--- Joe wrote:
I have always felt the majority of the dancers don't care who wrote the dance.
--- end of quote ---
Agreed. And stretching the point to make a point, there are many dancers-- most,
at some series-- who don't care about being on time, either. And there are some
dancers who think it's fine to dance roughly, to yank their partner's arm around
for a gratituous and unwanted twirl, to swing their partner off the floor, to
chatter incessantly during a walkthrough...
I believe that being a caller is more than picking a card from a file and timing
the calls properly. The caller provides leadership, not just a well-timed
reminder of what figures come where. As a leader, the caller helps dancers reach
a higher level in their dancing, builds community, respects our traditions and
keeps the music and dancing alive for future generations... And yes, announcing
the name of a dance and the author, out of respect if for no other reason, is
worth doing. Heck, I usually announce titles (and sometimes authors) of the
tunes, too. Goes right over the heads of most people on the floor, but I can't
tell you how many times someone-- a dancer who is also a musician, typically--
has come up to thank me for dong that.
David Millstone
Lebanon, NH
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