I like to teach newbies the first dance I am going to call. This is after going over the giving of weight, walking in time to the music, how to hold hands, swing. I do a few of the very basic moves, knowing that they will pick up the rest throughout the evening. But I do teach them the first dance, partly to show how progression works, but also to give them a little head start - some familiarity with the way the dances actually work. Jo Mortland Chicago Sent from my iPhone On Oct 2, 2011, at 2:21 PM, "Dorcas Hand" <handd51(a)tekkmail.com> wrote: ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System. For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email ______________________________________________________________________

On 02/Oct/11 12:16, D Bar wrote: Congratulations! There have been some recent contributions on list and there are some good notes posted about the topic in the (overly-public) archives for it as well. Also some on the Trad Dance Callers list (subscribe as a member to view), and on-line in various places. http://www.dancerhapsody.com/handouts/BeginnersWorkshop.pdf at http://www.dancerhapsody.com/Calling/Handouts.html http://www.cdss.org/tl_files/cdss/documents/__file%20or%20toss/beginners_ar… No person, especially one new to the activity, is going to steadily hoist in tonnes (metric) of new info so is likely to shut down at some point in this regard. I apply the KISS principle and try to keep it fun and relevant. Tough indeed for me. I like to start moving the group to the music, a circle works. I may count out loud, at some point, I may not. If I do, then as Dorcas states I'll mention it's in 8s. Possible statement: "We moved to the music, the call was simply to help us know or remember what came next. It is information, it's not to get in the way." "Better never than late" may feel worthwhile including now, maybe later in the workshop and/or evening/dance. If I start teaching figures now I'll often begin with those for two people (partner). Add another couple and introduce Neighbours. Switch between partner and neighbour (two person figures). Move to a Sicilian Circle like object and add circles and stars. Possibly, depending on dances on the program and/or what proportion of the hall might be made up with newer folks, get into some other four person figures (R&L, Ladies Chn), then progression to the next couple. Usually a time for laughter. Hall orientation is useful. I'm not particularly concerned about set formations. I may comment on it in the workshop, or just cover it quickly on the floor early in the evening at the first L2i dance, especially if I'm starting with other than longways sets. (e.g. First walk through, "Look, folks are 'out' at either end. Face the action, put lady on right". Works well especially with a down the hall and back. Courtesy Susan Michaels) Fun, fun, fun. Kindness, safety (physical interaction, holds, hydration, social stuff - general). Couching most everything in as positive, minimalist terms as possible. I don't say anything is tricky or difficult, doing so tends to make it so. Encourage folks to dance with people they don't know, to dance as many of those dances early on the program as possible. The workshop is about the only opportunity where one will not use up time for regular dancers yet may move quickly from one new dancer to another to make contact and show things by that method. This means, if it's appropriate one can quickly give a number of folks a good _feel_ for what "weight" is in a nice allemande, or swing. The eyes open, ooh, then they may be more easily able to replicate it. Really, they can get much of what they need on the floor, through a few added points by the caller, general or specific, and the kind, unspoken, non-physical assistance from regular dancers. http://www.colinhume.com/denotcal.htm http://www.cdss.org/newsletter-archives.html?page=8&file=tl_files/cdss/… We're now out of the workshop time, however . . . there will likely be folks dancing who didn't make that workshop. Count on it. Relax, outwardly anyway, integrate it. I'd attempt to avoid over-teaching or trying ensure absolutely everyone gets it before the music starts, usually the music helps in a way, that a dozen more walk throughs won't. Hope that is somewhat useful. Ask away, think out loud, let us know how it went. Cheers, John/'JD' ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1410 / Virus Database: 1520/3933 - Release Date: 10/02/11

Not a fan of lessons prior to a dance (although the best pre-dance is done by Steve Zakon-Anderson). My first dance with a large crowd of beginners is a circle mixer. A great dance to use is "Cabot School Mixer" by Ted Sannella. It quickly.. and forgivingly introduces the new dancer to several calls as well as the importance of the music. I particularly like mixing everyone together at the start of the night.. I also ask that at the end of the mixer.. you ask whomever you ended with to dance the next dance. Thus new dancers and experienced learn from each other. In a circle dance you can also have a lost and found (displaced dancers) in the center to get back into the dance. In the summer the Nelson dance will have thirty or more new dancers every week.. The circle works well.. and having a great local dance community willing to ask a new face to dance is a blessing. Don Primrose On 10/3/11, Richard Hart <richhart49(a)gmail.com> wrote:

