[Callers] Tempo for Squares

[Nick Cuccia]

On 9/21/19 10:50 AM, Colin Hume via Callers wrote:
> On Sat, 21 Sep 2019 13:36:37 -0400, Rich Sbardella via Callers wrote:
>> Tempo for contra is often below 120 bpm.�  I learned to call squares at about 128 bpm.
>>
>> Is this significant difference the norm, and if so why?
> If you're talking about unphrased squares (Southern or MWSD) maybe people can cope with a faster tempo because the caller waits 
> until they've finished a move, whereas a contra is supposed to be fitted to the music.
>
In my area (California's San Joaquin Valley, between Stockton and
Fresno), most MWSD folk would consider 127 BPM or faster to be "fast". 
123 BPM is a more typical tempo here, and for some of the older dancers,
that's a bit fast.  And as Colin alluded, MWSD callers will wait for
dancers to catch up more often than not.  In fact, MWSD callers here
teaching dancers how many beats they have to execute a given figure is
almost nonexistent.

--Nick