Hi Greg, Thanks for replying. Thoughts in-line.
With the address of "contraron" I'm going to assume that you are talking > about a regularly scheduled contra dance series that is open to the > public. (I really appreciate when posters make the context of their post > clear. There are a lot of different kinds of callers on this list and what > works in one setting may be inappropriate in another. We need to know what > we are talking about to have a useful discussion.) > Sorry, yes. (Most of the posts I see on Shared Weight are about that, so I didn't think to explicitly state.) > Circle mixers can certainly play a role at open, public contra dances but > your comment seems to make some assumptions about the dancers and the local > dance culture. Are you using any strategies or techniques--other than > mixers--to integrate first-timers into the hall? > Yes, usually the common things: - Beginner's lesson - Playing Maitre d and approaching and welcoming new dancers - Programming an evening with an appropriate progression of difficulty - Participating in discussions with dance organizers about how they welcome new dancers That last point is an entire (and huge) discussion itself; it's clear that different dances have different expectations on how to treat beginners. > Your comment assumes that at least some of the newcomers will not be aware > of the tradition of switching partners after each dance and that the > regulars will not take any action to proactively integrate these folks. > Correct, yes. As a dancer, I might notice that a couple has danced together a few times, but usually that observation wouldn't be able to happen until at least 4-5 dances into the evening, at earliest. If I had a chance to bump into them at break, or shared a hands-4 with them, I might encourage them to try different partners in some way, but ... that's just a chance. I view the caller, dance organizers, and the door volunteers as the primary deliverers of dance etiquette and expectations, at least as far as *verbally* goes. From a new dancer's perspective, they may notice that people are swapping partners, but they may either / both feel too shy to ask, or they may just assume that everyone knows everyone. In many dances I've visited, the latter can be definitely true. > When I call at public contra dances I always follow each dance with the > instruction: "Please find a new partner and form ___ contra dance lines." > Yes, definitely! I notice the callers who do and don't do that. I always appreciate when I hear things in between dances, like, "find someone who's been sitting out and ask them to dance" or "find someone you haven't danced with tonight ..." > I use the optional newcomers orientation, explicit instructions, careful > programming, clear and precise calling, as well as many implied messages to > make it clear that integration of first-timers is not only essential but > also fun. *nods* > Very rarely I will see a couple of first-timers dancing > exclusively with each other. That's interesting. My experience dancing has been that couples who come together - at least where *both* are new dancers - may do this *more* frequently than not. It's not surprising, if only because there are a lot of introverted contra dancers, and a room full of strangers is daunting to many people. > But this occurs only after they have ignored > multiple explicit and implied instructions and have fended off several > attempts by regulars to partner with them. That's really interesting. I have seen that before, and my observation aligns with yours - it's rare. And curious. > In that case I will intervene > myself, personally, on the dance floor, approach the couple, and explain > the nature of our dance event. That has always had the desired effect. > I'd love to hear if you have a particular way of saying this; this seems like a sensitive topic possibly. Integration of newcomers is at the heart of these open, public social > events. And yet, sadly, I see dances that are cliquey. I also see dances where the regulars are introverted and even new people are out of their comfort zone. But, agree overall, definitely - and when I'd use a mixer would depend on the venue. > I do use mixers occasionally, but tend to reserve them for other > types of events. Weddings, family dances, etc? > If I do use a mixer at an open, public contra dance I > take care to announce it well in advance. I do this because an unexpected > mixer will derail the efforts of regulars to partner with first-timers. That's an excellent point - I did remember to specifically mention that the next dance would be a mixer. > I > want to encourage the integration efforts of the regulars so I warn them of > an upcoming mixer to facilitate their cooperation. > *nods* -Ron
