Who would have thought that how a caller gets people to take hands four would be a controversial issue? That's why it's fun to talk with Kiran - he has a very long list of things he's thought about, and has, um, strong opinions about them, but he still rather enjoys a contrary opinion.
He says that it's the caller's job to make sure that the sets have formed, and that the teaching should not begin until they are. If you call for hands four and the sets do not form all the way down because people are socializing, you do not start teaching, you just wait. Eventually, the dancers will start demanding the hands four - that's the best way, he says. Waiting is a good thing, because, after all, people are there partly to dance, and partly to socialize.
Chris Bischoff described his method of taking hands four this way: "Hands four, ladies and gentlemen. Hands four. Take hands four all the way down the set." Then he waits. Talks to the band, shuffles his cards, watches the crowd. Then, even though the sets have not yet formed all the way to the bottom, he begins the teaching. "And with your neighbor, balance and swing." The crowd at the bottom notices that the teaching has begun and that they have not yet taken hands four. They quickly hop to, get the sets formed and send the message up to the caller that they had not yet taken hands four. (As if he had not noticed.) Chris then says in his sweet honey voice, "Oh, I'm sorry. We seem to have started before everyone had taken hands four. Let's go back to original places and start again."
I like Chris' method for several reasons. It gives dancers time, but not too much time, no one berates anyone else, and it gets things started more quickly than they would otherwise. Over time, it tends to send the signal that you would be better off paying a bit more attention, because you learn that the caller is not going to wait forever to begin teaching.
We have a particular problem with this in St. Louis because our dance space, lovely as it is, is very echo-ey, and even a handful of people talking in the line makes it sound as if absolutely no one is paying attention. This can be disconcerting to callers, who can occasionally become quite huffy about it. And once you start complaining as a caller, your credibility plummets. So there just has to be another way.
Does anyone have any other ideas about how to get the sets formed? How much time is too much time to wait? How much is too little? Do you think a caller can affect (over time) how self-disciplined a dance community becomes?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I have experienced/observed Chris B's method most commonly. If the dancers are not for some reason paying attention the dance walk through catches up with them.
I've never seen dancers actually refuse to acknowledge a walk through once they realize that one is taking place.
I tried a modified CB method on Sunday. "Hands four," I said, "Hands four. Please take hands four all the way down. Hands four. Actives cross over."
Then I talked to the band a bit, came back to the microphone and said (I think) "Hands four. Take hands four. (pause) The dance begins with your neighbor. (pause) Look beyond your neighbor at the next person down the line looking back at you. Wave and smile at that person."
At that moment, hands went up all over the bottom of the second and third lines. "Wait a minute! We haven't taken hands four yet." I waited. Only then did I say "With your neighbor balance and swing."
By starting "The dance begins with your neighbor" (pause), I hadn't actually asked anyone to do anything yet, but it seemed as if I had, so people decided to finish taking hands four. No one had to start anything over, however, thus saving valuable seconds and possible mental confusion! (Sweet, no? Learned that one from Kiran.)
Post a Comment