21 May
2010
21 May
'10
10:33 a.m.
So, i hope this is being sent to the appropriate network. I was asked recently to call a
contra dance for a highschool class of about 30-40 students. I would like to reach out
for advice on working with not only youth, but total groups of non-dancers. in my
experience, youth picks up rather quickly, but the last time i worked with a summer camp i
spent waaay to much time instructing, so i wanted to see if i could get some pointers. any
dance selections that you folks have found particularly friendly? the dance will only be
one hour and i was asked to do contra dances. i am, at this point, planning on circle
dances or mixers and a whole set dance like VA Reel; though, i would like to do a contra.
dog branch reel or a dance where there is little or no crossing the set and pleanty of
forgiving moments should there be confusion (which obviously should be mediated in the
walkthru/lesson). so, that is where i am. any suggestions or advice would be greatly
appreciate.
peace.
Noah Grunzweig
21 May
21 May
1:01 p.m.
New subject: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
I called for a high school class once. I don't want to discourage
you but that gig was my worst calling experience ever. It is a
reality that teachers in school spend most of their time doing
"classroom management" and a caller is no exception. I encourage you
to avoid contras in that kind of situation, unless there will be an
active contingent of regular contra dancers in the room.
In general, I try to avoid gigs where they ask for contras but the
crowd is almost all first-timers to contra dance. It is not possible
to communicate the basics and culture of contras to an entire room of
first-timers without at least a small group of enthusiastic regulars
to model the kinds of interactions that make up the experience we
call a "contra dance."
I have two truisms about contra dances:
1. If there are no first-timers in the hall it is not a "real" contra dance.
2. Likewise, if there are no regulars--who are familiar with the
traditions and the figures--it is also not a "real" contra dance.
For me, the core essence of this dance form is the interplay between
the newcomers and the more experienced regulars. A dance that is not
integrated is an aberration. When all of the dancers are well-versed
in contras--as is the case at most dance camps and festivals--the job
of the caller is vastly different than at an open, public contra
dance. Likewise the role of the caller at an event with all
first-timers is also very different. In that case the caller must be
the teacher, and the demonstrator. It becomes a class and the caller
needs to have limited educational goals. Plan your "class" carefully
and know exactly what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you want the
students to leave with.
The role of the caller at an integrated contra dance is the most
challenging one. Those of you who call at regular open public contra
dances are in the "front lines" of this tradition and you need to use
all of the skills of good calling. The dance camps and festivals are
the easy calling gigs. A crowd made up of all experienced dancers is
much more tolerant of poor calling. This is, by the way, the best
environment for new callers to get started. (It serves the contra
dance tradition well when those planning dance camps and festivals
scheduled lots of opportunities for new callers to get on-stage
experience at the event.)
Just a thought,
Greg McKenzie
**********
At 07:33 AM 5/21/2010, you wrote:
So, i hope this is being sent to the appropriate
network. I was
asked recently to call a contra dance for a highschool class of
about 30-40 students. I would like to reach out for advice on
working with not only youth, but total groups of non-dancers. in my
experience, youth picks up rather quickly, but the last time i
worked with a summer camp i spent waaay to much time instructing, so
i wanted to see if i could get some pointers. any dance selections
that you folks have found particularly friendly? the dance will
only be one hour and i was asked to do contra dances. i am, at this
point, planning on circle dances or mixers and a whole set dance
like VA Reel; though, i would like to do a contra. dog branch reel
or a dance where there is little or no crossing the set and pleanty
of forgiving moments should there be confusion (which obviously
should be mediated in the walkthru/lesson). so, that is where i
am. any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciate.
peace.
Noah Grunzweig
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
2:15 p.m.
New subject: Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool
I encourage you
to avoid contras in that kind of situation, unless
there will be an
active contingent of regular contra dancers in the room.
It is not possible to communicate the basics and culture of contras to an
entire room of
first-timers without at least a small group of
enthusiastic regulars to
model the kinds of interactions that make up the experience we call a
"contra dance."
