Re: [Callers] Implied Messages in First-Timer's Orientation (Was: Head Mikes and Mike Heads)

2011-09-02 Thread Dale Wilson
On Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 6:36 PM, Michael Barraclough wrote: > > This all suggests to me that the most important elements to concentrate > on are psychological and that overloading with facts will be > counter-productive (unless it is how to find the restrooms, water

Re: [Callers] Implied Messages in First-Timer's Orientation (Was: Head Mikes and Mike Heads)

2011-09-01 Thread Michael Barraclough
On Thu, 2011-09-01 at 13:17 -0500, Dale Wilson wrote: > (Refering to Greg McKenzie's initial post) I don't think it is helpful to > generalize about all > introductory workshops on the basis of your theories about how things > ought to be. My issue with this is the fact that the 'theories' Greg

Re: [Callers] Implied Messages in First-Timer's Orientation (Was: Head Mikes and Mike Heads)

2011-09-01 Thread Richard Mckeever
Greg, I can agree with you to a certain extent.  We have new dancers show up after the workshops and they do reasonably well.  Our experienced dancers are very good about finding new dancers who will benefit from dancing wiht them (unfortunately - we also have some less accomplished but

Re: [Callers] Implied Messages in First-Timer's Orientation (Was: Head Mikes and Mike Heads)

2011-09-01 Thread Martha Edwards
Barb - love it! I also like the Becky Hill Method. I take the other person (lady or gent) in a two-hand turn position and get us to walk around each other the way we did when we were kids trying to get dizzy (feeling the centrifugal force). If I don't overdo it, I always get a smile. Once I get

Re: [Callers] Implied Messages in First-Timer's Orientation (Was: Head Mikes and Mike Heads)

2011-09-01 Thread barb kirchner
maybe you haven't seen how i teach a swing. i start with allemande left and right, making good physical and eye contact with your partner, etc. then i have them get into allemande right position, next to each other and feet pointed opposite directions. i tell them that their feet do the

Re: [Callers] Implied Messages in First-Timer's Orientation (Was: Head Mikes and Mike Heads)

2011-09-01 Thread Dale Wilson
As a caller, I am a pragmatist. I would rather base my actions on what I have observe than on my theories about how things "ought to be". Greg, you have expressed your opinion about what's going on in the mind of callers and workshop leaders. You framed it in a very negative light. When you

Re: [Callers] Implied Messages in First-Timer's Orientation (Was: Head Mikes and Mike Heads)

2011-09-01 Thread Andrea Nettleton
I agree the swing should be taught well, but I am curious, Barb, why you would not provide the dancer(s) with the main tool that will help them through all those figures we didn't teach, connection through shared weight and eye contact? Andrea On 9/1/2011 12:41 PM, barb kirchner wrote: if i

Re: [Callers] Implied Messages in First-Timer's Orientation (Was: Head Mikes and Mike Heads)

2011-09-01 Thread barb kirchner
if i had just five minutes: 1. teach the swing, teach it well. point out that the person always ends up on the right or left (dep on gender) and drill that in. tell them that if whoever they're dancing with doesn't put them on the appropriate side, just go there. then i emphasize that in

Re: [Callers] Implied Messages in First-Timer's Orientation (Was: Head Mikes and Mike Heads)

2011-09-01 Thread Andrea Nettleton
If I just had 5 minutes with a new dancer, I would teach three things: 1) We are all here to enjoy each other and the dance. Have Fun! 2) Your greatest survival tool is a firm connection through your hands to your body. Keep some tension in your arm so people can help guide you through the

Re: [Callers] Implied Messages in First-Timer's Orientation (Was: Head Mikes and Mike Heads)

2011-09-01 Thread Michael Barraclough
Greg's email is wonderful and (IMHO) should be compulsory reading for all callers and organizers. For my part, the things that I consider most important in a contra lesson are: Having fun in the dance Listening to and responding to the music Listening to the caller The pace that things happen

[Callers] Implied Messages in First-Timer's Orientation (Was: Head Mikes and Mike Heads)

2011-09-01 Thread Greg McKenzie
I meant to post this to the entire list. Here it is. - Greg -- Forwarded message -- From: Greg McKenzie List-Post: callers@lists.sharedweight.net Date: Mon, Aug 29, 2011 at 9:50 AM Subject: Re: [Callers] Head Mikes and Mike Heads To: Lewis Land