11 Feb
2011
11 Feb
'11
4:32 p.m.
Martha wrote:
We had a discussion the other night - not about how
many walkthroughs, but
about how many times the caller should call before dropping out.
Obviously, it depends.
So, for the purpose of this discussion, let's
assume a new-dancer to
intermediate dancer to experienced dancer ratio of 1:2:1. If everyone were
evenly scattered by dance level, each group of four would have two
intermediate dancers, one beginner and one very experienced dancer. Let's
not assume that the dancers are evenly scattered, but are slightly clumped,
so that beginners do encounter each other occasionally, sometimes with only
a couple of intermediate dancers to help them.
Let's further assume that the dance is in the part
of the country where two
walkthroughs is considered appropriate - where, even if the first
walkthrough goes just fine, the second one cements the learning and leaves
you in a position to "dance it from here." Let's further assume that the
dance lasts about nine minutes (17 times through).
Here's the question: If you have taught an easy
dance clearly, *and the
dance appears to be going well*, how many times through the dance should you
call? Once or twice with full calls ("join hands and circle to the left"),
once or twice with shortened calls ("circle left") and then nothing? Or five
times through with full calls, three times with shortened calls, then
nothing?
How much is too much? How little is too little?
It sounds like you're looking for a formula that produces a numerical result,
and I don't think that's right. (Or maybe I mean I don't work that way.)
Basically, calls answer the dancer's question "What now?" As people learn
the
dance, they stop having that question (but they sometimes get it again when
they change roles, space out, whatever). If you just keep calling when nobody
has that question, you're training people not to listen to you, as well as
getting in the way of the music.
So while prompting, make sure what you say is what somebody needs to hear (and,
ideally, the minimum somebody needs to hear), and if nobody needs to hear
anything, shut up. (And if there's a problem changing from 2s to 1s so people
at the head of the set need some extra prompting, maybe you can say it to them
off-mic.) But you can't check out when you shut up, because that "what
now"
question may be coming up.
I imagine in your particular example (adding that the dance is not just easy
but fully symmetrical) that I'd probably do full prompts for three, drop out
and come back in with short touches ("Men", "Hey") if needed. In
something
that isn't 100% easy or symmetrical, maybe more full prompts. [And
occasionally I think of something I should have told them in the walkthrough
and try to slip in the prompt, which works about 30% of the time.]
(Incidentally, I've been doing Scottish dancing lately, and the idea there
seems to be that there is *never* prompting to music, even at parties where
they teach the dance before dancing. You learn the figure to a count or just
the teacher's voice, and then the music starts and you're on your own. This
mostly seems to work. I deal with my anxiety and my desire to associate the
figure with a phrase of music by prompting (perhaps inaudibly) in my own set.
I don't know how this custom originated. It does keep you from associating
figures with landmarks in the music, which is good because you might have
different tunes the next time you do the dance.)
-- Alan
--
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Alan Winston --- WINSTON(a)SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL Phone: 650/926-3056
Paper mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 99, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park CA 94025
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