I have encountered these pre-dance introductions only outside of New England.
When I reintroduced contra dancing in Philadelphia in the early seventies, we
did only traditional dances which are - in my opinion - very beginner-friendly
anyway and didn't need extra introductions, not even the triple minors.
I've noticed the change to offer a pre-dance workshop ca. 20 years ago.
When I'm calling in other areas, I usually let the local leaders handle the
early intro because they are familiar with their scene. The Glenside Thursday
night dance in the Philly area always has an introductory 20 minutes for
newcomers either by the caller-coordinator of the evening or the out-of-town caller.
When calling abroad, I start with easily accessible dances and build on them,
but I don't use pre-dance workshops.
Hanny, Danzmeestersche
