Re: [Callers] mentorship

Date: Thu, 10 May 2012 14:14:56 -0700 From: mjerryfuerst(a)yahoo.com To: callers(a)sharedweight.net Subject: Re: [Callers] mentorship Perry wrote: " I've danced to a few nationally-known callers who I don't think are very good at all."  Without mentioning names, what did or didn't these nationally known callers do to make you feel they were not good??? Perry wrote: "... most callers, whether they stick to local areas or whether they are national are very good."   This might confirm the suggestion that calling is quite easy with practice. Dancers at events  with a "nationally known" caller will be quite skilled, and the caller does not have worry about selecting dances appropriate to the crowd's skill level, or changing their program to correlate with the crowd's collective skill. What my makes a caller good with a crowd of one skill level, might make that same caller not so good with a crowd of a different skill level.   For example,  I know of several callers whose dance collections  contain solely  relatively straightforward dances--which they can teach extraordinarily well to a crowd with many less experienced dancers--but an experienced crowd would be quite bored. Michael Fuerst      802 N Broadway      Urbana IL 61801       217-239-5844.  Links to photos of many of my drawings and paintings are at www.ArtComesFuerst.com --- On Thu, 5/10/12, Perry Shafran <pshaf(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: Perry Shafran <pshaf(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [Callers] mentorship To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net> Date: Thursday, May 10, 2012, 2:31 PM Ron, You pose a real excellent question.  WHAT makes a "good" caller?  Now if you were to ask the dancers on the floor who their favorite callers are, they generally list popular, well-known callers who travel a lot.  But does this mean that they are the "best"?  Or that other lesser-known callers aren't any good?  I've heard a lot of local callers who I have a LOT of fun when they call.  On the other hand, I've danced to a few nationally-known callers who I don't think are very good at all.  As a matter of fact, most callers, whether they stick to local areas or whether they are national are very good.  My opinion is this:  a real good caller is one who picks dances that are appropriate for the crowd that he/she is calling for.  They do their research ahead of time:  Will I be calling to mainly newbies?  Mainly experienced dancers?  A mix?  What percentage of each approximately?  And then program said dance with the appropriate mix of dances for the crowd that is expected to be there.  And also be flexible to change your program on the fly if the unexpected shows up. Also - the ability to explain those dances well.  It's tricky in mixed crowds - you want to be just detailed enough so that the new dancers can pick up on it but not so wordy so that the experienced dancers are getting antsy.  A lot of this depends on the crowd mix (experienced-to-newbie ratio).  This also means that a good caller KNOWS the dances he's calling inside and out.  (Though I've been known to call a dance that I picked up just that day, but before I do so I make sure I understand the dance and how it flows.)  For me, one of the most important things is to emphasize the tricky parts without spending an hour on explaining it - that makes a good caller.  And then there's good caller-to-dancer relationships.  By that I mean, you also need to be likable to the crowd, personable.  You're the party host.  Those that than treat their guests as welcome to the party.  Of course things will go wrong often to most callers, but a good caller handles those with style and grace and doesn't show frustration.  "Never let them see you sweat" - a good rule of thumb.  There are probably more, but this note is getting lengthy and I can't think of any more right now.  It's an excellent question and conversation starter. Perry --- On Thu, 5/10/12, Ron T Blechner <contraron(a)gmail.com> wrote: From: Ron T Blechner <contraron(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Callers] mentorship To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net> Date: Thursday, May 10, 2012, 3:12 PM I might suggest that there's a natural break-out topic: "What makes a good caller? (both perspectives of caller, dancer, band, and dance organizers all)" I've heard a *lot* of callers talk about the difference of being "a caller" and "a really good caller", and while experience is a necessary condition, it is not, I believe, sufficient. In dance, Ron On Thu, May 10, 2012 at 10:33 AM, Michael Fuerst <mjerryfuerst(a)yahoo.com> wrote: _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers