Ooh, respectfully, _hard disagree_ with "calling next to them". That's a fast way to make many people feel singled out. While some may take it in the spirit of helping, many others will feel pressure to "do it right".
Honestly, I cringe a little when I see callers jump off the stage and try and do this. Sincerely, Julian Blechner He/Him Western Massachusetts On Tue, Aug 5, 2025, 2:31 PM Gregory via Contra Callers < [email protected]> wrote: > 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: > > 1. 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. > 2. 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. > 3. 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 > > > _______________________________________________ > Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >
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