I agree with Greg. Getting a roomful of non-dancers to learn contras is
certainly possible, but it will be successful ONLY if they are REALLY there
to learn contras. If they just want a traditional dance experience, mixers
and simple dances like the VA. Reel are so much more appropriate...and fun.
If you only have an hour, Noah, I'd stick with those and not even try a
simple contra at the end. It's likely to fall apart, making you look bad
and them feel frustrated. You can explain that to the organizers. The
progression & timing of a contra dance is just a lot for a group of newbies
to manage if there are no "ringers" to help them along. (Keep this in mind
if you start getting requests to call "contra dances" at wedding receptions.
It's likely that the either the bride or groom has been to one or 2 dances &
think it would be great fun at their wedding. Unless at least 1/2 of their
guests are experienced dancers, TALK THEM INTO MIXERS AND SIMPLE REELS. Once
you add alcohol and high heels to the mix, you'll be doing good to herd
those cats at all.)
However, contra dancing is now the cool thing amongst many high school kids,
and they may have an honest interest in it. If your school group is keen
on learning a new skill & is prepared for more extensive teaching, then you
could have success teaching a real contra dance. I just don't think an hour
would be enough time. There are contra dance classes for elementary and
high school kids these days, but in general they are a series, not just one
event. If you had 90 mins. or 2 hours, maybe you could pull it off.
Good luck...this sounds like a real learning opportunity for you!
~Barbara Groh
1:15 p.m.
In the past year our group has picked up a large number of new dancers
of high school age, and you're right, they do learn more quickly than
older dancers. However, if you're dealing with a whole group of people
who have *never* contra danced before, you're not likely to get them up
to speed on contra dancing in just an hour, unless the evening is
structured more like a dance workshop rather than a dance. I fell into
that trap once myself, where I had just 1 hour to teach a group at a
highschool reunion to contra. Looking back, it seems like a rather
amusing experience, but I certainly didn't feel like it at the time,
even though I had carefully selected the simplest contras I knew. One
hour's just not enough time to explain the concepts of progression,
active and inactive couples, teach basics of the swing, and still have
time for a decent dance. I think your idea of sticking to circle mixers
and a Virginia Reel is good. If this is being presented as a dance, call
things that will get them dancing in the shortest amount of time. Save
the contras for a different venue. -Lewis Land
On 5/21/2010 8:33 AM, Grunzweig, Noah C. wrote:
So, i hope this is being sent to the appropriate
network. I was asked recently to call a contra dance for a highschool class of about
30-40 students. I would like to reach out for advice on working with not only youth, but
total groups of non-dancers. in my experience, youth picks up rather quickly, but the
last time i worked with a summer camp i spent waaay to much time instructing, so i wanted
to see if i could get some pointers. any dance selections that you folks have found
particularly friendly? the dance will only be one hour and i was asked to do contra
dances. i am, at this point, planning on circle dances or mixers and a whole set dance
like VA Reel; though, i would like to do a contra. dog branch reel or a dance where there
is little or no crossing the set and pleanty of forgiving moments should there be
confusion (which obviously should be mediated in the walkthru/lesson). so, that is where
i am. any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciate.
peace.
Noah Grunzweig
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
1:23 p.m.
One hour. High school students. New, non-dancers.
Everything building, no long teaching at the beginning or elsewhere.
As you note set dances would be good, as would some circle.
---
Maybe a two couple, "scatter" dance or couple mixer.
I've used Set a Crochet, a couple mixer, a couple of times now. I
accidentally doubled the amount of music used for it the first time.
While I noticed that pretty quickly I left it alone and most folks
appeared to have a more successful and fun time. Try it either way,
maybe start using twice the amount of time, then during the dance let
them know there'll be less time to find a new couple the next time!
I found it in, "SYLLABUS of the 15th Annual Ralph Page Dance Legacy
Weekend January 18, 19, 20, 2002"
http://www.library.unh.edu/special/index.php/ralph-page-dance-legacy-weekend
Grab the Index spreadsheet, a fabulous search-able reference.
---
I like Dog Branch Reel. I'm not sure I'd use it in this context, not as
a sole Contra dance selection anyway.
While Henry M. may love the apparent simplicity and interest of Dog
Branch Reel http://www.henryandjacqui.com/Essays/Wesletter.htm
his use of it to "check out the hall"
http://www.henryandjacqui.com/Essays/Prepare.htm
supports my (thus far limited) observation of it and the notes I added
to my direction sheet to deliver just before the music starts,
"NB: three _short_ swings, all _8 beats_.
Who am I?
Which way is Down?
Which way is Up?
Go!"
I've seen newer dancers, in the early second half of an evening program,
be totally thrown by the apparent change of direction/orientation and
the immediacy of the next figure. If your students are mentally quick .
. . why not. Maybe after another Contra, maybe not.
---
Contra ideas
Some fun, possible dance selections might include:
Ashokan Hello, Tony Parkes
Three To Get Ready, Ted Sanella
With some set crossing:
Spring Fever, Tony Parkes
Ashokan Hello, Tony Parkes.
Scout House Reel, Ted Sanella
Hmm, Tony and Ted are getting a workout, oh well.
I enjoy Midwest Folklore by Orace Johnson. An approachable Becket. Two
quick walk throughs and leave folks there to slide left into the first
figure, no one "out".
---
To consider -- how many dances would you expect to get through in one
hour? Will something precede the start of dancing in that hour? Will
they be ready to start at the beginning of that hour? Must you finish
before that hour?
Once I knew that then I'd select whether Contras, how many them or level
of difficulty to match. I've discovered I need more set dances and
Ceilidh (any number of couples, big recovery time) and circle dances in
my book.
---
Open to comments.
Cheers, John
J.D. Erskine
Victoria, BC
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2:43 p.m.
Noah, good for you for calling a dance for some high schoolers! School groups, properly
approached, can be loads of fun.
Absolutely you do not want to spend a lot of time instructing. Get them moving
immediately with a very simple circle dance, maybe progress to a Sicilian circle, choose
other material after that according to how they are doing. Many high school groups can
certainly handle simple contra dances. Others not so much. You need to be flexible.
Most people who ask for "contra dance" really just mean "traditional
dance," and won't care whether you do actual contras or not. If the organizers
did ask for 'contras' specifically, then I suggest talking about it with them in
advance and see if they really do expect that, and why. Ultimately it's up to you to
provide a program that is fun and appropriate for the crowd in front of you. The dancers
won't care as long as they are having fun.
High schoolers are at the age where they can start to appreciate the flirty aspects of the
dance. You might toss in a carefully worded comment about how traditional dance provided
a place where the sexes could exchange some words (briefly) while not within earshot of a
chaperone. It'll get some smiles and giggles, and get the kids into their roles in
the activity.
You will also need to adjust both your expectations and possibly the teachers'
concerning what you may see on the dance floor. It won't look as sharp as a regular
public series. That's okay. The teachers -- who don't understand the real
purpose of a walkthrough -- may be concerned that not everybody seems to
"understand" before the music starts. That's okay too. Focus on the smiles
and the laughter and be thankful you've had this great opportunity to share the dance
we love with the next generation.
Jon Southard
Santa Barbara, CA
www.jonsouthard.com
-----Original Message-----
From: callers-bounces(a)sharedweight.net [mailto:callers-bounces@sharedweight.net] On Behalf
Of Grunzweig, Noah C.
Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 7:34 AM
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Subject: [Callers] Concerns calling for total beginners in highschool [bcc][faked-from]
So, i hope this is being sent to the appropriate network. I was asked recently to call a
contra dance for a highschool class of about 30-40 students. I would like to reach out
for advice on working with not only youth, but total groups of non-dancers. in my
experience, youth picks up rather quickly, but the last time i worked with a summer camp i
spent waaay to much time instructing, so i wanted to see if i could get some pointers. any
dance selections that you folks have found particularly friendly? the dance will only be
one hour and i was asked to do contra dances. i am, at this point, planning on circle
dances or mixers and a whole set dance like VA Reel; though, i would like to do a contra.
dog branch reel or a dance where there is little or no crossing the set and pleanty of
forgiving moments should there be confusion (which obviously should be mediated in the
walkthru/lesson). so, that is where i am. any suggestions or advice would be greatly
appreciate.
peace.
Noah Grunzweig
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
3:27 p.m.
I've helped to teach contra dancing to large high school gym classes a
few times. I'd suggest that you start with a grand march at the
beginning to help them feel the beat of the music, and to understand the
concept of dancing together. You can start from a simple circle dance,
then break into a line and do various arches and tunnels, as well and
marching in single file, as couples, groups of 4, 8, and 16, etc.
Then, pick very, very, very, very simple dances, dances where the
concepts of progression and improper, are not needed. Most of them would
never figure those things out in a hour. Try Virginia reel, and similar
dances. Even three different, and progressively more complex variations
on Sir Roger do Coverly, or Virgina reels, would work. (Save the reel
part for the last one, if you do it at all).
Remember, it's all new to them, and just succeeding at dancing in time
with the music, and with each other, is a success for them (and you).
Rich.
Grunzweig, Noah C. remarked on 5/21/2010 10:33 AM:
So, i hope this is being sent to the appropriate
network. I was asked recently to call a contra dance for a highschool class of about
30-40 students. I would like to reach out for advice on working with not only youth, but
total groups of non-dancers. in my experience, youth picks up rather quickly, but the
last time i worked with a summer camp i spent waaay to much time instructing, so i wanted
to see if i could get some pointers. any dance selections that you folks have found
particularly friendly? the dance will only be one hour and i was asked to do contra
dances. i am, at this point, planning on circle dances or mixers and a whole set dance
like VA Reel; though, i would like to do a contra. dog branch reel or a dance where there
is little or no crossing the set and pleanty of forgiving moments should there be
confusion (which obviously should be mediated in the walkthru/lesson). so, that is where
i am. any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciate.
peace.
Noah Grunzweig
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
4:19 p.m.
I agree with the direction others have taken -- the point is for them
to have a great time and leave liking to dance. Starting from
scratch with contras in one hour won't get them there and the
organizers probably don't know the difference. I would add that I
have found that high school kids love flirty stuff, especially
gypsies (an easy replacement for a do-si-do here and there) and baudy
stuff (Le Brandy with it's "Un, deux, trois, poussez!" goes over
well) and wild stuff (ex: Sashay the Doughnut). If the organizers
are still insisting on contras after you talk with them, for some
reason that we on this list may not have intuited, I've had good luck
with beginners with Family Contra and the Easy Petronella posted by
someone earlier.
I, personally, LOVE calling for loud rowdy groups of enthusiastic
young people -- if you go in expecting chaos and just roll with it,
you can have a blast and if you do, they will too!
On May 21, 2010, at 3:27 PM, Richard Hart wrote:
I've helped to teach contra dancing to large high
school gym
classes a few times. I'd suggest that you start with a grand march
at the beginning to help them feel the beat of the music, and to
understand the concept of dancing together. You can start from a
simple circle dance, then break into a line and do various arches
and tunnels, as well and marching in single file, as couples,
groups of 4, 8, and 16, etc.
Then, pick very, very, very, very simple dances, dances where the
concepts of progression and improper, are not needed. Most of them
would never figure those things out in a hour. Try Virginia reel,
and similar dances. Even three different, and progressively more
complex variations on Sir Roger do Coverly, or Virgina reels, would
work. (Save the reel part for the last one, if you do it at all).
Remember, it's all new to them, and just succeeding at dancing in
time with the music, and with each other, is a success for them
(and you).
Rich.
