> "If anyone wants to discuss the ways callers...and others can lead,
I would
love to have such a thread."
Although we might not all agree on what is acceptable dancer behavior, do you
have more ideas for callers and organizers, perhaps a list of what has worked
for you to make your dances more inclusive and friendly to all.
In my beginner sessions I make a point of demonstrating how to ask
someone to dance. A lot of new dancers may not have done this since
high school or earlier, and it's a very different ball of worms at a
contra dance. It can be super simple (offer a hand, raise the eyebrows)
or you can say "would you like to dance?" But it doesn't have to be a
big deal. That can take some learning, so I like to give folks a head
start on that very important process. And I describe the overall shape
of the evening as well (when the breaks happens, whether there's a
snack, is there always a polka before the second set...), since it's
nice to have a bit of a clue about how things work. When I'm new at an
event, I really appreciate knowing stuff like that.
Which brings up an important learning opportunity for those of us who
are old hands at contra and may have forgotten what it was like to be
the new kids. Take a night or two and go to something completely alien,
either a really different sort of social dance or a class in something
you really aren't familiar with, and pay attention to what helps you
feel more at home. Is it learning peoples names, or knowing where the
bathroom is, or how the event is structured, or specifics of how you do
the thing you're there to do, or something else entirely? Step outside
your own comfort zone and be a beginner again. It's illuminating, and
you might learn something really cool!
Kalia
