This topic has been on my mind in recent months. It's been very helpful for organizers to communicate the local culture for callers doing a gig for the first time, for the reason Martha noted.
"We're chatty, but the dancers pay attention. Don't take it as rude." was recent advice, as an example.
I find a few things I can do as a caller:
- Shorter dances. I aim for 5 dances per hour as a target. Many callers do 4. When dancers have shorter dances, they are hungrier for the next dance, and they don't physically need as much of a break, so they line up faster.
- Remind them of hands 4 early. I like "As you line up make sure you pass hands 4 down..." I repeat myself, but I've found this works for me.
- Becket dance? Have them swing partner on the side.
- Non - Becket? Do a zero move like a circle all the way or long lines. The movement of many people in the room is a really nice way to get attention without bossing people.
- In general, earn trust. When I teach and call well, I garner attention easier. When my program fits the crowd well with varied moves at the right skill level, people are more attentive.
- Develop a teacher voice. Some callers just don't sound confident and assertive. - Worse, I've seen a few callers get openly frustrated. No matter what, stay cool.
Ron Blechner
Good point Erik. Also, if you travel, different groups can have vastly different cultures. Some years ago I was asked to call a zesty contra in another state. I assumed they would want to do a lot of zesty dances and planned accordingly. The food was placed outside the dance floor in a long hall from the start. After the first dance, which seemed to go well, everyone disappeared outside to eat and talk just as I was saying "take partners for the next dance". After a five minutes while I worried that they hadn't liked the dance I'd called, people drifted back and lined up again and about 10 minutes later I did the next dance. Same thing. I finally realized that it was their custom to break after each dance, and relaxed and stopped trying so hard to get them back and lined up. I got through about four dances in the first half and four in the second, where I had expected to do more like 11 or 12 total for the time. At the end of the night, people came up and said, Wow, you really got us through a lot of dances!MarthaOn Apr 22, 2015, at 6:59 PM, Erik Hoffman via Callers wrote:On the question of paying attention:_______________________________________________
A while back, in one of these e-groups, someone pointed out that we contra dancers keep talking about "community." This post pointed out that we contra dancers go to a dance, and, often forsaking applause (yet another topic...), run off to find our next partner and line up for a dance. This posting compared that to country-western dance, or swing dance, where they would sit around a table and talk, get to know others through chatting, and not dance every dance, but have other social things happen. It got me to thinking:
Often, after people have lined up, they talk with each other, their partner, their minor set, or other people around them. Often callers strive to get everyone to shut-up so they can start the dance. I've come to believe this time of conversation is the main time we get to know a little about each other and is thus a "community building time."
My practice now is to say into the mic in a regular talking voice, "Are you ready?" If the general banter keeps going on, I wait a couple beats, and say, again, "Are you ready?" After two to four times of asking the question, someone will say, "Yes!" Then another might do a loud, "Shhhh!" When people finally quiet down, I teach the dance.
~erik hoffman
oakland, ca
On 8/4/2014 10:26 AM, barb kirchner via Callers wrote:
sometimes when dancers aren't paying attention, it's because there are too many other things going on in the hall.
sometimes it's the band warming up or sound checking, but i've seen all kinds of things going on - bake sales, people on their mobile devices, a group of beginners coming in who don't yet know dance etiquette, or maybe the dancers are having trouble hearing you. sometimes musicians talk loudly behind the caller (i'm a musician and a caller) and it's hard to understand the caller because the chatter can be heard through mics or pick-ups.
you can't fix some of those things, but you can address retail events in the hall, cell phones, sound system, etc
are your experienced dancers modelling good dance etiquette? are you teaching efficiently, or are you spending so much time talking that people lose interest?
sometimes, i just start the walkthru anyway. as soon as people realize that most people are starting to swing, they get a little more interested :-)
cheers,barb
> Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2014 13:05:57 -0400
> To: maia.mcc@gmail.com
> CC: callers@sharedweight.net
> Subject: Re: [Callers] When the dancers aren't paying attention
> From: callers@lists.sharedweight.net
>
> It depends why the dancers aren't paying attention. Are there lots of
> experienced dancers, such that the walkthrough isn't really necessary?
> Are they ignoring walkthroughs the first time through because they
> know there will be a second one? Are they just having a lot of fun
> with their friends and prioritizing that above listening to the
> caller? How does the dance go once it starts?
>
> A few strategies I might try:
>
> * Not bother with the walkthroughs entirely. If the crowd is ignoring
> the walkthroughs because as a whole they don't need them, then just
> call the dance. This means only picking dances that can be called
> no-walkthrough, but there are still a lot to choose from.
>
> * Give the dancers a bit longer between dances before starting the
> walkthrough. If they're chatting with neighbors and catching up, let
> them do that for a bit. Then once you start the walkthrough go
> quickly.
>
> * Ask the band for rolling starts, where they play music under the
> walkthrough. This makes it harder for people to talk and feels more
> like dancing. You don't have time to explain complex things, so you
> have to give that up, but it's much more forgiving than straight-up
> no-walkthrough.
>
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 4, 2014 at 11:08 AM, Maia McCormick via Callers
> <callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> > At Falcon Ridge this weekend, I saw a couple of different styles of dealing
> > with that frustrating state of affairs when 50%+ of the hall just isn't
> > paying attention to the walk-through. I'm curious if you all have any
> > particular strategies you employ here, thoughts on how to deal with this,
> > how to get the attention of the hall, etc.
> >
> > In dance,
> > Maia
> >
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