7 Jul
2015
7 Jul
'15
4:10 p.m.
Hi. I just called my first contra dance at camp last week. I didn't die, so I'm
thinking of working with our son's nature class to do some family dances.
In the meantime, I will try to call a contra when I can as a guest at our local dances.
Do you know of a source/s (would you share yours) that has good clear wording for how to
teach things like Hey, Pull-by, California Twirl, Petronella, Rory O'more, etc?
I will ask good callers if I can record their teachings when I'm at dances with lots
of beginners.....
Where else can I learn good, simple wording? I sure don't want to reinvent it
myself......
Thanks!
claire takemori
7 Jul
7 Jul
5:43 p.m.
Hi Claire,
A list of what has helped me:
I have learned lots just by closely listening to callers I like as they call.
Take notes.
Ask if you may record them.
A very valuable tool is house dances, where a small, supportive group
gathers for the purpose of learning together. (We're doing this
tonight in Seattle)
Get a small group of callers together to talk about the way they teach moves.
Look for calling workshops.
Try open mic dances.
Check out the books available through CDSS.
-Amy Wimmer
Seattle
On Jul 7, 2015, at 1:10 PM, Claire Takemori via
Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Hi. I just called my first contra dance at camp last week. I didn't die, so I'm
thinking of working with our son's nature class to do some family dances.
In the meantime, I will try to call a contra when I can as a guest at our local dances.
Do you know of a source/s (would you share yours) that has good clear wording for how to
teach things like Hey, Pull-by, California Twirl, Petronella, Rory O'more, etc?
I will ask good callers if I can record their teachings when I'm at dances with lots
of beginners.....
Where else can I learn good, simple wording? I sure don't want to reinvent it
myself......
Thanks!
claire takemori
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Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
6:21 p.m.
Amy Wimmer listed several ways to learn teaching techniques:
I have learned lots just by closely listening to
callers I like as they call.
Take notes.
Ask if you may record them.
A very valuable tool is house dances, where a small, supportive group
gathers for the purpose of learning together. (We're doing this
tonight in Seattle)
Get a small group of callers together to talk about the way they teach moves.
Look for calling workshops.
Try open mic dances.
Check out the books available through CDSS.
I'll add
Notice what other callers do at newcomers' sessions
At the dance series I help organize, our practice is to offer
callers the choice of leading the pre-dance newcomers' session
themselves or of having us supply someone to do it. Most callers
choose to lead it themselves. So by attending newcomers' sessions
at our series--or at any series with the same practice--one would
have the opportunity over a period of months to observe the ways
that a variety of callers teach contra dance basics. They'd also
get to see which things the different callers try to teach in the
newcomers' session, where there may be lots of newcomers and only
a modest number of experienced dancers to help out, and which
things they leave for later, when newcomers will be surrounded by
a much larger number of experienced dancers.
--Jim
8 Jul
8 Jul
11:17 p.m.
To expand on what Amy said, we have been doing house dances we call Calling Parties every
Wednesday for the last 8 years. One of the most important parts of this is a inviting new
dancers to attend. This has proven to be useful on two fronts: it gets new people to bond
to the group; it gives you the chance to see if you can teach the dance successfully.
Sent from my iPad
On Jul 7, 2015, at 4:43 PM, Amy Wimmer via Callers
<callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Hi Claire,
A list of what has helped me:
I have learned lots just by closely listening to callers I like as they call.
Take notes.
Ask if you may record them.
A very valuable tool is house dances, where a small, supportive group
gathers for the purpose of learning together. (We're doing this
tonight in Seattle)
Get a small group of callers together to talk about the way they teach moves.
Look for calling workshops.
Try open mic dances.
Check out the books available through CDSS.
-Amy Wimmer
Seattle
On Jul 7, 2015, at 1:10 PM, Claire Takemori via
Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Hi. I just called my first contra dance at camp last week. I didn't die, so I'm
thinking of working with our son's nature class to do some family dances.
In the meantime, I will try to call a contra when I can as a guest at our local dances.
Do you know of a source/s (would you share yours) that has good clear wording for how to
teach things like Hey, Pull-by, California Twirl, Petronella, Rory O'more, etc?
I will ask good callers if I can record their teachings when I'm at dances with lots
of beginners.....
Where else can I learn good, simple wording? I sure don't want to reinvent it
myself......
Thanks!
claire takemori
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Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
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2:46 p.m.
