Re: [Callers] Crowd noise during walk through

Jacqui, If the gig is an intensive dance weekend, then the dancers probably expect you to get them dancing, dammit, and never mind wasting this time on a walk-through while we're talking and ignoring the caller. That's always a problem. The way I've addressed it in that situation might not always be suitable: "WIIITTTTH the Couple aCross do a Right and left Through..." [in a sing-song caller voice] [then, when the floor descends into chaos] Whoops! Go back to your original starting places. Take hands four from the top, and HOLD ON to your circle of 4 so it gets ALL the way to the bottom. There was a problem, so you might need to adjust. Please hold on to your circle, so that other people can see it and join their own circle. OK. Let's start again. This is how this dance goes: ... [and walk through the dance in a conversational voice, not a shouting voice, and not a calling voice.] If the gig is a social dance, such as our local Fire-House dance here in La Honda (population 500), then it's all different, of course. This local social dance does one square (a very simple dance, by modern urban contra standards) or perhaps one contra (a square, deformed into lines instead of a square). Then 10-15 minutes to socialize sample snacks, basically lots of talking. The evening is a social event, not a dance event. After some suitable time has elapsed, I'll cue the band to play a polka (later in the evening, it's a waltz, but early it's a polka) just about 6 times through. Basically, we're ringing the church bell, calling the flock to worship. Remember, it's a social event. A social event where they happen to do dancing. It's NOT a dance event where they might (or might not) socialize. Back to your initial question about how you get people to be quiet and pay attention during the walk-through: Good luck! Key points: 1 - find out what the event organizers expect, especially what they expect YOU to do without their help or input 2 - if it's a social event, allow time for socializing. Don't try to fight that, you won't win 3 - when people can't hear you, don't talk louder into the microphone, and don't turn up the PA sound. This is the ONE occasion to play the "teacher" card and say something along the lines of: "[normal conversational voice. NOT caller voice] Hello. Can you hear me? In the back of the hall, please Raise Your Hand if you Can Not hear me." At 9:55 PM -0700 8/13/13, Quiann2 wrote: