Callers --
Looking for opinions.
As a caller, I will usually alter (if necessary), the last dance of a medley,
the last dance of the first half, or the last dance of evening to end with a
partner swing if it doesn't work that way in the choreography. (You know, that
"This time, circle half and swing your partner" or "This time, just keep
on
swinging!" thing.)
I'll usually leave the other dances alone. They end how they end; the band
gets to crescendo and I don't have to be heard, and the dancers get something
other than utter predictability.
(As a dancer I don't like utter predictability; I begin to get a teeny bit
bored if the callers changes every dance to end with a partner swing.)
But I mentioned this to my date, and she *loves* it when the caller changes the
dance to make it a partner swing so that it feels like you're finishing with
the partner who asked you, and feels disappointed if the caller doesn't make
those changes. I mentioned the issue of stepping on the band's hot ending; as
a dancer, that meant nothing to her.
So what do y'all think? What do you do? How you do think people like it?
(Nobody's ever complained to me that I didn't alter endings enough, and I
doubt that's the kind of thing anybody complains to anybody about, but it
probably has some impact on dancers enjoyment of the evening.)
Thanks!
-- Alan
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Alan Winston --- WINSTON(a)SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone: 650/926-3056
Paper mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 99, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park CA 94025
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