Hi All,
The main band that I worked with years ago loved to pull “tricks” on me. The fiddler used to refer to “ring around the caller” whenever I taught a dance from the middle of the circle.
John B. Freeman SFTPOCTJ.
Here's one that's good for a groan:
I was once in a band called The 999 Megabytes.
We were pretty good, but never got a gig.
On Sep 24, 2018 3:50 PM, "Isaac Banner via Callers" <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Hey everyone,
Improbably, I've found that I've reached the bottom of my barrel of jokes
to tell while calling!
Part of it might be that I go through more than just 1 or 2 on some
nights....
Regardless, I've found that I need to restock my box of dance-safe humor a
bit if I'm going to keep up my infamous taste for humor. What are some of
your favorite dance-safe jokes that are short enough to pepper in-between
dances or before a walkthrough?
Thanks,
Isaac Banner
_______________________________________________
List Name: Callers mailing list
List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
This is a nice topic, one that I’ve toyed with for a long time, and I also have a set of cards to draw on, as I have terrible memory for jokes.
At Friday night’s dance, when sound person was having a problem prior to start of a dance, I found no jokes came to mind, so asked the dancers. One came up with this:
What do you call a cow that has just given birth?
… pause …
De-calf-inated (roars of laughter and groans)
chuck
_________________________
Charles (Chuck) Galt
Petaluma, CA
From: Isaac Banner via Callers
Sent: Monday, September 24, 2018 12:50 PM
To: Callers(a)Lists.Sharedweight.net
Subject: [Callers] A Call for Caller Jokes
Hey everyone,
Improbably, I've found that I've reached the bottom of my barrel of jokes to tell while calling!
Part of it might be that I go through more than just 1 or 2 on some nights....
Regardless, I've found that I need to restock my box of dance-safe humor a bit if I'm going to keep up my infamous taste for humor. What are some of your favorite dance-safe jokes that are short enough to pepper in-between dances or before a walkthrough?
Thanks,
Isaac Banner
Hey everyone,
Improbably, I've found that I've reached the bottom of my barrel of jokes
to tell while calling!
Part of it might be that I go through more than just 1 or 2 on some
nights....
Regardless, I've found that I need to restock my box of dance-safe humor a
bit if I'm going to keep up my infamous taste for humor. What are some of
your favorite dance-safe jokes that are short enough to pepper in-between
dances or before a walkthrough?
Thanks,
Isaac Banner
Here is the definition of Half Sashay from the square dance world. A Mad
robin is simply two half sashay. The direction may change, and it may be
"neighbor" instead of "partner", but the simplicity of definition may help.
(a) HALF SASHAY
Starting formation - couple.
Partners exchange places without changing facing directions.
Dancer on the right sidesteps to the left, while the other dancer on the
left steps back, sidesteps to the right, then steps forward to rejoin
partner.
Rich Sbardella
Stafford, CT
On Mon, Sep 24, 2018 at 1:33 PM Linda S. Mrosko via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> That's why I use the term "sashay around" rather than "mad robin".
> Sashay means move sideways, and around is pretty obvious.
> tell them who to go around and who to focus their attention on and no one
> has too much trouble doing it correctly.
> Besides, "sashay around" or "sashay round" feels better to say than "mad
> robin" -- which sounds angry or confused, IMO.
>
> On Mon, Sep 24, 2018 at 11:39 AM Don Veino via Callers <
> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> As may be obvious, I love Mad Robins. I'm still working on what is the
>> best way to teach them.
>>
>> I know about the "Dosido/now face your Partner/on the same path as the
>> Dosido, do a Mad Robin" approach and have used it.
>>
>> I've heard other callers I admire admonish to not use the "wrong" move as
>> a teaching tool for the "right" move - as it's that much harder to
>> "unlearn" the original bit.
>>
>> What I've observed is that newer dancers may end up focused on the wrong
>> person, facing the wrong direction, and possibly doing the "Dosido Twirl"
>> when using the Dosido teach. But they *do* follow the correct path (so
>> long as the caller remembers to say SeeSaw vs. Dosido as the correct
>> analogue) on the floor. Some can make the facing adjustment and some
>> persist in facing the wrong way. If the dance tolerates the facing
>> differences, all is OK.
>>
>> As a practice, I actively solicit feedback on my calling at each gig. Out
>> of a recent one I got into an extended discussion about the Mad Robin teach
>> with a dancer whom had struggled with their beginner partner in a sequence
>> that evening. I had read that crowd as highly experienced so did only a
>> basic teaching of the move, which they reported having not got through to
>> this beginner. They freely offered that all was well around them, it was
>> just a frustration in their own experience. We touched on the merits and
>> drawbacks of the Dosido teach (which I chose not to use in that situation
>> as it appears to annoy experienced dancers, plus because of the above
>> points).
>>
>> I'm trying to evolve to something that teaches both the correct motion
>> and the facing direction at the same time - *without* taxing experienced
>> folks' patience. I have my own ideas on this but welcome others'.
