I've done house parties with just a fiddler who was very familiar with dance music and knows how to maintain the beat and play square tunes. Not everyone can do that. Does your dance community have a list serve or Facebook page where you can ask for that kind of assistance? Unless you can find someone with those skills, it might be best to have no music.

Linda Leslie's DoSiThree is one of my favorite beginner dances, but usually after they've done some simple circles. Linda posted here a week or so ago her excellent strategy for getting people dancing and into a spiral that turns into a partner-less circle. I thought I 'invented' that approach, but it seems at least 2 of us came up with the idea. It works really well, especially if you enlist some helpers to get it started and to urge their friends to join. When I call at weddings I make it a condition of my contract that the bride and groom will play that role for at least the first dance.

On Tue, Aug 4, 2015 at 6:18 AM, Claire Takemori via Callers <callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

I want to learn to call & share family dances with more kids to spread folk music and dancing in our area (SF bay area, near Santa Cruz).

I've got an opportunity to teach dances for my son's nature class.  It will range in age from 5 to 15 years.  There's an option to work with just 8 years and up for some or all of the dancing.

My questions:

1. Can you recommend some really fun dances for starting out?  The first couple have be great so I can win them over with fun.

2.  I'm wondering how vital music is to the success?  I think really great live music is a major part of my joy of contra dancing.  We are not allowed to use electrical amplification.   I'm wondering if I could use a single fiddler?        And how do I locate a local fiddler who might volunteer playing?  Maybe a talented youth?

3.  I won't have a mic and will have to use a bullhorn.  Any advice?  I don't have a naturally loud voice, but do sing so I know about projection and belly breathing.

4.  They are thinking of 8 consecutive weeks, once a week for 15-30 minutes (before nature classes head out hiking).   Is 8 weeks a good initial exposure?  How long should each session last, 30 minutes?

5.  We might culminate with a "field trip" to a local barn dance.  Any advice for the preparation for that?

Thanks for any advice!

claire takemori



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