Re: [Callers] Music for contras

my 2 cents: #1 Communication between Caller and Band!: Example: I attended a dance featuring an up and comming caller and a very talented band all in their twentys For the most part the dancers were used to traditional dances and music, though non-traditional music is not out of the norm (for this dance series) Final dance of the evening: short phrases, balances, swings, alamands... needed well phrased music Band launched into groove tunes, Dancers were ok while caller was prompting, when he stopped, Dancers had to start counting the beats, formations started to break down, less experianced dancers were loosing the dance LSS, it put a damper on the evening .... it's what the dancers remember! I have danced to bands in New England who do a very good job of melding tradition with groove (by the by, these musicians are also dancers!) I like dancing to these bands, they are well versed in tradition. and can expand on it without loosing the basics of the music/dance form. if you watch these musicians they are keeping an eye on the dancers. Playing for them, not at them #2 I wonder if we are looking at a seperation between traditional and a new style of dancing, not unlike what happened 40 years ago +/- If there is going to be (if it hasn't already begun) a divergance in dance styles and preferances. Perhaps places like Nelson NH (and other small community dances) will be the keepers of the tradition waiting for another generation to re-discover the fine art form of contra dancing. Random thoughts from a 50+yr old. dancer/caller/ (maybe someday) musician