Aahz, I'm not sure what you're saying in your email. Do you teach a right and left through plus the chain in the beginning lesson because learning those moves is critical to the success of the evening? And are you saying that you spend little time with the swing because those other moves are difficult and deserve/need more time? It's understandable that these two moves are difficult because they're so similar, not to us but to the newbies. What if you didn't use right and left through AND ladies chain in the same dance or the beginning lesson? In other words, let people practice/digest one before learning the other. You also said, "so wrong swings have little effect on the overall structure/flow of the dance". Can you explain this to me? T

On Wed, Dec 31, 1969, Tom Hinds wrote: I'm not doing enough calling to be teaching; I'm talking about my observations of what other people are teaching. With Ladies Chain, two dancers change places. If they fail to execute that part, it's likely that the progression will get affected. That's probably not going to happen with a swing that ends up with the dancers sashayed or otherwise in the wrong place. -- Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/ <*> <*> <*> "If you're black, you got to look at America a little bit different. You got to look at America like the uncle who paid for you to go to college, but who molested you." --Chris Rock

​I do spend a lot of time on the swing in a beginners' workshop.. What I cover is how to get started, how to finish facing the correct direction with the lady on the right, how long a swing lasts, not to face your partner directly so both of you can WALK forward while you go around (no side-slipping needed), and finally some hints about avoiding dizziness. In my opinion these are the factors a new dancer needs to have an enjoyable swing and an enjoyable evening. Sure the buzz step is fun, but it's not very important! When Tom says "Why not go for the gold?" my answer is because the new dancers are typically feeling overwhelmed. Anything that they don't absolutely need to know to have a good time, and to make the dance work, is extra noise that detracts from the teaching and make them more likely to melt down and walk away from the dance because it's "just too complicated!" Another point I try to mention several time is "there are lots of embellishments to these moves. You will see people twirling. You will see people doing funny steps. You do NOT have to do any of these things until you feel like you are ready. Stay in your own comfort zone. Women, in particular, the men you are dancing with are going to try to lead you into some of these embellishments. It's OK to smile and say "no thanks". You are here to have fun and not to win style points," Also when you ARE ready for some of the fancy moves you will find experienced dancers will be glad to help you learn them. You don't need a caller to help you learn a good buzz step. You need a good partner, so make a point of dancing with good partners (they want to dance with you.) You can find the good dancers by looking for people having a good time. Their partners are the good dancers. Dale ​ On Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 10:53 AM, Tom Hinds via Callers < callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote: -- Turn Observation into Data. Turn Data into Information <http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Information>. Turn Information into Knowledge. Turn Knowledge into Wisdom. Turn Wisdom into Beauty. Turn Beauty into Love .

On Jun 24, 2015, at 2:14 AM, Aahz Maruch via Callers wrote: You're definitely not alone. Aahz, each of us has a different system for calling. I find many of these discussions a little meaningless because we are talking about specific issues in isolation. It's all the other details...... Some of us would never present for the first time a right and left through and a ladies chain in the same contra or square (or workshop). With that said it's possible that callers are introducing moves in a way that's harder rather than easier. Try teaching the chain in the newbie workshop and have them use it in one or two contras or better yet a contra and a square. The right and left through is much easier learned after they dance a ladies chain. When I first introduce the right and left through, the courtesy turn is done with one's neighbor, not partner. I don't seem to recall it ever being hard for them to get. Sure, put it in the first dance and it's going to be tough and sure, there are some directionally challenged people who'll struggle no matter what you do. My question to you and the others is do you teach the right and left through with words or do you demo it? Could make a big difference. T

Right after I sent my last message I realized I hadn't mentioned the most important point directly. The goal of the beginners' workshop, and the goal of teaching during a walk-thru, is not to produce dancers with perfect technique and a complete repertory of moves. The goal is to help dancers have a successful (and safe) dance experience. That's why telling people where the restrooms are, and reminding them to drink lots of water is WAY more important than teaching them to twirl rather than courtesy turn out of a ladies' chain. If you are running a special workshop focused on style or the nuances of a particular move (you can spend a lot of time discussing how-to-hey) then sure go for the gold, but for a workshop, go for the smile, and the "gee, this is fun, I think I'll come back" moment. Dale On Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 11:34 AM, Bob Green via Callers < callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote: -- Turn Observation into Data. Turn Data into Information <http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Information>. Turn Information into Knowledge. Turn Knowledge into Wisdom. Turn Wisdom into Beauty. Turn Beauty into Love .

Tom, at a guess, Aahz is not talking about NOT spending time on the swing, nor about neglecting to teach dancers how to start/end one--just that the finer points of technique aren't a priority for the beginner's lesson. Of course any teacher worth their salt will teach that a swing always ends with the lady on the right. But I think all Aahz is saying is that, IF the dancers end the swing with the lady on the right, it doesn't really matter how they get there--fumbling through a swing happens, and it's easy to recover from, while moves that involve the rest of your hands-4 or the rest of the set have potential to cause way more disruption to the dance if botched. I agree that the buzz-step is not the be-all, end-all of contra swing! I've been dancing for going on 5 years and I pretty much exclusively walk-swing, because I find it more comfortable and easy to control, and don't actually like swinging extremely fast. John mentions the bad habits that even experienced dancers may have while swinging, such as: - grip, clamp, squeeze, hang, press - hold their partner in the wrong place so it is uncomfortable - use too much strength and try to do silly things like making their partners feet leave the floor - lean sideways or backwards - start twirls too late and when they are facing the wrong way so that they end up in the wrong place I find it pretty telling that this list of habits actually has nothing to do with footwork! In my opinion, the reason to teach walking swing instead of buzz-step to beginners is that there's SO MUCH ELSE to concentrate on. The more things we can abstract away, the easier a time beginners will have learning what's left. If you're focusing on strange new footwork (and I find that buzz-stepping beginners tend to think that the buzz-stepping is the most important part of the swing, and concentrate more on that than on their frame), it's harder to pick up things like giving weight, a proper hold, etc. But everyone already knows how to walk! I would also add that I would much rather dance with someone doing a funky/odd/strange/unpracticed walking swing than a funky/odd/strange/unpracticed buzz step. I find that there are fewer ways to mess up a walk, and that there's less potential for your partner to be uncomfortable or perhaps harmed than with one of those galloping, out-of-control excited-pony buzz step swings. Just my two cents! Cheers, Maia On Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 1:38 PM, Amy Wimmer via Callers < callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote:

Erik Hoffman Chiming in: In a beginners' workshop I will often do a quick demonstration of a buzz step, but never explicitly teach it. I think it's not opinion that: * thinking about footwork while trying to also figure out figures is more than most beginners need * one walking while one buzz steps works fine I will say, "if you come back you'll find your feet figuring out out." I might say, "if you try it, keep your right foot in front of your left foot," with a small demo. Things I think are important to covey in that usually 20 minutes: Giving Weight No Grip! Gripping leads to hurt! (And I have a small mission of encouraging callers to remover the word "grip" from their calling vocabulary. Smooth transitions Swing Position Hands on shoulder blades Giving Support 98 percent -- end with woman (raven) on right Geography Courtesy Turns Lady's Chain R&L Thru Balance - and - Balance & Swing And, that is a lot to absorb! I think adding footwork is just too much. Maia wrote: Of course any teacher worth their salt will teach that a swing always ends with the lady on the right. Since I've been dancing for a while, and, back in the day when we used to do proper, active/inactive dances, and I still occasionally call those, there are times when you don't end with the lady on the right and the gent on the left, but instead end backing away from your partner into the vacant spaces behind you, as in ... Rory O'More! (I still think it's funny when callers say, "as in Rory O'More," or, "as in Petronella," and I look around and see 98% of the dancers -- and possibly even the caller -- have never danced Rory O'More or Petronella...) I agree with Tom on ending swing transitions offering timing and other challenges: Swing and face the next neighbor -- potentially confusing Swing into a R&L Thru -- incorrect ending messes up timing Swing int a Ladies Chain -- doesn't need to be a problem, as even ending up on the incorrect sides, the women (ravens) just put out their right hands but often leads to timing issues because newcomers think they must get into the correct spot prior to starting the chain... On 6/21/2015 10:52 AM, Maia McCormick via Callers wrote: I completely agree with this, although I do buzz. Then again, with new dancers who are still getting dizzy, sometimes I just sway and slow turn... Above, I'm putting this in my own words... Sometimes, if there's a call for it, during the break I'll give a buzz-step lesson. A long time ago I was presented a way to do this: first: teach dancers to "gallop": right foot forward, the buzz step in a straight line second: have dancers back away from partner, to opposite sides of the room third: have dancers hold their "frame" fourth: set them off galloping towards each other. When they meet, while still galloping, have them enter into swing position, and they'll start going round in circles. It's fun! When I learned this, this teaching plan was attributed to Todd Whittemore. erik hoffman oakland, ca

Wow this certainly has been quite the thread since I have been away, but I have some thoughts about teaching the swing and teaching the lesson in general. I have been told that new dancers can memorize at most 3 or 4 new things from a lesson, so I'm not going to try to inundate them with a lot of new stuff/jargon/etc.  My goal is to get them to know the structure of the dance but also to relax and note that whether they do things properly or not is not the point, but to enjoy the experience. As for the swing - I do demonstrate the buzz step but I don't necessarily say that it's better than the walking step.  I have them try both and let them give the option.  I do a swing demo where I walk and the other person buzzes and note that it's just as nice if you are giving good weight.  Of course good weight during a swing is also important - I note that both people in the swing need to give weight, but I don't belabor that fact and let them try it a few times with different people to get the feel of it.  Perfection is not a must, even good form isn't all that important to me, just that they get the feel of it and end with the proper person on the right.   I teach very few moves during a lesson.  Usually do-si-dos, but I don't belabor that, and allemandes, swings and chains.  That's about it - those are things you can pretty much expect in almost every dance out there.  Everything else can be taught during the course of a dance.  I focus on weight and on dance structure - lining up, progression, hall geography, up and down, etc - because those are things they will need to know for every dance.  One thing that is starting to bug me is seeing heys taught in the workshop.  I find that a waste of time. I know that some callers feel that it needs a lot of explanation so they do it in their workshops, but how many heys do you have an evening usually?  Two maybe, perhaps even three.  I feel that's best taught during the course of the dance with experienced dancers pointing the way, and even if they don't do it right, as long as they know where to be and who to be with when the hey is over, that's golden for me.    I agree with Tom - let's not give the dancers a lot to focus on right at the start.  Let them relax and let them know it's just a dance and if they don't get it exactly right, enjoy the experience and keep on coming back and you'll get better.   Perry From: Tom Hinds via Callers &lt;callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; To: Maia McCormick &lt;maia.mcc(a)gmail.com&gt; Cc: &quot;callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&quot; &lt;callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2015 9:46 PM Subject: Re: [Callers] Buzz Step Swing Maia,   Personally I really don't give a hoot which swing people teach. I've voiced my opinion and I'm ready to move on.  My real concern is my own dance in C'ville which seems to be going down hill.  Callers have done such horrible jobs teaching the lesson that the board voted to have me teach all of the lessons.  What's important to me is that the swing is taught well and safely no matter which one is chosen.  I've responded to some of your points in sprinkles below. On Jun 21, 2015, at 1:52 PM, Maia McCormick via Callers wrote: Tom, at a guess, Aahz is not talking about NOT spending time on the swing, nor about neglecting to teach dancers how to start/end one--just that the finer points of technique aren't a priority for the beginner's lesson.  Yes that's a guess.  And he wasn't real specific in his first email.   I believe he mentioned sashayed in a latter email so that's probably what he meant, ending a swing with the lady on left, man on the right. John mentions the bad habits that even experienced dancers may have while swinging, such as: - grip, clamp, squeeze, hang, press- hold their partner in the wrong place so it is uncomfortable- use too much strength and try to do silly things like making theirpartners feet leave the floor- lean sideways or backwards- start twirls too late and when they are facing the wrong way so that theyend up in the wrong place What's your conclusion and what's the bigger picture?  Perhaps the dance community is full of bad teachers and/or bad students or something else is going on..........Or is all of the above OK?  We're not MWSDers or ballet dancers are we? I find it pretty telling that this list of habits actually has nothing to do with footwork! In my opinion, the reason to teach walking swing instead of buzz-step to beginners is that there's SO MUCH ELSE to concentrate on. NO!  NO, NO, NO!!!!   I have to strongly disagree with you here.  There isn't SO MUCH ELSE to concentrate on.  