The way I see it, an essential part of the lesson is listed in what Dave talked about, but I feel that it is somewhat useful to demonstrate an actual dance, like Jefferson & Liberty or Babaloo's Reel, something super simple with few moves that demonstrates and gives them practice dancing WITH music. If I don't have music, I'll deedle along at dance tempo to give them the impression of what it feels like to dance in line - to know the spot in the dance where you are, to show how the music and dancing fits together, things like that. That way they know exactly what we will be doing through the course of the evening. Getting them dancing gives them a sample of the evening and most new dancers have told me they found that extremely useful.
Perry
From: Dave Casserly via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
To: John Sweeney <john(a)modernjive.com>
Cc: "callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net" <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 12:02 PM
Subject: [Callers] content of introductory lesson
Hi all,
I've included John's comments below, but thought I'd start a new thread on introductory lessons, which is sort of the bigger picture of what we talk about when we talk about a caller teaching the swing.
I don't call much, but I still teach introductory lessons before weekly dances every now and then. In my community, it's pretty common for local callers (or even some local dancers who aren't callers) to teach the lesson when there's an out-of-town caller booked for the night. I think this system has advantages and disadvantages: as an organizer, I like being able to control what goes in the lesson, since, as discussed below, I have some fairly strong opinions on what makes an introductory lesson welcoming and successful, but if I were a traveling caller calling my home dance, I would feel at a disadvantage if I could not tailor the lesson the program I intended to call.
So, what do you all focus on when teaching the lesson? It seems from the previous thread that there are several approaches:
- teach the moves that are most difficult for dancers to get (right and left through, ladies' chain)- teach the moves in proportion to how many times you call them during the night (swing, allemande, circle)- teach the moves that will mess you up the most if you don't do them right (half promenade across, half chain, half anything, really)- teach skills, such as sharing weight
My approach is really to do none of these. I do teach dancers how to share weight, and generally teach it in the context of a circle, then a two hand walk around with one other person, then a buzz-step swing. If I have time after that I may quickly go through a few other moves, but I don't consider that a necessity.
Instead, what I focus on is teaching newcomers to dance with a variety of partners, ask experienced dancers to dance, listen to the caller, look up for help when lost, and clap to show their appreciation for the performers at the end of each dance. I tell them explicitly what I think is most important and what I am there to help them get out of the night: I want nobody to get hurt, and I want them all to have a good time. At the end of the lesson, I will even try to point out experienced dancers who I think the newcomers should dance with at some point. I tell the newcomers that they should dance each dance with a different person, that it is totally fine to sit dances out if they need a break, and that if somebody asks them to dance but they don't want to dance with that person, simply say "no thank you." I also identify members of the dance committee who are in the room in case they have any questions at all or have any problems during the dance, and again stress to them that we are here to help them have a great time.
The way I view it, if I teach 20 moves in a 30-minute lesson, the newcomers will not remember those moves after an hour of dancing. If I teach them that the community is committed to ensuring they have a safe, fun dancing experience, and that experienced dancers will help them through the rest, I think that is 90% of what helps newcomers get the most out of their first dance.
Obviously, my view of how the lesson should be only works in communities with a lot of experienced dancers. I'd never be able to get away with teaching a lesson without telling anybody what an allemande is if the hall is full of beginners.
