Contra Callers

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4406 discussions

by Greg McKenzie

Calling has sometimes been compared with conducting an orchestra. The metaphor certainly does have resonance. This link is to a 23 minute TED talk by conductor Itay Talgam about the leadership of some of the greatest conductors. It's the best talk I've seen on leadership. I recommend streaming this from the YouTube link below (rather than the TED website) to get the best synch for watching the conductor clips he shows. For the same reason I recommend watching it during off-peak hours on your broadband network. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9g3Q-qvtss Comments? Greg McKenzie West Coast, USA

12 years, 2 months

When beginners arrive late (Was: Glen Echo FND beginner lesson plan)

by Richard Hart

In the discussion about lessons for beginners, a few people correctly said that it is often the case that a bus load of beginners will arrive, not a half hour before the dance begins, but instead an hour after the dance has started. It has been my impression that most of the best callers can handle this situation well. They bring the new dancers into the dance, and everyone still has fun doing it. Although the skills of the caller are important, the dance community must also help. How do you, as a caller, handle this, and what does the dance community (the experienced dancers) need to do to make it work?

12 years, 2 months

The Descent of Traditional Contra Dance (Was Glen Echo...) LONG

by Greg McKenzie

Kalia, My apologies. The ideas I am trying to put into words are rather unconventional among callers. The models we commonly use to frame our experience as callers sometimes do not fit. I am looking for a different paradigm. These are all good questions and they inspire me to do better. Thank you for your comments. This helps. I am addressing the calling situation at a regular, open public contra dance series where typically there is a significant portion of the hall made up of regular attendees as well as a significant segment of dancers attending for the first time who have no exposure to the tradition of contra dance. One night stands, camps, most festivals, and other events not designed for or promoted to the general public are a different situation and I see the caller's job as significantly different in those circumstances. Kalia asked: > Greg, if there are two experienced dancers who just happen to want to > dance together, do you go up to them and make them dance with someone else? > No. I have never done that. For me that would be too heavy-handed. One "rule" I use to keep myself focused is: "Never indicate by word, deed, or implication that anyone in the hall might be behaving poorly or that anyone in the hall is not capable of dancing well." To intervene in the partnering process would be an expression of my lack of confidence in the partnering decisions of some individuals on the floor. My approach is to foster and lead rather than to direct and correct. As the caller I see it as my job to make sure that dancing with first-timers is fun, easy, and exciting. Through my actions, and non-actions, I work to send clear signals that all of the regulars have the option of being part of the excitement and fun of sharing their passion for contras with first-timers. If I ever did address dancers individually on the floor it would be with an apologetic tone and, of course, off mike. The majority will pick up on the situation and my signals, but there will always be some who have other priorities. There are typically plenty of well-qualified regulars who can partner with first-timers and we don't need the full-time support of all of the regulars in every dance slot. There is plenty of room for other agendas. >From the stage, how can you tell that all of the new dancers are > "correctly" paired off. > I can get a pretty good idea of how well the first-timers are integrated into the hall by how the walk-through goes, but the regulars know exactly who needs a more experienced partner. My job is to make it clear that this will be an enjoyable role and that the I will make sure that everyone will succeed. My experience is that folks look forward to leading newcomers--if they are given all the information they need, exactly when they need it. What about the new folks who get scooped up by the not-so-experienced > experienced dancer, over and over? > Anyone who has danced one night is qualified to partner with first-timers. That's the beauty of contras. After the last note of a dance slot I always ask folks to find a *new *partner. Yes. When it's fun, some regulars will dance almost exclusively with newcomers. This will be obvious to some of the other regulars and they have the option of intervening quickly and effectively--by asking a first-timer to dance. In a "wonderful dance community" the responsible regulars will want to step up and make sure the first-timers have a more balanced experience. My efforts are to project my confidence, as the caller, in the dancers--not only in their ability to dance well, but also in their ability to lead newcomers through the moves and to make those folks feel welcomed and confident. I let the dancers know that I believe in their ability to do that. How about when the experienced dancers are outnumbered by new dancers? > Since anyone with one night of experience can partner with a first-timer then the above situation is unlikely at an open, public contra dance. If the "busload of chattering first-timers" arrives an hour late I would adjust my program