Offering online caller classes on Zoom while sheltering in place has been going pretty well.  So far I've offered 6 different classes 20 times and 62 people have registered 124 times.

I have scheduled a new round of classes between May 2 and May 17, including 2 new topics ("Applause-Worthy Beginner Lessons" and "Walk-Through Techniques for Mixed Crowds") that I haven't offered before, as well as an intro class for dancers with no calling experience.

Unlike most caller workshops at dance weekends, these are highly structured sessions with interactive activities and visuals.  I've received lots of great feedback so far, some of which I've incorporated into improvements for classes I'm repeating.

They are all listed together on a calendar here: http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops

Here are the individual topics:

Walk-Through Techniques for Mixed Crowds (May 3 & May 13): Please experienced dancers with brief walk-throughs that get newer dancers up to speed quickly http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/caller-class-walk-through-techniques

Applause-Worthy Beginner Lessons (May 2 & May 12): Get newer dancers feeling capable and included quickly in smaller or larger crowds http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/online-caller-class-beginner-lessons

Picking Good Dances (May 4 & May 16): Advanced skills in recognizing bad contra choreography and honing in on collecting good dances for your repertoire http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/caller-class-good-dances-online

Utilizing Variety (May 5 & May 16): Learn how to design an experiential journey for contra dancers through choreographic and musical variety http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/caller-class-variety-online

Challenging Dancers Just Enough (May 3 & May 15): Learn exactly what makes a dance too complex or just right for your crowd http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/caller-class-complexity-online

Programming and Reading Dancers (May 6 & May 17): Build a great program of dances in advance and recognize signals on the fly to help you choose the right dances in the moment http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/caller-class-programming-reading-dancers-online

Leading Great Community Dances (May 7 & May 17): Succeed at calling gigs with very few or no participants who regularly attend contra dance events, such as community dances, weddings, and family dances http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/online-caller-class-community-dances

Calling 101 (May 2 and May 11): An intro to calling for contra dancers with zero experience as callers: http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/calling-101-online

Are there topics not listed here that folks would be interested in seeing in the future?

Please share with others who may be interested.

I hope to see some of you online soon!

Dugan Murphy
(he/him)
Portland, Maine
dugan at duganmurphy.com
www.DuganMurphy.com
www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com