Jim said:
"I think there's more to it than using up a bit of energy. John had also shown
the dancers (not merely told/lectured them) that he had something to offer that
was fun. I think that could have done at least a little toward making them
willing to attend to whatever he was about to present next (which is not to say
that the chance to let off some steam mightn't also have helped).
[John, do you agree?]"
Hi Jim,
Yes, I am sure that helped. The crowd were foreign language students -
probably 18-22 year olds. Most were from Eastern Europe. The college had
organised a Saint Patrick's night dance and provided lots of green hats and
other paraphernalia. None of them had the slightest idea what this about or
what the dancing was like. There was no chance of communicating so I just
called, "Hold Hands, Circle Left" and started doing that with the ones near me.
Lots joined in. Using a wireless head microphone helps a lot in these
situations. I made no attempt at this stage to teach them anything, not even
the concept of a partner. We just danced, circling and galloping. That lead
into a Grand March. My wife, Karen, helps me with the demos and that is very
useful too. We dance in the middle when necessary so that everyone can just
copy us. We skip, they skip. Lead by example.
I used modern up-beat music (folk-rock) that made them want to move
their feet - that is important too. I turn the music up loud. They start
grooving to it and stop talking. I turn the music off and there is a brief
silence where I can get their attention.
So, yes, by the end of those first two dances they now had some idea of
what it was all about and they knew what a partner was - gender was never
mentioned. I am sure you are right, Jim, they were having fun, so when I
started teaching the next dance they wanted to know how to do it so that they
could have more fun, and I got their attention. We even got them dancing heys.
I remember because every time I called, Hey" they all shouted "Hey" in unison
- spontaneous and great fun!
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England [email protected] 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
