Hi everyone,
This week, I called a dance for 50 enthusiastic highschool juniors
who were celebrating the end of their semester together. All
beginners. The organizer asked that we do contras and so I picked
ones that had very obvious transitions and slowly introduced new
moves. I wasn't prepared for their enthusiasm! By the fourth dance
they settled a bit and better understood the contra format and we all
got into a good grove. I found that initially, the kids embraced the
swings with gusto. The dances that I picked included both neighbor
and partner swings -- and once they got going, there was no stopping
them within the 8 measures. So we proceeded off-tempo and everyone
had a good time. I'm wondering if anyone knows of any swingless
contras. For this type of audience, I might consider adding in one or
two such dances near the beginning. Any other tips that you've
learned for calling for enthusiastic teens would also be appreciated.
Nancy Turner
Waitsfield VT