ahhh...flow and piece count. i think flow makes up for piece count in a big way. for example, if there is a section of a dance with good flow, i teach it as one "figure", no matter how many pieces there are. for example, "warming up the car" by nick boulet. the dance starts in an ocean wave, ladies facing out. first piece - balance the wave. second piece - allemande L 1/2, ladies chain, full hey, swing your partner. this just makes sense as one big piece because it has such great flow, and i've had good luck teaching it that way. so - two pieces. everybody has a different teaching philosophy. if it works for you, you should keep at it. lumping things together in coherent patterns works for me and i don't really think about "piece count". barb
> Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 13:58:17 -0500 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Callers] heys for new dancers > > Yeah Beth! I couldn't agree more... the courtesy turn is so underestimated > in how much coordination dancers must have to do it gracefully, and the > regional variation in R&L through can be befuddling... but heys are so > wonderfully innocuous, provided the ratio of experience levels is > appropriate. > > It's interesting how organizers' and dancers' experience with the > overcomplicated ways some callers teach specific moves biases them against > the move rather than against a caller's overcomplicated teaching method : > / As a developing caller i'm finding that the best way to learn is > listening to dancers talk about what teaching methods they've seen work > well versus badly. Listening to dancers has radically improved my teaching > all around. > > When it comes to dances with good "flow", i'm learning they (can) be a > double edged sword. I love how Bob put it that in Flirtation Reel "the body > WANTS to go in the right direction, and the soul follows". However, a > fellow caller pointed out to me recently that some dances which "flow" > beautifully also have high piece count. In his opinion, sometimes dances > which have a moment to pause between moves (eg. ladies' chain to circle L) > are good because they give newbies a moment to think/digest the motion. > Still figuring out how i feel about that idea on a dance-by-dance basis. > Either way, it strikes me how often we humans can take a good rule-of-thumb > and make it a terrible ironclad principle. > > > > > > > On Feb 18, 2012, at 2:43 PM, [email protected] wrote: > > > > > LOL, I once had a caller berate me for using Flirtation Reel as a > > > dance to teach beginners (this was a beginner's workshop at NEFFA, > > > they really were beginning something.) He rather emphatically said > > > "how could you use a non-standard hey as a teaching tool?" Until > > > then I hadn't realized there was a standard vs. a non-standard hey. > > > Actually I still don't think there is. > > > > > > I don't remember who the caller was, but I do remember the comment > > > <G>. > > > > > > I also once had a dance organizer inform me "Do not teach a hey in > > > the first half of the evening." There are so many other moves that > > > people think are easy that are actually quite difficult for new > > > folks: right and left through for example. Banning a hey seems a bit > > > arbitrary, but I assume the dance had a bad experience at some time. > > > > > > Beth > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Linda Leslie > > > Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 11:24 PM > > > To: Caller's discussion list > > > Subject: Re: [Callers] Heys for new dancers > > > > > > > > > On Feb 17, 2012, at 7:55 AM, barb kirchner wrote: > > > > > >> > > >> i like teaching "the ladies' pattern". ladies walk the same path > > >> (turn left, end on right) for a promenade, right and left through, > > >> ladies chain, and hey. they're kinda used to looping out a little, > > >> because in the first three figures, they're actually walking around a > > >> person - easy enough to get the concept of walking around a ghost > > >> from > > >> there. > > >> > > > Certainly useful techinique, if heys you will be using for the > > > evening are right in the center, left shoulder at the ends. > > > Flirtation Reel is a good example of Left shoulder in the center, > > > right shoulder at the ends. Most dancers don't have trouble with > > > this difference, but I have occasionally had dancers be a bit > > > surprised that heys can and do vary. > > > Linda > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > > > Message: 3 > > Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 02:28:28 +0000 > > From: barb kirchner <[email protected]> > > To: <[email protected]> > > Subject: Re: [Callers] Heys for new dancers > > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > > > > > any dance that has good "flow" is going to be easier for dancers, old and > > new. when you find them, you keep them - because they work. > > > > > > Message: 4 > > Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:45:49 -0500 > > From: Robert Golder <[email protected]> > > To: Caller's discussion list <[email protected]> > > Subject: Re: [Callers] Heys for new dancers > > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > > > If there is a "standard" in hey dances, then Flirtation Reel is the gold > > standard. It is a perfect blend of aesthetics and ergonomics. It works > > because the body WANTS to go in the right direction, and the soul follows. > > > > I have just returned from calling a little community dance of 1/3 > > experienced dancers and 2/3 beginners, much as Linda described. Of course > > we danced Flirtation Reel. Committed to memory for use at a moment's > > notice, Flirtation Reel is at the top of my list of dances that are > > accessible to newcomers, but reward my experienced folks on the floor for > > hanging in there. ... Bob > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
