7 Jan
2017
7 Jan
'17
5:31 p.m.
blockquote, div.yahoo_quoted { margin-left: 0 !important; border-left:1px #715FFA solid
!important; padding-left:1ex !important; background-color:white !important; } Dale, I too
make a distinction between circle and ring depending upon what comes next. Breaking the
expectation to circle rather than, say, balance is important. Also, when dancers begin to
automatically anticipate taking hands in long lines, I try to quickly put their attention
on the couple across, say, for a circle or other action. I'm not entirely sure that
telling dancers there is no lines forward and back in this particular dance is effective,
but I have done so. Breaking an incorrect pattern before it starts is what I'm
after.
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPad
On Wednesday, January 4, 2017, 2:29 PM, Dale Wilson dale.wilson(a)gmail.com
[trad-dance-callers] <trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com> wrote:
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.... for every dance the 'caller' is spending over 10 minutes explaining each
dance -
This brings to mind a quote attributed to Blaise Pascal: Je n’ai fait celle-ci plus
longue que parce que je n’ai pas eu le loisir de la faire plus courte.
Roughly translated as
I have made this [letter] longer than usual because I have not had time to make it
shorter.
In called-dance context:
I am taking too long to explain this dance because I haven't invested the time to
discover the best way to describe it.
A couple of notes to myself:
A dance walk-thru is rarely the time for a history lesson. [Although a rare short amusing
anecdote before the start of a walk-thru may occasionally be forgiven.]
If you come up with a really cool analogy -- for heaven's sake, don't use it!
[Teaching a ricochet hey in terms of slices of pizza comes to mind.]
Chose the right word for the occasion. Before a balance and petronella I say "make a
ring" not "make a circle" because if I mention the word "circle"
most dancers will start moving [to the left!]
Do not teach to one couple or one gender/role unless you identify them. "Swing your
neighbor below" only works for the actives. With luck the inactives will translate,
but they may well be looking below for the neighbor *they* should be swinging.
"Ladies start a Mad Robin." leaves the gents standing still when they should be
moving.
Do not teach to individual dancers or even sets. If, for example, you say "ladies
chain" and all but one set does it, do NOT simply repeat "ladies chain".
The ones who dutifully followed your instructions the first time will do so again leaving
EVERYONE confused and in the wrong spot. Instead say something like "you should now
be on the side of the set with your partner" then pause to let them sort things out
-- with possible help from the experienced dancers around them.
Speaking of experienced dancers:
Trust your dancers, but give them a chance. Watch the entire room. If you see some
ad-hoc teaching going on, be quiet and let it happen. [up to a point -- determining the
point at which you step in and reassert the fact that you are the caller comes from
experience.]
Have fun and make sure the dancers and the band know you are having fun. If the dance is
executed perfectly by dancers who are annoyed or insulted, it's a failure. If mild
chaos ensues but (most) everyone is enjoying muddling thru anyway, life is good.
Dale