I'd also be careful about what you plan to call. It's very exciting to call
complicated figures, but it may be worth considering doing relatively simpler dances as
you develop your self confidence. Simple doesn't necessarily mean boring, and in fact
can leave more time for dancers to enjoy the music and each other than complicated dances
do, where you have to keep calling for a longer time to make sure that the dancers can
manage without you.
Susan ElbergerLowell, MA
From: Claire Takemori via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Sent: Tuesday, July 7, 2015 4:10 PM
Subject: [Callers] How to teach various steps to beginners?
Hi. I just called my first contra dance at camp last week. I didn't die, so I'm
thinking of working with our son's nature class to do some family dances.
In the meantime, I will try to call a contra when I can as a guest at our local dances.
Do you know of a source/s (would you share yours) that has good clear wording for how to
teach things like Hey, Pull-by, California Twirl, Petronella, Rory O'more, etc?
I will ask good callers if I can record their teachings when I'm at dances with lots
of beginners.....
Where else can I learn good, simple wording? I sure don't want to reinvent it
myself......
Thanks!
claire takemori
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
4:07 p.m.
All great suggestions.
I would also like to add that when I first started calling, I did many of the things
already listed, but I also practiced.
I practiced with imaginary people in my living room: practicing (out loud!) the
walk-through, practicing the calling, dancing in each position while I practiced the
calling....
I also taped a lot of callers and listened to them in the car, trying to call with them.
I memorized dances and practiced calling them in the car as well.
Good luck!
sue
Sue Hulsether
shulsether(a)mac.com
www.suehulsether.com
608-632-1267 Cell
608-629-6250 Home
P.O. Box 363
Viroqua, WI 54665
On Jul 8, 2015, at 1:46 PM, susanelberger via Callers wrote:
I'd also be careful about what you plan to call.
It's very exciting to call complicated figures, but it may be worth considering doing
relatively simpler dances as you develop your self confidence. Simple doesn't
necessarily mean boring, and in fact can leave more time for dancers to enjoy the music
and each other than complicated dances do, where you have to keep calling for a longer
time to make sure that the dancers can manage without you.
Susan Elberger
Lowell, MA
From: Claire Takemori via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
To: callers(a)sharedweight.net
Sent: Tuesday, July 7, 2015 4:10 PM
Subject: [Callers] How to teach various steps to beginners?
Hi. I just called my first contra dance at camp last week. I didn't die, so I'm
thinking of working with our son's nature class to do some family dances.
In the meantime, I will try to call a contra when I can as a guest at our local dances.
Do you know of a source/s (would you share yours) that has good clear wording for how to
teach things like Hey, Pull-by, California Twirl, Petronella, Rory O'more, etc?
I will ask good callers if I can record their teachings when I'm at dances with lots
of beginners.....
Where else can I learn good, simple wording? I sure don't want to reinvent it
myself......
Thanks!
claire takemori
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
4:15 p.m.
On 7/8/2015 1:07 PM, Hulsether Sue via Callers wrote:
All great suggestions.
I would also like to add that when I first started calling, I did many
of the things already listed, but I also practiced.
I practiced with imaginary people in my living room: practicing (out
loud!) the walk-through, practicing the calling, dancing in each
position while I practiced the calling....
If you have any random, non-dancer friends who are willing to be your
guinea pigs, try explaining some basic moves to them and see if they get
it. It doesn't have to be a huge, full evening thing. If you've got 4
friends in a room, see if you can get them through a ladies chain and
then go back to the Scrabble game...
Kalia
4:58 p.m.
On Jul 8, 2015, at 1:07 PM, Sue Hulsether wrote:
...
I practiced with imaginary people in my living room: practicing (out loud!) the
walk-through, practicing the calling,
Hey, kids! Modern technology is your friend! Just put on a
Bluetooth and you can practice teaching and calling dances
almost anywhere without getting funny looks.
[Disclaimer: I haven't actually tried this myself. This is
not official advice, legal or otherwise. I assume no liability,
won't bail you out of the drunk tank, etc., etc., yadda, yadda,
blah, blah, blah.]
Sue continued
dancing in each position while I practiced the
calling....
That part might best be kept to places like your living room.
--Jim
3220
days inactive
3222
days old
contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net
7 comments
7 participants
participants (7)
-
Amy Wimmer via Callers -
Bob Green via Callers
-
Claire Takemori via Callers
-
Hulsether Sue via Callers
-
James Saxe via Callers
-
Kalia Kliban via Callers
-
susanelberger via Callers