I have no doubt that I program a dance night way differently than you or the others do.   How I program and how I teach the lesson are unique to me and both fit together and the newbies are never overwhelmed by SO MUCH ELSE. I haven't seen you or the others call but I have to say that there's this stage that some of us go through where we perceive the beginners as  deficient and therefore need to be stuffed with all of these rules, moves etc.  so that we can have a REAL modern urban contra dance.  I went through that stage but I'm over it now.  I see it in many callers.  The real secret to calling as far as I'm concerned has to do with personality and emotions, not moves.  For me, dancing is a vehicle to community.   Perhaps the dancers in your area have certain expectation of a dance level.   I'm fortunate here in C'ville that the dancers don't have those expectations.  They are real laid back. I didn't say this yet but I've come to the conclusion that one's calling is a system.  If you value or choose one aspect in that system you, by default choose other aspects.  Programming and the beginning workshop should fit logically together.   There's so much that goes into programming and there's so much that goes into choosing one's system that I find this little discussion about swing to be a bit meaningless.  In C'ville in the last two years, those who didn't teach a swing at all had lousy programs-I mean most of the floor went home at the break-it's that bad!!  The two seem to be correlated.  If you're unskilled in one you tend to be unskilled in the other. The more things we can abstract away, the easier a time beginners will have learning what's left. If you're focusing on strange new footwork (and I find that buzz-stepping beginners tend to think that the buzz-stepping is the most important part of the swing, and concentrate more on that than on their frame), it's harder to pick up things like giving weight, a proper hold, etc. But everyone already knows how to walk! I consider the way I teach a buzz step swing to be efficient, maybe taking 5 minutes for a small group. Maia, perhaps you should watch my beginning workshop.   At the end of my workshop they are ready!!!.  The integration of the beginners into the evening's dance is seamless.  If they survive the beginning lesson (which they all can) the rest of the evening is literally a piece of cake because of the way I program.  I'm human and it doesn't always go well but in general it does. I would also add that I would much rather dance with someone doing a funky/odd/strange/unpracticed walking swing than a funky/odd/strange/unpracticed buzz step. I've also come to the conclusion that everything that goes on at a contra dance can be boiled down to plain emotions.  I recently watched a caller who is a very good showman.  I think he's insecure.  He doesn't show compassion also so he fails as a caller-doesn't establish a relationship with any of the dancers.   I also think he's afraid to teach (fear of boring the experienced dancers) so he does a rushed job of all of his walk throughs.  The beginners have their own emotional reaction to this: frustration big time. Perhaps you think that we humans are rational.  But the truth is we are emotional and the emotional side of us bring in the rational side to justify what we want.  As I see it, most of this talk is just BS-rational sounding BS for what we really feel and value.  I value the buzz and therefore feel like teaching the buzz step swing.  John also values the buzz so that's what he does.  Someone else may not value the buzz or doesn't know how to do it, so that's what they feel like doing. I find that there are fewer ways to mess up a walk, and that there's less potential for your partner to be uncomfortable or perhaps harmed than with one of those galloping, out-of-control excited-pony buzz step swings. Just my two cents! Cheers,Maia On Sun, Jun 21, 2015 at 1:38 PM, Amy Wimmer via Callers &lt;callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote: I love John's idea of teaching the buzz step as individuals first, then as couples. The most frequent complaints I hear from men is that women hang on them and don't hold up their own weight during a swing. The most frequent complaint I hear from women is men pulling them off their feet and going too fast. If they can learn to hold themselves upright on their own first, then everyone will have a much more enjoyable experience. -Amy _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net _______________________________________________Callers mailing listCallers@lists.sharedweight.nethttp://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

