Re: [Callers] 2 questions

(I hope this didn't get posted twice) I'll start out by saying that I am a big fan of unannounced medleys. Especially at the end of the Dawn Dance or at other times when I'm tired and don't want to think. I agree with Beth's points about "the non-thinking groove" and the "spice of not knowing what is coming next". Also, there is often a moment in "standard" contras after the caller has stopped calling and my brain has turned off when all of a sudden my muscle memory gets distracted and I have absolutely no idea where I am or what comes next. That can be very jarring. In a medley that never happens. As an experienced dancer, I often only need to pay peripheral attention to the calls, and so can focus on the music and the people I'm dancing with even as the caller is calling and the dance is changing. For me, it can be a much richer experience. The thing that I like about squares is the variety. One thing that I like about contras is being able to dance with the entire longways set. Medleys combine the best of both worlds. I never danced medleys as a novice dancer, so I can't speak to that from personal experience, but I have seen beginning dancers absolutely thrilled after doing an unannounced medley because they did something they didn't think they could do. I might be in the minority, but I think that unannounced medleys can be more beginner-friendly than planned medleys. You don't get the NEFFA partner planning thing, and so beginning dancers are more likely to be dancing with experienced dancers. Also, instead of being scared away and feeling left out, beginning dancers are included and get a sense of accomplishment at the end. Anyway, I'm certainly not disputing that medleys need to be planned carefully and done in situations where they will succeed. But I think that (along with other out of the ordinary dances such as 4-face-4 and the like) medleys can help make contra dancing more varied and exciting without making it less inclusive and beginner-friendly. Just my thoughts. -Bronwyn