I know that Martha has already indicated her agreement with this, but I
think it would be hard to reinforce it enough. Even though I know how
easy it is to get sucked into calling to the dancers who are having
problems, I still catch myself doing it occasionally. If not that, then
getting focused on the one couple who are both new and having trouble
all the way up and down the line. As soon as I get focused on them, my
calling suffers.
I think that Greg's idea of intentionally looking away from the problem
spot is a really good one -- there's a lot that you can see with your
peripheral vision, but its difficult to let yourself focus on individual
dancers with just peripheral vision. And when I'm watching the dancers
that are doing well, my timing is better and the calls are cleaner. It
also removes any temptation to direct calls to particular dancers
(another pitfall that almost never works -- no matter how good an idea
it might seem in the heat of the moment.)
Jack
On 4/12/2010 9:18 PM, Greg McKenzie wrote:
When I see confused dancers anywhere in the hall the best tactic I
have ever used, or seen used, is to begin calling clearly, precisely,
and with enthusiasm to the entire hall. Call in perfect time with the
music, enunciate clearly, and use effective word order. I try to
avoid even looking in the direction of the confused dancers. It is
better to look at dancers who are dancing well and use your peripheral
vision to monitor the rest of the hall.