-DaveWashington, DC
On Tue, Jun 23, 2015 at 2:13 AM, John Sweeney via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Thanks for all the great ideas/ Yes, I should say gallop instead of skate-board – I start with “Now walk fast on the spot” before I tell them to turn, so I assume they are going to keep alternating their feet, but some don’t! Maybe “gallop” will help. I did get one guy at a workshop tell me that he had been taught to keep one foot fixed on the floor on a single spot. I showed him what would happen if we both did that – in slow motion, otherwise it could have been quite painful J Ron asked, “Okay, so what about my first comment: Not everyone is physically able to do the buzzstep swing?” Well, my first statement was “Yes, of course I always tell dancers that they can walk instead of buzz” and the last line of my sample teach was, “If you are having trouble with the buzz-step then you can always just walk.” So I thought I had covered that. Sorry if I have misunderstood. At one of the weekly sessions I run we get around 25 to 30 people each week; most of them are ladies, and the ages range mainly from 50s to mid-80s. We provide badges saying, “Please swing gently” and we tell them they can walk. I always teach the buzz-step and they all try it. Most of them carry on doing a buzz-step and very few wear the badges after the first few weeks once they have got used to swinging. They also love my no-swing contras – they don’t need swings to have fun! Ron also said, “The single most important thing to teach a dancer is "it's okay to make mistakes".”. I agree that that is important and we joke about the mistakes a lot. Sometimes they have the most fun when they fail completely! But my Rule #1 is:“Every dancer has the right to get on the dance-floor and have fun without getting hurt.” I have been hurt a lot on the dance-floor. I used to dance Ceroc/Modern Jive three or four nights a week. You know the way that some people yank on you when they step back in the Balance before a swing? Well in Modern Jive you step apart about once every eight steps, and the general level of technique teaching at Modern Jive classes is very low, so most of the dancers have never been told that they shouldn’t pull when they step back. In fact some of the <expletive deleted> teachers actually tell them to pull to generate tension, without mentioning that the level of tension required is around the one ounce level, not the one ton level! So I ended up with repetitive stress injuries which weakened my muscular infrastructure and when an aerial move went wrong in a practice session I ended up tearing one of my rotator cuff (shoulder) muscles badly. Aerials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJnL_Y63AnY – that’s me in black. So, having had two shoulder operations, and not wanting any more, if my partner appears to be about to throw their whole weight at me when they step back in a Balance & Swing then I step forward to prevent it. (Once having asked a lady to stop pulling on the step-back as she was hurting me, and failing to get through to her, next time we stepped back I pulled on her. She immediately got cross and said I had hurt her. The irony appeared to be completely lost on her!). And if a lady leans back in a swing then I move my hand from her shoulder blade to her waist so she has to stand up or fall over! I have learnt a lot of self-defence skills over the years! I recently ran a “Contra Skillz – Style and Technique” workshop at a UK festival and the experienced dancers loved it – most of them do want to improve and do want the caller to do some teaching. (Of course, they self-selected by attending the workshop in the first place!) One of the guys is a very good dancer, but my wife, Karen, complained that his swinging was far too forceful; he was rigid and using too much power. The first thing I taught in the workshop was that most people will swing better if they relax. Next time she swung with him, he was, as usual, rigid, but, because I had empowered her by teaching relaxation, she felt able to say, with a big smile, “And relax <she breathed out>” – he did the same and suddenly turned into a wonderful swing partner. She heaped on the praise and he felt good that he was giving Karen a better swing. I agree with Tom that we all have different perspectives and so we approach things differently. That is a good thing as far as I am concerned. If all callers ran their evening the same way then the dancers would get bored. Different approaches help different people, and give the variety needed to keep the dance alive. My perspective is based on learning the Galway Swing from my Irish mother when I was a teenager (take an Allemande Right hold, each of you cup your left fingertips around your partner’s right elbow, buzz – great fun!), so I have been buzzing for fifty years and would always choose it. But of course I walk if I or my partner is tired, or if my partner can’t cope with a fast swing, or if they are such a bad swinger that I need to slow the swing down to avoid damage. Though actually you can do a slow, controlled buzz-step swing and that can feel great too. I also agree that programming is crucial to a successful evening. Apart from avoiding overuse of particular moves or sequences, providing variety, and trying to include something a bit different, I am also building the move set slowly so that newcomers get to a point where they can do great dances later in the evening because they have seen all the bits already. The Right & Left Through is such a counter-intuitive move that I often leave it out completely. If I need it for a particular dance then I can change it to a Half Promenade. I certainly never spend time teaching it in a beginner’s workshop unless I am planning to use it multiple times in the evening. Thanks again for all the great ideas in this thread. Maybe I should stop rambling now… J Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDshttp://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
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David Casserly
(cell) 781 258-2761
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See, this is what I mean, when I get advice from some callers that say one thing and advice from other callers that say the complete opposite.
I figure that there are lots of different people on the floor. Some people LIKE squares, believe it or not. Whenever I see squares called, yeah, there are some people who head for the sidelines, but generally I see dancers on the floor having a good time. So I learned some time ago that for everyone who grumbles about a square being called, there are 10 others who love it.
As for insisting that every dance has two swings AND the neighbor swing MUST come before the partner swing, that seems to be a personal preference rather than a hard and fast rule. I think that most dancers don't really care which one comes first. I went to a dance weekend this past weekend where there were more than a few dances with no neighbor swing, and it appeared that everyone had a great time dancing.
I have long been taught that variety is the spice of life, and people do enjoy squares mixed in with a contra, as well as varied choreography. Varied choreography makes the dance interesting. Hard and fast rules limit the choreography that you can do and excludes many all-time great dances that might have a neighbor swing or a partner swing first (like Joyride and Ramsay Chase). And let's not even talking about throwing in an occasional chestnut in there - we have to get rid of all those wonderful dances because they are "boring" by today's standards. (Except to those folks who love them of course!)
Perry
From: Cary Ravitz via Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
To: Shared_Weight_Callers <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2015 10:34 PM
Subject: Re: [Callers] More on Programming
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> wrote:
I may not be a good example or even that good a caller, but ... I like swings, I have no need to have a neighbor swing in every dance and most certainly don't care where in the dance the neighbor swing happens. That's making up rules for the sake of having rules. I like the buzz step, but to put it mildly there are many dancers with whom a buzz step is impossible, difficult or merely uncomfortable. I teach a walking swing and sometimes demonstrate a buzz step with a little time for practice. Far too many callers and beginner workshop instructors teach a buzz step in a way that promotes bouncing, which in turn makes swinging difficult or worse. I've also heard more than one caller-instructor tell dancers that to "give weight" (an inadequate term) they should lean back. Just kill me. As a dancer, I often combine a walking swing-with a buzz step -- especially if we have gotten out of sync with the music. I come down on to the floor when I think it's required. On two occasions recently while dancing, the person I was dancing with said, "Well, this a dance the caller has never actually danced before. If she or he had, she or he wouldn't have chosen it." Amen. I was at an dance recently where a mixer was called near the end of the evening. I'm not sure what that was all about. Once early in my limited calling career,just as the first dance got underway about 20 newcomers walked in. I then called several dances without swings, just to get them acclimated to moving in rhythm and with the music. I'll never do that again. I was too cautious and shouldn't have been. I honestly was afraid the experienced dancers were going to hurt me. And they say I can't learn. Perhaps my biggest peeve on the dance floor is the experienced dancers who insist on sharing their bad dance habits (swinging backwards, excessive and unexpected twirling -- I almost wrote twerking --, inappropriate dipping, showing how athletic and fancy they are, etc.) with new dancers rather than helping them learn the basic fundamentals, timing and courtesy. I love squares. Not everyone does, but I often explain to people in my square, "squares are just like contras, only you have to listen." And finally, callers, please stop telling people that when they reach the end of the line, "they're out." This seems to encourgae dancers to think, "Well now, I don't have to pay attention." While they are on the floor they should "stay in the dance." That just may be me. Thanks, George
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caryravitz(a)gmail.com
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I do 2 hand turn first.
On Jun 24, 2015 4:22 PM, "Rich Sbardella via Callers" <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> My main concern is how to acquire that tension/counterweight in a swing,
> if you do not lean back.
> Rich
>
> On Wed, Jun 24, 2015 at 3:33 PM, Kalia Kliban via Callers <
> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> On 6/24/2015 11:29 AM, Rich Sbardella via Callers wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> How do you descibe giving weight, and how do you teach it for circles,
>>> allemandes, and, swings?
>>> Rich
>>> Stafford, CT
>>>
>>
>> In my beginner sessions, I have them form a ring and then circle left and
>> right a couple of times. Then I ask them to bend their elbows and feel
>> "that springy tension between you and the dancers next to you. If you can
>> keep that elasticity while you're connected to other dancers, then you're
>> all supporting each other as you circle and turn, and it makes everything
>> easier." And then we circle again, with the extra bit of sproing, and then
>> do the same with allemandes. Just for fun, sometimes I'll have them go
>> back to the floppy arms, just to feel the difference. I also let them know
>> that with a little bit of tension in the connection, it's easier for the
>> person they're dancing with to give them physical cues.
>>
>> And I know there's a better word than tension, and I'm pretty sure I've
>> used it in the past, but right now I can't think of it.
>>
>> Kalia
>> Sebastopol, CA
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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> wrote:
> I may not be a good example or even that good a caller, but ... I like
> swings, I have no need to have a neighbor swing in every dance and most
> certainly don't care where in the dance the neighbor swing happens. That's
> making up rules for the sake of having rules. I like the buzz step, but to
> put it mildly there are many dancers with whom a buzz step is impossible,
> difficult or merely uncomfortable. I teach a walking swing and sometimes
> demonstrate a buzz step with a little time for practice. Far too many
> callers and beginner workshop instructors teach a buzz step in a way that
> promotes bouncing, which in turn makes swinging difficult or worse. I've
> also heard more than one caller-instructor tell dancers that to "give
> weight" (an inadequate term) they should lean back. Just kill me. As a
> dancer, I often combine a walking swing-with a buzz step -- especially if
> we have gotten out of sync with the music. I come down on to the floor when
> I think it's required. On two occasions recently while dancing, the person
> I was dancing with said, "Well, this a dance the caller has never actually
> danced before. If she or he had, she or he wouldn't have chosen it." Amen.
> I was at an dance recently where a mixer was called near the end of the
> evening. I'm not sure what that was all about. Once early in my limited
> calling career,just as the first dance got underway about 20 newcomers
> walked in. I then called several dances without swings, just to get them
> acclimated to moving in rhythm and with the music. I'll never do that
> again. I was too cautious and shouldn't have been. I honestly was afraid
> the experienced dancers were going to hurt me. And they say I can't learn.
> Perhaps my biggest peeve on the dance floor is the experienced dancers who
> insist on sharing their bad dance habits (swinging backwards, excessive and
> unexpected twirling -- I almost wrote twerking --, inappropriate dipping,
> showing how athletic and fancy they are, etc.) with new dancers rather than
> helping them learn the basic fundamentals, timing and courtesy. I love
> squares. Not everyone does, but I often explain to people in my square,
> "squares are just like contras, only you have to listen." And finally,
> callers, please stop telling people that when they reach the end of the
> line, "they're out." This seems to encourgae dancers to think, "Well now,
> I don't have to pay attention." While they are on the floor they should
> "stay in the dance." That just may be me. Thanks, George
>
>
--
Cary Ravitz
caryravitz(a)gmail.com
Leaning back implies, at least to me, bending backwards at the
waist. This is something we definitely don't want dancers to do.
Instead they need to move their center of gravity backwards a little.
This can be done by bending the knees and waist a very little, as if you
were going to sit down. That plus the rotation should provide enough
force to provide the tension/counterweight. So we may want the dancers
to move the core of their body back a little, but not by leaning.
Jonathan
On 6/24/2015 3:22 PM, Rich Sbardella via Callers wrote:
> My main concern is how to acquire that tension/counterweight in a swing,
> if you do not lean back.
> Rich
>
> On Wed, Jun 24, 2015 at 3:33 PM, Kalia Kliban via Callers
> <callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net>>
> wrote:
>
> On 6/24/2015 11:29 AM, Rich Sbardella via Callers wrote:
>
>
> How do you descibe giving weight, and how do you teach it for
> circles,
> allemandes, and, swings?
> Rich
> Stafford, CT
>
>
> In my beginner sessions, I have them form a ring and then circle
> left and right a couple of times. Then I ask them to bend their
> elbows and feel "that springy tension between you and the dancers
> next to you. If you can keep that elasticity while you're connected
> to other dancers, then you're all supporting each other as you
> circle and turn, and it makes everything easier." And then we
> circle again, with the extra bit of sproing, and then do the same
> with allemandes. Just for fun, sometimes I'll have them go back to
> the floppy arms, just to feel the difference. I also let them know
> that with a little bit of tension in the connection, it's easier for
> the person they're dancing with to give them physical cues.
>
> And I know there's a better word than tension, and I'm pretty sure
> I've used it in the past, but right now I can't think of it.
>
> Kalia
> Sebastopol, CA
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net>
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
> <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__lists.sharedweight.net_…>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
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>
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
Yes, of course I always tell dancers that they can walk instead of buzz, but
the buzz-step is so much more fun that it seems crazy not to teach it when
every dance is going to have a swing and usually two.
