Contra Callers

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33 participants
4404 discussions

by Tom Hinds

My experience is that fees range greatly depending on how wealthy the hiring party is. Here's some example that come to mind. Weddings: some folks expect to pay big bucks for big events. It's not uncommon in the DC area for example, for bands and callers to receive $200-300 or more a person (caller plus 4 musicians). Of course not all families are loaded and will pay much less. Sometimes they'll ask for a caller and recorded music or a smaller band. The size of a church can vary. Large churches can pay more than the smaller ones. This also goes for private schools as well. Some private schools can afford a great deal and other can't. My experience is that it's typical for these kinds of gigs to pay around $100 per person for a caller and 2-4 musicians depending..... At some regular dance series it's usual for organizers to pay the caller and band members the same fee up to a point. The money collected wouldn't be divided equally between the caller and 10 musicians. That would be unfair to the caller. At the dances outside of the big cities where I call. it's typical to get paid $50- $75 per person depending on attendance. T

14 years, 4 months

Re: [Callers] Advice teaching teens

by David.Millstone＠VALLEY.NET

Congratulations, Bill! What a boost for your series! I'll let others suggest their favorite vieos with teen dancers. They might enjoy watching the series of instructional videos produced by dancers in Atlanta. This one, for example, covers two-person moves, and the section on swinging begins at about 3:00. Granted, they're not teen dancers, but the step-by-step review of basics might be helpful. You can find an index of all the dances in the series, as well as videos of a live session for beginners: http://www.contradance.org/html/new_dancer_info.php#video in this one, the swing is taught starting at about 3:40. In both videos, the instructors stress how to end a swing, with the lady on the right. And given the high energy level and the lack of experience, don't feel you need to call a contras only program. Your regular dancers might also enjoy a barn dance, high energy and lots of fun, perhaps one that you haven't used often, or a lively and simple square that's suitable for everyone. The key, I think, to keeping the younger dancers coming back is not a lot of instruction but keeping a light tone and making the dance a fun place for them to be with their friends. If they're having fun, they'll keep coming back, and in time most of them will pick up somewhat smoother style than the grasshopper up and down bouncing that probably characterizes their movement at the moment. Dances with a sashay are fun for high-energy dancers, and your older folks who don't want to sashay could just walk down and back. Similarly, newcomers like to clap, so give them a dance where there's clapping at a specified part of the dance. (In a barn dance type of longways dance, this can happen spontaneously as the top coupls gallops down to the bottom of the set at the end of a time through the dance.) But in a contra or Sicilian circle, this encourages them to listen to the tune to find those places, and the clapping at that right spot is positive reinforcement. So, with the numbers you're talking about, a simple dance such as Haste to the Wedding can be done as a Sicilian circle, can give them practice in ending a swing properly and in the progression AND it has clapping at a specified place. Furthermore, if you end up with 32 teens, your sicilian circle will have eight sets of four couples, enough to run the dance for everyone to go all the way around the circle and to meet up once again with their original neighbors, which inevitably produces a whoop of astonishment and satisfaction. David Millstone Lebanon, NH

14 years, 4 months

Dancer vs Caller Video

by Dave Colestock

A true piece of work by Noah van Norstrand. Check it out. http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12191933/contra-dancer-vs-contra-dance-call… Dave Colestock Harrisburg, PA

14 years, 4 months

Callers/Bands Visiting the UK in 2012

by John Sweeney

Are there any callers or bands from the USA or elsewhere planning to visit the UK in 2012? We are always looking for new faces for our club in Ashford, Kent (60 miles SE of London). Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk <http://www.contrafusion.co.uk/> for Contra Dancing in Kent

14 years, 5 months

Callers hi

by surudder1＠earthlink.net

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14 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] Help-Caller needed TODAY!

by troll.wright＠verizon.net

Hi Lisa, I'm now [1]nellwright79(a)gmail.com. Would have loved the gig, too, but I rarely look at this email. Thanks, Nell May 15, 2011 01:07:59 PM, callers(a)sharedweight.net wrote: I just got an emergency call from musician Eric McDonald, who has a gig this afternoon (SUNDAY) at 4 PM, and Nils is sick. Details: 4-8PM Hopkinton, MA 50th Birthday party Family dance style--mix of beginners and experienced, but probably mostly a family dance program. This is NOT a regular contra dance, so family/community dance experience is needed. Can you do it? CALL ERIC: 617-319-5941 Don't reply to me----- Lisa Greenleaf _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers References 1. mailto:nellwright79@gmail.com

