2 May
2010
2 May
'10
2:40 p.m.
I agree with Tom. Each dance group is different - some have huge
influxes of beginners, or have regulars that are, for various
reasons, still challenged after years of dancing. Sometimes the first
half of a dance may require two walk-throughs for most dances, even
for forgiving dances, and the second half, after many newcomers get
tired (I think they tire more quickly because they are thinking more
and correcting their movements and just use more energy), can be one
WT or for dances without unusual figures, none. There are no hard and
fast rules and I watch whether there is confusion during the walk-
through, whether a bunch of inexperienced people suddenly joined the
end late and haven't even walked it through once, etc., etc. , and
mix in a decision on how much chaos I think the dance (and dancers)
can tolerate happily before it settles in, and decide on whether to
call a second walk-through. Better a second walk-through than a line
falling apart.
As for getting negative (and positive) feedback about these choices -
you'll never please everyone. There will always be someone who comes
and tells you that they didn't like "x" - and right after that
someone will walk up and thank you profusely for doing "x". One
friend of mine hates having the men do things together - like walk
down the hall four in line where men have hands together, or have a
mens swing, and doesn't like dances that have those moves, and he
tells me so. Other guys tell me they loved the mens swing in a
particular dance because they got to swing powerfully with someone of
equal weight and height and it was a blast. So don't even try to
please everyone, you won't. Basically, I figure that if there is
good energy on the floor during a dance, it flowed well, and the
dancers are smiling and clapping after the dance finishes, it's a
success. So, not to discount feedback, but try to put it in the
context of the person who gives it to you, and how much of it you are
getting.
And yes, different dance groups are amazingly different. There are
dance groups that love dances that have such moves as "sashay down",
or hand-claps, and other groups would hate them. One gets to know
one's local groups pretty well, but when you go to a really different
venue, it's sometimes surprising. Even the culture can be surprising.
Some places do a dance, then they socialize and eat for five minutes
before you can get them back to the floor. Others have formed new
lines before you've bent over to check your notes. Flexibility is key.
Martha
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Today's Topics:
1. walk-throughs/pay off (Tom Hinds)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 12:55:46 -0400
From: Tom Hinds <twhinds(a)earthlink.net>
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Subject: [Callers] walk-throughs/pay off
Message-ID: <2706BF14-AC9F-478B-8B24-DE34D4197CA2(a)earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
Great discussion about walk-throughs. In particular I like the 'mix
it up' approach. Not too long ago I got chewed out by one person for
doing two walk-throughs for several contras at Glen Echo on a
Friday. Do we like to make up rules or what?
I'd like to throw in an idea that I think others may have touched
on. I like to use the square dance figure, teacup chain for groups
that haven't danced it. I usually walk it through twice for the head
ladies and let them do it by themselves a third time. Ditto for the
side ladies. Then I walk it through for all four ladies once or
twice. The total number of times the figure is walked through is 8
but the figure is only 32 beats long. Add to this the instructions
to the men and some of the rules for everyone, we have a great deal
of instruction. Here's the catch: the teacup chain always gets the
most applause from the crowd. It's the big thrill of the evening.
What I've learned is that for some dances there's a pay off. My goal
is to figure out what dances will pay off the most for each group.
In the last year or so, I've noticed that what really turns on one
group will bore or turn off another. I don't have a crystal ball yet
and can't figure out why this is-still lots to learn.
Tom
On May 1, 2010, at 12:00 PM, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net wrote:
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Walk-throughs (Rich Goss)
2. Re: Walk-throughs (Martha Edwards)
3. Re: Walk-throughs (Katy Heine)
4. Re: Walk-throughs (JohnFreem(a)aol.com)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
Message: 1
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:02:46 -0700
From: Rich Goss <richgoss(a)comcast.net>
To: Shared Weight <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
Message-ID: <C8008576.8DA5%richgoss(a)comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
On 4/30/10 11:29 AM, "Bob Isaacs" <isaacsbob(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
Bob Isaacs wrote:
> Just curious - what are the dancer
expectations where you call?
Often I find that is just depends on the dance. Our Portland
Saturday
dances tend to have a fair number of beginners, somewhere around
20-30
percent (we get between 100-150 total) If I observe that folks
seemed to
get it the first time, back it up and go. If it's a dance with a
tricky
move, second walkthrough. If I've had to demo a move in the first
walkthrough, definitely a second with the feel of the flow. I
always try
to
throw in a no-walkthrough sometime during the evening, with familiar moves.
------------------------------
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End of Callers Digest, Vol 69, Issue 2
************************************** Chris Weiler wrote:
"I subscribe to the theory that if I need more than one walk thru,
then
I'm calling a dance that is too difficult for the crowd. The main
reason
that I might run a second walk thru is if there is a clump of
beginners
and I need to get them progressed to new couples who can help
them out. "
Bob Isaacs wrote:
Just curious - what are the dancer expectations where you call?
Often I find that is just depends on the dance. Our Portland
Saturday
dances tend to have a fair number of beginners, somewhere around
20-30
percent (we get between 100-150 total) If I observe that folks
seemed to
get it the first time, back it up and go. If it's a dance with a
tricky
move, second walkthrough. If I've had to demo a move in the first
walkthrough, definitely a second with the feel of the flow. I
always try to
throw in a no-walkthrough sometime during the evening, with
familiar moves.
Rich
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:26:33 -0500
From: Martha Edwards <meedwards(a)westendweb.com>
To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
Message-ID:
<z2g7d8d864a1004301426m67c8b0c3wdadfb9ea70806b7c(a)mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
I've had East coast callers tell me in no uncertain terms that if
you have
to walk it through more than once you'd better figure out a better
way to
call or choose simpler dances.
But we're used to two out here in the Heartland, so we have all
kinds of
reasons why it's better. Number one is that the two walkthroughs have
different functions - the first one to explain the moves, the
second to show
what you have to do when you do them at speed.
The number two reason is that the experienced dancers are talking
during the
first walkthrough, knowing that another one is coming...
Hmmm....
M
E
On Fri, Apr 30, 2010 at 3:02 PM, Rich Goss <richgoss(a)comcast.net>
wrote:
On 4/30/10 11:29 AM, "Bob Isaacs" <isaacsbob(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
Bob Isaacs wrote:
> Just curious - what are the dancer
expectations where you call?
Often I find that is just depends on the dance. Our Portland
Saturday
dances tend to have a fair number of beginners, somewhere around
20-30
percent (we get between 100-150 total) If I observe that folks
seemed to
get it the first time, back it up and go. If it's a dance with a
tricky
move, second walkthrough. If I've had to demo a move in the first
walkthrough, definitely a second with the feel of the flow. I
always try
to
throw in a no-walkthrough sometime during the evening, with
familiar moves.
Rich
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--
For the good are always the merry,
Save by an evil chance,
And the merry love the fiddle
And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 07:23:16 -0400
From: "Katy Heine" <kheine(a)twcny.rr.com>
To: "'Caller's discussion list'" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
Message-ID: <0F40BEA5136F43BBA70CE3BE69348CC9@stewart>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Interesting discussion. Here in central New York, I don't think the
dancers
have a clear expectation about the number of times a dance should
be walked
through (although generally there's a preference for single walk-
throughs,
and little tolerance for more than two). The approach that I've
decided to
take is to mix it up: use one walk-through for simpler dances and
two when a
dance is particularly complex ... or when the dance is new to me,
or when I
feel I haven't done the best job teaching it the first time. So far
no one
has complained....
Katy Heine
-----Original Message-----
From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net
[mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Martha Edwards
Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 5:27 PM
To: Caller's discussion list
Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
I've had East coast callers tell me in no uncertain terms that if
you have
to walk it through more than once you'd better figure out a better
way to
call or choose simpler dances.
But we're used to two out here in the Heartland, so we have all
kinds of
reasons why it's better. Number one is that the two walkthroughs have
different functions - the first one to explain the moves, the
second to show
what you have to do when you do them at speed.
The number two reason is that the experienced dancers are talking
during the
first walkthrough, knowing that another one is coming...
Hmmm....
M
E
On Fri, Apr 30, 2010 at 3:02 PM, Rich Goss <richgoss(a)comcast.net>
wrote:
Chris Weiler wrote:
"I subscribe to the theory that if I need more than one walk
thru, then
I'm calling a dance that is too difficult for the crowd. The
main reason
that I might run a second walk thru is if there is a clump of
beginners
and I need to get them progressed to new couples who can help
them out.
"
On 4/30/10 11:29 AM, "Bob Isaacs" <isaacsbob(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
> Chris Weiler wrote:
>
>
> "I subscribe to the theory that if I need more than one walk
> thru, then
> I'm calling a dance that is too difficult for the crowd. The main
reason
that I
might run a second walk thru is if there is a clump of
beginners
and I need to get them progressed to new couples who can help
them out.
"
Rich
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--
For the good are always the merry,
Save by an evil chance,
And the merry love the fiddle
And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats
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------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 07:37:47 EDT
From: JohnFreem(a)aol.com
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
Message-ID: <771.741827bc.390d6c8b(a)aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Good morning!
I just returned from watching Ann Arbor Morris brave a torrential
downpour
to welcome the spring in. We were all soaked clear through
to...well, I'll
leave that to your imagination.
Anyway, since I usually work with mixed crowds, I tend to favor
two or
three walkthroughs. I think that it give the newbies a few
opportunities to
learn how the progression works, to learn that it's "places, not
faces" that
often determines who you will be dancing with, and to rein the
center set crowd
in a bit so we are on the same page as we begin. I also may switch
to a
proper dance if the "experienced dancers" cross over before the
sets have
sorted themselves out. I discourage "flourishes" during the
walkthroughs. They do
nothing to enhance the teaching, and often really confuse the
beginners. I
don't mind them later...as long as they don't interfere with the
enjoyment
of others.
And yes, I AM the chief of the Dance Police. :-)
John B. Freeman, President
SFTPOCTJ
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End of Callers Digest, Vol 69, Issue 1
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Martha Wild