>>
>> So, how do *you* teach a Mad Robin most effectively and efficiently? Do
>> you vary it by context, crowd composition, other factors?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Don
>> _______________________________________________
>> List Name: Callers mailing list
>> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
>> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>>
>
>
> --
>
>
>
> *Looking forward,Linda S. Mrosko*
>
> *102 Mitchell Drive*
>
> *Temple, Texas 76501*
>
> *(903) 292-3713 (Cell)*
> *(903) 603-9955 (Skype)*
> *contradancetx.com <http://www.contradancetx.com>*
>
> *www.zazzle.com/fuzzycozy* <http://www.zazzle.com/fuzzycozy*> (Dance
> buttons, t-shirts, & more)*
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>
That's why I use the term "sashay around" rather than "mad robin".
Sashay means move sideways, and around is pretty obvious.
tell them who to go around and who to focus their attention on and no one
has too much trouble doing it correctly.
Besides, "sashay around" or "sashay round" feels better to say than "mad
robin" -- which sounds angry or confused, IMO.
On Mon, Sep 24, 2018 at 11:39 AM Don Veino via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> As may be obvious, I love Mad Robins. I'm still working on what is the
> best way to teach them.
>
> I know about the "Dosido/now face your Partner/on the same path as the
> Dosido, do a Mad Robin" approach and have used it.
>
> I've heard other callers I admire admonish to not use the "wrong" move as
> a teaching tool for the "right" move - as it's that much harder to
> "unlearn" the original bit.
>
> What I've observed is that newer dancers may end up focused on the wrong
> person, facing the wrong direction, and possibly doing the "Dosido Twirl"
> when using the Dosido teach. But they *do* follow the correct path (so
> long as the caller remembers to say SeeSaw vs. Dosido as the correct
> analogue) on the floor. Some can make the facing adjustment and some
> persist in facing the wrong way. If the dance tolerates the facing
> differences, all is OK.
>
> As a practice, I actively solicit feedback on my calling at each gig. Out
> of a recent one I got into an extended discussion about the Mad Robin teach
> with a dancer whom had struggled with their beginner partner in a sequence
> that evening. I had read that crowd as highly experienced so did only a
> basic teaching of the move, which they reported having not got through to
> this beginner. They freely offered that all was well around them, it was
> just a frustration in their own experience. We touched on the merits and
> drawbacks of the Dosido teach (which I chose not to use in that situation
> as it appears to annoy experienced dancers, plus because of the above
> points).
>
> I'm trying to evolve to something that teaches both the correct motion and
> the facing direction at the same time - *without* taxing experienced
> folks' patience. I have my own ideas on this but welcome others'.
>
> So, how do *you* teach a Mad Robin most effectively and efficiently? Do
> you vary it by context, crowd composition, other factors?
>
> Thanks,
> Don
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>
--
*Looking forward,Linda S. Mrosko*
*102 Mitchell Drive*
*Temple, Texas 76501*
*(903) 292-3713 (Cell)*
*(903) 603-9955 (Skype)*
*contradancetx.com <http://www.contradancetx.com>*
*www.zazzle.com/fuzzycozy* <http://www.zazzle.com/fuzzycozy*> (Dance
buttons, t-shirts, & more)*
Hi Don,
I find that the key word is the one that Maia used: “Slide”.
I teach it as slide in front/behind, step forwards/backwards, slide back to where you started.
And, very important, I call it as “Slide (to the side)” for the first few times through the dance.
Calling “Mad Robin” means that they have to process the words before they can do the move. Call “Slide” and they slide.
I find that using a Ladies’ Chain into an anti-clockwise Mad Robin is one of the easiest combinations since the dancers finish the Ladies’ Chain with man behind and the lady in front ready for the slide.
Telling the dancers that it is called a Mad Robin is useful as it may help them next time they meet the move, but it is not a useful term per se as it has no intrinsic meaning.
I don’t usually bother with the Dosido method; it causes more confusion that it is worth.
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
Your numbered list approach is just what I did that night (but Gents and
Ladies). I do like your stressing point 2.
-Don
On Mon, Sep 24, 2018 at 12:49 PM, Maia McCormick <maiamcc(a)gmail.com> wrote:
[snip]
>
> When teaching it from the mic, I've taken to doing it like this:
> 1. "This is another of those fancy moves that gets you right back where
> you started. *At the end of this move, you'll be right back here*."
> 2. "So it's important to *stay on the side of your set*. Lots of people
> feel like they should cross. Don't."
> 3. "Lock eyes with your [partner]. You're going to walk a little circle
> around your [neighbor], while looking at your partner.
> 4. "[Ravens] take a small step forward, [larks] take a small step back."
> 5. "Keep your eyes on your partner. Ravens, step to your left and larks
> step to your right, sliding past your neighbor."
> 6. "Now larks step forward and ravens step back; larks step right and
> ravens step left, sliding past your neighbor again."
> 7. "You're back where you started, hooray! Now let's try that up to
> speed..." etc.
>
> On Mon, Sep 24, 2018 at 12:39 PM Don Veino via Callers <
> callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> As may be obvious, I love Mad Robins. I'm still working on what is the
>> best way to teach them.
>>
>> [snip]
Oh man, I'm excited to hear others' response to this question, because I've
also struggled with this. For a while I used "dosido; now walk that same
path while looking at your partner" and found it to be... less effective
with the beginners than I wanted it to be.
Honestly, sometimes I demo it, especially if there's something interesting
that comes after--while it definitely CAN be taught from the mic, sometimes
a demo is just clearer.
When teaching it from the mic, I've taken to doing it like this:
1. "This is another of those fancy moves that gets you right back where you
started. *At the end of this move, you'll be right back here*."
2. "So it's important to *stay on the side of your set*. Lots of people
feel like they should cross. Don't."
3. "Lock eyes with your [partner]. You're going to walk a little circle
around your [neighbor], while looking at your partner.
4. "[Ravens] take a small step forward, [larks] take a small step back."
5. "Keep your eyes on your partner. Ravens, step to your left and larks
step to your right, sliding past your neighbor."
6. "Now larks step forward and ravens step back; larks step right and
ravens step left, sliding past your neighbor again."
7. "You're back where you started, hooray! Now let's try that up to
speed..." etc.
On Mon, Sep 24, 2018 at 12:39 PM Don Veino via Callers <
callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> As may be obvious, I love Mad Robins. I'm still working on what is the
> best way to teach them.
>
> I know about the "Dosido/now face your Partner/on the same path as the
> Dosido, do a Mad Robin" approach and have used it.
>
> I've heard other callers I admire admonish to not use the "wrong" move as
> a teaching tool for the "right" move - as it's that much harder to
> "unlearn" the original bit.
>
> What I've observed is that newer dancers may end up focused on the wrong
> person, facing the wrong direction, and possibly doing the "Dosido Twirl"
> when using the Dosido teach. But they *do* follow the correct path (so
> long as the caller remembers to say SeeSaw vs. Dosido as the correct
> analogue) on the floor. Some can make the facing adjustment and some
> persist in facing the wrong way. If the dance tolerates the facing
> differences, all is OK.
>
> As a practice, I actively solicit feedback on my calling at each gig. Out
> of a recent one I got into an extended discussion about the Mad Robin teach
> with a dancer whom had struggled with their beginner partner in a sequence
> that evening. I had read that crowd as highly experienced so did only a
> basic teaching of the move, which they reported having not got through to
> this beginner. They freely offered that all was well around them, it was
> just a frustration in their own experience. We touched on the merits and
> drawbacks of the Dosido teach (which I chose not to use in that situation
> as it appears to annoy experienced dancers, plus because of the above
> points).
>
> I'm trying to evolve to something that teaches both the correct motion and
> the facing direction at the same time - *without* taxing experienced
> folks' patience. I have my own ideas on this but welcome others'.
>
> So, how do *you* teach a Mad Robin most effectively and efficiently? Do
> you vary it by context, crowd composition, other factors?
>
> Thanks,
> Don
> _______________________________________________
> List Name: Callers mailing list
> List Address: Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
> Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
>
As may be obvious, I love Mad Robins. I'm still working on what is the best
way to teach them.
I know about the "Dosido/now face your Partner/on the same path as the
Dosido, do a Mad Robin" approach and have used it.
I've heard other callers I admire admonish to not use the "wrong" move as a
teaching tool for the "right" move - as it's that much harder to "unlearn"
the original bit.
What I've observed is that newer dancers may end up focused on the wrong
person, facing the wrong direction, and possibly doing the "Dosido Twirl"
when using the Dosido teach. But they *do* follow the correct path (so long
as the caller remembers to say SeeSaw vs. Dosido as the correct analogue)
on the floor. Some can make the facing adjustment and some persist in
facing the wrong way. If the dance tolerates the facing differences, all is
OK.
As a practice, I actively solicit feedback on my calling at each gig. Out
of a recent one I got into an extended discussion about the Mad Robin teach
with a dancer whom had struggled with their beginner partner in a sequence
that evening. I had read that crowd as highly experienced so did only a
basic teaching of the move, which they reported having not got through to
this beginner. They freely offered that all was well around them, it was
just a frustration in their own experience. We touched on the merits and
drawbacks of the Dosido teach (which I chose not to use in that situation
as it appears to annoy experienced dancers, plus because of the above
points).
I'm trying to evolve to something that teaches both the correct motion and
the facing direction at the same time - *without* taxing experienced folks'
patience. I have my own ideas on this but welcome others'.
So, how do *you* teach a Mad Robin most effectively and efficiently? Do you
vary it by context, crowd composition, other factors?
Thanks,
Don