Grunzweig, Noah C. remarked on 5/21/2010 10:33 AM:
<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>
Delia Clark
PO Box 45
Taftsville, VT 05073
802-457-2075
deliaclark8(a)gmail.com
So, i hope this is being sent to the appropriate
network. I was
asked recently to call a contra dance for a highschool class of
about 30-40 students. I would like to reach out for advice on
working with not only youth, but total groups of non-dancers. in
my experience, youth picks up rather quickly, but the last time i
worked with a summer camp i spent waaay to much time instructing,
so i wanted to see if i could get some pointers. any dance
selections that you folks have found particularly friendly? the
dance will only be one hour and i was asked to do contra dances.
i am, at this point, planning on circle dances or mixers and a
whole set dance like VA Reel; though, i would like to do a
contra. dog branch reel or a dance where there is little or no
crossing the set and pleanty of forgiving moments should there be
confusion (which obviously should be mediated in the walkthru/
lesson). so, that is where i am. any suggestions or advice would
be greatly appreciate. peace.
Noah Grunzweig
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers 
11:32 p.m.
Noah, congratulations on getting to introduce a whole room full of people to
the joy of dancing!
I think if you have a lot of high school dancers, you're going to have women
who dance with other women, and men who won't dance with other men (depends
on the school, but that's my guess). Your gender balance, if it's close,
might get skewed. The idea of changing partners after every dance might also
be tough, but in an hour, I'd be surprised if you did more than five dances
(if that).
I agree with what many people have already said, an hour is not a lot of
time to teach an all new crowd regular contras. Talking to the organizers
and seeing what they're after is definitely a good idea. If, for some
reason, they really want contras, good luck. I have been pleasantly
surprised at what a group of willing new dancers can accomplish though, and
people try to rise to what they think is expected of them.
One issue you haven't mentioned is what the music is? Will you have live
music? (In my opinion, a absolutely vital part of the contra experience.)
Solid musicians will make your life incredibly easier: being able to change
tempo as they go, going out when you ask, helping you read the room, etc. I
think using a CD and having to queue up music will make the evening more
challenging, whatever you're planning on calling.
If you're going to call contras, I would suggest only beckets; and if you
can get enough easy ones, only double progression beckets. Becket means not
having to cross over. Progression is just around an oval (make sure all your
beckets progress the same way) not down the hall and back. It also makes it
easier to avoid dances where they have to know if they're 1s or 2s (in my
opinion, a bad idea for new dancers). They're high school students, they
shouldn't get tired at double progressions (plus it's only an hour). Double
progression means no waiting out at the top or bottom (where folks forget
what they're doing and get confused).
I'll admit, I've never had the opportunity you have. This is a theoretical
suggestion, not a 'I've done this and it's bullet-proof." I think
experienced dancers and callers get in a rut of thinking of improper as
standard, and thus the easiest to learn. If you have a mix of levels, maybe.
But I think for all new dancers, "Let's have two lines of couples facing
each other, stand next to the person who asked you to dance, be across from
another couple" is going to be easier than "let's have all the couples get
in a line with all the leads in one line and the follows in another, take
hands four from the top {explain that} and the twos {explain that} cross
over {and that}". I'm exaggerating, but not much. I think becket will let
you get them dancing faster with less explanation.
Not every double progression becket is going to be appropriate, but here's
an example of what I'm thinking of (which would count as a real, if odd,
contra)
A1
Partner Do-si-doh 1x
Partner swing
A2
Long lines forward and back
Neighbor Do-si-doh 1x
B1
C R (1x)
C L back (1x)
B2
double yearn progression: Hands in long lines (a big oval), go forward and
left to be across from a different couple, go back on the left to be across
from another new couple
with this new couple, star R 1x
I wouldn't call it a great dance, but it has features that (I think) make it
friendly to new dancers. There's no fractions. Except for the do-si-dos
you're connected to other people. It doesn't matter if you end the swing
with the lady on the right, because there is only a partner swing (although
this has the draw-back of not giving them lots of different swing
experiences). The moves are all fairly simple (the last star right could be
a Circle L, but I wanted there to be enough difference to prevent zoning
out).
There's some food for thought. Have fun, and let us know how it goes!
--
Luke Donev
http://www.lukedonev.com
Luke.Donev(a)gmail.com
5297
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8 comments
9 participants
participants (9)
-
Barbara Groh -
Delia Clark -
Greg McKenzie -
Grunzweig, Noah C. -
JD Erskine -
Jon Southard -
Lewis Land -
Luke Donev -
Richard Hart