[Callers] Re: "Assigning" roles in the beginners' lesson?

Hi, Maia, all, I have seen a few choices at our weekly dance, and Louise when she called for us did a great job.  I think some of the things that have been said in this thread kind of work well, and I have continued to adjust the way I teach based on some of the things I have seen and have read.  Having people try both roles is great.   I am not sure I'd go into the history of genders because that will get the nugget of info in dancers' heads that the roles have a loose base in gender.  I think we might consider never even talking gender at all. One issue that has befuddled me is actually how to deal with the experienced dancers who join the lesson as the ringers.  We love our experienced dancers coming early to help out!  Except, I'd like to not have experienced dancers put their own agenda into the lesson by forcing gender roles if they are not fans of gender free dancing.  I've seen that done and then the lesson becomes gendered even as I insist on teaching in a gender free way.  I think finding ways for people to try both roles at times of the lesson certainly is ideal to continue to reinforce gender free dancing, but I don't think that experienced dancers should be going against the instructor and forcing gendered dancing. Perry On Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 10:47:55 AM EDT, Maia McCormick via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: Hey there, hive mind, When you're calling larks and robins, during the lesson, how do youa. explain the roles to the new folks, andb. put the beginners into roles for the duration of the lesson? I've seen "try swinging in both roles and see which feels better", I've seen "unless you have a preference, whoever is standing on the right of your partnership is the robin for now", I've seen "pick whichever bird you like better", I've seen "the robin's role is a little easier so do that if you feel less confident"... I'm curious what folks here do and in what kind of distribution, and how you find it works for you in practice. (Please please please let's not relitigate gender-free contra or the bird terms in this thread. If you really must, please make a separate thread.) Swingingly,Maia --Maia McCormick (she/her)917.279.8194_______________________________________________ Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net