Re: [Callers] Sticky floors
On Mon, Jul 20, 2015 at 6:26 PM, jean francis via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > another option is to buy shuffleboard wax (ebay or large janitorial > supplies) aka ballroom wax. This is a fine powdered wax that comes in > various "slipperiness" grades...a tiny bit of a moderate slipperiness goes > a very very long way. A container the size of a kitchen cleanser 'can' > could last an entire dance community a year. Since it is a wax, I imagine > it is good for wood floors, however the venue must be consulted and there > is some danger from exuberant use such that folks could end up > horizontal. Sprinkling it evenly around the floor and then sweeping it off > before the dance will generally leave a beneficial amount. > I'm struck by the contrast between this suggestion and the comments on the swing dance page Linda Leslie recommended ( http://www.gottadance.org/bad_floor_dancing.shtml): - *NEVER* put wax on the bottom of your shoes -- it transfers to the floor and creates dangerous, invisible, super-slippery patches for others. - If you have been dancing or practicing on a waxed floor, *NEVER* wear those shoes to a real dance place -- again, the wax will transfer first to your shoes and then to the other dance floor, creating dangerous, invisible, super-slippery patches for others. Instead, reserve one pair of shoes just for the waxed floor, and wear different shoes on all other floors. How to tell if a floor has been waxed? If your turning or pivoting movements create slightly dusty-looking swirl marks in the floor finish, or even leave a little bit of fine powder behind, it's probably wax. David > > Alternate solutions might be to offer a 'step in' tray of it, where those > who found the floor too sticky might smoosh their shoes in it briefly or a > bottle could be passed around so dancers could put a pinch in their palms > and rub it on the bottom of their dance shoes from time to time. I suspect > this works best on smooth soles (suede, leather, composite) and not so well > on 'tread' soles like athletic shoes. I carry a small plastic bottle of > this to all dance events to rub on my own shoe soles. > > ___ > Callers mailing list > Callers@lists.sharedweight.net > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net > >
Re: [Callers] another new word idea
Jabberwocky, as in: ’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe I'm not sure dancers will appreciate being called "slithy toves," though we have been looking for new terms to use to describe dancers in different positions. Perhaps the other position could be "mome raths" as in: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. Raths and toves? David On Mon, Jan 25, 2016 at 3:32 PM, Andrea Nettleton via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > I love this! And it has a playful kind of sound, despite its technical > origin. :-) reminds me of jabberwocky somehow... > Andrea > > Callers mailing list > Callers@lists.sharedweight.net > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net >
Re: [Callers] Super easy dances - do they exist?
Your mention of the magic of demonstrating a 2-hand turn led me to wonder how much you have used demonstration as the core of your teaching in this situation. I remember an English caller once who taught everything from the floor, demonstrating what she meant. Grabbing a few of the quicker or more confident kids to demonstrate figures might make it easier for others to learn, especially if they are in a big circle where everyone can see even if they can't hear (or listen). It would of course help if you had a wireless mic so you could make a noise (a funny-sounding whistle or kazoo?) to get them to pay attention to learn the next figure. Tough gig! David Chandler On Sat, Jun 17, 2017 at 1:07 PM, Linda S. Mrosko via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > 2-hand turns -- one year I was teaching a dance that had a 2-hand turn -- > which I discovered was beyond their comprehension. Lots of blank faces and > a few tried to hold onto each other and turn under their own arches. I > grabbed a young fellow close by and demonstrated a 2-hand turn and there > was a huge "a" from the group. Who'd have thought that was a foreign > term for 18-year olds. Why don't they teach this stuff in school anymore? > > Thanks for asking the gender question. I still use ladies and gents when > necessary, but I add "those who are pretending to be gents" and "those who > are pretending to be ladies". They're just kids and no one seems to mind. > But I've found it's easier to use mostly gender free dances. That's why > Grease and Glue worked fairly well this year. Don't have to be proper, > don't have to be improper, just have to have a partner. Same with most > easy longways dances -- doesn't matter which side of the set you're on. > > On Sat, Jun 17, 2017 at 11:51 AM, Linda Leslie > wrote: > >> I use two hand turns with groups like yours….elbow swings work, too. >> Since there is more distance between dancers, they don’t seem to have any >> discomfort with these moves. >> >> A question for you, though: if girls are dancing with girls, and boys >> with boys, how are you approaching the use of language to distinguish >> positions? >> >> thanks! Linda