Our dance group brought along a group of half-a-dozen "cub callers" a few years ago.
It was a bad thing. After they got into the calling rotation at our weekly dance, they never wanted to get off, of course. Our really good callers got to call less often; the new callers only got to call a dance once every 3 months, so they never got any better. The dance was plagued with inexperienced and not-very-great calling for years. Sorry to offer problems without solutions, but this well-intentioned debacle has stayed on my mind. Seem like this is the place to share the "cub-callers" problem. Lindsay Morris Principal TSMworks Tel. 1-859-539-9900 [email protected] On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 10:42 AM, Delia Clark <[email protected]>wrote: > David, > Let's do one of these for VT/NH! Aren't you just the guy to organize it!! > ;-) OK, I would help -- how about you put me in charge of organizing > supplies for the schmoozing part! > Delia > > On Dec 15, 2009, at 9:25 PM, Katy Heine wrote: > > Hi, David-- >> >> Ever since the "Ted's Triplets" marathon eight years ago, we in Central >> New >> York have had an annual callers' gathering on different themes. These have >> been more an opportunity to share repertoire than for older, more >> experienced callers to mentor younger, less experienced callers--so really >> not a parallel to what you're talking about, but maybe of interest anyway. >> >> The topics over the years have included dances in unusual formations; >> "living room dances" (i.e., dances for small numbers of people); the Gene >> Hubert legacy; English for contra dance callers; and calling for community >> dances, weddings, and one-night-stands. The next one (March 6) will be >> "Zesty Contras," which will be dances from Larry Jennings' first book. >> (Many >> of us have the book on our shelves but have not actually mined it for the >> gems that assuredly lie within.) >> >> These annual workshops are a great opportunity for the community of >> regional >> callers to come together to schmooze, share, and enjoy each other's >> company. >> I strongly encourage callers everywhere to give it a try! >> >> --Katy Heine >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] >> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of David Millstone >> Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 6:48 PM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: [Callers] Callers' workshop >> >> Dear fellow dance callers, >> >> I have an opportunity coming up next spring to lead a day-long workshop >> for >> dance callers. It'll be a small group, perhaps 10-12 people, with a range >> of >> experience. Some will have had only 2-4 years of active calling while >> others >> may >> have had 20 years or more. These will be folks who are comfortable with >> contras >> and with traditional squares. They will know each other already. They're >> open to >> a wide variety of topics and teaching methods. >> >> I've been invited to address just about any topics that are near and dear >> to >> me, >> so I'm relishing this prospect. >> >> At the same time, I'd like not to spend an entire day on a soapbox. With >> that in >> mind, I'm soliciting opinions from this group-- rather than, say, the >> trad.dance.callers listserv-- because this Shared Weight group includes >> some >> callers on the less experienced end of the spectrum. >> >> So, what are topics that _you_ would like to see in a workshop? Assuming >> that >> one already has the nuts and bolts of programming an evening, teaching a >> dance, >> and delivering the calls in good fashion, what skills would be useful to >> address? >> >> Thanks for sharing your thoughts. >> >> David Millstone >> Lebanon, NH >> _______________________________________________ >> Callers mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Callers mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers >> > > <>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<> > > Delia Clark > PO Box 45 > Taftsville, VT 05073 > 802-457-2075 > [email protected] > > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers >
