[Callers] How to teach various steps to beginners?

[Hulsether Sue via Callers]

All great suggestions.
I would also like to add that when I first started calling,  I did many of the things already listed, but I also practiced.  
I practiced with imaginary people in my living room:  practicing (out loud!) the walk-through, practicing the calling, dancing in each position while I practiced the calling....  
I also taped a lot of callers and listened to them in the car, trying to call with them.
I memorized dances and practiced calling them in the car as well.

Good luck!

sue


Sue Hulsether
shulsether at mac.com

www.suehulsether.com
608-632-1267  Cell
608-629-6250  Home
P.O. Box 363
Viroqua, WI 54665

On Jul 8, 2015, at 1:46 PM, susanelberger via Callers wrote:

> I'd also be careful about what you plan to call.  It's very exciting to call complicated figures, but it may be worth considering doing relatively simpler dances as you develop your self confidence.  Simple doesn't necessarily mean boring, and in fact can leave more time for dancers to enjoy the music and each other than complicated dances do, where you have to keep calling for a longer time to make sure that the dancers can manage without you.
> 
> Susan Elberger
> Lowell, MA
> 
> From: Claire Takemori via Callers <callers at lists.sharedweight.net>
> To: callers at sharedweight.net 
> Sent: Tuesday, July 7, 2015 4:10 PM
> Subject: [Callers] How to teach various steps to beginners?
> 
> Hi.  I just called my first contra dance at camp last week.  I didn't die, so I'm thinking of working with our son's nature class to do some family dances. 
> 
> In the meantime, I will try to call a contra when I can as a guest at our local dances. 
> 
> Do you know of a source/s (would you share yours)  that has good clear wording for how to teach things like Hey, Pull-by, California Twirl, Petronella, Rory O'more, etc?  
> 
> I will ask good callers if I can record their teachings when I'm at dances with lots of beginners..... 
> 
> Where else can I learn good, simple wording?  I sure don't want to reinvent it myself...... 
> 
> Thanks!  
> claire takemori 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers at lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers at lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.sharedweight.net/pipermail/callers-sharedweight.net/attachments/20150708/c38e44aa/attachment.htm>