Re: [Callers] Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool

Noah, congratulations on getting to introduce a whole room full of people to the joy of dancing! I think if you have a lot of high school dancers, you're going to have women who dance with other women, and men who won't dance with other men (depends on the school, but that's my guess). Your gender balance, if it's close, might get skewed. The idea of changing partners after every dance might also be tough, but in an hour, I'd be surprised if you did more than five dances (if that). I agree with what many people have already said, an hour is not a lot of time to teach an all new crowd regular contras. Talking to the organizers and seeing what they're after is definitely a good idea. If, for some reason, they really want contras, good luck. I have been pleasantly surprised at what a group of willing new dancers can accomplish though, and people try to rise to what they think is expected of them. One issue you haven't mentioned is what the music is? Will you have live music? (In my opinion, a absolutely vital part of the contra experience.) Solid musicians will make your life incredibly easier: being able to change tempo as they go, going out when you ask, helping you read the room, etc. I think using a CD and having to queue up music will make the evening more challenging, whatever you're planning on calling. If you're going to call contras, I would suggest only beckets; and if you can get enough easy ones, only double progression beckets. Becket means not having to cross over. Progression is just around an oval (make sure all your beckets progress the same way) not down the hall and back. It also makes it easier to avoid dances where they have to know if they're 1s or 2s (in my opinion, a bad idea for new dancers). They're high school students, they shouldn't get tired at double progressions (plus it's only an hour). Double progression means no waiting out at the top or bottom (where folks forget what they're doing and get confused). I'll admit, I've never had the opportunity you have. This is a theoretical suggestion, not a 'I've done this and it's bullet-proof." I think experienced dancers and callers get in a rut of thinking of improper as standard, and thus the easiest to learn. If you have a mix of levels, maybe. But I think for all new dancers, "Let's have two lines of couples facing each other, stand next to the person who asked you to dance, be across from another couple" is going to be easier than "let's have all the couples get in a line with all the leads in one line and the follows in another, take hands four from the top {explain that} and the twos {explain that} cross over {and that}". I'm exaggerating, but not much. I think becket will let you get them dancing faster with less explanation. Not every double progression becket is going to be appropriate, but here's an example of what I'm thinking of (which would count as a real, if odd, contra) A1 Partner Do-si-doh 1x Partner swing A2 Long lines forward and back Neighbor Do-si-doh 1x B1 C R (1x) C L back (1x) B2 double yearn progression: Hands in long lines (a big oval), go forward and left to be across from a different couple, go back on the left to be across from another new couple with this new couple, star R 1x I wouldn't call it a great dance, but it has features that (I think) make it friendly to new dancers. There's no fractions. Except for the do-si-dos you're connected to other people. It doesn't matter if you end the swing with the lady on the right, because there is only a partner swing (although this has the draw-back of not giving them lots of different swing experiences). The moves are all fairly simple (the last star right could be a Circle L, but I wanted there to be enough difference to prevent zoning out). There's some food for thought. Have fun, and let us know how it goes! -- Luke Donev http://www.lukedonev.com Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com