[Callers] Difficult dancers as a caller

[George Mercer via Callers]

This is only marginally relevant, but when demonstrating a move I often
will take the newest dancers I can and use them as my demonstrators --
walking them through the move while assuring them they can do it.  I also
throw in little hints like "You're not going to remember everything, so
don't bother," "You don't have to be perfect," and "You'll find you're
learning as you go." I also tell new dancers on the floor, "just walk." We
make everything too damned complicated.  Of course, when I'm dancing, I
scream when I make a mistake. It tends to relieve pressure on others. When
I'm on the mic, I repeatedly ask experienced dancers to give hints and nods
and do a lot of pointing.  It doesn't work for every situation, but ....
Rely on the other dancers to help and ask them to ensure evryone has a
chance on the floor. As I said, it's only tangentially useful.


On Tue, Mar 7, 2017 at 9:03 PM, April Blum via Callers <
callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> Two more suggestions. At some dances I have called, I found that saying
> "end the swing and face across" a bit early solved the late-for-the-next
> move issues. And sometimes repeatedly cuing at B1, where the music is often
> audibly different AND where there is often some noticeable move starting,
> can also help. On Mar 7, 2017 9:40 AM, Martha Wild via Callers <
> callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> >
> > As one other caller mentioned - what I do as a caller is avoid looking
> at that dancer AT ALL. That confuses me, and I will miscall if I get to
> caught up in what is happening there. What I do is look ASAP for the
> dancers who are doing the moves smoothly and well, and I call to them,
> making sure I call clearly at the start of the four beats before each move
> will start, and not at the two beats before that I might often use, to give
> a little extra time for the person to react. If there is a four in line
> down the hall, I will call for the turn also on beat five of the phrase
> before (just as above, just saying it differently) ensuring that they turn
> around and head back in time to cast off or do whatever needs to be done in
> time for the next move. If I call carefully and steadily and clearly at the
> appropriate time for a few times through the dance to the experienced
> dancers, I generally find that once I look at the problem area, it has
> resolved. Also - I don’t vary or shorten my calls, as I might otherwise,
> and I might say Neighbor balance and swing, or With the next couple star
> left - telling them who to do it with and what, or face across, right and
> left through - which way to face etc. especially on any figure that might
> be confusing.
> >
> >
> >> On Mar 6, 2017, at 3:45 PM, Alexandra Deis-Lauby via Callers <
> callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> >>
> > Inspired by Marie's other thread, I wonder what tools callers use when
> they encounter a dance floor with such a dancer, especially if there is
> only one who is having so much difficulty but who leaves confused dancers
> in their wake. Do you call to that dancer? Do you call earlier? Do you
> adjust your program accordingly? Something else?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Alex
> >
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> > _______________________________________________
> > 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/20170308/3bec4ded/attachment.htm>