19 Dec
2009
19 Dec
'09
1:07 a.m.
I've had a few dances recently where people with learning disabilities, mostly along
the autism spectrum, have been present. I've had to do some intense work on the spot
to make sure to integrate them into the group. As increasing numbers of kids who've
been mainstreamed into regular education have become adults, they are increasingly present
in the world at large, as they should be. The skills we need to work with these
individuals are different from the ones we use with dancers who are more typical
learners.
For example, one of the young women at my dance tonight had real difficulties managing her
body- her feet sometimes appeared to not be connected to the rest of her- but she learned
figures immediately, even challenging ones such as 1/2 figure eight and turning contra
corners. I had to focus on her spacial awareness without getting concerned about the
rest, which bothered her not at all.
So, David, I suggest that while this may not be a topic of immediate need, it is a growing
concern.
Susan Elberger
Arlington, Massachusetts
--- On Tue, 12/15/09, David Millstone <David.Millstone(a)valley.net> wrote:
From: David Millstone
<David.Millstone(a)valley.net>
Subject: [Callers] Callers' workshop
To: Callers(a)sharedweight.net
Date: Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 6:48 PM
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
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