>
> As a musician and a caller, I have mixed feelings on callers jumping
> back in for the last time through. Changing the dance to end with a
> partner swing ("this time, long lines, swing your partner") can be
> nice, but mostly I don't think bringing the calls back in adds very
> little and detracts from the music.
No mixed feelings here - I feel a caller who calls the last time thru for calls
the dancers have already mastered is just flat out ego-tripping. In effect,
they're saying "Remember me, I'm still here - don't forget to applaud for me
too." The main reason bands want 2 or 3 to go out is to build to a satisfying
finish. Most modern bands have learned how to do that so dancers can feel it
coming, and calling over that is at best distracting and at worst disrespectful
for what the band has been working towards all along.
I do change some dances to finish with a partner swing, especially when the
dance has a lot of partner action. But even then, just call the last B2, not
the whole dance. A simple "THIS TIME, go forward and back, and swing" reunites
partners at the end without getting in the band's way. For slots that are
primarily band showcases, such as the last dance of the first half or the last
dance of the night, I'll favor Becket dances that end with a partner swing so
that isn't needed.
If you want to be calling at the end of a dance, call a square. Otherwise, let
the band have the undivided attention of the dancers -
Bob
