9 Sep
2013
9 Sep
'13
10:56 p.m.
Jolaine makes some good points. The square dance culture is different than
the culture at open, public contra dances and the calling skills and
dancing experience requirements are also different.
The only other thing I would suggest is that--if a caller needs to offer a
square, or any other non-contra formation at an open public contra
dance--please consider announcing the upcoming formation well before the
partnering process for that dance slot begins.
I suspect that many of the groans or protestations that some
square-inclined callers complain about at contra dances result from the
common practice of "springing" these formations on the dancers without any
notice whatsoever.
You will earn the respect and consideration of the dancers if you also
treat them with respect and consideration. That means trusting the dancers
with programming information so that they can plan ahead.
Note that squares require more room on the dance floor per couple than
contras do. If the hall is crowded the instruction to "form square sets"
is, in effect, an invitation for some folks to sit out that dance slot.
Squares can be less inclusive in some situations and some folks will
normally plan to sit out for a few dances during the evening. Trusting the
dancers with programming information gives them the opportunity to work
with you and support your efforts. "Springing" an unusual formation on the
regulars at an open, public contra dance can undermine the trust you need
to exercise leadership.
Just a thought,
Greg McKenzie
West Coast, USA
On Mon, Sep 9, 2013 at 5:47 AM, JoLaine Jones-Pokorney <jolaine(a)gmail.com>wrote;wrote:
Speaking as a dancer here and not a caller, I enjoy a
square now and then
but I really don't like it when the caller calls two squares back to back.
If I sat out the first one, that generally means I have to sit out the next
one too. The last time that happened in our community, one of the dancers
complained that he had driven two hours to get there and had only gotten
two dances in the second half because the caller had called two squares
back to back and took a really long time to teach both of them. In my
experience, the main reason contra dancers don't like squares is that it
takes a long time to get set up, there is a chance you will get left out if
you're slow to find a partner and then can't get enough other people to
make a square, and that it often takes more teaching time. I don't think it
has anything at all to do with the dance itself.
So my advice is to call one square in the first half and one square in the
second half and find something that can be taught quickly and is
interesting and fun. I will happily dance those squares!
JoLaine
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