Re: [Callers] Circle & pass through as the last move of a dance

Personally I prefer that the "regular dancers" do not verbally "teach" the new dancers. Contrary to what you've described I find that what I have learned to say succinctly and clearly during my years of calling will take a "regular dancer" 2 or 3x the amount of time to say and by that time the new dancer is late for the next move AND has learned not to listen to the caller. Please consider that some "regular dancers" who are dancing with beginners are trying to impress them with their knowledge rather than assisting the new dancers to learn quickly and correctly. I agree that taking "a second to mention" (as John suggested) tricky timing or the execution of a move "Ladies Chain: Ladies give right hands pull by give your left to the gent for a courtesy turn" takes no more time to explain than it takes the dancers to walk it through. Of course this much detail is for the first and possibly second Ladies Chain of the evening and NOT every time. I prefer that the "regulars" teach by example and "show" by action as I explain with words. I do not endorse "A caller who jabbers constantly" (as you wrote)... but to "drip-feed good ideas" (as John suggested) throughout the evening, taking a few seconds here and a few seconds, I believe, will help create a more cohesive dance experience for all on the floor. Donna Hunt -----Original Message----- From: Greg McKenzie <grekenzie(a)gmail.com> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net> Sent: Tue, Feb 11, 2014 4:56 pm Subject: Re: [Callers] Circle & pass through as the last move of a dance John wrote: Read also mentioned "avoidance of teaching". I know that many of us love teaching. In fact it seems to be one reason many take up calling in the first place. But teaching from the mike at an open, public contra dance can be very counterproductive...particularly with regard to your efforts to integrate first-timers into the fun. You love to teach. But so do most of the regular dancers. A big part of the fun of partnering with newcomers is being able to guide them through the dance and share your passion for this wonderful dance form. While the caller is teaching verbally it is almost impossible for the regulars to enjoy their own "teaching" role. If you really want the regulars to partner with first-timers one of the key "tricks" is to make sure the regulars will have time to take the lead and "teach" their partner during the walk through. This is what makes partnering with regulars fun, And that is why I try to keep my prompts to an absolute minimum during the walk-through. A caller who jabbers constantly during the walk-through can transform the joy of a collaborative learning experience into a dreadful chore as the regulars are required to stand by silently while the caller *explains *a move that they could *show *their partner in less time than it would take the caller to say the *name *of the move. And later the caller will complain that it is so hard to get the regulars to partner with first-timers. Instead of "explaining" that a circle takes only "6 counts" I would gently suggest that callers consider simply giving the prompt "pass through" so that it ends precisely two counts before the end of the phrase. That way you can "say it all" with only two words and the dancers get to keep moving in time with the live music. Make it fun! Just a thought. Greg McKenzie West Coast, USA _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers