Re: [Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?

[Richard Fischer]

I'd like to echo what Mac has said, and give an example. The late Culver 
Griffin once showed up unexpectedly at a contra dance I was leading, with a 
mixed crowd including some adults and children new to dancing. I asked if he 
would call a dance and he began teaching a square, including a grand square 
figure. Hmm, I said to myself, I wouldn't have chose grand square, would take 
me too long to teach and I'd only expect a 50% success rate. Culver, however, 
took very little time to teach it, and had a 100% success rate. What was his 
teaching secret?  As far as I could tell, his confident, cheerful and 
authoritative voice, and that mysterious creation of trust and communication of 
character that removed all doubt and hesitancy from the dancers.  Definitely 
something for me to aspire to!

Richard

On Apr 12, 2011, at 7:31 PM, Richard Mckeever wrote:

> Can I offer another 2 cents worth?
> 
> Every notice how when we have one of the great callers - the dancers listen 
> to 
> every words and follow the directions more readily?  That is not an accident 
> - 
> but a real skill.  Everything they say is important - even if they are just 
> thanking the sound guy.  They sound natural and sincere.  There is no idle 
> chat 
> or filler.  Confidence is very high.  Often you feel like they are talking 
> directly to you 1-1.  This lets them 'get away' with shortened teaching 
> intervals and more successful dances while complimenting and encouraging the 
> dancers.  These callers just make me feel better.
> 
> Not sure how to make that happen - but pay attention next time you are 
> privileged to dance to one of the top callers.
> 
> Example - one square I like to call is the Chinese Fan. I have not found an 
> effective way to teach it and usually struggle through a couple tries until I 
> think everyone has the basic idea.  I have listened to Kathy Anderson teach 
> this 
> several times (once I asked her to call the dance just so I could observe her 
> teaching).  She gives a couple quick directions that would never work if I 
> did 
> it and suddenly everyone is ready to dance - and I still haven't figured it 
> out.
> 
> Mac
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> From: Greg McKenzie <greken...@gmail.com>
> To: Caller's discussion list <call...@sharedweight.net>
> Sent: Mon, April 11, 2011 10:27:12 AM
> Subject: Re: [Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?
> 
> What kind of calling?
> 
> You pose a good question.  The answer, however, depends on the kind of venue
> being discussed.  I see at least three different calling venues that require
> very different skills:
> 
> 1. Gatherings of dance enthusiasts: Festivals, dance camps, and other
> special events that are frequented almost entirely by dance enthusiasts.
> 
> 2. Regularly scheduled open, public contra dances where first-timers are
> encouraged to attend without separate training.
> 
> 3. Private "barn dance" events where few, if any, of the participants are
> dance enthusiasts.
> 
> A caller may be a "great" caller at one of these kinds of venues while being
> a poor caller at another.  The criteria for "greatness" at each type of
> venue are very different.
> 
> - Greg McKenzie
> 
> ***
> 
> On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 1:13 AM, Will Kruse <sidew...@wcrews.net> wrote:
> 
>> Hello from Seattle!  I'd love to hear your thoughts on what separates
>> good callers from great callers?  Is it their selections of dances?
>> That they call their own dances?  Their ability to compose an evening
>> of dancing?  Their personal charm?  Their connection with the band?
>> Their intimate knowledge of how the dance, the music, and the dancers
>> all flow together?
>> 
>> I'm especially interested to hear from dance organizers what they look
>> for when they consider booking a caller?  I suspect this second
>> question may have a separate answer from the first :-)
>> 
>> Curiosity abounds as my mind begins to explore the calling space :-)
>> 
>> Will "now, from Seattle!" Kruse
>> ___
>> 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] What makes a caller a great caller?

[Richard Mckeever]

Can I offer another 2 cents worth?

Every notice how when we have one of the great callers - the dancers listen to 
every words and follow the directions more readily?  That is not an accident - 
but a real skill.  Everything they say is important - even if they are just 
thanking the sound guy.  They sound natural and sincere.  There is no idle chat 
or filler.  Confidence is very high.  Often you feel like they are talking 
directly to you 1-1.  This lets them 'get away' with shortened teaching 
intervals and more successful dances while complimenting and encouraging the 
dancers.  These callers just make me feel better.

Not sure how to make that happen - but pay attention next time you are 
privileged to dance to one of the top callers.

Example - one square I like to call is the Chinese Fan. I have not found an 
effective way to teach it and usually struggle through a couple tries until I 
think everyone has the basic idea.  I have listened to Kathy Anderson teach 
this 
several times (once I asked her to call the dance just so I could observe her 
teaching).  She gives a couple quick directions that would never work if I did 
it and suddenly everyone is ready to dance - and I still haven't figured it out.

