[Callers] Circle Left, Pass Though, Timing, & Teaching...

It is interesting to read all these comments on circling, teaching, and timing. When I first started contra dancing, in 1980, it was extremely common, in my neck of the woods (California, more specifically, Santa Barbara), for the caller to take a few moments once or twice during the course of the dance to teach a styling point. At that time, we dancers honored and listened and learned. I don't know when it got to the point where a caller stopped being enough of an "expert" to no longer get that respect. Perhaps it was about the same time squares went out of fashion, and only smooth, equal contras became the norm. It's interesting to think that, when we did unequal dances, and triple minors, and squares, and there was a wider variety of dances at the contras I went to, there was a lot more to learn, and needing the expertise of the teacher was greater. Now, though, as many have pointed out, some points of style have gotten lost -- and just letting "experienced" dancers do the teaching is not bringing these points back. Let's take this item that's been discussed Circle left 3/4 and pass through. Well, let's start with allemande: I learned from my caller/teacher (in the course of regular evening dances...) that one could adjust the timing of an allemande by getting closer or farther from your allemande partner. We did dances that required once around in 8 beats. No problem: let your arms unbend a bit, give good weight, and it's a joyous connection. Need to get around 1-1/2 in 8 beats? No Problem, bend arms a bit more and it's easy. Twice around in 8, as in Hull's Victory? Easy -- and Rollickin'! -- just make it close. Same is true of circles. There are dances where it's all the way around in 8, then 3/4ths around in 8. Change the timing by the circumference of the circle. Do we teach this? No. And there are times when it's 3/4ths around in 6, and pass through for 2. It's easy if we give weight in a circle and make the adjustment to the diameter. But it's rarely pointed out. As a matter of fact, weight in circles is actually very rare these days, and that gratifying sense of connection has gone under some rock somewhere. And this does not get taught from the floor. Not sure what to do because: If one does take a couple minutes to make a particular styling point, many "experienced dancers" don't listen, or worse, act like the teacher is saying something stupid and dramatically do the opposite of the suggestion. I've had this happen to me. So, this is a long diatribe of not sure what we should do, but I think thinking about how to present styling -- especially when it comes to safety -- no gripping, smooth connection, symmetrical allemandes, etc. is important -- and not effectively taught from the floor unless you know all your helpers are on the same page. erik hoffman oakland, ca On 2/11/2014 4:12 PM, Maia McCormick wrote: