30 Apr
2010
30 Apr
'10
6:56 a.m.
On Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:16:17 -0400, Delia Clark wrote:
With the mixture of new dancers, lingering families,
high school
age folks, we haven't been able to provide the kind of scene dance
gypsies seem to prefer, but we have had some very kind and generous
experienced dancers frequent our dance and they seem to enjoy the
challenge of keeping it all moving.
I think you'll find that the really good dancers are happy to join in.
It's the hot-shots who turn up their noses at anything less than
the perfect contra dance experience, and you can do without them - I
expect there are plenty of other places they can go.
I have considered booting the kids out during the
break when we
switch to contra dances, but many of them are becoming good enough
dancers that it just doesn't feel right, though I am aware that
this shifts our dynamic away from appealing to singles, etc.
Don't do it! The kids are the dancers of tomorrow, and maybe when
you say "singles, etc." you mean hot-shots. I was single for a long
time, but I always enjoyed dancing with kids and still do. You can
certainly make the program more complicated after the break and warn
the kids that they've got to be good if they want to stay for the
second half: challenge them, don't ban them. And you can even say
quietly to specific kids, "You really aren't up to this yet", so long
as you do it with the right attitude.
Colin Hume
Email colin(a)colinhume.com Web site http://www.colinhume.com