Richard wrote:
I was calling at my home dance when about 15 new young dancers
showed up during the first dance of the evening and clumped in the
entrance corner. I stopped the dance, welcomed the new folks, and
asked the experienced dancers on the dance floor to thank their
partners and invite a newcomer to dance. Everyone was gracious about
it, we reformed sets, and I just ran the same first (beginner
friendly dance) some more.
This is very good. I would do something similar but I would be more
implicit and less explicit. I would assume the support of all the
regulars to welcome and partner with newcomers, without being
told. (For this reason I would not interrupt the dance in
progress. To do so would mean breaking up regulars and newcomers who
had already partnered.) I would speak only to the whole hall--or
the largest segment I could while still making sense. (For example,
I would speak to all newcomers, rather than to only those who had
just arrived.)
At the end of the first dance I would make a very similar statement
to my opening statement for the evening. (The repetition would be a
clear, implicit message to all previously present that new people had
just arrived.) Here is what I might say:
"Please thank your partner and find a different partner for the next
dance. If you are new to this kind of dancing this next dance is the
perfect time to join in. Please find a partner, who has danced
contras for at least one night, and form ___ contra dance lines. I
will tell you everything you need to know and your experienced
partner will show you all of the moves."
Once again, I think it is best not to give any explicit instruction
to the regulars. They will know what needs to be done and have a
vested interest in helping the caller, as well as the newcomers. In
fact they will feel more included if you assume their support without
addressing them. If the caller gives clear, precise, well-timed
calls in the most effective word order, dancing with newcomers is a lot of fun!
Then I would proceed with an easy dance using clear instructions to
the regulars.
Greg
************
At 11:56 AM 8/25/2010, you wrote:
Here's something I did on the spur of the moment once:
I was calling at my home dance when about 15 new young dancers
showed up during the first dance of the evening and clumped in the
entrance corner. I stopped the dance, welcomed the new folks, and
asked the experienced dancers on the dance floor to thank their
partners and invite a newcomer to dance. Everyone was gracious about
it, we reformed sets, and I just ran the same first (beginner
friendly dance) some more.
This worked well, and I'd try it again under similar circumstances.
Richard
On Aug 25, 2010, at 11:25 AM, Richard Hart wrote:
> Jeanette,
>
> If the late arriving new dancers do not out number the dancers
already present, there are two things that can be done:
>
> 1. Acknowledge and greet the new arrivals. Then tell them these
dances are easy, but they should dance a couple of dances with
experienced dancers first. Most regular dancers, here at least,
would take that as a hint to ask the new people to dance, and also
make the new arrivals feel that that is the right thing to do.
>
> 2. Then for their first dance, I'd chose a well connected dance,
one where most of the figures involve having at least one other
dancer in your hand(s). (Star instead of R&L, allemande instead of
do-si-do or gypsy, circle instead of square through, etc). A couple
of dances that I like for this situation are Cranky Ingenuity by
Bill Olsen, The Nice combination by Gene Hubert, or even Roll in
the Hey by Roger Diggle (for some time later with a combination of
beginners and experienced dancers)
>
> If the arriving beginners do out number the existing experienced
dancers, you could do what Don Primrose does in Nelson every
summer. That is to immediately do a simple circle dance. This lets
the new arrivals dance with a lot of dancer, and it also gives them
a chance to practice a few basics. Then ask everyone to dance the
next contra with their last partner in the circle dance.
>
> These approaches work here where the new arrivals usually have an
average age of about 18. With older dancers, of course, your
mileage may vary, and you may need to make further adjustments. ;-)
>
> Rich.
>
> Jeanette Mill remarked on 8/25/2010 9:43 AM:
>> I had the pleasure of touring interstate on the weekend and
calling for a dance workshop and dance. I worked out the programs
on the assumption that the overall skill level would probably be
lower in the evening dance than the workshop. (The Saturday night
phenomenon). So, having survived by adapting the program to err on
the side of easier dances, after a group of about 8 total beginners
arrived part way into the dance, I am keen to hear other people's
ideas on dealing with this.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Jeanette
>>
>>
>> The piano - 88 little mistakes waiting to happen; Peter Barnes
>>
>>
>>
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