Contra Callers

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Re: [Callers] Callers Digest, Vol 48, Issue 9

by Martha Wild

Some thoughts: If there's room in the general community, or interest, or other wanna- be callers, or an underserved area in these days when driving is getting expensive, start your own dance. Three of us in San Diego did that years ago as we were learning to call. We had dance parties in our driveways, invited people in the summer to the park for dance parties (invited anyone who walked by to join in), usually only had one acoustic musician playing (a dulcimer, a fiddle, a banjo, even a penny whistle solo) finally found a small rec hall and some aspiring musicians, and shared the dance until we got good enough to call half each and then full dances. Start an infrequent dance if running a regular one seems too onerous - every fifth Friday or something like that, you run it, you can call at it. You have more control perhaps of the bands you get to call with. Also, make sure others know that you are available for emergencies - one never knows when a caller will get sick or have a flat tire and someone will ask if you brought your cards. Dance communities vary - some are run by callers, some by dancers. And if you aren't involved in the managing of the dances, in volunteering to do set-up, take-down, decoration at special events, sitting at the door, etc. - if all you do is call, and others are doing all the work, then get in there and put in more than just dancing. Sweat equity, though it may have nothing to do with your ability as a caller, will make others more willing to help you towards your goals. Yes, it is important to encourage new callers, but as an organizer, now, too, I know I don't want to do that at the expense of confusion and dissatisfaction on the floor, especially if other callers are ready, willing and able. One thing we did here was to pair a new caller with an established one - split the evening. See if there is an established caller willing to let you take part of the evening at the mid-sized dance and if the organizer will go for it. Go back to square one and ask to call three dances in the first half - maybe the first three. When those go well, branch out and do just the second three so you get more experience doing harder dances. And if you can teach clearly to beginners, you can teach clearly to advanced dancers. Just faster and with fewer walkthroughs. If you play an instrument, play in a community band if there is one just to get more familiar with what tunes go with what dances. But basically, don't wait for (or expect) other people to make your own dreams happen. I don't mean that as a slam, it's just the way it is. Most of them are busy with their own dreams - like the caller who runs his own dance and likes to call at it - why shouldn't he? Good luck to you in branching out and finding ways to call more. Martha On Aug 18, 2008, 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. Trouble Getting Gigs (very long) (Tina Fields) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:25:46 -0700 (PDT) > From: Tina Fields <tfields8(a)yahoo.com> > Subject: [Callers] Trouble Getting Gigs (very long) > To: "callers@ sharedweight.net" <callers(a)sharedweight.net> > Message-ID: <50006.55506.qm(a)web83207.mail.mud.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > > Hi folks ? > > I seem to have hit an interesting wall in my newish calling > career, and would love to know your thoughts and strategies > about how best to deal with it. I?ve been calling contra > for two years, the first year learning through guest spots, > classes, and half-dances. Since last November I?ve called > full dances, averaging 2-3 dances/month, mostly contras > with a few barn dances. > > My problem is this: I?m having trouble getting a couple of > our local programmers to book me. > > In their defense, we do have a lot of good callers around > here vying for the few slots. And one of our local > programmers is trying to run a consistently high-powered > dance, booking many world-class callers and bands. I have > never asked her about calling that dance, and in fact > aspire to become a caller she seeks out some day in the > future. > > But the other dances are a different story. The one that > prompted me to reach out to you here is a medium-sized > hometown type dance featuring lots of different callers and > bands. I dance there often; it?s one of my home venues. I > have called one half-dance there, to great reviews from > both the dancers and the other caller. The band said they > enjoyed working with me too. Unfortunately, the programmer > was away at a camp that evening. He has only seen me call > guest spots ? all of which he says he thoroughly enjoyed ? > but only one full evening elsewhere, and here?s the rub: > wit wasn?t my best evening. It was a special 4-hour dance, > the longest gig I?ve ever done solo. I made a few minor > mistakes. And the band was a primarily English band ? which > meant very nice music, but mild, not at all zesty. > > The programmer in question is a friend of mine in the > dancing community. We?re fond of each other as both dance > partners and people. When I realized he might not be asking > me to call his dance because he doesn?t think I?m a good > enough caller, it felt devastating. But I got up the guts > to approach him at the end of last night?s dance after the > fiddler, notorious for his curmudgeonly pickiness, asked > when I was calling next and announced that he and his > girlfriend are my ?biggest fans?. (I was quite floored, > and grateful. An ego boost can do wonders at moments like > that.) So I approached the programmer. ?Can I ask you a > question?? I asked. ?I don?t know if I want to answer,? he > replied, looking very nervous and obviously knowing what > was coming. ?Well, I?m gonna ask it anyway,? I told him, > and took his arm as we walked away from the others in the > room. ?If, as I now suspect, you don?t like the way I > call, what is it about it you don?t like so I can work on > improving that?? He looked relieved then, and was kind > enough to respond very honestly. > > He named a number of things he hadn?t liked about the one > full dance he?d been at. He gave the hairy eyeball to my > inclusion of a particular mixer. He also said at one point > in a contra, one knot of folks was having trouble and I > came down on the floor to help them, but that left the rest > of them floundering awhile with no prompting. His memory > was astounding ? I don?t remember that at all. Perhaps I > didn?t think anything of it at the time, or perhaps I was > even proud of myself for being able to then get back up on > the stool and call to everyone correctly after helping like > that. I definitely still have a LOT to learn. I believe > the biggest mistake he pointed out (and rightly) was that I > didn?t seem perfectly familiar with how to teach one of the > dances, and dancers had to ask a question to clarify. It?s > likely true: I try to call one dance that?s new to me each > evening, in order to expand my repertoire, and every time I > call one I seem to learn some new nuance about how to lead > it better. > > He said he therefore thinks I need more practice. I > heartily agreed with that, and then pointed out that the > way to get it is by having gigs that allow me to do more > calling! He then said that that?s what the tiny venues are > for. > > But I feel troubled by this answer. I?ve been calling those > venues, and will gladly continue to. However, it seems to > me that if a caller is only exposed to small halls > half-full of beginners, s/he will learn to call to that > level very well, but not to call dances appropriate for > more advanced dancers. How will I ever gain that skill if > I?m not given the chance to try it? It?s a catch-22. These > venues also often book very inexperienced bands, who don?t > know what I?m talking about when I try to discuss pairing > dances/tunes. So I have ideas of how I?d like to become a > better caller, but these circumstances are keeping me from > achieving that. > > I also strongly believe that it?s every dance > organization?s responsibility to foster new talent, if they > want the group to stay alive. My local group has acted on > this seriously in the past, in fact giving me and others > matching scholarships to go to CDSS camp?s calling classes. > (In my case, perhaps they figured out I wasn?t going to go > away, so it was in their best interest to help me learn to > do it better. <g>) What?s happening now, though, is that > I?ve hit some sort of glass ceiling. I?m like in my calling > adolescence: no longer the cute beginner but also not yet a > rock star. If given the opportunity to call at a more > high-powered gig, I will not be perfect at it, no. But I > will get better and better, given the chance. > > Hearing some programmers talk about callers and bands, I > have the sense now that a problematic gig like the one > Chris described in his recent ?growth? post could be a > death sentence around here. That caller might never be > invited back. > > My experience of hitting a wall didn?t only happen that one > time. Earlier this month, trying to be proactive, I > inquired about potentially calling at a venue a bit more > than one hour from my home, another medium-sized/level > dance I?ve danced at many times in the past but not > recently. That programmer asked the very good question, > ?what sort of program do you do, and is it suitable for our > dancers?? I sent him a sample program I successfully called > at a similar venue, along with an offer to discuss his > current community?s particular dance level and to craft my > program accordingly. I have not heard back. Some say that > he likes to call most of the dances there himself, so may > be reluctant to share. > > It feels so disheartening to be kept out, I?m now > considering whether it?s worth it to continue trying to > call. Really, it?s been through frequent repetition that my > skills have improved so far. I?ve popped a new level of > understanding in terms of how to envision the moves in > space, how to teach geometrically and in terms of people > the dancers will encounter, and how to really work with the > band to create a synergistic ball o? fire. These skills > have recently grown exponentially. I enjoy doing it, and > have gotten some excellent positive feedback from dancers, > bands, and other programmers ? some of it even in writing, > so I can prove it. But if I have to fight to get one gig > every few months, I never will get better. I?ll forget the > nuances of how to do it. Instead of building on each > other, every dance evening will be a singular struggle. And > I doubt it?s worth it. I love giving to the dance community > through calling, but also love dancing ? and that I feel > unquestioningly welcomed to do. > > Thoughts? Strategies? Commiseration? How to best handle > this situation? Is there a way to encourage programmers to > nurture local talent? How did you manage to wrangle > getting gigs that allowed your skills to continually grow? > > > Sorry for the length of this post and the ?woe is me? tone. > But I figured some detail might help in this case, and I?m > really feeling at a loss. > > Thank you, comrades, for any insight you might offer. > > Tina Fields > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers(a)sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > > End of Callers Digest, Vol 48, Issue 9 > **************************************