Mac





From: Greg McKenzie <greken...@gmail.com>
To: Caller's discussion list <call...@sharedweight.net>
Sent: Mon, April 11, 2011 10:27:12 AM
Subject: Re: [Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?

What kind of calling?

You pose a good question.  The answer, however, depends on the kind of venue
being discussed.  I see at least three different calling venues that require
very different skills:

1. Gatherings of dance enthusiasts: Festivals, dance camps, and other
special events that are frequented almost entirely by dance enthusiasts.

2. Regularly scheduled open, public contra dances where first-timers are
encouraged to attend without separate training.

3. Private "barn dance" events where few, if any, of the participants are
dance enthusiasts.

A caller may be a "great" caller at one of these kinds of venues while being
a poor caller at another.  The criteria for "greatness" at each type of
venue are very different.

- Greg McKenzie

***

On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 1:13 AM, Will Kruse <sidew...@wcrews.net> wrote:

> Hello from Seattle!  I'd love to hear your thoughts on what separates
> good callers from great callers?  Is it their selections of dances?
> That they call their own dances?  Their ability to compose an evening
> of dancing?  Their personal charm?  Their connection with the band?
> Their intimate knowledge of how the dance, the music, and the dancers
> all flow together?
>
> I'm especially interested to hear from dance organizers what they look
> for when they consider booking a caller?  I suspect this second
> question may have a separate answer from the first :-)
>
> Curiosity abounds as my mind begins to explore the calling space :-)
>
> Will "now, from Seattle!" Kruse
> ___
> 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] What makes a caller a great caller?

[Greg McKenzie]

Keith wrote:
>-Greg is right, some criteria are level-dependent.

I want to clarify the cognitive frame I am using here.  I see these
different venues as having very different purposes and the caller has a very
different role in each one.  The "level" of calling ability, in my framing,
would not correlate with the "level" of dancing experience of the
participants.  On the contrary, I see calling at dance enthusiast gatherings
to require the lowest level of calling expertise.  Calling for dance
enthusiasts is an easy gig.  Calling at a venue that attracts almost
entirely dance enthusiasts has its own challenges, but the real challenge of
contra dance calling is at the open, public contra dance event where
first-timers are welcomed without separate instruction.

My measure of a great contra dance caller is how well they handle an open
event with 15% first-timers in attendance.  These events are the heart and
soul of contra dance, and they define the tradition.  In this public venue
the caller’s first priority should be to integrate the newcomers into the
community.  A great caller is one who can integrate newcomers
seamlessly—with short walk-throughs and smooth transitions into dancing to
live music.  When a great caller is calling at an open public contra dance
all first-timers are immediately partnered with more experienced dancers and
the regulars look forward to dancing with newcomers because they recognize
that the caller knows how to make that experience exciting, easy, and fun
for everyone.


The great caller will give the regulars an important and satisfying role to
play in partnering with newcomers and guiding them through the moves—without
verbal teaching.  Instead, the great caller will allow the regulars to
“show” the newcomers all of the details they need to know.  The great caller
will integrate the music into the teaching so that the first-timers will be
amazed at how quickly they are able to begin dancing to exciting live music.
The regulars will take delight in seeing the excitement and discovery in the
faces of the first-timers.


When a great caller calls an open public contra dance there will never be a
“center line syndrome.”  The atmosphere will be cordial, welcoming,
generous, and joyful.  In fact, a “center line syndrome” is, by this
framing, a clear symptom of poor calling.


Calling at a “one night stand” or at an exclusive event for dance
enthusiasts are both challenging gigs in their own right.  The important
thing is to recognize that there is a big difference in the skill set
required for calling at each kind of event as well as the frame the caller
should be using at the event.  A full discussion of the skills, strategies,
and framings required to manifest the above vision would be very helpful.


--Greg McKenzie



On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 8:27 AM, Greg McKenzie  wrote:

> What kind of calling?
>
> You pose a good question.  The answer, however, depends on the kind of
> venue being discussed.  I see at least three different calling venues that
> require very different skills:
>
> 1. Gatherings of dance enthusiasts: Festivals, dance camps, and other
> special events that are frequented almost entirely by dance enthusiasts.
>
> 2. Regularly scheduled open, public contra dances where first-timers are
> encouraged to attend without separate training.
>
> 3. Private "barn dance" events where few, if any, of the participants are
> dance enthusiasts.
>
> A caller may be a "great" caller at one of these kinds of venues while
> being a poor caller at another.  The criteria for "greatness" at each type
> of venue are very different.
>
> - Greg McKenzie
>
> ***
>
> On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 1:13 AM, Will Kruse  wrote:
>
>> Hello from Seattle!  I'd love to hear your thoughts on what separates
>> good callers from great callers?  Is it their selections of dances?
>> That they call their own dances?  Their ability to compose an evening
>> of dancing?  Their personal charm?  Their connection with the band?
>> Their intimate knowledge of how the dance, the music, and the dancers
>> all flow together?
>>
>> I'm especially interested to hear from dance organizers what they look
>> for when they consider booking a caller?  I suspect this second
>> question may have a separate answer from the first :-)
>>
>> Curiosity abounds as my mind begins to explore the calling space :-)
>>
>> Will "now, from Seattle!" Kruse
>> ___
>> Callers mailing list
>> call...@sharedweight.net
>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>>
>
>

Re: [Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?

[Keith Tuxhorn]

Cooperation. Creativity. Clarity.

-Barb's right, the band will be the arbiter of how well the dance turns out.
Grant's replly might be flippant, but it's largely true. But the question is
what makes the caller great...

-Talking to the band ahead of time. I've worked with bands that want my
program 10 days before the show so they can work through tunes. But at least
have a pre-show discussion about your needs and  your program, and needs
from their end. Also, talk to the dance organizers early about their group,
needs, quirks, dance hall, etc. You're working for them.

-Creativity includes the idea of improvisation. Make a good program. Don't
make a program that only has the moves you like. Mix it up with different
stuff. You're there to serve the dancers, not the other way around. Give
them an evening filled with nice little surprises. And have your
planned/hoped-for program ready, as well as at least a half- program of
easier dances and 3-4 additional harder dances than what your program
features.

-I've learned a lot about calling from Joseph Pimentel, and perhaps his best
message is to teach using as few syllables as you possibly can. To do that,
you have to practice calling, and choosing just the right words to use, and
the most effective order to say them in. Less words from the caller forces
dancers to pay better attention.

-Mac is right with the latter part of his criteria... A good caller is "into
it"--following and enjoying the band, watching the dancers and enjoying
their fun (while still calling when needed!), and staying in the moment
yourself and enjoying everything around you. If the crowd can see you with
them in their enjoyment, it adds a level of fun for everyone... Jokes are
not a requirement, sincere happiness is.

-Greg is right, some criteria are level-dependent. I'd judge someone calling
a ONS more on how accessibly they design their program, in order to keep
everyone dancing At a dance weekend I'm watching for a better variety of
dances.

Re: your question on hiring. I'm currently a booker here in central TX. Even
with a fairly active dance scene in the four big TX towns, our dance
planning for dances on every-other-weekend fall all too often to "are you
available on this date?" I do an initial screening by not sending invites to
people I know are not impressive to Austin dancers, or to callers who don't
meet a certain level of quality. That level is determined, by, me, using the
criteria I talk about above We don't have nearly the number of callers
(or bands) that you find on the coasts, so our options are somewhat limited.

Keith Tuxhorn
Austin

Re: [Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?

[Jeanette Mill]

Great question Will. My friend Lisa Sieverts summed it up well (and I hope I am 
recalling her words correctly - apologies to Lisa if my memory is not serving 
me 
well) by saying that a caller always needs to be mindful that the dancers are 
there to have FUN! So this needs to be at the core of any decisions regarding 
programming etc. I have lots more thoughts, but thought I would throw this one 
in for now.

Looking forward to reading everyone's replies. 

From Australia
Jeanette Mill
 "The piano - 88 little mistakes waiting to happen." Peter Barnes. 





From: Will Kruse <sidew...@wcrews.net>
To: call...@sharedweight.net
Sent: Mon, 11 April, 2011 6:13:49 PM
Subject: [Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?

Hello from Seattle!  I'd love to hear your thoughts on what separates
good callers from great callers?  Is it their selections of dances?
That they call their own dances?  Their ability to compose an evening
of dancing?  Their personal charm?  Their connection with the band?
Their intimate knowledge of how the dance, the music, and the dancers
all flow together?

I'm especially interested to hear from dance organizers what they look
for when they consider booking a caller?  I suspect this second
question may have a separate answer from the first :-)

Curiosity abounds as my mind begins to explore the calling space :-)

Will "now, from Seattle!" Kruse
___
Callers mailing list
call...@sharedweight.net
http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers

Re: [Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?

[Richard Mckeever]

There are certainly many things that make a caller good or even great.  One I 
don't find mentioned very often is their role as an entertainer.  When I first 
started calling I attended a workshop with Fred Park and he emphasized this.  
It 
stuck with me even though I don't think I have ever heard it mentioned by 
anyone 
else.

I don't mean acting strange or telling jokes - but just connecting with the 
dancers and having fun.  If you can let the dancers see you are enjoying 
yourself it is contagious.  We do hear of the band and the dancers building 
excitement as they 'feed of each other'  The same is true between the caller 
and 
the dancers.

If you find yourself paying more attention to what's going on in the card in 
your hand than what is happening on the floor - you are not connecting with the 
dancers and they notice that.  


Relax, have fun and allow the dancers to follow your lead.  Think of the really 
great callers - they all do this very well.  I could name examples - but I 
would 
leave out too many who deserve to be mentioned.

Mac





From: barb kirchner <barbkirch...@hotmail.com>
To: call...@sharedweight.net
Sent: Mon, April 11, 2011 9:41:06 AM
Subject: Re: [Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?


also flippant, but true:

good teaching and an open mind.  

best comment i ever got "she can holler so pleasantly to get us to do what she 
wants!"

so - learn to holler pleasantly.

and it's absolutely true that a very mediocre caller can have a fabulous night 
with a good band, but it's darned hard for a caller to overcome a bad band.  so 
don't forget that the musicians are more important than you are.  working WITH 
whatever they want to do will almost always lead to the best experience.

good luck!


> Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:54:00 -0500
> From: gr...@grantgoodyear.org
> To: call...@sharedweight.net
> Subject: Re: [Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?
> 
> On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 3:13 AM, Will Kruse <sidew...@wcrews.net> wrote:
> 
> > Hello from Seattle! I'd love to hear your thoughts on what separates
> > good callers from great callers? Is it their selections of dances?
> > That they call their own dances? Their ability to compose an evening
> > of dancing? Their personal charm? Their connection with the band?
> > Their intimate knowledge of how the dance, the music, and the dancers
> > all flow together?
> >
> 
> What makes a great caller? A great band.
> 
> Okay, that's the flippant answer, although there's a certain amount of truth
> to it. If the band is awesome, the caller can just get out of the way, and
> everything will work for an awesome evening. (That's even more true if
> there's a great crowd, as well. The special event that brings out all of
> the experienced dancers, and greatly increases the ratio of experienced to
> beginner dancers, is easy to call.)
> 
> I'm a good caller, but not a great one. The great callers I know (Lisa
> Greenleaf, Chris Kelly, Linda Leslie, and Joseph Pimental, to name just
> four) can (seemingly) effortlessly fix a set that's just starting to fail
> with a few gentle words over the microphone. They can miscall a dance (even
> the great ones are human) and fix it on the fly. They're not only good
> teachers of the dances, style, and etiquette, but also in tune with the
> crowd to know both when and what to teach. And then there's usually
> something extra special about each one. Chris Kelly exudes calm, even in
> the midst of a train wreck, without reducing the energy level of the dance.
> Joseph has a program for the evening, a backup program, and a mental set of
> safety-net dances, but the dancers never know because he'll make the night
> awesome fun regardless. Etcetera.
> 
> -Grant-
> -- 
> Grant Goodyear
> web: http://www.grantgoodyear.org
> e-mail: gr...@grantgoodyear.org
> ___
> 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] What makes a caller a great caller?

[Greg McKenzie]

What kind of calling?

You pose a good question.  The answer, however, depends on the kind of venue
being discussed.  I see at least three different calling venues that require
very different skills:

1. Gatherings of dance enthusiasts: Festivals, dance camps, and other
special events that are frequented almost entirely by dance enthusiasts.

2. Regularly scheduled open, public contra dances where first-timers are
encouraged to attend without separate training.

3. Private "barn dance" events where few, if any, of the participants are
dance enthusiasts.

A caller may be a "great" caller at one of these kinds of venues while being
a poor caller at another.  The criteria for "greatness" at each type of
venue are very different.

- Greg McKenzie

***

On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 1:13 AM, Will Kruse  wrote:

> Hello from Seattle!  I'd love to hear your thoughts on what separates
> good callers from great callers?  Is it their selections of dances?
> That they call their own dances?  Their ability to compose an evening
> of dancing?  Their personal charm?  Their connection with the band?
> Their intimate knowledge of how the dance, the music, and the dancers
> all flow together?
>
> I'm especially interested to hear from dance organizers what they look
> for when they consider booking a caller?  I suspect this second
> question may have a separate answer from the first :-)
>
> Curiosity abounds as my mind begins to explore the calling space :-)
>
> Will "now, from Seattle!" Kruse
> ___
> Callers mailing list
> call...@sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>

Re: [Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?

[barb kirchner]

also flippant, but true:
 
good teaching and an open mind.  
 
best comment i ever got "she can holler so pleasantly to get us to do what she 
wants!"
 
so - learn to holler pleasantly.
 
and it's absolutely true that a very mediocre caller can have a fabulous night 
with a good band, but it's darned hard for a caller to overcome a bad band.  so 
don't forget that the musicians are more important than you are.  working WITH 
whatever they want to do will almost always lead to the best experience.
 
good luck!

 
> Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:54:00 -0500
> From: gr...@grantgoodyear.org
> To: call...@sharedweight.net
> Subject: Re: [Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?
> 
> On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 3:13 AM, Will Kruse <sidew...@wcrews.net> wrote:
> 
> > Hello from Seattle! I'd love to hear your thoughts on what separates
> > good callers from great callers? Is it their selections of dances?
> > That they call their own dances? Their ability to compose an evening
> > of dancing? Their personal charm? Their connection with the band?
> > Their intimate knowledge of how the dance, the music, and the dancers
> > all flow together?
> >
> 
> What makes a great caller? A great band.
> 
> Okay, that's the flippant answer, although there's a certain amount of truth
> to it. If the band is awesome, the caller can just get out of the way, and
> everything will work for an awesome evening. (That's even more true if
> there's a great crowd, as well. The special event that brings out all of
> the experienced dancers, and greatly increases the ratio of experienced to
> beginner dancers, is easy to call.)
> 
> I'm a good caller, but not a great one. The great callers I know (Lisa
> Greenleaf, Chris Kelly, Linda Leslie, and Joseph Pimental, to name just
> four) can (seemingly) effortlessly fix a set that's just starting to fail
> with a few gentle words over the microphone. They can miscall a dance (even
> the great ones are human) and fix it on the fly. They're not only good
> teachers of the dances, style, and etiquette, but also in tune with the
> crowd to know both when and what to teach. And then there's usually
> something extra special about each one. Chris Kelly exudes calm, even in
> the midst of a train wreck, without reducing the energy level of the dance.
> Joseph has a program for the evening, a backup program, and a mental set of
> safety-net dances, but the dancers never know because he'll make the night
> awesome fun regardless. Etcetera.
> 
> -Grant-
> -- 
> Grant Goodyear
> web: http://www.grantgoodyear.org
> e-mail: gr...@grantgoodyear.org
> ___
> Callers mailing list
> call...@sharedweight.net
> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
  

Re: [Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?

[Grant Goodyear]

On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 3:13 AM, Will Kruse  wrote:

> Hello from Seattle!  I'd love to hear your thoughts on what separates
> good callers from great callers?  Is it their selections of dances?
> That they call their own dances?  Their ability to compose an evening
> of dancing?  Their personal charm?  Their connection with the band?
> Their intimate knowledge of how the dance, the music, and the dancers
> all flow together?
>

What makes a great caller?  A great band.

Okay, that's the flippant answer, although there's a certain amount of truth
to it.  If the band is awesome, the caller can just get out of the way, and
everything will work for an awesome evening.  (That's even more true if
there's a great crowd, as well.  The special event that brings out all of
the experienced dancers, and greatly increases the ratio of experienced to
beginner dancers, is easy to call.)

I'm a good caller, but not a great one.  The great callers I know (Lisa
Greenleaf, Chris Kelly, Linda Leslie, and Joseph Pimental, to name just
four) can (seemingly) effortlessly fix a set that's just starting to fail
with a few gentle words over the microphone.  They can miscall a dance (even
the great ones are human) and fix it on the fly. They're not only good
teachers of the dances, style, and etiquette, but also in tune with the
crowd to know both when and what to teach.  And then there's usually
something extra special about each one.  Chris Kelly exudes calm, even in
the midst of a train wreck, without reducing the energy level of the dance.
Joseph has a program for the evening, a backup program, and a mental set of
safety-net dances, but the dancers never know because he'll make the night
awesome fun regardless.  Etcetera.

-Grant-
-- 
Grant Goodyear
web: http://www.grantgoodyear.org
e-mail: gr...@grantgoodyear.org

[Callers] What makes a caller a great caller?

[Will Kruse]

Hello from Seattle!  I'd love to hear your thoughts on what separates
good callers from great callers?  Is it their selections of dances?
That they call their own dances?  Their ability to compose an evening
of dancing?  Their personal charm?  Their connection with the band?
Their intimate knowledge of how the dance, the music, and the dancers
all flow together?

I'm especially interested to hear from dance organizers what they look
for when they consider booking a caller?  I suspect this second
question may have a separate answer from the first :-)

Curiosity abounds as my mind begins to explore the calling space :-)

Will "now, from Seattle!" Kruse