Re: [Callers] The Beginners' Lesson Tips?

There are a lot of good suggestions for a beginner's workshop here, already, but I'll add my 2 cents, anyway. When I do a beginners workshop before a dance, I like to focus on key concepts and actions, rather than particular calls: 1. Line up and pay attention to the lines. If you are not in line with the others, you may be in someone's way. 2. Proper & improper formations. 3. Progression: After each repetition of a dance, you dance with the next couple.. 4. Lady on the right. 5. Courtesy turns: they're part of a number of different calls. 6. Giving weight with your arms and hands. 7. The swing. 8. Respect for other dancers (who may not move as quickly, or who may be injured, or disabled in some way, or who may be a beginner who needs a bit of direction) That's already a lot to cover. I'd leave out the swing, if there was not enough time, especially if there will be a lot of experienced dancers at the dance to do that. The calls can all be explained during the walk throughs, reinforcing and using what was presented earlier during the beginners workshop. One problem that all beginners experience is figuring our where they should be and what direction they should face. I try to help them figure that out both during the beginner workshop and also when doing the walk through, and even when calling the dance. On Sun, Oct 2, 2011 at 3:16 PM, D Bar <davey.bar(a)gmail.com> wrote: