17 Dec
2009
17 Dec
'09
10:31 p.m.
We tried to meet monthly, use it as a place for our "mentors" or the schooled
callers to experiment with new things and lend the newer callers their practiced feedback,
and for others at different levels to learn and practice and get and give feedback. It
was great for two years. It inspired them, it helped us, we all helped one another. But
then time and life happened and the group broke down. We all miss it, the community and
sharing of it, whatever our level.
But yes, I see what you mean Martha, and agree.
I'm trying to remember our process. We had a lot of dancer feedback; interesting, as
it appears they claimed some of us as "their own" and were pretty free with
dispensing tidbits of disfavor or encouragement. And we were pretty open, and honest,
with one another.
But there was a lot of internal things going on in this discovery process.
Lp
--- On Thu, 12/17/09, Martha Edwards <meedwards(a)westendweb.com> wrote:
From: Martha Edwards <meedwards(a)westendweb.com>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Cub Callers
To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Date: Thursday, December 17, 2009, 6:57 PM
What happens when the cubs don't
think they're cubs any more, but are? I
think that was possibly the problem that Lindsay brought
up.
In other words, what is the proper way for the dance
leadership to get
callers to continue to practice and learn? I'm guessing the
very best
callers do that anyway, and the newish callers do it
because they have to,
but what can we do to get people who have become
comfortable with their
skill level but are not actually doing the kind of job we
want, to get
excited again about "continuous improvement"?
M
E
On Thu, Dec 17, 2009 at 1:12 PM, Laur <lcpgr(a)yahoo.com>
wrote:
Keeping cubs together sharing an evening with
each
taking turns managing
the programing for an evening - less of an open
mic
and more of an
multi-caller event - helps on a number of
levels.
Laurie
--- On Wed, 12/16/09, Lindsay Morris <lindsay(a)tsmworks.com>
wrote:
> From: Lindsay Morris <lindsay(a)tsmworks.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Cub Callers
> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
> Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2009, 2:13 PM
> Could be that we just put the cubs
> into the rotation too early.
> Sad to trash the democratic freewheeling nature
of some
> groups, but maybe we
> need a vetting committee - or some less formal
bar to
> people getting up on
> stage.
>
> Lindsay Morris
> Principal
> TSMworks
> Tel. 1-859-539-9900
> lindsay(a)tsmworks.com
>
>
> On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 2:06 PM, Martha Edwards
<
meedwards(a)westendweb.com>wroteote:
>
> > How bad would it have been to have the board
basically
> put its foot down
> > and, after one of the not-very-great
evenings, suggest
> that the next time
> > that person is asked to call, they prepare
just half a
> night, or a third of
> > a night?
> >
> > I'm curious - how did you "bring along" the
new
> callers? Was there a
> > teacher/student relationship, or more of a
> peer-to-peer setup? I ask
> > because
> > we have a bunch of cubs - I'm one of them -
and it's
> always been
> > peer-to-peer, with input from experienced
callers only
> from time to time.
> > To
> > a certain extent, we critique each other.
When one of
> us manages to screw
> > up, we have a friendly enough atmosphere at
our
> Calling Parties that we can
> > admit it, figure out what to do better, and
move on.
> We've been at it for
> > almost two years, and are only slowly moving
into the
> rotation, mostly at
> > shared caller nights until someone is
"ready", and
> even then, not as often
> > as the regular callers.
> >
> > So far, it seems to be working. I hope that
we don't
> develop a situation
> > such as the one you described! We should
remain on our
> toes, just in case.
> >
> > Interestingly, we previously had a couple of
regular
> callers whose dances
> > broke down often enough that it was
becoming
> noticeable, but after the cub
> > callers started calling, it happened less
often! I'd
> like to think that the
> > improvement was less from the competition
than from
> the fact that more
> > people were paying attention to the callers'
art, and
> so what had become
> > somewhat routine took on renewed energy.
> >
> > M
> > E
> >
> > On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 9:48 AM, Lindsay
Morris
<lindsay(a)tsmworks.com
> > >wrote:
> >
> > > Our dance group brought along a group
of
> half-a-dozen "cub callers" a few
> > > years ago.
rotation at our
> >
> > > It was a bad
thing.
> >
> > > After they got
into the calling > weekly dance, they never
> > > wanted to get off, of course.
> > > Our really good callers got to call
less often;
> the new callers only got
> > to
> > > call a dance once every 3 months, so
they never
> got any better. The
> > dance
> > > was plagued with inexperienced and
not-very-great
> calling for years.
solutions, but
> >
> > > Sorry to offer
problems without > this well-intentioned
> > > debacle
> > > has stayed on my mind. Seem like this
is the
> place to share the
> > > "cub-callers" problem.
Clark
> >
> >
> > > Lindsay Morris
> > > Principal
> > > TSMworks
> > > Tel. 1-859-539-9900
> > > lindsay(a)tsmworks.com
> >
> >
> > > On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 10:42 AM, Delia
> <delia_clark(a)comcast.net
> > > >wrote:
about you
> >
> > > > David,
> > > > Let's do one of these for VT/NH!