14 years, 5 months

Help-Caller needed TODAY!

by Lisa Greenleaf

I just got an emergency call from musician Eric McDonald, who has a gig this afternoon (SUNDAY) at 4 PM, and Nils is sick. Details: 4-8PM Hopkinton, MA 50th Birthday party Family dance style--mix of beginners and experienced, but probably mostly a family dance program. This is NOT a regular contra dance, so family/community dance experience is needed. Can you do it? CALL ERIC: 617-319-5941 Don't reply to me----- Lisa Greenleaf

14 years, 5 months

Re: [Callers] Easy ONS dances and circle left, circle right

by Martha Wild

We have an introductory lesson before each contra and I always start with circle left and circle right and into the middle and out, exactly as Keith describes. I count during the movement, and call just before the counts, then I do it again and deedle a tune and prompt again. I use it to point out that you use a walking step during the dancing, that the dancing is in phrases of 8, that there is one step per beat, that I will prompt just before each move. I encourage the dancers to be connected to the other dancers with a bend to the arm and a bit of pull, tension, or "weight" in the hold. Even for new dancers that get this easily (and there are a few who don't) going through this may make those who are nervous about dancing feel confident that they'll be able to follow the teaching and do the dancing. I don't feel it is patronizing at all - it's an orientation. Martha On Apr 29, 2011, at 9:00 AM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote: > Send Callers mailing list submissions to > callers(a)sharedweight.net > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > callers-request(a)sharedweight.net > > You can reach the person managing the list at > callers-owner(a)sharedweight.net > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report > (Keith Tuxhorn) > 2. Re: easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report (Tina > Fields) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:25:19 -0500 > From: Keith Tuxhorn <keithlmt(a)gmail.com> > To: millstone(a)valley.net, "Caller's discussion list" > <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Subject: Re: [Callers] easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report > Message-ID: <BANLkTinp4oHzWGeST2dO+QdD-Dg8PmNpmQ(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > I once had a caller say to me "I would never patronize a group by > teaching > them circle left and circle right." But he didn't really get the > point: I'm > not teaching circle left and circle right. The purpose of the first > dance of > the evening is to teach them to listen to the caller. > > Beth, whatever caller said this to you is probably not a very > observant > caller. Sounds like he's assume that hearing and hitting a beat is > something > inbred in us all, and just like breathing for anyone who's ever > danced, when > there's a huge percentage of people who either aren't raised with a > sense of > rhythm, or have to take time to learn it. > > I called a farmers' market dance two weekends ago. Because the > experienced > dancers arrived late, my first group dance was with 7-8 mothers and > their > 3-6-year-old kids who'd been hopping around to the band's warmups. > I called > "Circle Dance" at about 1/3 speed so the moms could lead the kids > around--it > was great! I did a few dances with the regular dancers, then the moms > requested another dance for the kids. I did the same dance, this > time with > the regular dancers included in the half-speed version. they all > enjoyed it. > > Beth, you said it (as did Tony, Dudley, and others): Make sure the > dancers > succeed, at whatever level they're dancing. Approaches should > change for > every audience you call for... > > David, great point about how to keep people involved. Make them > earn their > cake....! > > Keith Tuxhorn > Austin, TX > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:56:35 -0700 (PDT) > From: Tina Fields <tfields8(a)yahoo.com> > To: callers(a)sharedweight.net > Subject: Re: [Callers] easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report > Message-ID: <466613.87675.qm(a)web180101.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > Beth said, >>>> "I "teach" people to listen to me during the first dance. I >>>> start with a big >>>> circle. I teach the group the following: Walk to the left, walk >>>> to the right, >>>> go into the center 3 steps, come back and do-si-do. After that >>>> I start the >>>> music and call hash of those. I also add promenade on the fly >>>> during the >>>> dancing. I once had a caller say to me "I would never patronize >>>> a group by >>>> teaching them circle left and circle right." But he didn't >>>> really get the >>>> point: I'm not teaching circle left and circle right. The >>>> purpose of the first >>>> dance of the evening is to teach them to listen to the >>>> caller.  Since the >>>> dance is hashed, they never know what is coming and they must >>>> listen. Saying >>>> "listen" doesn't work, you teach them to listen with your >>>> voice. Making them >>>> listen is the key. If you get them on board at the beginning >>>> the evening >>>> everything else will go well."<<<<SNIP more good stuff >>>> > > Yes, I agree completely - and that's what I did. By saying I began > with a "hash > circle dance" I meant something very similar to your method: we did > circle L, R, > into the middle w/ a shout, do-si-dos w/N & P, plus allemande and > swing, with > variations. And they were into it. But still, a few dances later, > once the > dancers had been walked through a dance and also done it a couple > of times to > the music, one line got off & it was clear that they weren't > hearing my prompts > (due to sound glitches), or weren't heeding them if they did hear > them. Their > excitement fed their cheerful chattering, so that was overall an > okay thing - > after all, who wants a deathly silent barn dance? (Yeah, Beth, I'm > with you > about the 'tude!) So I didn't know what to do besides keep calling > and go over > there to physically prompt some big group moves like "head gent > leads gents > single file around the line of ladies now" as well, which I did. > > Their being off, plus talking a lot, plus the sound weakness is > what made me > think that it would have been a good idea, when I taught the next > one, to > overtly mention the importance of continuing to listen to the > caller. (I don't > know, though, as I didn't think of that till the dance was over.) > > Would you do something else in this case? Writing this after > musing over your > commentary, I think now maybe I should have initially hash-called > more over the > music in real time. I did it fully w/o music and a couple of times > through with, > but didn't do it long up to tempo, so maybe some of the dancers got > the idea > that once the music started, they were on their own. Hm. Thoughts, > ideas, more > strategies welcome. These little things can really affect a dance! > > David M. then brought up the shrewd strategy of not letting ONS > dancers sit down > (meaning they might stay away forever). Again, I agree - I've > experienced that > too, and am totally on board with the plan to continually "dance > for 45 minutes > before they cut the cake". Yet in this case, even though I held > that intent > (albeit with two planned halves as the organizers wanted 1.5 hours > of dancing), > a couple of times the dads bolted for the cool drinks in the > kitchen as soon as > a dance stopped! So I just let it go with their flow, then called > them back for > another dance after a little while when their faces seemed less red > again. :-> > And they came. Their daughters did need to earn their badges, after > all. > > Given that behavior, would you do something different? If so, what? > > Beth, also thanks for the tip about Marian Rose's books. > > Tina > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers(a)sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > > End of Callers Digest, Vol 80, Issue 14 > ***************************************

