2 Jan
2013
2 Jan
'13
9:29 p.m.
On Jan 2, 2013, at 4:16 PM, Leslie Gotfrit wrote:
I'm a new contra caller who does community/family
dances, kitchen parties and one night stands. I'm calling a dance for about 60 adults,
almost none of whom have even heard of contra dancing, but they do know each other. The
organizers have asked for a YouTube that would convey the fun of contra dancing, without
scaring off newbies. I've looked at dozens and can't find one where 1. The calls
and music are heard (otherwise they'll really wonder what they are paying me and the
band for) 2. People are having fun (but not twirling and flourishing so much people will
think they need to be experts 3. The dancers look a bit "cool" and aren't
all on the other side of middle aged (it's a young adult crowd and most people in my
(red)neck of the woods only know about western squares,/retired couples in costumes) 4.
The quality of the filming and music recording is good or great (again, to avoid the hokey
label). 5. Does all of that in under five minutes.
The problem is, what you really want is to convey the fun of a community/family dance, not
a contra dance. The video should make it look fun and accessible. If you showed them a
video of what they would be doing by the end of the evening, many of them may decide that
they can't do it, it looks too complicated, etc. Showing them a video of the
beginning of an evening might look like too much instruction. Good luck finding the
correct video.
I started composing this e-mail by recommending the following: Contra Dance Introductory
Session with George Marshall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14nxFdcaKWA
While I believe it is worth watching by all of us on this list, as I re-watched the
beginning, I _don't_ believe it will meet your needs. For one, George is doing the
walkthru for beginners who are about to be integrated into a contra dance with mostly
experienced dancers. This is not your audience. His message about music and the
connection to what we are dancing is great. However, that may come across as too fussy to
your audience. Also, at most ONS dances I call, I don't emphasize that connection.
Some get it, and others just move, perhaps taking one step for each beat of the music, and
have fun.
Sorry I didn't solve your problem. Hopefully you find the right video.
--
Clark Baker, Belmont, MA
cmbaker(a)tiac.net