As one of those callers with 3-4 years' experience, I agree with others who've called for unusual formations like triplets and chestnuts. They're pretty hard to figure out on your own, and local dances will only want them if a caller already has them down cold.
I also would benefit from training in how to deconstruct, and thereby effectively teach, more difficult dances for an experienced crowd. Specifically - and for any dance for that matter - when learning a dance from a card, how to note points of potential difficulty and how to figure out the exact clear, concise thing to say then so the dancers don't get confused.
David, your class sounds like a wonderful opportunity and I'm suddenly a bit sorry I don't live in the east. Break a leg!
Tina
Hi David and All --
As David knows, I'm a caller on the newer end of the spectrum. I
would love a workshop on triplets and chestnuts. I picked up your
book and since I haven't danced many of the dances and the formats
are new to me (and the crowds that I call to), a session dancing them
and learning how to call them would be really helpful. I don't yet
"get" triplets, and knowing how to do them would solve an occasional
issue of calling dances for a very small crowd.
I'm a birder. When I look at a bird and try to identify it, I'm
parsing out the features (beak type, size, flight pattern, etc) and
then there is that ahah moment when the bird is identified. I'm still
waiting for that to happen for me with contras -- I can imagine that
there is a pattern to clusters of them. Maybe this is something that
can only be felt and not taught, but if there are any useful tips on
how you "recognize" a dance I would find that useful. I'm thinking it
will help me with putting down the card and calling from memory.
Count me in!
Nancy Turner
Waitsfield VT
Also agree. Was just at the board meeting for our local dance group,
and one of the things we were talking about was the need for the caller
to reinforce good dancing. Have had a number of folks recently
complain about dance floor injuries from people dancing out of their
space. Strangely enough, we had more issues at a dance that was well
attended, but not overcrowded than we did at a really crowded dance.
Theory was expressed that people possibly felt that they had more space
and expanded to fill it (and didn't really have as much space as they
thought). Then theres issues with allemandes, late twirls,
cranking.....
Would love to hear what you come up with (or other people's ideas) for
ways to get things like that across without being preachy or just
having the dancers stop listening to you.
Jack
At 07:48 PM 12/15/2009, you wrote:
Agreed!
I would also add - how to do the same with "community-building": how
to make
people feel welcome, glad to be there, relaxed with the other
dancers,
friendly, and full of good humor, all without being preachy.
M
E
On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 6:22 PM, Alan Winston - SSRL Central
Computing <
winston(a)slac.stanford.edu> wrote:
> David wrote:
>
>
> > So, what are topics that _you_ would like to see in a workshop?
Assuming
> that
> > one already has the nuts and bolts of programming an evening,
teaching a
> dance,
> > and delivering the calls in good fashion, what skills would be
useful to
> > address?
>
>
> How to teach/sell 'good dancing' without seeming like a pedant.
(It seems
> like
> it's an easy trap for callers in all country dance genres to aim
for
> competence/efficiency in teaching _dances_, and neglect teaching
_dancing_.
> You pretty much have to slip that style/skill instruction in while
teaching
> dances, and that's a skill in itself.)
>
> -- Alan
>
>
> --
>
>
====================================================================
===========
> Alan Winston --- WINSTON(a)SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
> Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone:
> 650/926-3056
> Paper mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 99, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park
CA
> 94025
>
>
====================================================================
===========
>
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--
For the good are always the merry,
Save by an evil chance,
And the merry love the fiddle
And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats
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Hi,
This is a last moment appeal for seasonal, holiday dancers that beginners
can do - set dances, contras, mixers or Sicilian Circles.
Thanks for your help.
Rickey Holt,
Fremont, NH
