29 Sep
2023
29 Sep
'23
12:43 p.m.
I've been part of dance communities where blind dancers are easily
accommodated (with claps during heys etc). Deafness seems like it will take
extra brainstorming to make useful accommodation. (Not only because some
deaf people lip read preferentially over sign language.)
Is it possible to let a deaf dancer take a look at the caller's card before
a dance is taught, to help orient a bit?
Pardon brevity; sent by smartphone.
On Fri, Sep 29, 2023 at 7:22 AM Mary Collins via Contra Callers <
contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
We have not encountered this but I have friends who
sign, having been
teachers who worked with the deaf. Both dancers. I am going to talk with
them about how this could work.
I think signing during the dance would be problematic as the dancer would
need to see the signer and that would take their attention away from the
dance floor.
The caller surely would find it difficult as well. I used to sign well but
lost some over the years; once had a group of deaf tourists ride in my tour
carriage, even signing, holding reins and being aware of traffic, tour
sites and passengers was hugely difficult.
Having a trained -for- dance interpreter might just work for the walk
through and occasional prompting.
Definitely looking into this.
Mary Collins
Near Buffalo NY
On Fri, Sep 29, 2023, 7:40 AM Allison and Hunt Smith via Contra Callers <
contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
I recently had a conversation with a dear friend
in NH, a long-time
contra dancer, who has an adult daughter who is deaf (who lives in SF, CA
if that helps). Daughter doesn't dance, because she can't hear the calls
and gets confused on the dance floor. She wishes that, during
walk-throughs, the calls could be signed as well as spoken. I'm writing to
ask if any of you have encountered this request? AFAIK there are no deaf
dancers in my community in the Maine highlands, but I'd be willing to learn
some basic signs to go along with my teaching. I think it would be
challenging to sign as I call once the dance gets started, though.
Thoughts?
Allison Aldrich Smith
--
www.huntandallison.net
www.info@thsmaritime.com
www.centralhallcommons.org
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