Several of you have asked about programming and how it relates to teaching the beginning workshop. I'll get to that fairly soon as work is too demanding. Before much time goes by I want to apolopize to everyone and especially Miai for one of my emails that was too intense. I hope I didn't hurt your feelings Miai. Later T

I'm going to describe my newish ideas on programming. But I think it will have much more meaning if I also explain how I came up with it. For some of you, reading this may be a little uncomfortable. I'm not picking on anyone. I want you to know that I learned calling the hard way (no formal class) and made every mistake you can imagine and then some! And I'm still learning. When I re-joined the dance board I began doing the sound chores. While doing sound for the last 2 1/2 years I sat and watched callers and studied what they did. I watched how they interacted with the band and I watched the reactions on the floor. I was all ears and all eyes. I made copious notes. From these observations I wrote what I consider an advanced calling manuel called The Complete Caller. It's coming out maybe at the end of the summer. Our attendance at the dance has been going down hill for some time. Part of the reason is the hall. The other reason I believe is the lack of training/awareness on the part of many callers. On many occasions the majority of the dancers simply left during the break leaving 6-8 dancers for the second half. It's been that bad. My newish way of programming may not be for every dance community. It may be of some value to those trying to retain beginners. In terms of programming here's what I've noticed: 1) All callers, both local and out of town call dances that are accessible to the new dancers. However, almost all of the dances called are just barely accessible. The new dancers NEVER have a chance to relax and enjoy. The effect is that experienced dancers see newbies as always stiff and nervous. 2) almost all of the callers observed either didn't teach the swing or taught it in about 30 seconds. I think these callers like torturing the experienced dancers. Watching the newbies swing with each other and the experienced dancers was very, very painful. I saw every possible body hold and footwork imaginable. 3) most callers called programs that were extremely predictable- all contras, all with two swings. This predictability is for myself and others a bit boring. How can you have cold without hot or night without day? I'm currently thinking of making a rule: at-least one contra in the evening can't contain the combination circle left 3/4 and swing! 4) I would say 99% if these callers never discuss tune selections with the musicians AND never slow the band down or speed them up even when it's OBVIOUS there's a problem. On many occasions I've asked the caller, "do you want me to slow them down?" and the response is always "yes". This is my newish way to program. There's more to it but this is the core: The first three dances of the evening must be accessible to the new dancers AND must allow them to relax and have a good time. Perhaps it's the latter part of this requirement where you and I are very different. When I mention this to other callers their response is usually "ok I'll just do Nice Combination for the first contra" NOPE. AINT GOING TO WORK, DEAD WRONG. There's too much swinging and no anchors. The progression out of a star is not a good thing. That much swinging is counter productive to keeping new dancers. Newbies also need anchors. Anchors are people keeping their place while others dance. A dance that contains anchors is gooder. Examples: Sides are anchors if the heads circle left. In Scout House Reel, the twos are anchors while the ones swing. The men are anchors while the women do-si-do etc......... So dances like Scout House Reel, Nice Easy Contra and some circle mixers are good choices for the first three or so dances. It's not the number of dances it's the emotional response you need to look for! This doesn't mean that once the dancers relax that you can start calling material that's going to wow the experienced dancers. No, you have to dunk and dry 'em. Don't wear them out physically or mentally. One of the skills the newbies need is the ability to listen and immediately (or almost immediately) respond. So in the beginning workshop I use short drills or modules to teach one move or concept at a time. A series of say 5 modules will teach all of the moves that are in the first dance. To really understand my modular method you'll have to watch one of my lessons or buy the booklet. It's way too much to write. The modules are constantly changing so the newbies have to learn to listen. We don't end one module and go onto the next until they have slightly over-learned the current one- the beginners are constantly learning in the lesson but I watch them and make sure they are never overwhelmed. My voice is always clear and direct but relaxed at the same time. If they survive the lesson the rest of the evening is a piece of cake because I slowly introduce move that are new to them. The first dance of the evening is taught so they might be a bit confident after dancing it as the first dance. I value a dance series with good dancing. Good dancing to me means good, safe style and if physically able, buzz step swinging. The buzz step swing is in the last module. It is last because newbies are (as you know) always coming at the last minute. I include what I consider to be a descent list of skills/concepts in a half hour and never run out of time. My impression is that most of you are afraid of the dancers. You're afraid of calling an unequal dance or a square for example. Don't be afraid of them. Good, effective leaders make good choices not always what you perceive to be popular ones. And many of the experienced dancers will notice the new way and welcome it. They are very bright. All of my evenings contain some contras that only have one swing. No one has every complained. I usually start with an unequal dance. I haven't heard any gripes. Maybe there're afraid of me. Early in my calling career it sometimes happened that a dancer would come up to me and say, "some of us don't like square". My response? "then stay home when I call". They stopped whining. T

