Amy, Nice work. This sort of occasion is why I have some dances in my repertoire that don't have roles of any type, but the cows/chickens approach is clever and creative.
Jerome On Monday, July 31, 2017, Cara Sawyer via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > This is THE BEST email strain ever. > > On Mon, Jul 31, 2017 at 6:25 PM, Donald Perley via Callers < > callers@lists.sharedweight.net > <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','callers@lists.sharedweight.net');>> wrote: > >> I think the tags were key. My worst experiences were when gender is >> not mentioned, and people have >> no reminder of which role they are dancing. >> >> On Mon, Jul 31, 2017 at 12:59 PM, Amy Wimmer via Callers >> <callers@lists.sharedweight.net >> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','callers@lists.sharedweight.net');>> wrote: >> > Hi All, >> > >> > I recently had the opportunity to call a contra to a group of rank >> beginners >> > in a difficult situation: outdoors, on sloping concrete, without >> > amplification for either myself or the band, to people not expecting a >> > dance, with a band mostly unfamiliar with either contra or fiddle >> tunes, who >> > had no opportunity to practice or choose tunes. It was a staff party >> with a >> > barnyard theme. Granted, this particular good of people is accustomed to >> > being spontaneous and silly at times, most are in their 20's, and it's a >> > liberal, accepting group. >> > >> > The organizers wanted to use the terms "cows" and "chickens" instead of >> any >> > other usual terms for dancers. When they arrived at the party each >> person >> > chose a name tag with either a cow or a chicken on it. They didn't know >> it, >> > but this determined which role they'd play in the dance. I arbitrarily >> chose >> > to "put the chicken on the right, because the chicken is always right." >> (I >> > keep chickens, and they ARE always right) >> > >> > There was not time for much of a lesson, either. It'd have been much >> easier >> > if everyone had joined the dance at the beginning. All said, just about >> > everyone had a really great time, myself included. The band was hyped >> up to >> > try another dance evening later in the week, though that never >> materialized. >> > >> > I never mentioned gender in any way. That part just seemed to not >> matter. >> > They were dancing with their friends. It didn't matter that they weren't >> > experts or even very good. >> > >> > I was heartened and encouraged to try something like this again, perhaps >> > with more widely used dancer terms. >> > >> > -Amy >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Callers mailing list >> > Callers@lists.sharedweight.net >> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','Callers@lists.sharedweight.net');> >> > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net >> > >> _______________________________________________ >> Callers mailing list >> Callers@lists.sharedweight.net >> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','Callers@lists.sharedweight.net');> >> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net >> > > > > -- > Cara V. Sawyer > M.M. French Horn > ~~ > -- Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com "Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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