On Thu, Apr 21, 2016 at 9:51 AM, via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

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Today's Topics:

1. Re: suggestions for a beginner contra (Greg Allan via Organizers)

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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2016 09:51:23 -0500
From: Greg Allan via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
To: organizers@lists.sharedweight.net,
organizers-request@lists.sharedweight.net
Subject: Re: [Organizers] suggestions for a beginner contra
Message-ID:
<CAEd_4OWH49SQaxYY943SSc4kVuNiuTpnF2EPLgjSbG0cxtvGYQ@mail.gmail.com>
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I agree with Takemori's comments and with the echo provided by Saxe. I you
take it to be true in anyway then I would go one step further and advise
that you put your efforts into making a flyer for experienced dancers,
reminding them how important their role is, and how they might accomplish
it better. As leaders in a community, you'd be surprised how much authority
you have to set those kinds of standards, to good outcome.

Greg

On Thu, Apr 21, 2016 at 8:45 AM, via Organizers <
organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: suggestions for beginner contra handout
> (Mac Mckeever via Organizers)
> 2. Re: suggestions for beginner contra handout
> (James Saxe via Organizers)
> 3. Re: suggestions for beginner contra handout
> (Stephen Moore via Organizers)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2016 21:33:49 +0000 (UTC)
> From: Mac Mckeever via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
> To: Emily Addison <emilyladdison@gmail.com>,
> "organizers@lists.sharedweight.net"
> <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Organizers] suggestions for beginner contra handout
> Message-ID:
> <1952693951.4636010.1461188029913.JavaMail.yahoo@mail.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> Emily,
> We give first time participants a flyer that is focused on marketing our
> various events.? We have talked about changing to something more like you
> describe but haven't moved in that direction yet
> One thing we do include on it is an offer that if they bring the flyer
> back for their second dance they get in free (we mark the flyer so we know
> it has been used and they still keep it).
> Mac McKeeverSt Louis
>
>
> From: Emily Addison via Organizers <
> organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
> To: organizers shared weight <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2016 1:43 PM
> Subject: [Organizers] suggestions for beginner contra handout
>
> Hello shared weight organizers,
> I just posted the following idea on the shared weight callers list as I
> thought it would be of interest to callers but I really wanted to include
> it here too as it has to do with organizing.
> Ottawa Contra is working on a 1-pg handout to give to first time dancers.?
> The goal of the handout is to provide tidbits that will help convince first
> timers ?to come back, that contra's accessible/they can be successful/climb
> that learning curve, and that contra's a great fit for them.? Who knows if
> the handout will actually work but we want to try as part of our focus on
> increasing the retention of all the beginners we get.
> I have a few examples of other handouts but they often focus on explaining
> the specific moves.?
> We're thinking more along things that speak to the spirit of contra/are
> inspiring PLLLUS great technical tips (nuggets!) that can make a huge
> different to their experience as beginners. Things for them to reflect on
> and absorb. ?
> If you have any ideas, please pass them along. They may be little messages
> you feel every beginner should know, or even tips you you've heard callers
> provide in beginner/intro lesson before the actual dance.
> I've heard some real nuggets in the past but they don't stay in my brain
> and I think their hard for beginners to absorb as well!
> With much thanks :)Emily Addison in Ottawa ON
> _______________________________________________
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> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2016 14:58:20 -0700
> From: James Saxe via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
> To: Emily Addison <emilyladdison@gmail.com>
> Cc: organizers shared weight <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
> Subject: Re: [Organizers] suggestions for beginner contra handout
> Message-ID: <682C4F6F-48DF-46CB-8666-CB4D98522408@gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Emily Addison asked for ideas about a handout for new dancers.
>
> First, I wanted to echo Claire Takemori's remarks that no printed
> document can have much effect compared to aspects of a new dancer's
> actual experience: the quality of the music; the clarity of the
> teaching and calling; the energy and excitement level of the crowd;
> and especially the way new dancers are treated by the experienced
> dancers.
>
> That said, I guess there are still some folks who may want a
> written document. So here's info on some documents I know about.