Perry wrote:   "I think there are some callers who teach new callers to be afraid of dancers so you'd better give them what they want if you expect to be hired again."Like politicians who vote against gun control out of fear of not being re-elected. Michael Fuerst      802 N Broadway      Urbana IL 61801      217 239 5844 On Wednesday, June 24, 2015 8:07 AM, Perry Shafran via Callers &lt;callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote: Some thoughts on this: I go to callers workshops and sometimes I hear different things from different people.  I went to a caller's workshop one time where the leader told us that the best dances are ones that have a partner AND a neighbor swing, AND that the partner swing MUST come second because it's more satisfying.  I think some callers suggest programming to satisfy the experienced dancers and some callers (like Tom) suggest programming that is mainly targeted to help new dancers come along. FWIW, I prefer Tom's approach.  You don't know how many times that I have seen callers - good, well-respected callers - start off with somewhat of a challenging dance that is not very approachable for beginners.  I know as a caller I like to build up my program from super brain-dead easy at the start and build from there.  Nice Easy Contra is an excellent choice.  Variety is important to me too.  I think in a hall like Glen Echo that an unequal dance MAY not be a good idea but in most halls, why not?  And I agree with Tom's thoughts about dances with only one swing.  Someone once said if your dance only has one swing it had BETTER contain enough interesting moves to make it worth it.  I think this goes to Tom's point of being afraid of dancers.  I think there are some callers who teach new callers to be afraid of dancers so you'd better give them what they want if you expect to be hired again. I do think that today's dance crowd really desires certain types of dances and I don't see anything wrong in giving them what they want.  But the dancers also need to understand that this is brand new for new dancers and that we need to start slow and brain-dead before we move on to more intricate figures.  These "anchor" dances are very important even though to the experienced dancer it's not very interesting, but to the new dancers it might be the hardest thing they've ever done.  As for Tom's notes about people not complaining, it's pretty much a fact that some of the most well-known callers (like Tom) don't hear griping because they have some "political capital" to spend because of their respect in the dance community.  Some of us who don't have that yet hear it.  I once called a program with maybe 3 dances with no neighbor swing, and I heard it from several people.  I have heard others callers with more of a national brand come through and call similar dances and no gripes.   Perry From: Tom Hinds via Callers &lt;callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; To: callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 8:21 PM Subject: Re: [Callers] Buzz Step Swing I'm going to describe my newish ideas on programming.  But I think it  will have much more meaning if I also explain how I came up with it.  For some of you, reading this may be a little uncomfortable.  I'm not  picking on anyone.  I want you to know that I learned calling the  hard way (no formal class) and made every mistake you can imagine and  then some!  And I'm still learning. When I re-joined the dance board I began doing the sound chores.  While doing sound for the last 2 1/2 years I sat and watched callers  and studied what they did.  I watched how they interacted with the  band and I watched the reactions on the floor.  I was all ears and  all eyes.  I made copious notes.  From these observations I wrote  what I consider an advanced calling manuel called The Complete  Caller.  It's coming out maybe at the end of the summer. Our attendance at the dance has been going down hill for some time.  Part of the reason is the hall.  The other reason I believe is the  lack of training/awareness on the part of many callers.  On many  occasions the majority of the dancers simply left during the break  leaving 6-8 dancers for the second half.  It's been that bad. My newish way of programming may not be for every dance community.  It may be of some value to those trying to retain beginners. In terms of programming here's what I've noticed: 1)  All callers, both local and out of town call dances that are  accessible to the new dancers.  However, almost all of the dances  called are just barely accessible.  The new dancers NEVER have a  chance to relax and enjoy.  