[Callers] Hello from a new caller and memories from RPDLW!

Big hello shared weight colleagues. :) I've been lurking for months while I read all the back records of shared weight. Time to break out and join the conversation though… such fruitful ones they seem to be! I was the scholarship caller for the RPDLW two weeks ago - what a most incredible experience!!! I've been to a number of dance events in the NE but as folks have said before, RPDLW is such a special event. I felt so welcome, was clearly surrounded by contra history (and legends - wow!!!), and came away with such a good feel about our dance community. As a new caller, I would totally recommend the scholarship opportunity to any other new caller. It was one of the best learning opportunities I could imagine for someone who is starting out. A few highlights for me included: a) Calling one dance. That's all I needed because it was the rich feedback from David Millstone and Chrissy Fowler that opened my eyes to many aspects of my calling I hadn't realized before. b) Participating in Amy Cann's callers' workshop. It was AMAZINGGGGGGG!!!! Boy... what fascinating ways of looking at calling. She brings in whole new perspectives I haven't heard other callers talk about. Wow - thanks Amy. :) c) Getting to quiz David Millstone and David Kaynor over lunch. (Prepping what aspects of calling I wanted to learn about was important for my getting lots out of the weekend. I learned lots of other things to be sure but the weekend was a great chance to engage big contra brains in the little details of calling.) d) And… I had to add one dancing moment … … Mary D andNor'easter leading Moneymusk. AWESOME!!! There were so many other great highlights but I stop there. I've spent the last week going through the past syllabi from the RPDLW (http://www.library.unh.edu/special/index.php/ralph-page-dance-legacy-weekend). I've ignored the dances themselves and have been focusing on the conversations, discussions, etc. There are some fantastic insights... I hope to post a few in the next little while. In the meantime, I called my first half dance last Saturday in Ottawa (Ontario) and have my first full dance in Maberly in just over a week. I am scared sXXXless so will probably be posting a few questions for help! I look forward to engaging with you in the future. This group seems like such a great resource and I'm super excited to be entering this community. :) Much thanks, Emily from Ottawa