Hi, everyone,
This happens more often than you'd think. My solutions are thus:
First, I do not like demanding new couples split up right away. I know that
technically that would be effective to help people out. But ostensibly, these
people came to the dance to dance with the people they came with. Thus instead
of making it a demand, I say I "highly suggest" that people dance with
experienced dancers. But I really want them to have them have the ability to
choose their own partners. Thus, I allow them to dance with each other if they
would prefer. You *may* want to split up hands four, though, since a couple
will not be able to dance with the other couple that's their friends right
away. And arrange them so they are not spit out right away after 1 or 2 turns.
A more in-depth walk through for the first dance is warranted. Have a dance
with a neighbor swing before a partner swing, so they can get an experienced
dancer guiding them. If you do have a chain, have people chain to their
neighbor for that guidance as well.
And quite honestly, allow them to sink or swim after that. It'll never be
perfect no matter how hard you try, and they aren't going to "get it" right
away. Allow them to move, bop, have swings that are not smooth. In fact,
please advise the experienced dancers to show them how it's done, but ask them
not to spend oodles of time trying to perfect the swing in the middle of a walk
through. That takes forever and makes the swing look way more difficult as
move than it ought to be, and it delays the whole dance unnecessarily.
Above all, instill confidence in the new dancers that this is fun, you can do
it, and as long as you're having fun you're OK. Anything to make the dancers
feel that they need extra help has the potential for them to think that they
don't belong there or aren't good enough to dance with the experienced crowd.
Truthfully, I recall the days where many callers have suggested that "lessons
make people believe the dance is hard" and believed that dancing should be so
easy that anyone can walk in and dance and no lesson is needed. We as a dance
community have made dancing a little more difficult than that (and truthfully,
it's not all *that* easy for a lot of people who have never done this before to
figure out), so allow some grace and allow for mistakes. Like, I think it took
me a good 6 months of contra dancing before I really "got it" when I was
starting.
Perry Shafran
On Tuesday, August 5, 2025 at 12:08:11 PM EDT, 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]
_______________________________________________
Contra Callers mailing list -- [email protected]
To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
