3 Mar
2012
3 Mar
'12
11:31 a.m.
Thanks to all who've weighed in on the "mixer requirement" sub-topic
that's being introduced here in Charlottesville.
I don't claim to know how many callers might be put off by an unusual stipulation like
this. Maybe it's a non-issue. I'm certainly not balking myself, even though
it's not my style to include mixers except at weddings.
I've heard that some New England communities have a beloved tradition of dancing a
certain chestnut in a given time slot - which sounds great to me, if that's what the
community loves to do. Our board may have conceived the "mixer" idea out of a
similar line of thinking. The board member who told me of this recently moved here from
NH, in fact.
I'm not sure the "starting on time" concern really applies here. In Virginia
my experience is we start dances on time as long as there are people to dance. This past
fall we had kind of a general slump in attendance, a trend which thankfully may already be
rebounding on its own. I've seen some nights here where the caller felt forced to wait
10 minutes to begin because there were literally 5 or fewer folks ready to dance until
then (often they were beginners only). Wow!
That happened to me a time or two recently as the caller. Once I just waited til we could
get 8 in a line, another time I think I started with a waltz so there was something to do.
I suppose I could try a triplet (3 facing 3 formation, with contra corners) or even, ahem,
a mixer for as few as 6 dancers.
In most cases, a half hour into the dance on those night there would be at least 20-30
dancers. We consider our "norm" to be 50-75.
On a bit of a tangent (not so much a caller subject, sorry): Our board in C'ville has
also just introduced a door prize drawing after the very first dance, as a way to
encourage folks to feel like they're "really missing something" if they
don't arrive by then. Has anyone done or seen that - and what are your thoughts?
Brian Hamshar
-----Original Message-----
Date: Saturday, March 03, 2012 12:04:00 pm
To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Cc: Brian Hamshar <bhamshar(a)yahoo.com>
From: "Donald Perley" <donperley(a)gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Request about requests
On Sat, Mar 3, 2012 at 3:19 AM, Greg McKenzie <grekenzie(a)gmail.com> wrote:
. If folks are arriving late it's probably
because
the callers are not starting on time. That would be the best policy to
address that problem--with or without a mixer.
Not really the norm around here. One time a Burlington dance started
late and I heard about it at a Montpelier dance. There was a good
storm and either the band or caller was coming a long distance.
4 Mar
4 Mar
10:19 a.m.
New subject: Request about requests
Brian wrote:
On a bit of a tangent (not so much a caller subject,
sorry): Our board in
C'ville has also just introduced a door prize drawing after the very first
dance, as a way to encourage folks to feel like they're "really missing
something" if they don't arrive by then. Has anyone done or seen that - and
what are your thoughts?
I am not enthusiastic about offering prizes or rewards for the dancers to
do anything. It feels too much like begging and I think it can have the
opposite effect. If you have to offer "cookies" to lure people it
telegraphs that there is a problem. Building a reputation for on-time
starts will set a tone. It happens when folks are approaching the hall and
hear lively music already in progress. Even if they enter the hall and see
only eight people dancing the impression has already been made.
If there is a small crowd you can build excitement by doing something
unique that allows those folks to interact enthusiastically. Lots of
balancing and hot music will build energy. Those arriving late need to
feel that they missed something when they first open their car door.
- Greg McKenzie
11:53 a.m.
New subject: Request about requests
Do you already have a half-hour Basics Workshop before your dance? We kind
of believe that you don't really *need* a workshop in order to start contra
dancing, but it does serve two purposes - gives you a chance to make the
newcomers feel welcome and more relaxed, AND it increases the number of
regular dancers who are there when the dance actually starts.
People generally don't want to be the first to arrive in an empty hall. But
if the event has already started (the workshop) they know it won't be empty
even if they come 15 minutes "early".
M
E
On Sat, Mar 3, 2012 at 1:31 PM, Brian Hamshar <bhamshar(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
Thanks to all who've weighed in on the "mixer
requirement" sub-topic
that's being introduced here in Charlottesville.
I don't claim to know how many callers might be put off by an unusual
stipulation like this. Maybe it's a non-issue. I'm certainly not balking
myself, even though it's not my style to include mixers except at weddings.
I've heard that some New England communities have a beloved tradition of
dancing a certain chestnut in a given time slot - which sounds great to me,
if that's what the community loves to do. Our board may have conceived the
"mixer" idea out of a similar line of thinking. The board member who told
me of this recently moved here from NH, in fact.
I'm not sure the "starting on time" concern really applies here. In
Virginia my experience is we start dances on time as long as there are
people to dance. This past fall we had kind of a general slump in
attendance, a trend which thankfully may already be rebounding on its own.
I've seen some nights here where the caller felt forced to wait 10 minutes
to begin because there were literally 5 or fewer folks ready to dance until
then (often they were beginners only). Wow!
That happened to me a time or two recently as the caller. Once I just
waited til we could get 8 in a line, another time I think I started with a
waltz so there was something to do. I suppose I could try a triplet (3
facing 3 formation, with contra corners) or even, ahem, a mixer for as few
as 6 dancers.
In most cases, a half hour into the dance on those night there would be at
least 20-30 dancers. We consider our "norm" to be 50-75.
On a bit of a tangent (not so much a caller subject, sorry): Our board in
C'ville has also just introduced a door prize drawing after the very first
dance, as a way to encourage folks to feel like they're "really missing
something" if they don't arrive by then. Has anyone done or seen that - and
what are your thoughts?
Brian Hamshar
-----Original Message-----
Date: Saturday, March 03, 2012 12:04:00 pm
To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers(a)sharedweight.net>
Cc: Brian Hamshar <bhamshar(a)yahoo.com>
From: "Donald Perley" <donperley(a)gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Request about requests
On Sat, Mar 3, 2012 at 3:19 AM, Greg McKenzie <grekenzie(a)gmail.com> wrote:
--
As you set out for Ithaka, pray that your journey be long, full of
adventure, full of discovery...
May there be many summer mornings when, with what pleasure, with what joy,
you enter harbors you're seeing for the first time.
~Constantine Cavafy, "Ithaka" 1911
. If folks are arriving late it's probably
because
the callers are not starting on time. That would be the best policy to
address that problem--with or without a mixer.
Not really the norm around here. One time a Burlington dance started
late and I heard about it at a Montpelier dance. There was a good
storm and either the band or caller was coming a long distance.
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2 comments
3 participants
participants (3)
-
Brian Hamshar -
Greg McKenzie -
Martha Edwards