> Aren't you just the guy to organize
> > > it!!
> > > > ;-) OK, I would help -- how > put me in charge of organizing
> > > > supplies for the schmoozing part!
> > > > Delia
>
Heine
> >
> > > > On Dec
15, 2009, at 9:25 PM, Katy > wrote:
>
Triplets" marathon
> >
> > > > Hi,
David--
> > > >>
> > > >> Ever since the "Ted's > eight years ago, we in
> > Central
> > > >> New
> > > >> York have had an annual
callers'
> gathering on different themes. These
> > > have
> > > >> been more an opportunity to
share
> repertoire than for older, more
> > > >> experienced callers to mentor
younger,
> less experienced callers--so
> > > really
> > > >> not a parallel to what you're
talking
> about, but maybe of interest
> > > anyway.
> > > >>
> > > >> The topics over the years have
included
> dances in unusual formations;
> > > >> "living room dances" (i.e.,
dances for
> small numbers of people); the
> > > Gene
> > > >> Hubert legacy; English for
contra dance
> callers; and calling for
> > > community
> > > >> dances, weddings, and
one-night-stands.
> The next one (March 6) will be
> > > >> "Zesty Contras," which will be
dances
> from Larry Jennings' first book.
> > > >> (Many
> > > >> of us have the book on our
shelves but
> have not actually mined it for
> > > the
> > > >> gems that assuredly lie
within.)
> > > >>
> > > >> These annual workshops are a
great
> opportunity for the community of
> > > >> regional
> > > >> callers to come together to
schmooze,
> share, and enjoy each other's
> > > >> company.
> > > >> I strongly encourage callers
everywhere
> to give it a try!
> > > >>
> > > >> --Katy Heine
> > > >>
> > > >> -----Original Message-----
> > > >> From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net
> > > >> [mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net]
> On Behalf Of David
> > Millstone
> > > >> Sent: Tuesday, December 15,
2009 6:48
> PM
> > > >> To: Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> > > >> Subject: [Callers] Callers'
workshop
> > > >>
> > > >> Dear fellow dance callers,
> > > >>
> > > >> I have an opportunity coming
up next
> spring to lead a day-long
> > workshop
> > > >> for
> > > >> dance callers. It'll be a
small group,
> perhaps 10-12 people, with a
> > > range
> > > >> of
> > > >> experience. Some will have had
only 2-4
> years of active calling while
> > > >> others
> > > >> may
> > > >> have had 20 years or more.
These will be
> folks who are comfortable
> > with
> > > >> contras
> > > >> and with traditional squares.
They will
> know each other already.
> > They're
> > > >> open to
> > > >> a wide variety of topics and
teaching
> methods.
> > > >>
> > > >> I've been invited to address
just about
> any topics that are near and
> > > dear
> > > >> to
> > > >> me,
> > > >> so I'm relishing this
prospect.
> > > >>
> > > >> At the same time, I'd like not
to spend
> an entire day on a soapbox.
> > With
> > > >> that in
> > > >> mind, I'm soliciting opinions
from this
> group-- rather than, say, the
> > > >> trad.dance.callers listserv--
because
> this Shared Weight group
> > includes
> > > >> some
> > > >> callers on the less
experienced end of
> the spectrum.
> > > >>
> > > >> So, what are topics that _you_
would
> like to see in a workshop?
> > Assuming
> > > >> that
> > > >> one already has the nuts and
bolts of
> programming an evening, teaching
> > a
> > > >> dance,
> > > >> and delivering the calls in
good
> fashion, what skills would be useful
> > to
> > > >> address?
> > > >>
> > > >> Thanks for sharing your
thoughts.
> > > >>
> > > >> David Millstone
> > > >> Lebanon, NH
> > > >>
> _______________________________________________
> > > >> Callers mailing list
> > > >> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> > > >> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >>
> _______________________________________________
> > > >> Callers mailing list
> > > >> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> > > >> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> > > >>
>
<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>
> >
> > >
> >
_______________________________________________
>
>
> > > > Delia Clark
> > > > PO Box 45
> > > > Taftsville, VT 05073
> > > > 802-457-2075
> > > > delia_clark(a)comcast.net
> > >
> > >
> > >
> _______________________________________________
> > > > Callers mailing list
> > > > Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> > > > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> > >
> > > > > > Callers mailing list
> > > Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> > > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
Butler Yeats
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > For the good are always the merry,
> > Save by an evil chance,
> > And the merry love the fiddle
> > And the merry love to dance. ~ William > >
_______________________________________________
> > > Callers mailing list
> > > Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> > > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> >
> >
_______________________________________________
> > Callers mailing list
> > Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> >
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>
--
For the good are always the merry,
Save by an evil chance,
And the merry love the fiddle
And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats
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