17 years, 3 months

Getting gigs

by Chrissy Fowler

Hi all, Interesting discussion. I've excerpted some of these emails (stripping names and email addresses) and sent the question on to the organizers list. I could understand feeling frustrated with a desire to have more gigs than one is getting. But I also can see the point of the organizers, whose first responsibility is not necessarily to cultivate growth in the caller/musician community but is rather to run a series that meets the expectations of the dancers and the organizers themselves. I am a caller who also is a founding co-organizer of our local series. We have a certain mission and standards for skill/expertise/style of performers. Ours is one of those with only 12 slots per year, and I generally call about half of those. This leaves 6 caller slots and 12 band slots. And frankly, that's not a lot of room for "giving someone a chance" (given the aforementioned responsibility to dancers/organizers over caller/musician cultivation.) That said, our committee does support caller/musician growth in other ways. We have an open, all-comers band for our community dance (modeled on bands I'd witnessed with David Kaynor's All-Comers Band dances in western Massachusetts and The Lamprey River Band's open stage policy in Dover, NH) We also do some homework, asking around about bands who come to us wanting to be booked (checking with trusted organizer colleagues or other dancers, listening to demo recordings, going with our gut feelings, etc.) and have sometimes booked bands that were new to us. We have run additional dances in our hall (on off nights) including one for a group of developing callers in Maine, in conjunction with a short workshop/discussion the next day. As a caller I have occasionally offered a slot in my program to developing callers who I think have particular promise. (Which is to say, they seem like they might be becoming a caller I could stand behind - a subjective analysis to be sure.) So, back to your question, as a new caller I benefited from open mic and multi-caller nights as well as dance camps. In my experience it was most important to develop trusted relationships with mentors and colleagues. As has been said, they should be people who are willing to give you honest feedback on your calling (and from whom you are willing to receive such honest feedback) and given this, they will be more likely to refer you for gigs that they can't do, or to vouch for you as references, etc. I've played both roles, as mentee/colleague and mentor/critic. Good for all concerned. And I agree completely with Seth's pithy comment. Excruciating to listen to recordings or to watch video, but enlightening and invaluable. And finally, I'd say that as I've grown more as a caller, I've found myself having just as much fun calling for family/community/school/small dances with clueless clientele as I do calling for the hot urban-style dances with highly skilled clientele. I'd caution anyone against dismissing the delights and satisfactions of the former in favor of the glory of the latter. Chrissy Fowler Belfast, ME _________________________________________________________________ See what people are saying about Windows Live. Check out featured posts. http://www.windowslive.com/connect?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_connect2_082008

17 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] Callers trouble getting gigs (medium long)

by gtwood＠worldpath.net

Thank you Tina! A lively discussion! you are not alone! I live and dance in an area where there is a lively dance community (southern New Hampshire) Years ago I took over as co-organizer of a dance and inevitably there was a dance where the caller could not make it. So, with the aid of my co-organizer, we called the dance! I had a ball! This started me on the path of caller. A lot of my calling experience has been trial by fire. In the beginning I was trying to call dances, above my ability, to mixed groups of dancers. The beginners were confused and the old hands were frustrated but gracious. I have been at it for 5 years. I have been blessed with a 2 venues that have allowed me to call one full evening per season. There is also 1 venue that allows me to call 1 dance a month, and surprisingly this is where I have gained the most experience as a caller. (lots of college age newbies!) I do lots of calling from the floor i.e.: while dancing. Much of my dance time is spent in the less crowded side sets where the newer dancers congregate. I find this helps with quick memory of moves and Dances (now if I could put them into long term memory!) and is a great place to teach dances. (many thanks from beginners!) I have been frustrated by not being asked to call at smaller dance venues, that are organized by friends, its not worth risking the friendship, also Im not going to beg tocall any venue. My hope is that these organizers will come to one of my dances and see that my skill level has improved enough to be acceptable to their standards. I was ready to give away all of my notes, dance books, and cards this past spring because there were no opportunities coming my way, a fellow caller dissuaded me from taking that course of action. Im glad he did because this Fall/Winter I am calling 2 full evening dances! One thing you may wish to do is approach organizers and ask if they would be interested in doing an open caller night. (they get the callers for free!) Its an interesting dynamic to co-ordinate with other callers so that your not calling the same type of dances and have a varied evening and you get to pick up new material by doing dance swaps! Organize a house junket, and invite local organizers as your GPs (feed them well!) Encourage dancers, who compliment you on your calling, to please let organizers know your available. The word will get around! Good Luck Thanks Gale Wood

17 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] Trouble Getting Gigs (very long)

by Dan Black

Tina, Recently, after two years of calling full nights at various locations in NY metro area, I had to be evaluated while calling a full night for a dance community. This process may have seemed overkill but what the process did was to remove subjectivty from the process. The evaluation form was derived from the Atlanta dance series and here is the link to the form: http://www.contradance.org/pdfs/caller_eval.pdf The form is quite extensive. Also, I agree what has been stated from others that it is very helpful and important to have a mentor. Someone who would be honest with constructive feedback both good and bad. When I have taped myself, it is possible to review an evening for areas of improvement and areas that were well done. The tape doesn't have selective memory like I sometimes do. A mentor would be able to point out areas for improvement and areas done well. See ya on the floor, Dan

17 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] Trouble Getting Gigs (Nancy Turner)

by Chip Hedler

Wouldn't it be great to have an online directory of dance organizers who want to recruit callers--and callers looking for gigs? The dance organizers could give their specifications, preferences (possibly including insights into the local style), how payment would be handled, etc. The callers could say what they're looking for and have to offer, how far they're willing to travel, etc. as well. Oh, yeah, the system could include musicians too...the whole thing could be modeled after the "personals" classifieds or the NY Times employment section. Oops, maybe not such a good idea--maybe the postings would soon be crowded with offers of pseudo-pharmaceutical substances to add/subtract inches to various body parts or windfall opportunities to share in large amounts of offshore currency. The tension for dance organizers between wanting to lean toward the security of proven big names who will insure consistently large and enthusiastic turnouts, and the uncertainties of trying relatively unknown callers and musicians isn't going to go away. Fortunately, there are still folks trying to keep smaller local dance series alive, even occasionally starting new ones. Without these people, who often have even fewer training resources to draw on than beginning callers, the future of contra dance "in the wild" would be bleak indeed... Chip Hedler

17 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] Trouble Getting Gigs

by Nancy Turner

Hi All, Great topic. I've been calling for almost two years with a mix of family dances and small contra dances. I've viewed these venues as a forgiving place to learn and practice, and I am grateful for them. I also help to organize a dance that is mid-sized with a mix of experienced and new dancers that runs once a month. In a good month we get 100 there; in smaller months 65. My "glass ceiling" was calling the dance that I organize. For many of the issues that Greg described, our organizing committee wants to keep the dance lively with consistent performers. However, we are also open to up and coming performers and decided that we would pair new bands with experienced callers and visa versa as a way to encourage and develop new talent. Our summer months are typically smaller dances, so this is a time when our booker feels more freedom to book a range of performers. This summer I've felt that I've been ready to call a whole night where there are more experienced dancers, and therefore at our dance. To get there, I had to meet the expectations of the committee that I was ready. I struggled a bit with this. I felt concern that I would take advantage of my position on the committee to get on stage. My "big break" came two weeks ago when our caller for the August dance cancelled with relatively short notice. Our outreach to other callers failed to come up with anyone who was available and so I got to call the night. As a caller, it was really a new experience to plan for and call a whole night of dances for these dancers. As Tina described, I was able to call dances that were more challenging to call and dance. Nothing too wowing, but for me, they were a stretch beyond what I'd been able to do elsewhere. It was really fun and all went well. I've talked with local musicians who felt this same sort of barrier to getting on stage at another big local dance. They felt that they were put to a higher standard by the bookers just because they were familiar and untested and young performers. I think what Tina is describing isn't atypical. Tina, if you are willing to travel, we'll book you at our dance! Maybe a strategy is to get on the road and call at bigger dances outside of your region. On the strength of that experience, you could reasonably the local organizers to give you a shot. My two cents, Nancy Turner Vermont

