Great discussion about walk-throughs. In particular I like the 'mix it up' approach. Not too long ago I got chewed out by one person for doing two walk-throughs for several contras at Glen Echo on a Friday. Do we like to make up rules or what?

I'd like to throw in an idea that I think others may have touched on. I like to use the square dance figure, teacup chain for groups that haven't danced it. I usually walk it through twice for the head ladies and let them do it by themselves a third time. Ditto for the side ladies. Then I walk it through for all four ladies once or twice. The total number of times the figure is walked through is 8 but the figure is only 32 beats long. Add to this the instructions to the men and some of the rules for everyone, we have a great deal of instruction. Here's the catch: the teacup chain always gets the most applause from the crowd. It's the big thrill of the evening. What I've learned is that for some dances there's a pay off. My goal is to figure out what dances will pay off the most for each group.

In the last year or so, I've noticed that what really turns on one group will bore or turn off another. I don't have a crystal ball yet and can't figure out why this is-still lots to learn.

Tom






On May 1, 2010, at 12:00 PM, [email protected] wrote:

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: Walk-throughs (Rich Goss)
   2. Re: Walk-throughs (Martha Edwards)
   3. Re: Walk-throughs (Katy Heine)
   4. Re: Walk-throughs ([email protected])


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:02:46 -0700
From: Rich Goss <[email protected]>
To: Shared Weight <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
Message-ID: <c8008576.8da5%[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="US-ASCII"




On 4/30/10 11:29 AM, "Bob Isaacs" <[email protected]> wrote:

Chris Weiler wrote:


"I subscribe to the theory that if I need more than one walk thru, then I'm calling a dance that is too difficult for the crowd. The main reason that I might run a second walk thru is if there is a clump of beginners and I need to get them progressed to new couples who can help them out. "


Bob Isaacs wrote:

Just curious - what are the dancer expectations where you call?



Often I find that is just depends on the dance.  Our Portland Saturday
dances tend to have a fair number of beginners, somewhere around 20-30
percent (we get between 100-150 total) If I observe that folks seemed to get it the first time, back it up and go. If it's a dance with a tricky
move, second walkthrough.   If I've had to demo a move in the first
walkthrough, definitely a second with the feel of the flow. I always try to throw in a no-walkthrough sometime during the evening, with familiar moves.

Rich




------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:26:33 -0500
From: Martha Edwards <[email protected]>
To: "Caller's discussion list" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
Message-ID:
        <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

I've had East coast callers tell me in no uncertain terms that if you have to walk it through more than once you'd better figure out a better way to
call or choose simpler dances.

But we're used to two out here in the Heartland, so we have all kinds of
reasons why it's better. Number one is that the two walkthroughs have
different functions - the first one to explain the moves, the second to show
what you have to do when you do them at speed.

The number two reason is that the experienced dancers are talking during the
first walkthrough, knowing that another one is coming...

Hmmm....

M
E

On Fri, Apr 30, 2010 at 3:02 PM, Rich Goss <[email protected]> wrote:




On 4/30/10 11:29 AM, "Bob Isaacs" <[email protected]> wrote:

Chris Weiler wrote:


"I subscribe to the theory that if I need more than one walk thru, then I'm calling a dance that is too difficult for the crowd. The main reason that I might run a second walk thru is if there is a clump of beginners and I need to get them progressed to new couples who can help them out.
"


Bob Isaacs wrote:

Just curious - what are the dancer expectations where you call?



Often I find that is just depends on the dance. Our Portland Saturday dances tend to have a fair number of beginners, somewhere around 20-30 percent (we get between 100-150 total) If I observe that folks seemed to get it the first time, back it up and go. If it's a dance with a tricky
move, second walkthrough.   If I've had to demo a move in the first
walkthrough, definitely a second with the feel of the flow. I always try
to
throw in a no-walkthrough sometime during the evening, with familiar moves.

Rich


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--
For the good are always the merry,
Save by an evil chance,
And the merry love the fiddle
And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats


------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 07:23:16 -0400
From: "Katy Heine" <[email protected]>
To: "'Caller's discussion list'" <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
Message-ID: <0F40BEA5136F43BBA70CE3BE69348CC9@stewart>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="us-ascii"

Interesting discussion. Here in central New York, I don't think the dancers have a clear expectation about the number of times a dance should be walked through (although generally there's a preference for single walk- throughs, and little tolerance for more than two). The approach that I've decided to take is to mix it up: use one walk-through for simpler dances and two when a dance is particularly complex ... or when the dance is new to me, or when I feel I haven't done the best job teaching it the first time. So far no one
has complained....

Katy Heine

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Martha Edwards
Sent: Friday, April 30, 2010 5:27 PM
To: Caller's discussion list
Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs

I've had East coast callers tell me in no uncertain terms that if you have to walk it through more than once you'd better figure out a better way to
call or choose simpler dances.

But we're used to two out here in the Heartland, so we have all kinds of
reasons why it's better. Number one is that the two walkthroughs have
different functions - the first one to explain the moves, the second to show
what you have to do when you do them at speed.

The number two reason is that the experienced dancers are talking during the
first walkthrough, knowing that another one is coming...

Hmmm....

M
E

On Fri, Apr 30, 2010 at 3:02 PM, Rich Goss <[email protected]> wrote:




On 4/30/10 11:29 AM, "Bob Isaacs" <[email protected]> wrote:

Chris Weiler wrote:


"I subscribe to the theory that if I need more than one walk thru, then
 I'm calling a dance that is too difficult for the crowd. The main
reason
that I might run a second walk thru is if there is a clump of beginners and I need to get them progressed to new couples who can help them out.
"


Bob Isaacs wrote:

Just curious - what are the dancer expectations where you call?



Often I find that is just depends on the dance. Our Portland Saturday dances tend to have a fair number of beginners, somewhere around 20-30 percent (we get between 100-150 total) If I observe that folks seemed to get it the first time, back it up and go. If it's a dance with a tricky
move, second walkthrough.   If I've had to demo a move in the first
walkthrough, definitely a second with the feel of the flow. I always try
to
throw in a no-walkthrough sometime during the evening, with familiar
moves.

Rich


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[email protected]
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--
For the good are always the merry,
Save by an evil chance,
And the merry love the fiddle
And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats
_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
[email protected]
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers




------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Sat, 1 May 2010 07:37:47 EDT
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Callers] Walk-throughs
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Good morning!

I just returned from watching Ann Arbor Morris brave a torrential downpour to welcome the spring in. We were all soaked clear through to...well, I'll
leave that to your imagination.

Anyway, since I usually work with mixed crowds, I tend to favor two or
three walkthroughs. I think that it give the newbies a few opportunities to learn how the progression works, to learn that it's "places, not faces" that often determines who you will be dancing with, and to rein the center set crowd in a bit so we are on the same page as we begin. I also may switch to a proper dance if the "experienced dancers" cross over before the sets have sorted themselves out. I discourage "flourishes" during the walkthroughs. They do nothing to enhance the teaching, and often really confuse the beginners. I don't mind them later...as long as they don't interfere with the enjoyment
of others.

And yes, I AM the chief of the Dance Police. :-)

John B. Freeman, President
SFTPOCTJ


------------------------------

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