This is a great topic! Thanks for bringing it up, Erik. 

A few thoughts:

**I introduce the band before the first dance. “Let’s give a warm welcome to…..”  I like to gently set up expectations.

**If the dancers don’t remember to applaud, I remind them, even if it means doing this more than once in an evening.

**Especially during the waltz, I will get off the stage, and mix among the dancers, and then applaud like crazy when they end. I’ve also been known to hoot. Nothing like a role model!

**I, too, have stopped calling for a few series because of not getting anything back. I’ld rather spend my time and energy calling for a group that has decided that it is just as important to take care of me and the band, as it is for me and the band to take care of them., even for a lot less money.

**And for this last reason, I respectfully disagree with Barb, who said "you were rocking - but i just needed the community tonight.  don't be offended :-D”    I don’t think these two things are mutually exclusive: dancers can get their needs met, and still help the band/caller have their needs met.

Linda Leslie

On Apr 23, 2015, at 8:57 AM, Perry Shafran via Callers <callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

Erik (and all),

You certainly hit on one of the issues for me.  I remember calling in one community with a pretty well-known popular band, and I gave the band their props, as I usually do, but I could not get the dancers to applaud the band.  Maybe a bit more at the end of the night, but not much during the dance.  OK, I might not be the most well-known popular callers but the band is and travelled a long way for not a lot of money and some appreciation would be nice.

OTOH, I was in another community, with a local band, and I and the band got TONS of applause that night.  It really made me special and as a result put that community in a special place in my heart.  I was grateful.  The other community kind of gave me that "eh" feeling.  Maybe I called better dances in the place I got applause, or maybe I explained things better, I don't know. 

I know that when I'm dancing I always give applause to all bands and callers.  Even if they had off nights.  They are all part of our community, too, and communities support bands and callers.

Perry

Hi All,

There are several places where almost no applause occurs after a dance.
In some communities, when I've been subjected to that experience, I've
asked, "were we off tonight?" The reply usually is something like, "no,
the dance was fine (or even great), we just head for our next
partner..." I know sometimes it's just the night. Sometimes, though,
it's the community's habit. I spoke with a renowned musician the other
day, who will no longer play for a certain series. One of the reasons:
lack of applause -- lack of that palpable sense of appreciation.

I think dancers don't often know that applause really makes the band and
caller feel better. If they feel better they play better. And, as a
dancer, applause usually makes me feel better, too. Any ideas on how to
encourage applause? Or, if you're in one of those communities where
applause is minimal, does it bother you?

~erik hoffman
    oakland, ca

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