13 Apr
2011
13 Apr
'11
12:39 a.m.
I'd like to echo what Mac has said, and give an example. The late Culver Griffin once
showed up unexpectedly at a contra dance I was leading, with a mixed crowd including some
adults and children new to dancing. I asked if he would call a dance and he began teaching
a square, including a grand square figure. Hmm, I said to myself, I wouldn't have
chose grand square, would take me too long to teach and I'd only expect a 50% success
rate. Culver, however, took very little time to teach it, and had a 100% success rate.
What was his teaching secret? As far as I could tell, his confident, cheerful and
authoritative voice, and that mysterious creation of trust and communication of character
that removed all doubt and hesitancy from the dancers. Definitely something for me to
aspire to!
Richard
On Apr 12, 2011, at 7:31 PM, Richard Mckeever wrote:
Can I offer another 2 cents worth?
Every notice how when we have one of the great callers - the dancers listen to
every words and follow the directions more readily? That is not an accident -
but a real skill. Everything they say is important - even if they are just
thanking the sound guy. They sound natural and sincere. There is no idle chat
or filler. Confidence is very high. Often you feel like they are talking
directly to you 1-1. This lets them 'get away' with shortened teaching
intervals and more successful dances while complimenting and encouraging the
dancers. These callers just make me feel better.
Not sure how to make that happen - but pay attention next time you are
privileged to dance to one of the top callers.
Example - one square I like to call is the Chinese Fan. I have not found an
effective way to teach it and usually struggle through a couple tries until I
think everyone has the basic idea. I have listened to Kathy Anderson teach this
several times (once I asked her to call the dance just so I could observe her
teaching). She gives a couple quick directions that would never work if I did
it and suddenly everyone is ready to dance - and I still haven't figured it out.
Mac
________________________________
From: Greg McKenzie <grekenzie(a)gmail.com>
To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Sent: Mon, April 11, 2011 10:27:12 AM
Subject: Re: [Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?
What kind of calling?
You pose a good question. The answer, however, depends on the kind of venue
being discussed. I see at least three different calling venues that require
very different skills:
1. Gatherings of dance enthusiasts: Festivals, dance camps, and other
special events that are frequented almost entirely by dance enthusiasts.
2. Regularly scheduled open, public contra dances where first-timers are
encouraged to attend without separate training.
3. Private "barn dance" events where few, if any, of the participants are
dance enthusiasts.
A caller may be a "great" caller at one of these kinds of venues while being
a poor caller at another. The criteria for "greatness" at each type of
venue are very different.
- Greg McKenzie
***********
On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 1:13 AM, Will Kruse <sideways(a)wcrews.net> wrote:
Hello from Seattle! I'd love to hear your
thoughts on what separates
good callers from great callers? Is it their selections of dances?
That they call their own dances? Their ability to compose an evening
of dancing? Their personal charm? Their connection with the band?
Their intimate knowledge of how the dance, the music, and the dancers
all flow together?
I'm especially interested to hear from dance organizers what they look
for when they consider booking a caller? I suspect this second
question may have a separate answer from the first :-)
Curiosity abounds as my mind begins to explore the calling space :-)
Will "now, from Seattle!" Kruse
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