Leslie >> >> >> On Jun 17, 2017, at 12:31 PM, Linda S. Mrosko via Callers < >> callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: >> >> That Tony Parkes dance looks good, but I'd never be able to use it with >> this crowd. In years passed, I tried to teach them swings -- but I guess >> everybody still has cooties at 18 years -- never worked -- plus, you have a >> good number of girls dancing with girls and boys dancing with boys and it >> makes some of them uncomfortable. This is a crowd that, when I tell them, >> let's make a big circle all around the room, they have trouble with the >> concept of what a circle looks like. Not to re-mention the acoustics. >> >> As a contra dancer, I understand flow from figure to figure, but Swat the >> Flea into a right shoulder DSD wasn't a problem with this crowd. >> >> But thanks for sharing Tony's dance. I don't remember ever seeing it >> before. >> >> On Sat, Jun 17, 2017 at 4:55 AM, John Sweeney via Callers < >> callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: >> >>> Hi Linda, >>> Re your Box ‘n’ Swat: I have a somewhat similar dance in my >>> files: >>> >>> Circle Mixers Are Fun (by Tony Parkes) >>> >>> A1) Into the Middle & Back x 2 >>> >>> A2) Partner Right Hand: Balance & Box the Gnat; Partner Dosido >>> >>> B1) Partner Left Hand: Balance & Swat the Flea; Partner Seesaw (Left >>> Shoulder Dosido) 1 & 1/2 to meet your New Partner >>> >>> B2) New Partner Balance (OR Gypsy) & Swing >>> >>> Note that your sequence of Swat the Flea into Dosido involves >>> passing by the right when you are holding left hands. Tony’s sequences >>> above allow much easier flow and connection as you can pull past with the >>> connected hand. >>> >>> Last time I had the challenge of working with a room full of >>> noisy youngsters (most of whom didn’t speak English) I just led by example, >>> starting with a Grand March then did: >>> Sausage (Circle) to the Left/Right (Till I was at the top) >>> Long Lines Go Forward & Back >>> Top couple Gallop Down (I just took the person opposite and galloped); >>> Next Couple; Next Couple; Next Couple >>> Repeat >>> >>> Once they has used up a bit of energy I was able to get them to >>> quiet down a bit! >>> >>> Happy dancing, >>> John >>> >>> John Sweeney, Dancer, England j...@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 >>> http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent >>> >>> >>> ___ >>> Callers mailing list >>> Callers@lists.sharedweight.net >>> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> >> *Looking forward,Linda S. Mrosko* >> >> *102 Mitchell Drive* >> >> *Temple, Texas 76501* >> >> *(903) 292-3713 <(903)%20292-3713> (Cell)* >> *(903) 603-9955 <(903)%20603-9955> (Skype)* >> *contra
Re: [Callers] Moving past self-flagellation
As you and others have suggested, there are two parts to one's response - what you say to yourself, and what you say to the dancers. I think the latter is more important, and it is of course affected by what you say to yourself. Being able to respond humorously, recognizing that like everyone else you make mistakes, apologize for them and then move on is very useful. What has bugged me most about callers are those who get angry at the dancers (some of whom may be slow to understand the nuances of what a caller says, although usually it goes back to the caller's instructions) or visibly at themselves. Who wants to spend time with a person who is preoccupied with being angry at you or themselves for being human? To the extent possible it can be useful to switch into a problem-solving focus. During the dance you want to figure out quickly what went wrong and/or what can be done to salvage it - make a correction, stop and start over, switch to a different dance... After the dance is over there is time for the post mortem, which seems to be what you are concerned about - what did I do wrong, what could I have done differently? Focusing on how terrible and inept you are takes away from problem-solving - you can't change what has already happened. Of course I admit that this is easier as one gets older (and has more mistakes to put into perspective). If it helps perhaps you could keep a catalog of the mistakes made by all the callers you respect. You're in good company! David On Mon, Nov 6, 2017 at 11:10 AM, Maia McCormick via Callers < callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > So after a gig, I find myself haunted by one or two missteps from an > evening — the rolling start that was a little muddy, the thing I didn’t > teach clearly enough so the dancers never quite got it — even though the > dancers adjusted and all had a good time, and I still had the hall’s trust > and goodwill at the end of the evening. > > Is this a familiar experience for anyone? Assuming you’ve already learned > the lesson to be learned there, how do you move past it and stop > self-flagellating?Would love to hear some people’s thoughts! > > Cheers, > Maia > > ___ > List Name: Callers mailing list > List Address: Callers@lists.sharedweight.net > Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/ > > ___ List Name: Callers mailing list List Address: Callers@lists.sharedweight.net Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/callers@lists.sharedweight.net/
