1 Sep
2011
1 Sep
'11
2:17 p.m.
As a caller, I am a pragmatist. I would rather base my actions on
what I have observe than on my theories about how things "ought to
be".
Greg, you have expressed your opinion about what's going on in the
mind of callers and workshop leaders. You framed it in a very
negative light. When you have such a negative attitude toward callers
it comes through in your communication and your expectations are quite
likely to be self fulfilling. (cheap shot, but I'm making a point I
hope.)
What I have observed is that new dancers who "jump right in" tend to
have a lot of problems and cause a lot of disruption. New dancers who
have attended a well presented workshop tend to have many fewer
problems; express greater satisfaction with the dance; and come back
more often.
On the basis of those observations I chose to spend quite a bit of
time observing how others presented workshops and learning how to
present a workshop myself in a manner that will help new dancers enjoy
themselves. I keep the parts that work and get rid of the parts that
don't.
I prefer an introductory workshop not because I have a poor opinion
of new dancers, but rather because I feel as if people in general need
a certain level of introduction to a new endeavor before they can
perform well and feel comfortable. I feel that the time I spent
learning to present a good introductory workshop was time well spent.
If you don't observe positive results when you present a workshop for
new dancers you are free to draw your own conclusions and act
accordingly, but I don't think it is helpful to generalize about all
introductory workshops on the basis of your theories about how things
ought to be.
Dale