2 May
2010
2 May
'10
7:19 p.m.
I just led a session on conducting walk-throughs at NEFFA, so the topic is fresh on my
mind. (BTW if anyone wants a copy of the handout from that session, drop me a line, and
I'll send you a pdf.)
I have a hard-and-fast rule about walk-throughs: "There are no hard and fast
rules." The number of walk-throughs depends on a zillion factors, so I usually make
the decision about another walk-through at the end of the first walk through. But because
I'm a big-city-slicker from the East Coast, my goal is usually one walk through. Why?
1) I like the pace of the evening to be at a reasonable clip. Extra walk-throughs tend to
slow the evening down, in my opinion.
2) I want to train the dancers to pay attention the first time, and not rely on
omnipresent subsequent walk-throughs.
3) I want to maintain my credibility by doing the right amount of teaching that a dance
requires.
4) The level of the evening should be attainable by most, with just a few challenges.
5) I think the dancers want to dance.
Exceptions? Sure! Here are some:
a) Monthly dance, lots of new dancers? Two walk-throughs (especially 1st half of the
evening). This is where I explain about "out at the ends". I might go to one
walk-through later in the evening.
b) Experienced crowd? Maybe no walk-through. [Actually, a real-time walk-through with
music, if you get my drift]
c) Triple Minor dance? Two walk-throughs. (so the 2's and 3's can experience the
"other" role).
Decision Time: Do another one?
LISTEN to the crowd at the end of walkthrough 1 and differentiate between friendly
chit-chat sounds, and worried murmurs of people asking each other what to do.
I would recommend to all callers that have tried one walk-through with little success to
a) Examine the material you have chosen. Is it reasonable dance material, or challenging,
unorthodox, etc.?
b) Record yourself and analyze later whether the words you chose were the best ones to get
the dancers to do what you wanted. If not, figure out better ones. In my mind, better =
shorter, less ambiguous, more memorable, etc.
Happy dancing!
Dan
2 May
2 May
7:42 p.m.
Who wants to take bets that the answers to this poll shake out thusly:
1. one walk-through - East and West coast
2. two walk-throughs - all others
Though I am from the two-walk-through part of the country, I particularly
agree with Dan's point number 2 - dancers would learn to pay attention right
away if they were used to one walk-through. But life out here in the
hinterlands is, in fact, more relaxed, and we seem to like it that way.
Having lived in Boston for 25 years, I'm a bit on the fence about it,
myself.
For instance, I liked Boston driving when I lived there - saw it as a fine
sport - but I've become a complete wuss, and prefer long, slow, signaled
lane changes and stopping at red lights now.
M
E
On Sun, May 2, 2010 at 2:19 PM, Dan Pearl <daniel_pearl(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
I just led a session on conducting walk-throughs at
NEFFA, so the topic is
fresh on my mind. (BTW if anyone wants a copy of the handout from that
session, drop me a line, and I'll send you a pdf.)
I have a hard-and-fast rule about walk-throughs: "There are no hard and
fast rules." The number of walk-throughs depends on a zillion factors, so I
usually make the decision about another walk-through at the end of the first
walk through. But because I'm a big-city-slicker from the East Coast, my
goal is usually one walk through. Why?
1) I like the pace of the evening to be at a reasonable clip. Extra
walk-throughs tend to slow the evening down, in my opinion.
2) I want to train the dancers to pay attention the first time, and not
rely on omnipresent subsequent walk-throughs.
3) I want to maintain my credibility by doing the right amount of teaching
that a dance requires.
4) The level of the evening should be attainable by most, with just a few
challenges.
5) I think the dancers want to dance.
Exceptions? Sure! Here are some:
a) Monthly dance, lots of new dancers? Two walk-throughs (especially 1st
half of the evening). This is where I explain about "out at the ends". I
might go to one walk-through later in the evening.
b) Experienced crowd? Maybe no walk-through. [Actually, a real-time
walk-through with music, if you get my drift]
c) Triple Minor dance? Two walk-throughs. (so the 2's and 3's can
experience the "other" role).
Decision Time: Do another one?
LISTEN to the crowd at the end of walkthrough 1 and differentiate between
friendly chit-chat sounds, and worried murmurs of people asking each other
what to do.
I would recommend to all callers that have tried one walk-through with
little success to
a) Examine the material you have chosen. Is it reasonable dance material,
or challenging, unorthodox, etc.?
b) Record yourself and analyze later whether the words you chose were the
best ones to get the dancers to do what you wanted. If not, figure out
better ones. In my mind, better = shorter, less ambiguous, more memorable,
etc.
Happy dancing!
Dan
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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
11:45 p.m.
Hi Dan,
I'd like a copy of the NEFFA handout.
I'm getting insight into the contra scene from these posts. Here in New
Zealand
we have no tradition of contra dance, there are only three cities that have
contra dances.
Up until a few years ago, there was only one contra dance every two year in
Christchurch
when visiting dancers came.
I like Tom's pay off approach. The dancers here are very tolerant of
repeated walk thrus
if needed, and enjoy the fact that as a group they are getting better and better.
Cheers, Bill
5329
days inactive
5329
days old
contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net
2 comments
3 participants
participants (3)
-
Dan Pearl -
Liz and Bill -
Martha Edwards