I know it's sometimes necessary, but I think more than 2 walk-throughs is not a good strategy. If the group as a whole still isn't getting it after the second walk through, I prefer to switch to a simpler dance. My reasoning is that people come to a contra dance primarily to dance, not listen to the caller's instruction.

I also prefer not to focus on individual dancers, or small groups of dancers, even if it's obvious that everyone in the room except that *one couple* (we all know what that's like) still hasn't gotten it. I know it's sometimes necessary, but it also makes that one couple, or one individual, more self-conscious about their dancing skills. I think it's better, after that second walk-through, to focus on calling as clearly as possible. For rank novices, I try to include in the instruction reminders about where they can reconnect with their partner if they become completely lost. A partner's balance and swing, for example. Finally, in the newcomers instruction before the dance, I encourage the newcomers to dance with other people, not just each other, and I ask the more experienced dancers to dance with someone they don't know at least once during the evening. Frankly, this often doesn't work since those newcomers are grimly determined to dance only with each other, and the more seasoned dancers often insist in dancing with their own little cliques they're familiar with, but I keep trying to hammer that advice home. -Lewis Land ---- Barbara Groh <barbaragroh(a)bellsouth.net> wrote: who were the at the end they'll be at the -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

I'm not sure that after 2 walk-throughs the best bet is to switch dances. Unless you've got something you want to run in that situation without a walk-through, you're still not getting people dancing immediately. If you're trying to run a very complex dance, maybe you need to bail, but hopefully you're not doing that to newcomers to begin with. If there's one trouble spot after 2 walk-throughs, and you think the might be fine with other people, maybe just have everyone take hands four, walk forward a couple, walk forward a couple, take new hands four, and start the dance from there.

Hi All: 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. " Aside from that good reason, whether or not I tailor my teaching to do 1 or 2 walkthroughs often depends on where I am calling and the expectations of the local dancers. If I am calling at one of the zesty New England dance series (lots of hotshots, few beginners, fast-paced evening) I better have a darn good reason for any second walkthrough - the dancers expect one-and-done. But if I am calling locally (NYC/NJ/PA) the same dance will get two walkthroughs so comments on timing, flow, or style tips can be added - the dancers are used to that. I can always tell when a New England caller is touring through the area, as the locals are surprised early on by how fast the walkthroughs are. Part of this difference is regional, but that doesn't always apply. The best example is Glen Echo - on Fridays, which can have up to 100 new dancers, two walkthroughs are a very good idea; but the highly-experienced Sunday series is more one-and-done. Another factor to consider is the frequency of the dance series - dancers tend to need more teaching at a monthly series than weekly ones. As Greg mentioned, Santa Cruz has a lot of young/new dancers, but it's also a monthly series, so two are good there. In contrast, a weekly mostly-experienced series such as Santa Barbara is a one walkthrough crowd. Just curious - what are the dancer expectations where you call? Bob _________________________________________________________________ The New Busy think 9 to 5 is a cute idea. Combine multiple calendars with Hotmail. http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multicalendar&ocid=… _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

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. "

Just curious - what are the dancer expectations where you call?

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

" 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

Rich _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

It has happened to me more than once that I've walked through a challenging dance, feel it isn't clear enough, don't want to waste more time teaching it, and say "let's do something else". The crowd hollers "NO! We want to do THIS dance!"