Last Wednesday Ted, Mac, and Judy shared some excellent tips for us hatchlings. I took some notes about what was discussed. The information was so helpful that I thought I'd post some of what I learned. Ted and Mac, I hope you don't mind; feel free to make any corrections/additions!
Planning the evening:
---Simple, familiar dances are often the best. The tried and true "Chestnuts" are your friends.
---A good program has variety. Consecutive dances should employ different moves or formations so that they don't feel the same.
---Picking a really fun dance just before the break can help encourage people to stay for the second half.
---Know your dances well. Ghost-walking can help make sure that you understand the dance and are prepared to teach it.
Teaching the dance:
---Your teaching should answer these key questions: 1) What do I do? 2) Who do I do it with? 3) How will I end up?
---Wait until all the dancers are in position before starting the walkthrough.
---To quiet a room, try talking softly. If you're ready to start the walkthrough, giving a preliminary instruction can help get people's attention (e.g. "face your neighbor")
---Use common words/phrases when teaching and calling. Listen to experienced callers' terminology.
Calling the dance:
---Relax and have fun!
---Watch the entire hall, especially the line to the caller's right, which often has the most beginners.
---If something goes wrong, don't blame the dancers. The dancers will love you for your mistakes, as long as you're good natured or humorous about it.
---Don't call more than you need to. As the dancers catch on, gradually reduce your calling to key words, like "chain" and "star". Obvious moves like swings are the first to omit. When you drop out altogether, keep watching the dancers.
---Don't call to long or too short. 8 minutes is a pretty good average, but the enthusiasm of the dancers (or lack thereof) can help you gauge when to stop.
---Get to know the band ahead of time and write down their names. When introducing each musician, use this formula: "and on the fiddle, Martha!"
---When giving a band the 1 or 2 more signal, make sure you know who to look to for acknowledgement.
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I would like to add one thing that Ted mentioned. It speaks to the sub-category of "Relax and have fun!" under "Calling the Dance." That is to pay attention to your voice, so that you *sound* relaxed and like you're having fun. The 1st time Mac taped me I noticed my voice had gotten somewhat high-pitched and rather strident in parts of the walk-throughs or dances. Some of our Hatchlings have the same problem. Which is why I would encourage everyone who has not guest-called with Mac to do so. He'll hand you a CD of it afterward. Listening to it, and noting your times is some of the most tremendous feedback a new caller can get, IMHO. Thanks Mac. And thanks again to Ted, Mac and Judy for the workshop, and to Billy for summing it up so nicely.
~Karen
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