I just wanted to also say that I really like the additions Brooke contributed.
Julian Western Mass On Mon, Apr 17, 2023, 4:23 PM Brooke Friendly <[email protected]> wrote: > > Most of my experience with this comes from the ECD world rather than > contra. That said... > > 1. As a caller, I teach to who is there regardless of how the dance is > advertised. This means flexibility, ability to shift expectations, shift my > program, work on my patience. Sometimes this means for a particular dance, > from the mic I invite 'if you are new or struggled with the last dance, > you'll have more fun watching this next one' and follow it by an easy > dance. I may also need to encourage attitude adjustment if the 'advanced' > dancers are being cranky (lots of ways to do this, not going to take > the time right now). And, there are lots of ways to have an 'advanced' > dance. Complicated choreography is one. Less teaching/prompting is another. > Offering things such as (usually easy) no walk through dances is another. > Relatively accessible dances with extra time to teach dancing well is > another. > > 2. As organizers, what do you do to try and keep your advanced sessions... > advanced? > I'm with Julian on being against kicking people out. It is not the kind of > community I want, can backfire in a big way, and make people really > unhappy. I hadn't thought about the economic injustice aspect of it, so > thanks for that. > I'm also fine with having advanced dances. And the messaging needs to be > super clear. I wouldn't use words like 'advanced' or 'experienced' but > rather outline the skills needed and the expectations, e.g., comfort with > the following figures (ability to just do them), ability to recover > quickly, ability to learn quickly, ability to dance without > prompting...whatever your group decides are the features for the dance. > Perhaps say what will and won't be taught, one walkthrough only with > rolling start... > And not everyone will get the message. That's life. > > 3. As dancers (/organizers/callers), how do we elevate the dance level of > our local communities? > Practice kindness, teach/model attitude of 'mistakes are awesome - it's > how you learn, it can lead to laughter if you let it', teach/model recovery > skills. > Add skills workshops into the mix. Fun for skilled, unskilled, > experienced, inexperienced dancers. Can be a special session prior to dance > (or the first X amount of time of a regular dance) or at a special > time/place. Can be about figures, social skills, dancing well... > In my mind, part of being an advanced dancer is the ability and joyful > attitude to dance with anyone regardless of skill or expectation of why you > came. That is another skill to teach. > > Brooke Friendly > Ashland OR > > > On Mon, Apr 17, 2023 at 12:42 PM jim saxe via Contra Callers < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> You can hear some thoughts from sixty years ago relating to topics in >> this thread in this recording of a 1962 Q&A session with the late great >> square dance caller Ed Gilmore: >> >> http://squaredancehistory.com/items/show/702 >> >> You might start by listening for a few minutes beginning from 17:53. >> >> The early MWSD scene that Ed was involved with had some differences from >> our current contradance culture, including structure of clubs and classes >> among other things, so some things Ed says may not translate directly. >> Nonetheless, I believe Ed was a keen observer and an insightful thinker and >> worthy of a listen. >> >> --Jim >> (Santa Clara, CA) >> >> > On Apr 17, 2023, at 9:57 AM, Julian Blechner via Contra Callers < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> > >> > I've given this some thought. I've been a dancer in this situation, and >> heard other organizers ask this question. >> > >> > I don't like the idea of asking someone to leave. I do think this is >> antithetical to my values as a dance organizer. >> > >> > I don't like the idea of gatekeeping and presuming I know how well a >> person may succeed not - especially since contra is a team sport. >> > >> > I also want to raise the idea of economic injustice - many folks >> carpool, or, in NYC it may be a pain to get to a location - even by mass >> transit a new person could really need the help of a friend. Especially if >> it's a person from out of town; having lived in and around NYC for a >> decade, it can be _daunting_. So I can totally see some experienced dancers >> wanting to bring a friend, and having them come later is not an option. >> Forcing them to come later may be easier for folks with financial means, >> which is why I'm saying this may touch on an issue of economic justice and >> privilege. >> > >> > An alternative I might have - and, totally with the benefit of >> hindsight and reflection: >> > >> > I think if I'm in this situation in the future, I will do the following: >> > 1. Caution the dancer of the expected skill level. >> > 2. Offer them to sit and enjoy the music for free / donation instead of >> required entry fee. >> > 3. Recommend that if they're set on trying it out, to do so, but if >> they're not getting it, come hang out and stay, with fee refunded. (Like a >> satisfaction guarantee.) >> > >> > Ideally, if they do stay and sit, some dancers will need breaks and sit >> with them and make them feel welcome. >> > >> > In dance, >> > Julian Blechner >> > >> > >> > >> > On Sun, Apr 16, 2023, 9:50 PM Maia McCormick via Contra Callers < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> > I attended an advanced dance this afternoon that was intermediate at >> best, and had a few raw beginners in there, and it got me wondering: >> > >> > 1. As callers, what do you do when a bunch of intermediate and/or >> beginner dancers show up to an advanced session? >> > 2. As organizers, what do you do to try and keep your advanced >> sessions... advanced? (Either in messaging or at the dance itself?) >> Obviously I'm not advocating for kicking anyone out, but if a bunch of >> newbies show up at an advanced session, both they and the dancers who came >> for gnarly stuff are going to have a less-than-ideal time. >> > 3. As dancers (/organizers/callers), how do we elevate the dance level >> of our local communities? I'm talking about increasing familiarity with >> some of the less common moves (contracorners, left hand chains, etc.) but >> also about building awareness of the dance and recovery skills, and >> technical things like giving satisfying weight, swinging correctly, guiding >> linemates into the next figure, etc. >> > >> > I welcome any thoughts and musings! >> > >> > Cheers, >> > Maia (Brooklyn, NY) >> > -- >> > Maia McCormick (she/her) >> > 917.279.8194 >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] >> > To unsubscribe send an email to >> [email protected] >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] >> > To unsubscribe send an email to >> [email protected] >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] >> To unsubscribe send an email to >> [email protected] >> >
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