Re: [Callers] ideas for callers about sidelines

Donald wrote: Thank you Donald for your comment. Good point! Just above where you cut my email is where I emphasized how essential it is for the caller to take full responsibility for the situation. If the caller takes ownership of the problem then she will assume that it was her calling that caused the problem in the first place. (The caller cannot control who shows up at the dance, but she can take responsibility for how both she and the dancers respond to the situation.) Building the confidence of the dancers in the caller cannot be done with a few words. Dancers are smart. They are also skeptical...and have good reason to be. The caller must *prove *that she can make the dancing fun no matter who you partner with or where you dance in the hall. Yes. It would be better to call precisely, using effective word order, from the first words into the mike. This is why this problem gets at the heart of what good contra dance calling is about. The best solutions are proactive and the caller ought to be doing most of these things all along. Shortening the dance slots will tend to "speed up" the evening and create a sense of increased opportunities. I always try to keep the first few dance slots as short as possible, even if there is no gender imbalance. I don't do longer slots until later in the evening. My approach is to assume that the regulars will want to take on leadership and step up to address the situation. My job is to make that effort easy and fun. Gender imbalances are a common problem. The situation can change dramatically in one or two dance slots. If the caller does her job well the sidelined dancers are more likely to think, "Well, at least things seem to be moving along well and this is a fun dance. Maybe I'll stick around and get to dance the next one." We need to have confidence in the dance community. Their enjoyment and success are enhanced when everyone is included. That's part of the joy of community dancing. - Greg McKenzie