14 years, 6 months

Re: [Callers] easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report

by Tina Fields

Becky Nankivell said, <snip> Depending on the event, the length scheduled, and the<BR>crowd, you could conceivably announce and establish at the start that<BR>there will be short sets of ~2-3 dances with breaks between, so they<BR>know that they'll have the breaks coming. >snip> That makes so much sense! Of course folks are more likely to fully stick around & participate when they know roughly what's coming - in this case, the breaks. It's the same with any kind of teaching. I'll do that in future. Thank you. Tina

14 years, 6 months

Re: [Callers] easy ONS dances where partner is kept? - report

by Becky Nankivell

Concerning letting 'em sit or not -- I'd say that depends on the event. If it's billed as a dance event, then, counter-intuitively, I'd let them socialize more frequently because the socializing is really the point under it all, and the dancing is an excuse. They will have dancing in mind. Depending on the event, the length scheduled, and the crowd, you could conceivably announce and establish at the start that there will be short sets of ~2-3 dances with breaks between, so they know that they'll have the breaks coming. Even more than a couple of dances in a row will be stretch for folks who have come because of social obligation, rather than a particular enthusiasm for dancing. :-) If it's a wedding reception with some dancing, yes, do it all at once, because there are lots of other things to be accomplished. In the end throw away any expectations of the kind of continuous dancing you have at a regularly scheduled evening. ~ Becky Nankivell Tucson, Ariz. and Long Beach, Calif. Tina wrote: David M. then brought up the shrewd strategy of not letting ONS dancers sit down (meaning they might stay away forever). Again, I agree - I've experienced that too, and am totally on board with the plan to continually "dance for 45 minutes before they cut the cake". Yet in this case, even though I held that intent (albeit with two planned halves as the organizers wanted 1.5 hours of dancing), a couple of times the dads bolted for the cool drinks in the kitchen as soon as a dance stopped! So I just let it go with their flow, then called them back for another dance after a little while when their faces seemed less red again. :-> And they came. Their daughters did need to earn their badges, after all. Given that behavior, would you do something different? If so, what? Beth, also thanks for the tip about Marian Rose's books. Tina

14 years, 6 months

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