Alan said, "I continue to prompt the figures, maybe with more emphasis - Ladies CHAIN and COURTESY TURN - and it doesn't seem to make any difference."
If there are only lady first-timers I just tell them to walk straight ahead going right-left and let all the experienced men lead them though the move. But if there are some first-timer men then: - I emphasise that though it is called a LADIES' chain they need to move straight away - I tell them to get their right hip and their left hand ready - I walk the move three times on the first walk-through (assuming there is just one in the dance) so that they can start building some muscle memory _ If they are having problems then I get them to practice the courtesy turn: "Ladies, stand beside your partner/neighbour, offer your left hand in front and make like a teapot with your right hand; Men, take the lady's left hand in yours, put your right arm around her waist. Now imagine there is a pole between you - the lady walks forward around the pole, the man walks backwards - try it. Great - that is called pole-dancing :-)". - If I am over-prompting I address it to the men: "Ladies' Chain, Turn those ladies" And if there are a significant number of first-timers then I avoid Right & Left Throughs, especially in the same dance as a Ladies' Chain! (Or substitute a half-promenade.) Yes, I often see people doing a move that starts like the one I called in all types of dancing. If their brain is on overload then there is only so much you can do. Part of the solution is careful programming to introduce the first-timers to the moves and then to develop them over a series of dances. But it is hard work when you have to keep the experienced dancers happy as well! Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England j...@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
