[Callers] Applause or Not...

[Erik Hoffman via Callers]

Sometimes it's hit and miss -- it seems like it's in the stars, no 
applause, next time raucous appreciation. Sometimes you know you're not 
up to your best, or you can tell the band is lagging or lacking. Still, 
that's the night when everyone comes up and says, "Great Dance, That was 
Better than Wild Asparagus," (comparagus, as Peter Barnes used to say -- 
don't know if it happens much any more...). Sometimes you're on top of 
everything, the band is hot, your teaching is good, your right with the 
music when calling, and people come up and say, "what's wrong tonight." 
Sometimes there's not much you can do. But:

As I mentioned earlier, certain communities develop certain habits.

* If I'm dancing, I make sure I applaud with aplomb.
* I do quiet down when the teaching starts.
* I, too, don't teach in the walk-thru. If there really is a problem, I 
ask the caller to address it. If I can get away with it, I teach 
non-verbally.

(Comments addressing other comments and threads.)

But I do still wonder, how to get a community to alter their habits. 
And, if their habit is non-applause on a regular basis, I'd like to 
teach them. Habits, one of the most challenging things to alter...

Now, if they looked at each other and bumped hips, or gave each other a 
high-five, or hugs all around, as mentioned about square dancing, I'd 
take that as applause. But if they just wander off, it still leaves me 
wondering.

~erik hoffman
     oakland, ca


On 4/23/2015 10:18 AM, Kalia Kliban via Callers wrote:
> On 4/22/2015 7:08 PM, Erik Hoffman via Callers wrote:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> There are several places where almost no applause occurs after a 
>> dance. In some communities, when I've been subjected to that 
>> experience, I've asked, "were we off tonight?" The reply usually is 
>> something like, "no, the dance was fine (or even great), we just head 
>> for our next partner..." I know sometimes it's just the night. 
>> Sometimes, though, it's the community's habit. I spoke with a 
>> renowned musician the other day, who will no longer play for a 
>> certain series. One of the reasons: lack of applause -- lack of that 
>> palpable sense of appreciation.
>>
>> I think dancers don't often know that applause really makes the band 
>> and caller feel better. If they feel better they play better. And, as 
>> a dancer, applause usually makes me feel better, too. Any ideas on 
>> how to encourage applause? Or, if you're in one of those communities 
>> where applause is minimal, does it bother you?
>
>
> I had that experience a while back at one of our local contras, when I 
> was calling with a really hot band.  We'd finish a dance, get a few 
> claps and then just crickets.  It was really depressing and upsetting. 
> The dances were going ok, the music was smoking and then... nothing. 
> I've just looked back into my dance log and the comment I wrote later 
> that night was "I don’t know what was up, but it felt bad-weird from 
> the stage."  Applause really does make a difference.
>
> Kalia
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