Buss step! I love it. And here I thought that kissing figures were more English than contra... M E On Sun, Oct 2, 2011 at 2:21 PM, Dorcas Hand <handd51(a)tekkmail.com> wrote:

Here's a funny little oddity concerning the care and keeping of new dancers: Although we've done a good job here of developing a fairly large group of accomplished dancers who like to make sure newcomers have good partners, our efforts occasionally backfire. One of our callers believes that newcomers always insist on dancing together, and therefore calls dances early in the evening that have lots of neighbor, and not much partner, interaction. So there you are, having asked a newcomer to dance, and you watch somewhat helplessly as they dance with other newcomers while you dance with their experienced partner! And no, asking for a change in this plan has not worked... M E On Mon, Oct 3, 2011 at 7:20 PM, 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

I'd disagree with Richard re: dropping teaching the swing. For most modern contra dancers, that's one of the 2-3 most important things about why people do these dances, at least in the Midwest. With every dance having at least one swing, the instructor should get them prepared. And I'd rather that a teacher show them how to swing than the "experienced" dancers within the dance. First, "experienced" does not equal "good" in contra dancing, as you many know. here in my town there's a large percentage of experienced dancers that I would never want to have teach newbies, because they have yet to learn how to swing properly. A teacher can show proper position and motions, as well as warn people about etiquette regarding swings. Also, teaching swings is a chance to teach about giving weight, positioning, and "where you go from here". Out community has, coincidentally, debated issues re" beginner sessions recently. One issue is length of the lesson. One dancer likes to emphasize that George Marshall's beginner session runs about 10 minutes, tops. and George teaches weight, swings, how a musical line sounds, and that's it. Other thought longer lengths would be better... After calling 5 years, I've found that 15 minutes gives me enough to get people ready. I teach in a circle, and steal most of my session approach from Seth Tepfer. Walk to the 8-count; allemandes, dosodo, swings; show how to give weight; string the moves together and call a "dance", and congratulate them for doing a dance already. Think about what's going through a newbie's mind when they walk into a hall. Think how much new stuff they're processing from that first moment through the night. You don't want to try to teach twelve things in a half-hour, because no newbie will retain it all, it's time and energy wasted. Get them to the dancing, because getting them out of their head sooner rather than later will serve them and you better. Good luck, Davey, and have a great time (and THAT'S the most important thing)! Keith Tuxhorn Austin, TX

When present, the newcomer's orientation is the first contact the caller has with first-time contra dancers. It is important primarily because it is where you begin the process of integrating the first-timers into the hall. (The reason these sessions can be problematic is because they are, by nature, an act of dis-integration by virtue of the fact that newcomers are segregated from the regular dancers for separate instruction and this sends numerous implied messages that counteract the central purpose of integrating the hall.) Consequently the most important information in such orientations is what is NOT said and what is NOT taught. The real purpose of any newcomer's orientation (if done at all) should be to integrate the hall. The key to designing a great newcomer's orientation is to have a clear idea of your goals. Here are mine: 1. Make sure that all newcomers (including both those new to contras and those new to any kind of social dance) are partnered with regular dancers (who have danced contras at least one night). This goal has both an informational component; (Newcomers need to know that this is the tradition and that it is different than other kinds of dance they may have experienced in this respect.), and an attitudinal component; (Newcomers need to feel confident enough to be comfortable partnering with the regulars. They need to know that they are ready.) 2. Make sure that the newcomers will give weight and keep a strong connection with all other dancers. This goal is primarily a psychomotor skill that must be taught and practiced. It also has an informational aspect in that the newcomers need to know that this is an important skill that will allow them to learn. 3. Make sure that the newcomers relax and enjoy themselves. They need to know that contras are an extremely social kind of dance and that, consequently, letting your partner know that you are enjoying their company is much more important than any technical dance skill. To relax and enjoy themselves the newcomers must feel confident and relaxed when they finish the orientation session. These are ambitious goals to complete in 10 or 15 minutes. The fact is that these goals have to be part of an overall integration strategy for the first half of the dance evening--or at least for the first few dances. The good news is that if you accomplish goal #1 you will eliminate the need for 90% of what is usually taught in the newcomer's orientation. (This includes the figures and details such as "Gents, on the left and ladies on the right." The "trick" is to assume that *all *of the first-timers will be partnered with regular dancers and use that as your basic assumption during the entire first part of the evening. This assumption drives what happens in any orientation session and in all of your calling behaviors. When you operate on this assumption you will omit a great deal of instruction from any orientation, as well as most of the "teaching from the microphone" that often happens in walk-throughs. The result is a very powerful and compelling implied message to all of the dancers that the regulars have a vital role to play as "hosts" in welcoming and partnering with first-time dancers. My experience is that the regular dancers will accept this role with enthusiasm because it is clear that they will be an integral part of the process. The key is to allow your regular dancers the delight and pleasure of sharing something they are passionate about with relaxed and confident newcomers. If you do NOT assume this kind of integration your implied messages will conflict with your instructions for goal #1. For example: Assuming full integration there is no need to teach figures in any orientation because the "host" regulars will lead the first-timers through the figures during the walk-throughs. Teaching figures in a separate orientation, therefore, implies that you do *not *really expect the hall to be fully integrated. (Both the newcomers and the regulars will pick up on this fact and it will undermine your efforts to integrate the hall.) Please note that this approach requires that you re-frame the integration process in your own brain. For most of us this is an extended process that takes some time and effort. You will need to re-learn some basic habits and attitudes about your role as a caller, the role of the regular dancers, and the role of first-timers. You need to learn to trust all of the dancers and to develop a sense of partnership that allows the regulars to take responsibility for many things that callers normally do. (This will be a great relief and encouragement to many regulars, however.) Also note that this integration process cannot work in other settings where there is not a core group of dancers who know the basics and who accept their role as hosts in the process. Calling in a hall full of first-timers requires a completely different frame and strategy. The good news is: - The skills required by those who "host" the newcomers are very basic and can be acquired in a single evening of dancing contras. Beyond leading folks through the basic figures the primary task is to put the newcomer at ease and make them feel welcomed. It is important to make this clear to the dancers. Doing so will allow many in the hall to act as hosts who would otherwise not consider themselves "experienced" enough to partner with first-timers. In other words: You probably have a lot more willing and capable help in the hall than you might otherwise think. - The number of "helpers" or "hosts" you need in the hall is actually quite small. When the "hosts" are aware of their role it requires less than 20% of the hall to make the integration work. I have seen it work with even less than 20%. Remember that all of the dancers are invested in the success of this process and all want to get the music and dancing started as quickly as possible. About 60% of the "first-timers" are already experienced in some other dance form and some of them will be ready to act as "hosts" before their first night is over. The bad news is that this is not easy. To successfully integrate a dance hall you will need all of your calling skills. You will need to be precise and clear in your instructions. The regulars will need to hear precisely the essential information they need at precisely the time they need it. Only then will they feel confident in leading newcomers through the dance. The caller needs to use the most effective word order and enunciate clearly to make this happen. The caller needs to start on time and take immediate responsibility for set management. The caller needs to project professionalism and confidence to put the entire hall at ease. The caller also needs to eliminate non-essential words from their delivery in order to hold the attention of the entire hall. In short; integrating the hall is at the core of what great contra dance callers do. It is something you can dispense with for festivals and special events where your calling can become more casual. At a regular open public contra dance series, however, the ability to integrate the hall is paramount. It is how newcomers are "swept into" the dance without prior instruction and it is fairly unique to this dance form. It starts with the design of any newcomer's orientation session, if there is one, where you can begin to set the tone for the entire evening. Just a thought, - Greg McKenzie ******************* On Sun, Oct 2, 2011 at 12:16 PM, D Bar <davey.bar(a)gmail.com> wrote:

Clearly, it matters what your dance community is like. If you usually have lots of beginners dancing together, then the extra neighbor interaction increases their chance of dancing with an experienced dancer. But if your community is filled with dance angels who specifically ask newcomers to dance, then the increased neighbor interaction effectively *reduces *those chances by however much you have reduced partner interaction. I'd agree with your approach if the usual pairing early on is with new people who came together - then it makes a lot of sense! But in a community which has succeeded in getting lots of dancers to make sure the new folks have experienced partners, it doesn't exactly work the way you may have intended. I'm just sayin' ... know your community. M E On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 12:41 AM, Chris Page <chriscpage(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

Amen! So I guess it's good that I always forget when this caller is calling to be sure I don't ask newcomers to dance during the early part of the evening... M E -- 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

On Oct 2, 2011, at 3:16 PM, D Bar wrote: All of us should check out the following: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14nxFdcaKWA This is an example of George Marshall's classic beginners' workshop. It was captured at a Wild Asparagus dance at the Guiding Star Grange in Greenfield, MA on May 7, 2011. -- Clark Baker, Belmont, MA cmbaker(a)tiac.net