<Digression:> Yes, I love swinging, and have been loving it for fifty years
now, but why does every new dance have to have two swings? Oh no, not
Neighbour Balance & Swing, Circle Left 3/4, Partner Swing again - that's
half the dance gone with nothing new or interesting in it! (And changing the
Circle Left 3/4 to Men/Ladies Allemande 1 & 1/2 does not make it more
interesting!) I write lots of dances with one or zero swings - a zero-swing
dance can have so much good stuff in it that the dancers don't even notice
there is no swing; they are having too much fun. It always puzzles me when
people take a great one-swing dance and re-choreograph it to add a second
swing, losing part of what made it a great dance just for the sake of even
more swinging. <End of digression.>
I found it interesting that Ron said, "the buzz-step swing gets axed if I'm
short on time". If I only had time to teach one thing then the only thing I
would teach would be the buzz-step swing, and how to finish it so you end up
in the right place. I can't think of anything else that newcomers can't
learn during the walk-throughs.
Question: If you were calling for a group with a dozen newcomers in the hall
out of 100 people, and the organizers said you could have two minutes
teaching before you started the first walk-through, what would you teach?
For me the answer is obvious, every dance has a buzz-step swing; teach a
buzz-step swing.
Another reason for teaching swinging is that there are a significant number
of "experienced" dancers who have bad swinging habits. I dance all over the
USA and the UK and wherever I go there are always some people who:
- 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
- etc.
If just a couple of those dancers pick up on any of these points and improve
their swinging then you have done good work!
Yes, I hate it when callers talk too much and take time out of dancing time.
But this can be really short:
Sample teach:
= = = = = = = =
Hi, I'm John. We have some new people here today and they are going to
spend half an hour swinging tonight, so please let's spend a minute or two
on showing them how it's done. And all you great dancers out there why not
see if you can't make your swing even better for you and your partners.
This is called a buzz-step swing.
First, let go of you partner completely. Put your left toe just behind your
right foot like this. Now walk fast on the spot. Now push with your left
foor as though you were on a skateboard and turn clockwise by yourself on
the spot. Relax your knees so you don't bounce up and down. See how
smoothly.you can turn with the minimum of effort.
Now take your partner in a ballroom hold - the man's hand on the lady's
shoulderblade - it is far more comfotable for the lady if you hold them up
high. Now relax - make sure you are not pressing on any part of your
partner.
And swing - it should be a gentle embrace where, as a single counterbalanced
unit, you glide smoothly and effortlessly around. Smile at your partner and
you won't get dizzy.
Now think of your joined hands as an arrowhead and finish pointing at the
other couple.
If you are having trouble with the buzz-step then you can always just walk.
= = = = = = = =
I just timed that and it took less than 90 seconds. Surely that is worth
doing!
Yes, some of them wont get it, but for those who do you have just greatly
enhanced their enjoyment of the evening.
Anyway, that's what I think. :-)
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
On 6/23/2015 9:02 AM, Dave Casserly via Callers wrote:
> So, what do you all focus on when teaching the lesson? It seems from
> the previous thread that there are several approaches:
<snip>
>
> My approach is really to do none of these. I do teach dancers how to
> share weight, and generally teach it in the context of a circle, then a
> two hand walk around with one other person, then a buzz-step swing. If
> I have time after that I may quickly go through a few other moves, but I
> don't consider that a necessity.
This is where I usually start, but once we've had a few rounds of "swing
your neighbor and leave the ladies on the right" in a circle and folks
see that they change places every time by doing that, I put them into a
longways set and show them how progression works. I do something super
simple like circle left, neighbor dosido and pass through along the set,
take new hands four. Maybe neighbor swing, but I just want them to get
how a contra functions without too much choreographic baggage. I do
like to teach the courtesy turn moves (chain and R&L through), but will
only include R&L if I have 2 or more dances in the program that use it.
I often don't.
> Instead, what I focus on is teaching newcomers to dance with a variety
> of partners, ask experienced dancers to dance, listen to the caller,
> look up for help when lost, and clap to show their appreciation for the
> performers at the end of each dance. I tell them explicitly what I
> think is most important and what I am there to help them get out of the
> night: I want nobody to get hurt, and I want them all to have a good
> time. At the end of the lesson, I will even try to point out
> experienced dancers who I think the newcomers should dance with at some
> point. I tell the newcomers that they should dance each dance with a
> different person, that it is totally fine to sit dances out if they need
> a break, and that if somebody asks them to dance but they don't want to
> dance with that person, simply say "no thank you." I also identify
> members of the dance committee who are in the room in case they have any
> questions at all or have any problems during the dance, and again stress
> to them that we are here to help them have a great time.
