I had this happen to me just recently at our monthly contra dance, except it
was, perhaps, worse in that the music had already started, and the other
dancers were so enthusiastic that they just invited the walk-ups to join in
before I even knew what was going on. We were in a public outdoor space.
Suffice it to say, it did not work and they dropped out minutes later. And that
actually is the worst part - if they had a better introduction, they might not
have been turned off.
It's a bit mind boggling to think of people who have never done this dance
before assuming they can jump in with no instruction.
I have considered some signage, facing out toward would-be new dancers, with
wording such as
- You can join in on the next walkthrough/teaching segment
- Our dance mentors will be happy to partner with you!
- It's easy, but you still need to learn the basics!
- etc.
Also consider whether your regular dancing group is there to dance and would be
chagrinned if dances broke down regularly as a result of incorporating too high
a percentage of new dancers, or if they're more interested in sharing the dance
with others than getting in 6-7 contras for exercise. Sometimes letting it
happen, even if it breaks down, can be the best thing for the group.
Some other ideas:
- State a rule that if they're going to join, we'll have to do the walkthrough
again, then ask the dancers that already did the walkthrough if they're
comfortable doing it again - you don't have to bear the responsibility for the
whole group's experience.
- Institute mentor dancers, as has worked well for the local English group,
which are identified by some pin, hat, or sash, and insist that people who have
never danced before partner with them.
- Get a headset mic and call directly beside them so you can also use arm
movements to show them where to go.
Best,
Greg from Winnipeg
P.S. Newbie bombs is such a good word for this phenomenon.
Sent with [Proton Mail](https://proton.me/mail/home) secure email.
On Tuesday, August 5th, 2025 at 11:07 AM, Gregory Frock via Contra Callers
<[email protected]> wrote:
> Dear Colleagues,
> Here's the scenario: You are finishing up a new dancers' lesson, and will be
> starting the dance in a few minutes. In walks a significant number (say 6+)
> of newbies, all friends who want to dance together. Besides the two most
> common solutions, lower the difficulty and insist they NOT do the first
> couple of dances together, does anyone have an additional creative/elegant
> solution, enhancement actions to make the basics more effective, or important
> issues for consideration that are commonly missed?
> Greg
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