Greg makes a very important point here. The 'elitism' factor really never occurred to me when asking this question; it really came out of surprised curiosity. Like many of us, I'm just interested in weird phenomena. There aren't that many Ph.Ds/MDs/JDs etc. in the country, and it's wild to see how many wind up calling too.
My dad was a brilliant square dance caller, and he had a junior-high education. I'm the first one in my family to even get through high school; the relatives were worried that "that much education might ruin yer girl." And I could not agree with Greg more. As a college teacher, artist-in-residence with kids, and outdoor leader alike, I've noticed that the best teaching is really a form of servant leadership or midwife education rather than egoic performance; that is, the 'guide on the side', not the 'sage on the stage.' This is, of course, exactly Greg's point about good calling. One of the reasons I find calling so compelling is the challenge of making sure everyone - band, dancers, sound person, dance manager - all are having a good time, feeling confident, appreciated, and in sync; all the while not screwing any of it up myself. (As a newish caller, that last bit is the tricky part.) Callers have to focus effectively on many parts at the same time to create one cohesive, joyful whole -- talk about a humbling meditation practice! If I offended anyone inadvertently, please take this as a sincere apology. The question comes out of curiosity, not snobbishness. Tina Message: 3 List-Post: callers@lists.sharedweight.net Date: Sat, 10 May 2008 23:46:18 -0700 From: Greg McKenzie <greg...@earthlink.net> Subject: Re: [Callers] Callers with higher degrees To: Caller's discussion list <call...@sharedweight.net> Message-ID: <7.0.0.16.1.20080510112220.01130...@earthlink.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed I think we are skating close to the point of some sort of caller elitism here. I want to point out that anyone, regardless of his or her background, can both benefit from the discipline and experience of calling and also make a significant contribution to the tradition of contra dance calling as a whole. Obviously, those with higher degrees--because of their training, knowledge, and background--have significant obstacles to overcome in order to become an effective contra dance caller. But that is true of all of us. I encourage anyone, even those with higher degrees, to give contra dance calling a try. Contra dance calling is, and should be, a humbling experience. It challenges each of us to be a leader in the community and to empower all of those in the hall. A true leader understands that their job is to build the confidence of everyone, not merely their own. The caller's effectiveness comes not from any confidence the caller has in herself, but from the confidence the dancers have in themselves. We should be cautious about assuming that those with higher degrees of academic training cannot overcome their background and go on to become expert callers. In fact contra dance calling, when approached without hubris, can be a marvelous tool for self-examination and for overcoming whatever disadvantage a prospective caller might be burdened with. I encourage all of you with higher degrees to persist in your pursuit of this marvelous tradition. Just a thought, Greg McKenzie ******** At 10:04 AM 5/9/2008, Tina Fields wrote: >Hi everyone - > >In a conversation with Lynn Ackerson a couple of weeks ago, >it came out that both of us have Ph.Ds. Now I'm very >curious about how many of us have higher degrees, and what >fields they're in. (Maybe calling really IS rocket science! ><g>) > >If you have a terminal degree or know of a caller who does, >would you be willing to e-mail that info to me? I'll >collate the info and share it back with you as one letter. >Thanks!! > >Tina Fields >tfields8 at yahoo dot com > >Tina R. Fields, Ph.D. >(707) 824-9318 > >"Hindsight Now!" Tina R. Fields, Ph.D. (707) 824-9318 "Hindsight Now!"