>
> The Bay Area Country Dance Society home has these two pages on
> its web site:
>
> Welcome, Newcomers!
> http://www.bacds.org/newcomers/
>
> What To Expect at a Dance
> http://www.bacds.org/expect
>
> Links to both are near the top of the righht hand column of our
> home page
>
> www.bacds.org
>
> The New England Folk Festival Association's home page
>
> www.neffa.org
>
> has a link to
>
> "Contra Dancing in Greater Boston"
> http://www.neffa.org/invite.shtml
>
> When I visited the Boston area in the early 1980's, I came across
> two handouts for new dancers. One was by Larry Jennings's "Almost
> All You Need to Know to Enjoy a New England Style Dance". The other
> was Tod Whittemore's "blue card", titled "Welcome to Tonight's
> Dance".
>
> Larry's handout filled the front and back of a letter-sized
> typewritten sheet. You can find a slightly edited version here:
>
> http://www.neffa.org/docs/how.html
>
> In her query to this list, Emily lamented:
>
> > I have a few examples of other handouts but they often focus on
> explaining the specific moves.
>
> and indeed Larry's handout fits that description. Note that in
> the prefatory remarks to the online version, Larry writes:
>
> ... I emphasize: today I would talk about connection,
> phrasing, and customs, not about figures.
>
> Tod's "blue card" was a much shorter document and much more about
> customs, etc. It fit on one side of a 4.25" x 5.5" card. Tod
> had it printed 4-up on 8.5" x 11" sheets of blue card stock,
> which were then cut into quarters.
>
> Below is the text of a handout that I created years later based
> on Tod's blue card. My version is the same 4.25" x 5.5" size
> as Tod's, but has text on both sides. The front of my version
> is basically a lightly edited variant of Tod's text. (For
> example, I write "TRADITIONAL AMERICAN COUNTRY DANCE" where Tod's
> card had "NEW ENGLAND COUNTRY DANCE".) The back has whatever
> additional information I though might be useful and could cram
> into the available space without shrinking the font and the line
> spacing.
>
> In the transcription below, I've used asterisks to indicate
> text in *boldface* (the asterisks don't literally appear in the
> printed version), slashes to indicate text in /italics/, and
> indentation to indicate lines that are centered (though some mail
> handling software between my fingers and your eyes may take the
> liberty of trashing the indentation). I haven't attempted to
> indicate the exact line breaks.
>
> =================================================================
> [FRONT:]
>
> *WELCOME TO TONIGHT'S DANCE*
>
> *You are in for a good time!* For many years Americans have
> been dancing Contras and Squares to great live music.
>
> Here are a few guidelines to get you started.
>
> *Line up and try it.* Learn by doing; watching doesn't help!
> Be sure to get into the first few dances, which are usually
> the easiest.
>
> *Mistakes are part of learning.* Everyone goofs at one time
> or another -- experienced dancers, too! After a while it will
> begin to make sense.
>
> *Singles are welcome!*
>
> *Couples:* Part of the tradition is dancing with many people.
> Please, split up at the beginning of the evening. Dancing with
> other folks will help you to learn faster and have more fun
> dancing with each other later on.
>
> *Questions?* Ask someone! Everybody remembers their first
> dance. You will find many experienced dancers eager to help.
>
> An evening of dancing will include easy, not-so-easy, familiar,
> and unusual dances. Most dances are taught; some are not.
> Staying alert and listening to the caller will make it easy
> to learn.
>
> In a short time you will be swept into the wonderful
> web of people, motion, and music that is
> *TRADITIONAL AMERICAN COUNTRY DANCE.* over-->
>
> =================================================================
> [BACK:]
>
> *A FEW MORE TIPS on style, etiquette, and advancing
> your dancing.*
>
> *Choosing partners:* THis is the 21st century; men or women
> may offer or accept an invitation to dance. /The most
> valuable advice on this card:/ Don't fret that you'll be
> imposing on experienced dancers by asking to dance with them.
> We were all new at this once. Besides, it's only a ten minute
> dance, not a lifetime commitment.
>
> *Eye contact:* Don't be surprised by dancers making a lot of
> eye contact. It's friendly acknowledgment, not necessarily
> flirtation.
>
> *Feet:* For almost all figures, use a simple, smooooth,
> brisk walking step -- one step to each beat of music. Let
> the spring in your step propel you forward, not up and down.
>
> *Arms/hands:* Keep arm connections firm but not rigid, with
> comfortably bent elbows. Hold fingers slightly curved, with
> some muscle tone (no "dead fish" hands) but not gripping
> or grabbing. THis will let experienced dancers guide you
> gently through the figures, but also allow an easy release
> when you need to go in different directions.
>
> *Music:* In general dance figures fit the music, like the
> lines of song lyric. As you learn to listen, the music will
> tell you when to end one figure and start the next one.
>