The effect is that experienced dancers  see newbies as always stiff and nervous. 2)  almost all of the callers observed either didn't teach the swing  or taught it in about 30 seconds.  I think these callers like  torturing the experienced dancers.  Watching the newbies swing with  each other and the experienced dancers was very, very painful.  I saw  every possible body hold and footwork imaginable. 3) most callers called programs that were extremely predictable- all  contras, all with two swings.  This predictability is for myself and  others a bit boring.  How can you have cold without hot or night  without day?  I'm currently thinking of making a rule:  at-least one  contra in the evening can't contain the combination circle left 3/4  and swing! 4)  I would say 99% if these callers never discuss tune selections  with the musicians AND never slow the band down or speed them up even  when it's OBVIOUS there's a problem.  On many occasions I've asked  the caller, "do you want me to slow them down?" and the response is  always "yes". This is my newish way to program.  There's more to it but this is the  core: The first three dances of the evening must be accessible to the new  dancers AND must allow them to relax and have a good time.  Perhaps  it's the latter part of this requirement where you and I are very  different. When I mention this to other callers their response is usually "ok  I'll just do Nice Combination for the first contra"  NOPE.  AINT  GOING TO WORK, DEAD WRONG.  There's too much swinging and no  anchors.  The progression out of a star is not a good thing.  That  much swinging is counter productive to keeping new dancers.  Newbies  also need anchors.  Anchors are people keeping their place while  others dance.  A dance that contains anchors is gooder. Examples: Sides are anchors if the heads circle left.  In Scout House  Reel, the twos are anchors while the ones swing.  The men are anchors  while the women do-si-do etc......... So dances like Scout House Reel, Nice Easy Contra and some circle  mixers are good choices for the first three or so dances.  It's not  the number of dances it's the emotional response you need to look for! This doesn't mean that once the dancers relax that you can start  calling material that's going to wow the experienced dancers.  No,  you have to dunk and dry 'em.  Don't wear them out physically or  mentally. One of the skills the newbies need is the ability to listen and  immediately (or almost immediately) respond.  So in the beginning  workshop I use short drills or modules to teach one move or concept  at a time.  A series of say 5  modules will teach all of the moves  that are in the first dance.  To really understand my modular method  you'll have to watch one of my lessons or buy the booklet.  It's way  too much to write.  The modules are constantly changing so the  newbies have to learn to listen.  We don't end one module and go onto  the next until they have slightly over-learned the current one- the  beginners are constantly learning in the lesson but I watch them and  make sure they are never overwhelmed.  My voice is always clear and  direct but relaxed at the same time.  If they survive the lesson the  rest of the evening is a piece of cake because I slowly introduce  move that are new to them.  The first dance of the evening is taught  so they might be a bit confident after dancing it as the first dance. I value a dance series with good dancing.  Good dancing to me means  good, safe style and if physically able, buzz step swinging.  The  buzz step swing is in the last module.  It is last because newbies  are (as you know) always coming at the last minute.  I include what I  consider to be a descent list of skills/concepts in a half hour and  never run out of time. My impression is that most of you are afraid of the dancers.  You're  afraid of calling an unequal dance or a square for example.  Don't be  afraid of them.  Good, effective leaders make good choices not always  what you perceive to be popular ones.  And many of the experienced  dancers will notice the new way and welcome it.  They are very bright. All of my evenings contain some contras that only have one swing.  No  one has every complained.  I usually start with an unequal dance.  I  haven't heard any gripes.  Maybe there're afraid of me. Early in my calling career it sometimes happened that a dancer would  come up to me and say, "some of us don't like square".  My response?  "then stay home when I call".  They stopped whining. T _______________________________________________ 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