These are all really excellent things to mention. I often add that they
should let their partners know (in words) if they need to take it slow
on swings, or if they've got sore parts that need to be handled gently.
Basically, that it's a good thing to talk to the folks you're dancing
with if you need something. Which boils down to the same thing Dave is
stressing above -- we want you to be safe and have a good time.
Kalia
Hi all,
I've included John's comments below, but thought I'd start a new thread on
introductory lessons, which is sort of the bigger picture of what we talk
about when we talk about a caller teaching the swing.
I don't call much, but I still teach introductory lessons before weekly
dances every now and then. In my community, it's pretty common for local
callers (or even some local dancers who aren't callers) to teach the lesson
when there's an out-of-town caller booked for the night. I think this
system has advantages and disadvantages: as an organizer, I like being able
to control what goes in the lesson, since, as discussed below, I have some
fairly strong opinions on what makes an introductory lesson welcoming and
successful, but if I were a traveling caller calling my home dance, I would
feel at a disadvantage if I could not tailor the lesson the program I
intended to call.
So, what do you all focus on when teaching the lesson? It seems from the
previous thread that there are several approaches:
- teach the moves that are most difficult for dancers to get (right and
left through, ladies' chain)
- teach the moves in proportion to how many times you call them during the
night (swing, allemande, circle)
- teach the moves that will mess you up the most if you don't do them right
(half promenade across, half chain, half anything, really)
- teach skills, such as sharing weight
My approach is really to do none of these. I do teach dancers how to share
weight, and generally teach it in the context of a circle, then a two hand
walk around with one other person, then a buzz-step swing. If I have time
after that I may quickly go through a few other moves, but I don't consider
that a necessity.
Instead, what I focus on is teaching newcomers to dance with a variety of
partners, ask experienced dancers to dance, listen to the caller, look up
for help when lost, and clap to show their appreciation for the performers
at the end of each dance. I tell them explicitly what I think is most
important and what I am there to help them get out of the night: I want
nobody to get hurt, and I want them all to have a good time. At the end of
the lesson, I will even try to point out experienced dancers who I think
the newcomers should dance with at some point. I tell the newcomers that
they should dance each dance with a different person, that it is totally
fine to sit dances out if they need a break, and that if somebody asks them
to dance but they don't want to dance with that person, simply say "no
thank you." I also identify members of the dance committee who are in the
room in case they have any questions at all or have any problems during the
dance, and again stress to them that we are here to help them have a great
time.
The way I view it, if I teach 20 moves in a 30-minute lesson, the newcomers
will not remember those moves after an hour of dancing. If I teach them
that the community is committed to ensuring they have a safe, fun dancing
experience, and that experienced dancers will help them through the rest, I
think that is 90% of what helps newcomers get the most out of their first
dance.
Obviously, my view of how the lesson should be only works in communities
with a lot of experienced dancers. I'd never be able to get away with
teaching a lesson without telling anybody what an allemande is if the hall
is full of beginners.
-Dave
Washington, DC
On Tue, Jun 23, 2015 at 2:13 AM, John Sweeney via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> Thanks for all the great ideas/
>
>
>
> Yes, I should say gallop instead of skate-board – I start with “Now walk
> fast on the spot” before I tell them to turn, so I assume they are going to
> keep alternating their feet, but some don’t! Maybe “gallop” will help. I
> did get one guy at a workshop tell me that he had been taught to keep one
> foot fixed on the floor on a single spot. I showed him what would happen
> if we both did that – in slow motion, otherwise it could have been quite
> painful J
>
>
>
> Ron asked, “Okay, so what about my first comment: Not everyone is
> physically able to do the buzzstep swing?”
>
>
>
> Well, my first statement was “Yes, of course I always tell dancers that
> they can walk instead of buzz” and the last line of my sample teach was,
> “If you are having trouble with the buzz-step then you can always just
> walk.”
>
>
>
> So I thought I had covered that. Sorry if I have misunderstood.
>
>
>
> At one of the weekly sessions I run we get around 25 to 30 people each
> week; most of them are ladies, and the ages range mainly from 50s to
> mid-80s. We provide badges saying, “Please swing gently” and we tell them
> they can walk. I always teach the buzz-step and they all try it. Most of
> them carry on doing a buzz-step and very few wear the badges after the
> first few weeks once they have got used to swinging.
