Here are a few thoughts on teaching the hey - and other calls.
1. Spend as little time as possible "teaching". People learn best by
doing. The fewer words the better.
2. If many of the dancers already know how to do it, depend on the
experienced dancers to help during the dance (but not while you do the
walkthrough, unless asked)
3. Describe the starting position, if necessary and the ending position
(for a Hey you end back at the same place you started). Even if someone
gets lost during the hey, the dance will not break down if they get back
to the right place for the next call. Being ready for the next move is
more important than getting every move correct, for beginners or
experienced dancers.
4. If there are a lot of beginners, ask the experienced dancers to show
them which shoulder of theirs to pass. Experienced dancers will often
point to their left or right shoulder for beginners to show which side
to pass on, especially if asked.
5. Then, after the above, describe the move: "walk across the set and
back in a sort of figure eight, weaving back and fourth over and back to
place." Keep your words short, sweet, and quick. Then while doing the
walkthrough say "pass by the right shoulder in the middle and by the
left on the outside".
6. If there are a lot of beginners and few experienced dancers, then
maybe you could ask a group of four to demonstrate the hey. A picture is
worth a 1000 words and this is sometimes quicker than trying to explain it.
7. Finally, if the vast majority of the dancers are beginners, then a
dance with a hey may not be the best choice. For beginners easier dances
that they can succeed at are better and more enjoyable.
8. Also listen to how experienced dancers teach and call a hey and pick
the method and words that you like best. If you listen to a number of
callers, you will find that everyone has their own methods.
I hope this helps. Good luck.
Rich Hart.
Jillian Hovey remarked on 11/6/2006 12:32 AM:
Thanks to everyone who so generously sent me suggestions for easy dances to use in the fourth slot that I, as a new caller will call at our Toronto Country Dancer's dance that Bev Bernbaum will be calling next Saturday.
I have attached a Word document that has all the dances, some of which are
annotated with teaching notes.
I have two requests: I need the details of two dances: First Hey by Paul Balliet, and
"Kiss of a Lifetime" bu Peter Stix (I could not find either through an internet
search. [A suggestion: Please post the info to the whole list, so once someone has sent
the info, others need not bother. Thanks!]
The other request is for suggestions on how to teach a hey. (I am a little bit
terrified.)
Please note, that I have not chosen a dance yet, but need to do so by tomorrow,
so I cam open to suggestions from the list I sent (including the two above) and
any other dances that you think are suitable. [Note: If I am too terrified to
teach a Hey, then Bev has graciously offered that I can choose another easy
dance, so I am open to suggestions on that front as well.]
Thanks for 'Sharing the Weight', and helping me out! I have learned a lot from
you out there in List Serve Land so far, and I am looking forward to more!
Jillian Hovey
Facilitator of Sustainable Community Planning and Design