> *Missed a move?* Don't worry about scrambling to make it
> up. Just try to get where you need to be for the next part.
> /Hint:/ Look around for someone looking for you.
>
> *Contradancing is more fun than reading about it.* It's an
> amusement park ride we make for ourselves. So put this card
> away right now, find a partner, and step aboard!
>
> [Sideways in right margin on back, in small print:]
>
> Bay Area Country Dance Society www.bacds.org
> with acknowledgments to Tod Whittemore
> =================================================================
>
> In the text above, I tried to stick to things I thought might
> be of use to first-timers who were already at the dance. For
> example, I didn't include advice about shoes, figuring that
> people already at a dance were unlikely to go home to change
> shoes. Similarly I figured that dancers who came too warmly
> dressed would realize on their own that they should wear cooler
> clothing next time. I also left out remarks aimed at shaping
> up the etiquette of experienced dancers.
>
> I think I first heard the amusement park ride metaphor from
> Sandy Bradley.
>
> Under "Missed a move?" I considered drawing an analogy to
> forgetting a line while singing in a group. You catch up
> by joining in with whatever line everyone else is singing
> now, not by finally remembering the missed line and trying
> to sing it really fast while everyone else is already
> singing the next line. But I couldn't think of a way to
> state the analogy clearly and effectively in the space I
> was willing to allow.
>
> I also considered adding a suggestion along the lines of
>
> Reread this after the dance. Some things may make
> more sense then.
>
> based on a similar remark in Larry Jennings's handout. But
> again, it wouldn't fit in the available space, and I didn't
> have good ideas about how to shorten or eliminate something
> else to make room.
>
> I hope some of this is helpful.
>
> Cheers,
> --Jim
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2016 09:45:08 -0400
> From: Stephen Moore via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
> To: Donna Hunt <dhuntdancer@aol.com>
> Cc: emilyladdison@gmail.com, organizers@lists.sharedweight.net
> Subject: Re: [Organizers] suggestions for beginner contra handout
> Message-ID: <1FDD2556-0FA2-4715-9580-5FD2F54BA5AD@me.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Here's a half-sheet we give to new dancers at the Lenox, MA contra dance
> on third Saturdays.
>
> Stephen Moore
>
>
>
> On Apr 20, 2016, at 4:04 PM, Donna Hunt via Organizers wrote:
>
> > http://www.thursdaycontra.com/welcome.html
> >
> > The Mt. Airy (in Philadelphia) Thursday Night Dance has this on our
> website. We are in the process of revamping it, but feel free to pick and
> choose whatever might work for your group.
> >
> >
> > Donna
> > Web Site: donnahuntcaller.com
> > Email: dhuntdancer@aol.com
> > Cell: 215-565-6050
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Emily Addison via Organizers <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
> > To: organizers shared weight <organizers@lists.sharedweight.net>
> > Sent: Wed, Apr 20, 2016 2:43 pm
> > Subject: [Organizers] suggestions for beginner contra handout
> >
> > Hello shared weight organizers,
> >
> > I just posted the following idea on the shared weight callers list as I
> thought it would be of interest to callers but I really wanted to include
> it here too as it has to do with organizing.
> >
> > Ottawa Contra is working on a 1-pg handout to give to first time
> dancers. The goal of the handout is to provide tidbits that will help
> convince first timers to come back, that contra's accessible/they can be
> successful/climb that learning curve, and that contra's a great fit for
> them. Who knows if the handout will actually work but we want to try as
> part of our focus on increasing the retention of all the beginners we get.
> >
> > I have a few examples of other handouts but they often focus on
> explaining the specific moves.
> >
> > We're thinking more along things that speak to the spirit of contra/are
> inspiring PLLLUS great technical tips (nuggets!) that can make a huge
> different to their experience as beginners. Things for them to reflect on
> and absorb.
> >
> > If you have any ideas, please pass them along. They may be little
> messages you feel every beginner should know, or even tips you you've heard
> callers provide in beginner/intro lesson before the actual dance.
> >
> > I've heard some real nuggets in the past but they don't stay in my brain
> and I think their hard for beginners to absorb as well!
> >
> > With much thanks :)
> > Emily Addison in Ottawa ON
> > _______________________________________________
> > Organizers mailing list
> > Organizers@lists.sharedweight.net
> > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/organizers-sharedweight.net
> > _______________________________________________
> > Organizers mailing list
> > Organizers@lists.sharedweight.net
> > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/organizers-sharedweight.net
>
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