and treat it more like a one night stand. This has not yet happened to me. But I would still conduct myself as the leader of a team rather than as a single teacher on stage. I would regard all of the regulars as leaders in their own right and use that considerable experience to address the situation, even if there are only a handful of them in the room. At what point in the evening can folks just dance with whoever they want to > dance with? > Folks are free at any time to dance with whomever they want to. I never directly ask the regulars to partner with first-timers. Before the first dance I urge the first-timers to "find someone who has danced at least one night. I feel that--if I am doing a good job as caller--there will be plenty of folks who want to partner with first-timers. Some will do it out of a sense of "duty" but others realize that it will be more fun for them and everyone else if they do so. (Dancing with your favorite partner in a set that keeps breaking down is probably less fun than dancing in a working set with a happy newcomer. Contras are structured to embody the idea that "we are all in this together.") When they arrive at the hall about half of the first-time contra dancers are already dancing regularly at some other type of dance event. Others may have previous dance training. The "first-time dancer of any kind" is rare, so there is almost always considerable dance experience in the hall to help the caller. (See "Dance Habits of Contra Dance Attendees<http://santacruzdance.org/drupal/node/114>" at: <http://santacruzdance.org/drupal/node/114>) I suspect that after dancing the first two or three contras of an evening at least half of the "first-timers" will have "gotten" enough of the lingo and concepts to, potentially, partner with the remaining first-timers. Most of them may not realize this but some of them probably will. I appreciate your concept but it seems to be leaving the real world out of > the equation. Well, I have not invoked the "R-word" here. Almost all of what we post here is personal opinion based upon our personal experience. That experience varies for each of us depending on a lot of factors. In short, the "reality" of what people do at our dances and what the caller's role is at these events varies with what frame is active in the brain of the person making the comment. In my own "real world" a big part of the caller's job is to be a leader. "Leadership" implies movement from one place, or state, to another (so that others can "follow.") And leadership also implies that the caller's job involves changing the "reality" of what is happening in the room. Great callers take a room full of people--many who don't know each other, and some who may not even *like *each other--and transform it into a magical, joyful, and transformational event where extraordinary connections between people are possible. To do that we need a capable group of musicians, managers, and regular attendees who are passionate about making this tradition work. It has always been a team effort, in most forms of dance. And all dance instructors use the experience of those in the room to help. It is a collaborative learning experience. I see open, public contra dances as particularly adaptable to collaborative learning and I feel that this approach could be employed much more effectively by many contra dance callers. Rather than talking about how the "real world" limits what we can accomplish as a community I would rather talk about how we, as a community, can alter that world. That is what leaders have always done. That's why I started calling contras. I'm not saying this is easy. I see the open, public contra dances as the most challenging type of gig for a caller. What works for me is to be very precise and clear in my calls and to structure the calls using the most effective word order so that all of the dancers hear the instruction precisely when they need the information. That builds the confidence of all of the dancers and makes the regulars more comfortable with partnering with first-timers. I am also very strategic in my programming and in all of my behaviors at the mike so that my nonverbal behavior is consistent with my words and goals. I think what it comes down to is that the caller needs to let the dancers know that she believes in them. That she believes not only in their ability to dance well but also in their ability to lead others and to make them feel welcomed. The caller does this, not only by modeling such behavior at the mike, but also by creating a space in which the regulars can "take the lead" and by giving the regulars all of the information that they need to succeed. The caller creates this "leadership space" to a great extent by what she does NOT do. When the caller, for example, says "Please find someone who has danced contras at least one night and form three contra dance lines," she does NOT tell the dancers how to line up. She does NOT tell them to "join at the bottom of the set with the lady on the right facing the stage." She assumes that the regulars are taking care of that situation. Instead of giving long explanations at the mike the caller simply says the *name *of the figure and allows the regulars to lead. This traditional collaborative approach is very fast, effective, and fun. It doesn't work as well at some other types of events. But when you have a base of regulars in the room it seems like a shame not to use it. Others do it very differently. And many other callers have different goals than I do. Thanks for reading. - Greg McKenzie West Coast, USA

