Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom

[Dan Pearl]

Arms folded in dosidos?  I don't "correct" it for three reasons:

1. I don't want to undermine the kids' model of what this dancing is all about. 
 In other words, I don't want the message to be "if you are doing THIS, then 
you are wrong". 


2. The folding of their arms keeps the kids from confusing the movement with 
any number of other movements that do use hands/arms, and that's a win in my 
book.

3. Unless they are doing a demo where uniformity counts for something, IT 
DOESN'T MATTER!  In picking my battles, this one is way, way down on the list!

Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom

[Delia Clark]

Hi Sue,
I did a wonderfully fun artist-in-residency project for two days with a local 
elementary school last spring, working with a few folks from our house band 
(fiddle, guitar and accordion), though a single fiddle would have been fine - 
I've done that with school groups too.  It's a small school so we doubled up 
grades: k-1, 2-3, 4-5 and I got to work with each group for almost an hour and 
a half each day, then on the evening of the second day there was a school-wide 
festival, which included a short dance featuring the dances I had taught the 
kids, and our full band came to play.  The idea was that the kids would spread 
themselves out and help their parents/aunts/uncles/grandparents and older 
siblings to learn the dances.  It was a complete blast.  

I ended up choosing Virginia Reel, Haste to the Wedding, and Simple Square, 
plus I taught them all to waltz.  There's hardly a cuter sight than 
kindergarteners waltzing with each other, and they REALLY got into it, many of 
them becoming quite accomplished!  For waltzing, I completely played down the 
boy/girl thing and just said to choose anyone (including teachers!), and 
switched partners often, but I did teach the ballroom position as an option, 
after mastering just holding two hands.  The other three dances were all 
accessible to the full range of K-5, especially because I encouraged them to 
dance with people from other grades, or their family members, at the big 
evening dance. 

I, too, really recommend the New England Dancing Masters series, books and CDs. 
 We have a kids/family dance every month and I've found those to be hugely 
useful. The three books/CDs I use by far the most are Chimes of Dunkirk, Listen 
to the Mockingbird, and Sashay the Donut as I prefer these to the games.  I 
just called the dance, Sashay the Donut, Friday night, in fact, to a group 
including wee 4 year olds and a somewhat disabled grandparent and they were all 
beaming - it just took a little longer!

Good luck and, mainly, have fun!
Delia


On May 18, 2013, at 4:03 PM, Sue Robishaw wrote:

> Hi,
>I've been asked to teach some dances in a local elementary school. It 
> would be grade by grade. Any suggestions/advice? I've called Family Dances 
> but not schools and am a bit hesitant. I'll have a fiddler for music.
>Thanks for any help!
>Sue Robishaw, U.P. of Michigan
> ___
> Callers mailing list
> call...@sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers


<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>

Delia Clark
PO Box 45
Taftsville, VT 05073
802-457-2075
deliacla...@gmail.com

Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom

[David Harding]

Be sure you understand the teachers'/school's goals in the venture. Are 
they adding some variety to a unit on pioneers?  Are they doing a 
physical education unit on dance?  Do they have some time to kill and 
they want a day without making lesson plans?  If there is a specific 
educational goal, think about how to tie in your commentary.  For 
example, many of them will have read "Little House in the Big Woods", 
with its dance scene.


If you are teaching squares, remember that they are unforgiving in the 
number of dancers, and regardless of class size, you can't count on 
every student to show up.  That means you have to be prepared for 
flexibility.  Perhaps a few parents could be dragged in to fill out the 
squares as needed.


The Lloyd Shaw Foundation (http://www.lloydshaw.org/) has excellent 
materials for teaching traditional dance in schools.


On 5/18/2013 3:03 PM, Sue Robishaw wrote:

Hi,
I've been asked to teach some dances in a local elementary school. 
It would be grade by grade. Any suggestions/advice? I've called Family 
Dances but not schools and am a bit hesitant. I'll have a fiddler for 
music.

Thanks for any help!
Sue Robishaw, U.P. of Michigan
___
Callers mailing list
call...@sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom

[barbara153]

when I teach DSD I say "face your Nbr pass right shoulders,back-to-back, left 
shoulders right back to where you started. Never have a problem with people 
using their elbows like in 4th grade.  If so, I tell them we don't use elbows 
in contra and they get it.

Barbara G
Toms River, NJ


-Original Message-
From: Ric Goldman (letsdance) <letsda...@rgoldman.org>
To: 'Caller's discussion list' <call...@sharedweight.net>; kyrmyt 
<kyr...@cotse.net>
Sent: Sat, May 18, 2013 4:40 pm
Subject: Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom


It seems to be national - I've used it is in the south and west coast as well, 
although usually I have to explain "we are no longer
in old country" for those inculcated with the folded-arms version so popular in 
grade school.  :-)

Thanx, Ric

> -Original Message-
> From: callers-boun...@sharedweight.net 
> [mailto:callers-boun...@sharedweight.net] 
On Behalf Of Donald Perley
> Sent: Saturday, May 18, 2013 4:23 PM
> To: kyr...@cotse.net; Caller's discussion list
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom
> 
> On of my co-callers when teaching at our dance always refers to
> do-si-do as "just like you learned in 4th grade" and most do remember
> that one move.  Maybe a New England thing?  Anyway, you can drive that
> tradition of adults remembering do-si-do.
> 
> On Sat, May 18, 2013 at 4:18 PM, Hanny Budnick <kyr...@cotse.net> wrote:
> > Even if for you personally it may be a steep learning curve beforehand...
> > Consider using singing games/playparties instead.
> > Hanny, Danzmeestersche
> >
> >
> > ___
> > Callers mailing list
> > call...@sharedweight.net
> > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> ___
> Callers mailing list
> call...@sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

___
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Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom

[Colin Hume]

On Sat, 18 May 2013 16:40:00 -0400, Ric Goldman \(letsdance\) wrote:
> It seems to be national

No, it's international - probably happens every time I call a Barn
Dance.  I tell them "The only people who fold their arms in a do-si-do
these days are school-teachers" - that usually stops it!

Colin Hume

Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom

[Rich Goss]

New England Dancing Masters has some great resources for teaching children.  I 
called a dance at a local elementary once and used some of their material.

 http://www.dancingmasters.com/

Rich

As far as that arms folded dosido.   I usually say "that's from the musical 
Oklahoma, and we're not IN Oklahoma". Gets a laugh and nips that one in the 
bud.  No offense to my Okie friends.

On May 18, 2013, at 1:03 PM, Sue Robishaw  wrote:

> Hi,
>I've been asked to teach some dances in a local elementary school. It 
> would be grade by grade. Any suggestions/advice? I've called Family Dances 
> but not schools and am a bit hesitant. I'll have a fiddler for music.
>Thanks for any help!
>Sue Robishaw, U.P. of Michigan
> ___
> Callers mailing list
> call...@sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom

[Bill Olson]

If folding arms gets them to dance don't try to "unlearn it" at a school.. What 
the heck, it means they actually "learned" some dancing at one point. It would 
only happen if someone else taught them that before.. sometimes they do dancing 
in gym class.. This is more often to happen in a family dance with all ages.. I 
often joke they don't have to cross their arms like they were "Russian 
Cossacks" but if they want to what the heck..


bill

> From: letsda...@rgoldman.org
> To: call...@sharedweight.net; kyr...@cotse.net
> Date: Sat, 18 May 2013 16:40:00 -0400
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom
> 
> It seems to be national - I've used it is in the south and west coast as 
> well, although usually I have to explain "we are no longer
> in old country" for those inculcated with the folded-arms version so popular 
> in grade school.  :-)
> 
> Thanx, Ric
> 
> > -Original Message-
> > From: callers-boun...@sharedweight.net 
> > [mailto:callers-boun...@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Donald Perley
> > Sent: Saturday, May 18, 2013 4:23 PM
> > To: kyr...@cotse.net; Caller's discussion list
> > Subject: Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom
> > 
> > On of my co-callers when teaching at our dance always refers to
> > do-si-do as "just like you learned in 4th grade" and most do remember
> > that one move.  Maybe a New England thing?  Anyway, you can drive that
> > tradition of adults remembering do-si-do.
> > 
> > On Sat, May 18, 2013 at 4:18 PM, Hanny Budnick <kyr...@cotse.net> wrote:
> > > Even if for you personally it may be a steep learning curve beforehand...
> > > Consider using singing games/playparties instead.
> > > Hanny, Danzmeestersche
> > >
> > >
> > > ___
> > > Callers mailing list
> > > call...@sharedweight.net
> > > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> > ___
> > Callers mailing list
> > call...@sharedweight.net
> > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> 
> ___
> Callers mailing list
> call...@sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
  

Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom

[Ric Goldman (letsdance)]

It seems to be national - I've used it is in the south and west coast as well, 
although usually I have to explain "we are no longer
in old country" for those inculcated with the folded-arms version so popular in 
grade school.  :-)

Thanx, Ric

> -Original Message-
> From: callers-boun...@sharedweight.net 
> [mailto:callers-boun...@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Donald Perley
> Sent: Saturday, May 18, 2013 4:23 PM
> To: kyr...@cotse.net; Caller's discussion list
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom
> 
> On of my co-callers when teaching at our dance always refers to
> do-si-do as "just like you learned in 4th grade" and most do remember
> that one move.  Maybe a New England thing?  Anyway, you can drive that
> tradition of adults remembering do-si-do.
> 
> On Sat, May 18, 2013 at 4:18 PM, Hanny Budnick <kyr...@cotse.net> wrote:
> > Even if for you personally it may be a steep learning curve beforehand...
> > Consider using singing games/playparties instead.
> > Hanny, Danzmeestersche
> >
> >
> > ___
> > Callers mailing list
> > call...@sharedweight.net
> > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
> ___
> Callers mailing list
> call...@sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom

[Aahz Maruch]

On Sat, May 18, 2013, Sue Robishaw wrote:
>
> I've been asked to teach some dances in a local elementary school. It
> would be grade by grade. Any suggestions/advice? I've called Family
> Dances but not schools and am a bit hesitant. I'll have a fiddler for
> music.

My mother used to teach some basic folk dancing in elementary school,
the only thing I remember her doing was Virginia Reel, so something around
that level of complexity should be fine (4th/5th grade).
-- 
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6http://rule6.info/
  <*>   <*>   <*>
Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html

Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom

[Donald Perley]

On of my co-callers when teaching at our dance always refers to
do-si-do as "just like you learned in 4th grade" and most do remember
that one move.  Maybe a New England thing?  Anyway, you can drive that
tradition of adults remembering do-si-do.

On Sat, May 18, 2013 at 4:18 PM, Hanny Budnick  wrote:
> Even if for you personally it may be a steep learning curve beforehand...
> Consider using singing games/playparties instead.
> Hanny, Danzmeestersche
>
>
> ___
> Callers mailing list
> call...@sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

Re: [Callers] Teaching in Classroom

[Hanny Budnick]

Even if for you personally it may be a steep learning curve beforehand... 
Consider using singing games/playparties instead.

Hanny, Danzmeestersche

[Callers] Teaching in Classroom

[Sue Robishaw]

Hi,
I've been asked to teach some dances in a local elementary school. It would 
be grade by grade. Any suggestions/advice? I've called Family Dances but not 
schools and am a bit hesitant. I'll have a fiddler for music.
Thanks for any help!
Sue Robishaw, U.P. of Michigan