Greg's response to this query makes several very interesting points, but
ultimately it comes down to the fact that the caller has a leadership
position in the dance and has to be willing to accept responsibility for
what goes on. The musicians are essential, but they're not in a position
to address most of the problems that might arise. Experienced dancers
can certainly make a dance go more smoothly by making it a point to
dance with newcomers, but as Greg points out, it's the caller that owns
the PA system, and is in a position to see everything going on on the
dance floor, and can thus identify problems before they cause a line to
fall apart.
Whenever I'm asked to do the newcomers instruction (and regardless of
the opinions of others, that 20 - 30 minutes of instruction really is
essential in venues where contra dancing is as alien to some as
untethered spacewalking) I will usually observe that with couples
dancing, if anything goes wrong it's always the man's fault. Even if it
isn't his fault, it's still "always the guy's fault". Since contra is a
community dance, when something goes wrong, it's always the caller's
fault... even when it's not my fault, it's "still my fault". I always
share this information with the dancers in a lighthearted manner, and it
always gets me a laugh, but I make it clear that I'm serious.
I don't want to sound too paternalistic about my role as a caller, but
in many respects calling a contra dance is very much like parenting.
Anyone who's had to escort a group of children, or even more
challenging, a group of teenagers, to some public event knows that you
always have to be prepared to respond quickly to any crisis that might
arise. You can't expect someone else to step in and solve your problem
if, for example, one of the kids in your group has decided to climb over
the wall of the polar bear enclosure. Shit happens. Ultimately it's the
caller who has to be in charge.
Lewis Land
I don’t recall the original source, and I don’t want to encourage the
authoritarian leanings of this list so I won’t try to find it. For me
the principle stands on its own merits. I do recall that many callers
stated this principle as: “It’s always the caller’s fault.” This was to
emphasize that the caller should assume that any misunderstanding is an
error on the caller’s part…not the dancers. It can lower the confidence
of many first-timers if they believe that *they* are the reason
something went wrong, and that anxiety will make it difficult for those
newcomers to follow subsequent instructions. By taking responsibility
for any “mistakes” the caller defuses this anxiety reaction somewhat. I
think most callers, however, assumed that this principle was an
exaggeration intended as a form of humor. This is unfortunate because it
is the most useful framing I know of to cultivate leadership in the
dance community. Note that this maxim also applies to many other roles
where the speaker uses a PA system. Any Master of Ceremonies with
experience will also take full responsibility for what happens in the
hall. In the case of a dance caller, this individual has the added
authority vested in them by the tradition they follow to instruct those
in the room regarding their precise physical movements. This is an
awesome power which can only be wielded effectively when the speaker
also takes responsibility for the hall. Notice that the dance caller: -
is at the front of the room, usually on an elevated platform, where they
can be seen by anyone in the room. - is able to see anyone in the room
from that position. - is using a PA system that effectively makes them
the only one in the room who can project their voice clearly to every
person in the room. - is the only individual in the room who knows the
requirements of the dance, the capabilities of the band, and who also
has a pretty good idea of the capabilities of the dancers. (The caller
knows all of this simultaneously.) The ideal situation is, of course,
when everyone in the hall takes full responsibility for what happens in
the hall. In fact, this is the way collective community dance works! But
the person at the mike is in a unique position. Given the advantaged
position described above it might be well to ask: If the caller is not
willing to take responsibility, then why should anyone else? Karen D.
quoted, from the list archive, the following comments on what the caller
is probably NOT responsible for. Yet these are excellent examples of
challenges a caller can address by personally owning the problem. Here
are some of my thoughts just off the top of my head. (And these
responses must come off the top of your head when any emergency presents
itself.) The “wonderful dance community” frame is your best resource in
an emergency: I can stop and re-start the band several times, but it's
not my "full