12 years, 2 months

Crowd noise during walk through

by Quiann2

Hello, I'm a new caller and have been noticing recently at some dances that the crowd is quite chatty and noisy and it can take a long time to get them to settle down and listen to the walk through. And then even during the walk-through the noise level rises again so that some people in the hall can't hear the walk through. I'll be calling my first full evening next month at a venue that is known for the chattiness of the dancers. I want people to be able to socialize but I also want dancers to be able to hear the entire walkthrough. Can you give me some tips on how to balance socializing (i.e. how to judge when to start) and ways to regain their attention mid-walk through without sounding like a schoolmarm or raising my voice? Thanks much! Jacqui

12 years, 2 months

Re: [Callers] Glen Echo FND beginner lesson plan

by Donna Calhoun

based on the list below it appears that the Knoxville Tn group does not have a workshop, but that is incorrect. We are a smaller group and do not always have newcomers at our dance. Correction: we usually have a few new dancers but frequently they show up later in the evening. If there are no new dancers there before the dance begins, we do not hold the workshop. > > > Message: 2 > Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 13:11:13 -0400 > From: Jeff Kaufman <jeff(a)alum.swarthmore.edu> > To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: Re: [Callers] Glen Echo FND beginner lesson plan > Message-ID: > <CAK36jCN1aX=R7yCJVDnR0+b0jM_DSCe5a7_Z8z=XMODrjz4hVg(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > The regular evening dances we've played, with workshop status: > > Amherst MA: workshop > Grey Eagle, Asheville NC: no workshop > BIDA in Cambridge MA: workshop > Baltimore MD: no workshop > Belfast ME: workshop > Brooklyn NY: workshop > Charlestown MA: no workshop > Charlotte NC: workshop > Charlottesville VA: workshop > Clemmons/Winston-Salem NC: workshop > Concord MA: no workshop > Concord NH: no workshop > Cotuit MA: no workshop > Deerfield NH: no workshop > East Sandwich MA: no workshop > Enfield CT: no workshop > Glen Echo Friday: workshop > Glen Echo Sunday: no workshop > Greenfield MA: no workshop > Ithaca NY: no workshop > Jamaica Plain MA: no workshop > Kingston NH: no workshop > Knoxville TN: no workshop > MIT, Cambridge MA: no workshop > Medway MA, no workshop > Montpelier VT: workshop > Mystic CT: no workshop > New Haven CT: workshop > CDNY, NYC: workshop > Northboro MA: no workshop > Rochester NY: workshop > Syracuse NY: no workshop > Worcester MA: workshop > > I might be misremembering some, but I've tried to check with their > website where I could. About 39% had workshops. > > On Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 12:14 PM, Greg McKenzie <grekenzie(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> Jeff wrote: >> >>> I think the fraction of dances with a beginners workshop is more like 30%. >>> >>> (With the Free Raisins I notice when there are workshops because while >>> we're not generally asked to play for a workshop we do need to be >>> quiet and stop soundchecking. We've played dances at about 45 >>> different dance series, and think about 15 had workshops.) >>> >> >> Keep in mind that some venues have the option of holding a newcomer's >> orientation in a separate room. You may not have been aware of it. >> Nevertheless this does sound encouraging. I would love to see some harder >> numbers regarding dance series with no orientation session for newcomers. >> That would be helpful. >> >> In what geographical area do the "Free Raisins" play? >> >> - Greg McKenzie >> West Coast, USA >> _______________________________________________ >> Callers mailing list >> Callers(a)sharedweight.net >> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/

12 years, 2 months

Re: [Callers] Glen Echo FND beginner lesson plan

by John W Gintell

> Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2013 09:14:39 -0700 > From: Greg McKenzie <grekenzie(a)gmail.com> > To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: Re: [Callers] Glen Echo FND beginner lesson plan > Message-ID: > <CAFqkWLvueeywdP=geEy+62=c2L9TKSK0fzCJVPPVVRM-mWoxNA(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > Jeff wrote: > >> I think the fraction of dances with a beginners workshop is more like 30%. >> >> (With the Free Raisins I notice when there are workshops because while >> we're not generally asked to play for a workshop we do need to be >> quiet and stop soundchecking. We've played dances at about 45 >> different dance series, and think about 15 had workshops.) >> > > Keep in mind that some venues have the option of holding a newcomer's > orientation in a separate room. You may not have been aware of it. > Nevertheless this does sound encouraging. I would love to see some harder > numbers regarding dance series with no orientation session for newcomers. > That would be helpful. > > In what geographical area do the "Free Raisins" play? > > - Greg McKenzie > West Coast, USA > At our Jamaica Plain gender free dance we have noticed that often beginners don't show up until after the dance has started which is one of the reasons we decided to not do beginners workshops. The door sitter sometimes directs new dancers who do come early to an experienced dancer for a very informal workshop in the corner. Also sometimes we have a mini-workshop at the break although we have been trying to keep breaks short since if they are long newcomers tend to leave since they don't know many people there. The door sitter often tells beginners to make sure they dance with experienced dancers. One thing I have noticed is sometimes a pair of people come together and since they don't know the contra dance culture they assume they are supposed to dance with the person they came with. We do have some signs around the room (patterned after the ones that BIDA has) that say various things like: dance with different partners, smile, everyone makes mistakes,...

12 years, 2 months

Re: [Callers] crowd noise

by JohnFreem＠aol.com

Depending upon how playful I feel, I sometimes mouth "directions" This can be a humorous way to get dancers quieted down. I'm of the "Whoopee Cushion" school of calling. Having a sense of humor is a huge thing for a caller. John B. Freeman, SFTPOCTJ

12 years, 2 months

crowd noise

by Tom Hinds

Jacqui, It's kind of silly of me to give you any advise not having danced in your community. I think the most important thing for any caller is to not take it personally and always remain relaxed and happy. I've heard over the years that the caller is in charge and all responsibility rests on his/her shoulders. I've never bought into that. It's a group activity and the dancers also have to play their part to make the whole thing work. I think Tony Parkes said it best when he compared contra dancing to herding cats. One trick I've used (note: not over used) is to give them ample time to take hands four. Saying the first move of the dance as if you're starting the walk through usually wakes them up. And of course yells of "hands four" will echo throughout the hall. Be prepared. The only down side for a new caller using this is that people may think you're not paying attention to the dancers. It would be easy to assume that this a community where you dance once a month and everyone is very glad to see one another. Then again, it's probably Ashville. Tom

12 years, 2 months

Re: [Callers] Help with "Baling Hay"

by John Sweeney

Thanks Linda. I guessed it was something like that. :-) There are three neighbours involved in the gypsy hey, plus you. I would say that is a hey for four, not three! Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent Hi, I called Baling Hay by Carol Ormand yesterday and we made it work, but the Men's Allemande seemed to go on forever - they went a lot more than 1 & 3/4 when they used all the music. Have I missed a move out? Baling Hay (by Carol Ormand) Contra; Improper A1: Hey for Four along the set: pass Neighbour by Right Shoulder; Left Shoulder Gypsy Next Neighbour; return to pass Original Neighbour by Right Shoulder; Left Shoulder Gypsy with Previous Neighbour; return to face Original Neighbour A2: Men Allemande Right 1 & 3/4 B1: Partner Balance & Swing B2: Ladies' Chain; Balanced Square Through Two (just Balance F/B on the first one which is Right hand to Partner) Thanks. Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent ----------------------------- Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 09:17:57 -0400 From: Linda Leslie <laleslierjg(a)comcast.net> Hope this helps! I have the following written down for this dance: Linda Baling Hay by Carol Ormand Contra/Improper/Int A1 ----------- Hey for three along the set (this N pass right, next N gypsy left once, this N pass by the right, previous N gypsy Left) A2 ----------- (8) This Neighbor allemande Right 1 & 3/4 (8) Men allemande Left 1-1/2 B1 ----------- (16) Partner balance and swing B2 ----------- (8) Women's Chain Balanced square thru once

12 years, 2 months

Help with "Baling Hay"

by John Sweeney

Hi, I called Baling Hay by Carol Ormand yesterday and we made it work, but the Men's Allemande seemed to go on forever - they went a lot more than 1 & 3/4 when they used all the music. Have I missed a move out? Baling Hay (by Carol Ormand) Contra; Improper A1: Hey for Four along the set: pass Neighbour by Right Shoulder; Left Shoulder Gypsy Next Neighbour; return to pass Original Neighbour by Right Shoulder; Left Shoulder Gypsy with Previous Neighbour; return to face Original Neighbour A2: Men Allemande Right 1 & 3/4 B1: Partner Balance & Swing B2: Ladies' Chain; Balanced Square Through Two (just Balance F/B on the first one which is Right hand to Partner) Thanks. Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent

12 years, 2 months

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Contra Callers