I would like to associate myself with Rich's sentiments here:
On 3/3/16 10:28 AM, Rich Sbardella via Callers wrote:
Although I have had many good nights as a square dance and/or contra
dance caller, My best gigs are often one night stands/party dances.
It is a thrill to see non dancers learn to move with the phtrase of
music and see those great smiles when they succeed. 40-100 people are
a good size for such a gig, and great music is always a plus. Success
is much more important than challenge.
Most of these parties are for a "community" that is already
established, so the dancers are already among friends. I am simply
bringing them a new, and joyful, way to interact.
No matter what kind of venue I call, a good way for me to judge a good
dance is to look at how many dancers stick around to the end.
Rich Sbardella
Stafford, CT
The kind of gig that makes me feel like I'm bringing new good into the
world is this kind of gig, which for me is usually more often people
with some kind of historical interest (Civil War, Regency, academics at
the Dickens Universe conference). Get people who think they can't dance
to try it and enjoy it - I feel like that's fulfilling my mission.
That's sometimes hard work - and in some ways easy, because you don't
have to make up a new program for every gig - and it requires close
engagement with the crowd and continual attention, but is' quite rewarding.
On an entirely different front, I've had some pretty great nights
leading English with great bands whose strengths I know when I make the
program / pick the tunes and when I know what level the dancers will be
at and push them just enough; there's a huge collective high and I've
also gotten to deploy all my artistic judgment and make an evening
that's just how I wanted it - I had the fun of planning a menu with an
intention to delight and watching the meal get eaten.
I've also really enjoyed leading contras for mixed crowds where the more
experienced dancers were good at sweeping in the newcomers. Doing that
kind of a night where the music's good and communication with the band
is easy and my read of the floor is really working - it kind of feels
like Mickey Mouse in "Sorceror's Apprentice" before he realizes he
doesn't know how to stop the brooms from carrying water, during the
early euphoria.
But those things - dances for dance hobbyists - while I think valuable,
are mostly helping people have a kind of fun they already know they want
to have. They're fun to do and fun to plan, but I don't think they're
as big a contribution to general happiness as the dances for non-dancers.
-- Alan