>
>
>
> They also love my no-swing contras – they don’t need swings to have fun!
>
>
>
> Ron also said, “The single most important thing to teach a dancer is "it's
> okay to make mistakes".”. I agree that that is important and we joke about
> the mistakes a lot. Sometimes they have the most fun when they fail
> completely!
>
>
>
> But my Rule #1 is:
>
> “Every dancer has the right to get on the dance-floor and have fun without
> getting hurt.”
>
>
>
> I have been hurt a lot on the dance-floor. I used to dance Ceroc/Modern
> Jive three or four nights a week. You know the way that some people yank on
> you when they step back in the Balance before a swing? Well in Modern Jive
> you step apart about once every eight steps, and the general level of
> technique teaching at Modern Jive classes is very low, so most of the
> dancers have never been told that they shouldn’t pull when they step back.
> In fact some of the <expletive deleted> teachers actually tell them to pull
> to generate tension, without mentioning that the level of tension required
> is around the one ounce level, not the one ton level! So I ended up with
> repetitive stress injuries which weakened my muscular infrastructure and
> when an aerial move went wrong in a practice session I ended up tearing one
> of my rotator cuff (shoulder) muscles badly.
>
>
>
> Aerials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJnL_Y63AnY – that’s me in black.
>
>
>
> So, having had two shoulder operations, and not wanting any more, if my
> partner appears to be about to throw their whole weight at me when they
> step back in a Balance & Swing then I step forward to prevent it. (Once
> having asked a lady to stop pulling on the step-back as she was hurting me,
> and failing to get through to her, next time we stepped back I pulled on
> her. She immediately got cross and said I had hurt her. The irony appeared
> to be completely lost on her!). And if a lady leans back in a swing then I
> move my hand from her shoulder blade to her waist so she has to stand up or
> fall over! I have learnt a lot of self-defence skills over the years!
>
>
>
> I recently ran a “Contra Skillz – Style and Technique” workshop at a UK
> festival and the experienced dancers loved it – most of them do want to
> improve and do want the caller to do some teaching. (Of course, they
> self-selected by attending the workshop in the first place!)
>
>
>
> One of the guys is a very good dancer, but my wife, Karen, complained that
> his swinging was far too forceful; he was rigid and using too much power.
> The first thing I taught in the workshop was that most people will swing
> better if they relax. Next time she swung with him, he was, as usual,
> rigid, but, because I had empowered her by teaching relaxation, she felt
> able to say, with a big smile, “And relax <she breathed out>” – he did the
> same and suddenly turned into a wonderful swing partner. She heaped on the
> praise and he felt good that he was giving Karen a better swing.
>
>
>
> I agree with Tom that we all have different perspectives and so we
> approach things differently. That is a good thing as far as I am
> concerned. If all callers ran their evening the same way then the dancers
> would get bored. Different approaches help different people, and give the
> variety needed to keep the dance alive.
>
>
>
> My perspective is based on learning the Galway Swing from my Irish mother
> when I was a teenager (take an Allemande Right hold, each of you cup your
> left fingertips around your partner’s right elbow, buzz – great fun!), so I
> have been buzzing for fifty years and would always choose it. But of
> course I walk if I or my partner is tired, or if my partner can’t cope with
> a fast swing, or if they are such a bad swinger that I need to slow the
> swing down to avoid damage. Though actually you can do a slow, controlled
> buzz-step swing and that can feel great too.
>
>
>
> I also agree that programming is crucial to a successful evening. Apart
> from avoiding overuse of particular moves or sequences, providing variety,
> and trying to include something a bit different, I am also building the
> move set slowly so that newcomers get to a point where they can do great
> dances later in the evening because they have seen all the bits already.
>
>
>
> The Right & Left Through is such a counter-intuitive move that I often
> leave it out completely. If I need it for a particular dance then I can
> change it to a Half Promenade. I certainly never spend time teaching it in
> a beginner’s workshop unless I am planning to use it multiple times in the
> evening.
>
>
>
> Thanks again for all the great ideas in this thread.
>
>
>
> Maybe I should stop rambling now… J
>
>
>
> Happy dancing,
>
> John
>
>
>
> John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802
> 940 574
>
> http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs
>
> http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
>
>
>
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>
>
--
David Casserly
(cell) 781 258-2761
