Re: [Callers] heys for new dancers

Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:39:33 -0800 From: callynn1(a)pacbell.net To: callers(a)sharedweight.net Subject: Re: [Callers] heys for new dancers And some of those dances that flow so well, flow because they keep going

direction (usually clockwise) almost the whole time, resulting in very

dancers. It has happened to me many times (mostly as a dancer). Please

for this when choosing a very flowy dance. Count the number of bars in a

spent moving clockwise (circle L, gypsy, swing, allemande R, orbit...). ----- Original Message ---- From: tavi merrill <melodiouswoodchuck(a)gmail.com> To: callers(a)sharedweight.net Sent: Sun, February 19, 2012 10:58:17 AM Subject: Re: [Callers] heys for new dancers Yeah Beth! I couldn't agree more... the courtesy turn is so

in how much coordination dancers must have to do it gracefully, and the regional variation in R&L through can be befuddling... but heys are so wonderfully innocuous, provided the ratio of experience levels is appropriate. It's interesting how organizers' and dancers' experience with the overcomplicated ways some callers teach specific moves biases them

the move rather than against a caller's overcomplicated teaching method : / As a developing caller i'm finding that the best way to learn is listening to dancers talk about what teaching methods they've seen work well versus badly. Listening to dancers has radically improved my

all around. When it comes to dances with good "flow", i'm learning they (can) be a double edged sword. I love how Bob put it that in Flirtation Reel "the

WANTS to go in the right direction, and the soul follows". However, a fellow caller pointed out to me recently that some dances which "flow" beautifully also have high piece count. In his opinion, sometimes dances which have a moment to pause between moves (eg. ladies' chain to circle

are good because they give newbies a moment to think/digest the motion. Still figuring out how i feel about that idea on a dance-by-dance basis. Either way, it strikes me how often we humans can take a good

and make it a terrible ironclad principle. > On Feb 18, 2012, at 2:43 PM, beth(a)hands4.com wrote: > > > LOL, I once had a caller berate me for using Flirtation Reel as a > > dance to teach beginners (this was a beginner's workshop at NEFFA, > > they really were beginning something.) He rather emphatically said > > "how could you use a non-standard hey as a teaching tool?" Until > > then I hadn't realized there was a standard vs. a non-standard hey. > > Actually I still don't think there is. > > > > I don't remember who the caller was, but I do remember the comment > > <G>. > > > > I also once had a dance organizer inform me "Do not teach a hey in > > the first half of the evening." There are so many other moves that > > people think are easy that are actually quite difficult for new > > folks: right and left through for example. Banning a hey seems a bit > > arbitrary, but I assume the dance had a bad experience at some time. > > > > Beth > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Linda Leslie > > Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 11:24 PM > > To: Caller's discussion list > > Subject: Re: [Callers] Heys for new dancers > > > > > > On Feb 17, 2012, at 7:55 AM, barb kirchner wrote: > > > >> > >> i like teaching "the ladies' pattern". ladies walk the same path > >> (turn left, end on right) for a promenade, right and left through, > >> ladies chain, and hey. they're kinda used to looping out a little, > >> because in the first three figures, they're actually walking around

> >> person - easy enough to get the concept of walking around a ghost > >> from > >> there. > >> > > Certainly useful techinique, if heys you will be using for the > > evening are right in the center, left shoulder at the ends. > > Flirtation Reel is a good example of Left shoulder in the center, > > right shoulder at the ends. Most dancers don't have trouble with > > this difference, but I have occasionally had dancers be a bit > > surprised that heys can and do vary. > > Linda > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 02:28:28 +0000 > From: barb kirchner &lt;barbkirchner(a)hotmail.com&gt; > To: &lt;callers(a)sharedweight.net&gt; > Subject: Re: [Callers] Heys for new dancers > Message-ID: &lt;SNT134-W46A809C54F37FB35C10B0FDE610(a)phx.gbl&gt; > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > any dance that has good "flow" is going to be easier for dancers, old

> new. when you find them, you keep them - because they work. > > > Message: 4 > Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:45:49 -0500 > From: Robert Golder &lt;robertgolder(a)comcast.net&gt; > To: Caller's discussion list &lt;callers(a)sharedweight.net&gt; > Subject: Re: [Callers] Heys for new dancers > Message-ID: &lt;3B2F5DAD-8814-44D8-977A-549C88738630(a)comcast.net&gt; > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > If there is a "standard" in hey dances, then Flirtation Reel is the

> standard. It is a perfect blend of aesthetics and ergonomics. It works > because the body WANTS to go in the right direction, and the soul

> > I have just returned from calling a little community dance of 1/3 > experienced dancers and 2/3 beginners, much as Linda described. Of

> we danced Flirtation Reel. Committed to memory for use at a moment's > notice, Flirtation Reel is at the top of my list of dances that are > accessible to newcomers, but reward my experienced folks on the floor

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