[Callers] RPDLW housing?
Hey caller types-- Any of you going to the RPDLW interested in going in together on housing and or transportation for the weekend? I'm flying in to Boston on Friday afternoon and then driving up, and then will be heading back to Cambridge to call the BIDA dance Sunday night. If so, please email me off list. Thanks! Jack
[Callers] RPDLW
It has been mentioned in previous posts what a great weekend this event is for callers. I hope to see many of you in attendance in January! A few years ago, Chrissy Fowler and I gathered some of our calling and tune books into a collection that was used for a "silent auction" held during the weekend. The funds collected were then donated as a way to help defray costs. Callers at the weekend participated in a significant way so that we were able to contribute over $200 to the RPDLW! And we have decided to do it again. If you will be at the weekend, and would like to donate some books, CDs, or other interesting items, please let me know. Please email your reply to me only. Thanks! Linda
Re: [Callers] RPDLW
Cynthia asked about highlights of the Ralph Page weekend and anything in particular that we learned there. One big highlight for me--can one have a small highlight?--was the opportunity to dance again to Tod Whittemore's calling. Within a few minutes of his taking the stage on Friday night, I was remembering why it was so much fun to dance to him. He has a great sense of humor and has a lot of fun on stage; that sense of having a good time spreads throughout the hall. Tod does not call complex dances-- no heys for four on the left diagonal, or multiple Petronella twirls. He sticks with simpler material. As he put it in his callers' workshop: "I'm not Larry Jennings, and I don't think like Larry Jennings. I'd get lost calling some of the more complicated dances." He sticks to simple material that he likes, teaches the dances efficiently, and lets the dancers enjoy the music. He sized up the crowd quickly and called several no-walkthrough squares. Between Tod and Lisa Greenleaf, we did a lot of grand square variations in the course of the weekend, always a crowd pleaser. (Or, stated more specifically, always a crowd pleaser for the crowd at this particular weekend.) In his caller's workshop, Tod was encouraging us to think about why we call. He started by posing five questions: 1. Do you habitually book dances ahead? 2. In a dance hall of six lines across, where would you choose (generally) to dance? 3. What is your most memorable (positive) dance experience? 4. What is your most memorable (positive) calling experience? (Tod then added, "...that had an impact on you as a caller?") 5. When you plan a program, what criteria do you focus on? What are your top three? (Since Tod likes to call singing squares, one of his top three criteria is to be sure to include them in every program.) I'm indebted to David Smukler for keeping track of this information for the syllabus he compiles every year. The syllabus from this year will be posted in about a year at the UNH website, but you can purchase a paper copy from NEFFA before then. They're usually available in time for the NEFFA festival. You can find many more details about Tod's workshop, including many of the answers shared to these questions. Lisa Greenleaf's workshop focused on calling for one night stands; amny callers attended, and the syllabus is full of dance directions for simple dances, in addition to some overall guidelines about programming such events. Another highlight, which I happened to capture on videotape, came on Sunday afternoon, when Tod was calling one of his signature yodeling square dances, Grandma Slid Down the Mountain. He was joined on the yodeling by Bob McQuillen. I'll aim to have footage of that available for viewing at the RPDLW table at NEFFA. David Millstone
[Callers] RPDLW
By the way - I'd love to hear from any of you who DID make it to Ralph Page this year what you highlight was, anything you learned that you'd like to pass along to me (and anyone else) who wasn't able to be there. I will also report that, as a still relatively new and inexperienced caller, I had my first meltdown this past weekend that I DIDN'T have to stop the music but was able to simply give the dancers a heads' up and start calling a much easier dance that most of them knew and even those who didn't could easily pick up without a walk-through (Lady of the Lake - Haymaker's Jig to those of you not from Maine). The result was that at the end, the dancers felt like we'd accomplished a miracle rather than had a failure. Whew! We learn, we grow. It was fun. love, -cynthia
[Callers] RPDLW
By the way - I'd love to hear from any of you who DID make it to Ralph Page this year what you highlight was, anything you learned that you'd like to pass along to me (and anyone else) who wasn't able to be there. I will also report that, as a still relatively new and inexperienced caller, I had my first meltdown this past weekend that I DIDN'T have to stop the music but was able to simply give the dancers a heads' up and start calling a much easier dance that most of them knew and even those who didn't could easily pick up without a walk-through (Lady of the Lake - Haymaker's Jig to those of you not from Maine). The result was that at the end, the dancers felt like we'd accomplished a miracle rather than had a failure. Whew! We learn, we grow. It was fun. love, -cynthia
Re: [Callers] RPDLW - SharedWeight gathering?
On Jan 12, 2006, at 11:55 PM, Chris Weiler wrote: Hello everyone! I guess I should have done this earlier, but I'd be interested in hearing how many people are planning on attending the Ralph Page weekend? I'll be there! I was too late to sign up for the meals, so I can't really set up a lunch gathering. I never buy meals, so maybe we can have a cheapskate SW picnic :-) Maybe people would be interested in gathering at the dining tables downstairs (where people stash their things) during the afternoon session on Saturday (3:30-5:00). This is just after Tod's caller's workshop. Sounds feasible. Lisa Sieverts
[Callers] RPDLW - SharedWeight gathering?
Hello everyone! I guess I should have done this earlier, but I'd be interested in hearing how many people are planning on attending the Ralph Page weekend? If people are interested, I would love to have a SharedWeight get-together. I was too late to sign up for the meals, so I can't really set up a lunch gathering. Maybe people would be interested in gathering at the dining tables downstairs (where people stash their things) during the afternoon session on Saturday (3:30-5:00). This is just after Tod's caller's workshop. For those of you who haven't met me before, there's a picture on my website. You can also spot me because I always wear a tie-dye bandanna as a headband when I'm dancing. 8^) http://www.chrisweiler.ws/ Hope to see everyone there! Chris