17 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] See Saw dance request

by Dan Black

The list has always has been there when I needed y'all. Thanks, that dance seems to fit very well. See ya on the floor, Dan ----- Original Message ---- From: Liz and Bill <staf186(a)ext.canterbury.ac.nz> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net> Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 3:06:20 AM Subject: Re: [Callers] See Saw dance request Hi Dan, Unruly Reunion by Robert Cromartie is a very easy dance. As written it has a Dosido in B1a, but a variation with a seesaw (with a clockwise flourish) fits the flow better. Improper A1 down the hall four in line (1's in the middle) Turn alone, return, Bend the line A2 Circle Left, Circle Right B1 Neighbor Seesaw (with clockwise flourish), Neighbor Swing B2 LLFB, 1's Swing Cheers, Bill _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

17 years, 3 months

See Saw dance request

by Dan Black

Gang, Does anyone have an easy see saw (left shoulder dosido) dance for a second dance of the evening? My hope is to do a Moon Dance & Sun Dance medley however, I don't have a see saw dance to set this medley up. I got Daddy's Reeling and Pride of Charlottesville from the list serve, any others. Thanks Dan Black Western Shore of NJ

17 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] See Saw dance request

by Dan Black

Thanks Michael. I hadn't thought to look at Don's books. ----- Original Message ---- From: Michael Barraclough <michael(a)michaelbarraclough.com> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net> Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 11:53:00 PM Subject: Re: [Callers] See Saw dance request How about Moon Rhymes by Don Flaherty. His original dance has a dosido but I feel that a seesaw flows better (that's how I call it). The title fits perfectly with your theme! You do need plenty of space along the line for this one. Ladies chain (along set) [4] Seesaw as couples [4] Partner swing [8] Men allemande left 1.5 [4] Neighbour swing [4] Circular balance [2] Petronella [2] Circular balance [2] Petronella [2] Michael Barraclough http://www.michaelbarraclough.com -----Original Message----- From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Dan Black Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 11:37 PM To: callers(a)sharedweight.net Subject: [Callers] See Saw dance request Gang, Does anyone have an easy see saw (left shoulder dosido) dance for a second dance of the evening? My hope is to do a Moon Dance & Sun Dance medley however, I don't have a see saw dance to set this medley up. I got Daddy's Reeling and Pride of Charlottesville from the list serve, any others. Thanks Dan Black Western Shore of NJ _______________________________________________ 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

17 years, 3 months

Re: [Callers] Dancing Dancing Bear

by richgoss＠comcast.net

I was present, and dancing, at a dance once where Becky Hill taught the A1 of Dancing Bear with a demo. I always teach it exactly this way. This is how the Becky taught it: Allemande right just 1/2, then do a little hop (dancers LOVE this little hop. Alle 1/2 and hop takes 4 beats) Then switch hands and allemande left one full time (another 4 beats) into the ladies chain. That's the whole A1. It works just fine. Rich -------------- Original message -------------- From: "Rickey" <holt.e(a)comcast.net> > Hi, > > I have called this dance before but a part of my directions does not make > sense to me. Have you called it? The dance is Dancing Bear, by Becky Hill. > Duple Improper > > (A1) Neighbor Allemande Right (œ ) (4) / Same Neighbor Allemande Left (ONCE > AROUND) (also in 4!)/ Ladies Chain ( œ ) (8) > > (A1) Hey (16) > > (B1) Partner Balance and Swing (16) > > (B2) Ladies Chain ( œ ) (8) /Star left (once to new neighbors) (8) > > > > A Great dance!!!!!!!!!!!! > > > > What is puzzling me is this: The Allemande Left (in A1) seems to need to be > closer to ONCE AND A HALF to set up for the ladies chain and doing THAT in 4 > counts would be too much. I have called it, and I called it as once around > and it did look like the dancers were going more than one half way around > (the other option), so what do you think was really going on. > > How do you call this dance? > > Rickey Holt, > > Fremont, NH > > > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers(a)sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

17 years, 3 months

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