Offering online caller classes on Zoom while sheltering in place has been
going pretty well. So far I've offered 6 different classes 20 times and 62
people have registered 124 times.
I have scheduled a new round of classes between May 2 and May 17, including
2 new topics ("Applause-Worthy Beginner Lessons" and "Walk-Through
Techniques for Mixed Crowds") that I haven't offered before, as well as an
intro class for dancers with no calling experience.
Unlike most caller workshops at dance weekends, these are highly structured
sessions with interactive activities and visuals. I've received lots of
great feedback so far, some of which I've incorporated into improvements
for classes I'm repeating.
They are all listed together on a calendar here:
http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops
Here are the individual topics:
Walk-Through Techniques for Mixed Crowds (May 3 & May 13): Please
experienced dancers with brief walk-throughs that get newer dancers up to
speed quickly
http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/caller-class-walk-throu…
Applause-Worthy Beginner Lessons (May 2 & May 12): Get newer dancers
feeling capable and included quickly in smaller or larger crowds
http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/online-caller-class-beg…
Picking Good Dances (May 4 & May 16): Advanced skills in recognizing bad
contra choreography and honing in on collecting good dances for your
repertoire
http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/caller-class-good-dance…
Utilizing Variety (May 5 & May 16): Learn how to design an experiential
journey for contra dancers through choreographic and musical variety
http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/caller-class-variety-on…
Challenging Dancers Just Enough (May 3 & May 15): Learn exactly what makes
a dance too complex or just right for your crowd
http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/caller-class-complexity…
Programming and Reading Dancers (May 6 & May 17): Build a great program
of dances in advance and recognize signals on the fly to help
you choose the right dances in the moment
http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/caller-class-programmin…
Leading Great Community Dances (May 7 & May 17): Succeed at calling gigs
with very few or no participants who regularly attend contra dance events,
such as community dances, weddings, and family dances
http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/online-caller-class-com…
Calling 101 (May 2 and May 11): An intro to calling for contra dancers with
zero experience as callers:
http://portlandintowncontradance.com/workshops-info/calling-101-online
Are there topics not listed here that folks would be interested in seeing
in the future?
Please share with others who may be interested.
I hope to see some of you online soon!
Dugan Murphy
(he/him)
Portland, Maine
dugan at
duganmurphy.com
www.DuganMurphy.com <http://www.duganmurphy.com/>
www.PortlandIntownContraDance.com
<http://www.portlandintowncontradance.com/>