Why swings in every dance - because that is a huge part of the contra experience, a swing with the person that you asked to dance. Why should the partner swing follow the neighbor swing - because this is an art form, not an exercise routine. The storyline of a contra is the uniting of partners, not the the breaking up of partners (that's my preference anyway). And in practical terms, I want to be with my partner at the end of a dance to thank them quickly before finding another partner. "Squares are just like contras, only you have to listen" - this is not correct. Some things that people to not like about squares - less movement/music connection due to lack of strict phrasing having to listen to the caller breaks the movement/music connection teaching time mixer squares breaks the partner connection visiting squares leave people "out of the dance" for long periods. I find squares and contras completely different. On Wed, Jun 24, 2015 at 11:47 AM, George Mercer via Callers < callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote: -- Cary Ravitz caryravitz(a)gmail.com

I like a swing in every dance, but I agree with George that it is not necessary to have a neighbor swing in every dance. As a dancer, I'm happy to do a dance where I only swing my partner, especially if the dance has other interesting choreography that one couldn't get otherwise by squeezing two swings into it. I've noticed, for example, that I've been to more than one dance with two (or even three) swings in every dance where there never was a full hey figure the whole night. I like the full hey, smooth, flowing, whirly - and there are some dances with full heys and two swings, but overall, the emphasis on two swings can leave these out. Cary, you write quite fascinating and flowing dances with the rules that you've chosen, and I call many of them. But as a dancer I'm not sure I notice or enjoy a dance less if my swing in the B part is with my neighbor, unless it's the very last swing of the dance - and as a caller, I can change the last moves up so people swing their partner to avoid that if I wish. On the other hand, if I'm calling a barn dance with no introduction and just getting people moving, I may do dances without swings, or use two-hand turns or elbow swings at best. I've also called contra on some rough ground at parks, where a walking swing was even a bit tough, and threw in one or two dances without swings that suited the terrain better. People seemed relieved about that. Martha On Jun 24, 2015, at 7:34 PM, Cary Ravitz via Callers wrote:

I didn't read Cary's comments about squares as an "objection", just that Cary was rebutting the comment by George: "squares are just like contras, only you have to listen." On Thu, Jun 25, 2015 at 10:40 PM, Jacob Nancy Bloom via Callers &lt;callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote:

On 6/25/2015 8:25 PM, Cary Ravitz via Callers wrote (regarding some of the reasons why he finds squares less fulfilling than contras) : It's not just dancers and musicians in the hall, though. There's another person up there on stage, and what squares provide that contras really don't is a very live and fluid connection between the caller and the dancers. With the average contra, the caller prompts until they can get out of the way. The goal seems to be a sort of invisibility. But with squares, there's a very direct connection between the dancers and the caller, and it can be exhilarating. I experienced this recently dancing a fast square to Lisa Greenleaf's impeccably-timed calling, and there were points in there when she was calling sequences of moves so fast that we didn't have time to think. It was immediate response, like the calls went straight to the feet and hands and left the brains free to enjoy the ride. It was unlike any contra. Not better. Different. Excellent. And yes, it wasn't as much about the music. But it was very much about putting complete trust in the caller to get us to the right place at the right time. Not all callers can do that, of course, and a bad square is (IMO) less fun than a bad contra, but they can be REALLY good. Kalia

On Sat, Jun 27, 2015, George Mercer via Callers wrote: ...and speaking as someone who does both contra and MWSD, I'll stick myself in the "notoriously bad listener" camp at contra dances. OTOH, in all fairness, most contra callers are considerably more difficult to understand than square dance callers. (Partly due to sound being directed more at good music sound.) I'm probably not the only person with that habit. -- Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/ <*> <*> <*> Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html