Re: [Callers] mentorship

Ron, You pose a real excellent question.  WHAT makes a "good" caller?  Now if you were to ask the dancers on the floor who their favorite callers are, they generally list popular, well-known callers who travel a lot.  But does this mean that they are the "best"?  Or that other lesser-known callers aren't any good?  I've heard a lot of local callers who I have a LOT of fun when they call.  On the other hand, I've danced to a few nationally-known callers who I don't think are very good at all.  As a matter of fact, most callers, whether they stick to local areas or whether they are national are very good.  My opinion is this:  a real good caller is one who picks dances that are appropriate for the crowd that he/she is calling for.  They do their research ahead of time:  Will I be calling to mainly newbies?  Mainly experienced dancers?  A mix?  What percentage of each approximately?  And then program said dance with the appropriate mix of dances for the crowd that is expected to be there.  And also be flexible to change your program on the fly if the unexpected shows up. Also - the ability to explain those dances well.  It's tricky in mixed crowds - you want to be just detailed enough so that the new dancers can pick up on it but not so wordy so that the experienced dancers are getting antsy.  A lot of this depends on the crowd mix (experienced-to-newbie ratio).  This also means that a good caller KNOWS the dances he's calling inside and out.  (Though I've been known to call a dance that I picked up just that day, but before I do so I make sure I understand the dance and how it flows.)  For me, one of the most important things is to emphasize the tricky parts without spending an hour on explaining it - that makes a good caller.  And then there's good caller-to-dancer relationships.  By that I mean, you also need to be likable to the crowd, personable.  You're the party host.  Those that than treat their guests as welcome to the party.  Of course things will go wrong often to most callers, but a good caller handles those with style and grace and doesn't show frustration.  "Never let them see you sweat" - a good rule of thumb.  There are probably more, but this note is getting lengthy and I can't think of any more right now.  It's an excellent question and conversation starter. Perry --- On Thu, 5/10/12, Ron T Blechner <contraron(a)gmail.com> wrote: From: Ron T Blechner <contraron(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Callers] mentorship To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net> Date: Thursday, May 10, 2012, 3:12 PM I might suggest that there's a natural break-out topic: "What makes a good caller? (both perspectives of caller, dancer, band, and dance organizers all)" I've heard a *lot* of callers talk about the difference of being "a caller" and "a really good caller", and while experience is a necessary condition, it is not, I believe, sufficient. In dance, Ron On Thu, May 10, 2012 at 10:33 AM, Michael Fuerst <mjerryfuerst(a)yahoo.com> wrote: _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers