from 10:00 AM - Noon
Where: Balanced Movement Studio, Carrboro
Cost: Around $10
Topics: TBD
What: Full weekend callers workshop with Lisa Greenleaf covering a
wide variety of topics related to calling -- prompting, teaching,
programming, matching dances to music, and much more
The workshop will run Friday evening, Saturday all day, and
have a Sunday wrap up session
Saturday evening will be a dance at which workshop participants
will be the callers
Where: Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area, NC -- specific location to be
determined
Cost: Around $50, scholarships available
In order to attend the course you must:
-Be familiar with the AABB structure of contra dance music
-Know the difference between a jig and a reel
-Know how to cue the first figure off of four potatoes
-Know how and when to signal the band to go out
-Have called at least 3 contras in a real dance setting (individual
dances, not evenings). Some dances sponsor open mics or new callers
nights, and some callers are willing to allow new callers to call one
dance during an evening. Or you can get a bunch of friends together and
host a dance party, but it needs to be to live music.
-Have a repertoire of at least 3 dances you know and feel comfortable
teaching and calling.
-Attend contra dances regularly so that you are familiar with the
moves, the culture and the music.
-Be prepared to receive and incorporate feedback, even if you have a
lot of calling experience.
To help folks get their "at least 3 contras in a real dance setting"
requirement, I'm planning to host one or two open calling dances over
the time between now and then. Details on them to come, but in
general:
Late 2009/Early 2010, dates to be determined
one or two open calling dances at the Down Yonder Farm Music Building
(about 4 miles north of Pleasant Green, near Hillsborough, NC)
These dances will be a chance for new and developing and experienced
callers to call a dance or two (depending on how many callers we have)
hey will likely be held on a Sunday afternoon/early evening. If you
might be interested in calling for one of these, please let me know. I
hope to have at least one scheduled in the next week or two.
Jack
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
I got a quick catch from a friend pointing out that I had managed to
leave the date out on Lisa's workshop. The weekend workshop with
Lisa Greenleaf will be May 21-23, 2010. Thanks Dean!
Jack
Note: This is going out to multiple lists, so apologies to anyone who
gets multiple copies.
Hello All--
A number of exciting calling related opportunities are coming up in
2010, and I know that some of you need more notice than others to be
able to attend, so I'm trying to get ahead of the game. If you are
interested in any of these, or if you are interested in helping with
logistics for any of these please let me know. Right now, the "Callers
Collective" has been mostly a one person show. I'd really like to get
more folks involved in the organization and hopefully get to where
we're having some sort of gathering at least quarterly.
So without further ado:
*2010 Callers Workshops*
What: Callers' Workshop with Cis Hinkle, in conjunction with the
FoolWind Weekend
When: April 3, 2010 from 10:00 AM - Noon
Where: Balanced Movement Studio, Carrboro
Cost: Around $10
Topics: TBD
What: Full weekend callers workshop with Lisa Greenleaf covering a
wide variety of topics related to calling -- prompting, teaching,
programming, matching dances to music, and much more
The workshop will run Friday evening, Saturday all day, and
have a Sunday wrap up session
Saturday evening will be a dance at which workshop participants
will be the callers
Where: Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area, NC -- specific location to be
determined
Cost: Around $50, scholarships available
In order to attend the course you must:
-Be familiar with the AABB structure of contra dance music
-Know the difference between a jig and a reel
-Know how to cue the first figure off of four potatoes
-Know how and when to signal the band to go out
-Have called at least 3 contras in a real dance setting (individual
dances, not evenings). Some dances sponsor open mics or new callers
nights, and some callers are willing to allow new callers to call one
dance during an evening. Or you can get a bunch of friends together and
host a dance party, but it needs to be to live music.
-Have a repertoire of at least 3 dances you know and feel comfortable
teaching and calling.
-Attend contra dances regularly so that you are familiar with the
moves, the culture and the music.
-Be prepared to receive and incorporate feedback, even if you have a
lot of calling experience.
To help folks get their "at least 3 contras in a real dance setting"
requirement, I'm planning to host one or two open calling dances over
the time between now and then. Details on them to come, but in
general:
Late 2009/Early 2010, dates to be determined
one or two open calling dances at the Down Yonder Farm Music Building
(about 4 miles north of Pleasant Green, near Hillsborough, NC)
These dances will be a chance for new and developing and experienced
callers to call a dance or two (depending on how many callers we have)
hey will likely be held on a Sunday afternoon/early evening. If you
might be interested in calling for one of these, please let me know. I
hope to have at least one scheduled in the next week or two.
Jack
