As Collin, Mo and Hugh have said if something like this happens its ultimately the callers fault. Theres been a communication breakdown somewhere.
Like Colin, I rarely walk through a break, preferring the spontaneity and freedom this gives us as callers.
I try to remember before the music starts, to tell the dancers to wait for the call. Mostly I don't call for the first 8 bars or so to give the dancers time to adjust to the tempo of the music.
If I see dancers predicting a call by jumping ahead of the music, I will change the call. Often achieving a smile from the offenders.

Geoff Cubitt

On 31/01/16 14:20, Colin Hume colin@colinhume.com [trad-dance-callers] wrote:

 

On Sun, 31 Jan 2016 12:20:22 +0000, Hugh Stewart
hugh.stewart.cambridge@gmail.com [trad-dance-callers] wrote:
> Yes. Often enough that I can give two cases that tend to induce
> it.
>
> One is where the caller lets the music start without saying
> anything (typically because he is going to wait four bars and then
> call honour partners, honour corners)
>
> The other is where the caller has walked a figure, but not a break,
> and then starts with a break as the dancers confidently launch into
> the figure.

I agree with Hugh - and with Mo who said it's ultimately the caller's
fault. I don't usually walk through breaks, but having walked through
the figure (usually for heads and then sides) and got them back to
their original partners I say "And it starts with a break - which
bears no resemblance to any of that". I still occasionally get people
leaping into the figure as soon as the music starts, in which case I
say "Wait a minute - I haven't said anything yet".

And I occasionally get people going ahead of the call for the figure -
usually because it's unphrased and I've slowed down to help the square
at the bottom of the hall while the square at the top is forging
ahead. In that case I threaten to change the figure!

Colin Hume

Email colin@colinhume.com Web site http://colinhume.com