The Bible Says: A House Divided can not stand long!
What once brought us all together is now a dividing tool.
Callerlab was put together so traveling callers could come to any Club and not have to teach everything that would be used during the dance. It allowed dancers the opportunity to visit other Clubs and dance to a variety of Callers.
It made for a great activity enjoyed by a great number of people!
But, they also made a big mistake by dividing the Calls into lists. Most new dancers have no idea what Basic, Extended Basic, Mainstream, Plus I, Plus II, A-1, A-2, Challenge is. They know Mainstream, Plus, A-1, A-2 and Challenge!
Basic and Extended Basic died before my time which was 1978. I only know about them because my first books had them divided into lists. At that time dancers also had Quarterly Selections which were Plus Calls that everyone learned. But, not all Plus Calls. Track II was an Experimental. But, once dancers learned a move the didn't want to throw it away. So those who danced frequently wanted to keep using them.
Add the Snow Bird craze and Callers started using the lists to make it profitable to call where people who had no friends down south danced up to several times a day for entertainment. The learning became more important than a reason to get together and have some laughs. Square Dancing went from fun to serious!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
I'm Back
It's been a while, but I have a lot more things than Square Dance Calling on my plate. And like everyone else I get burned out beating my head against a brick wall. I did make it to one Square dance in the last 4 months, and left felling I didn't get full filled..But, I'm not one who can get impressed by a puzzle that leaves you stop and go so most don't get lost.
I need that magic of feeling I'm dancing with the music! (Fred Astaire on ball bearings) Of someone trying to make you laugh! It's like Ricky Nelson going to the Garden Party and feeling he would rather drive a TRUCK!
Had a great time Calling Last night to a bunch of friends. But. it was sweet saddness as I had to tell them that after being gone for 4 months in another month I will be moving permantly from the area.
As I move to another area I will have to see if I can excite some people in the area enough to come out and try Square Dancing.
Not with months and months of lessons, but a dance where you want to come every week to see what's new to be learned!
I need that magic of feeling I'm dancing with the music! (Fred Astaire on ball bearings) Of someone trying to make you laugh! It's like Ricky Nelson going to the Garden Party and feeling he would rather drive a TRUCK!
Had a great time Calling Last night to a bunch of friends. But. it was sweet saddness as I had to tell them that after being gone for 4 months in another month I will be moving permantly from the area.
As I move to another area I will have to see if I can excite some people in the area enough to come out and try Square Dancing.
Not with months and months of lessons, but a dance where you want to come every week to see what's new to be learned!
Monday, January 14, 2013
It's a Small World!
How many times have we heard that! When we find that someone from far away knows someone we know or maybe is a distant relative, etc.
But, I believe we have crawled into a Small World of our own! It was nothing to know most of the people by sight anyway for up to 30 miles from home! Today we hardly know the person next door!
I'm as bad as the next guy! I used to travel as far away as I could when I wanted to buy something at a farm sale because otherwise I would be bidding against people I know.
I find it weird that these Churches can spring up in a School Cafeteria and find enough people to come to build a New Church while the one on the corner can't find enough members to keep it repaired! I'm afraid it's because they are offering to work, or buy your way into Heaven.
If it isn't then people are looking to find people to do something together! Square Dancing should be growing not declining, but Callers are going to have to entertain people with more imagination and less movements. The need to kill this idea that Plus Movements are some sacred cow that can only be used once people have learned the "BASICS!"
What are the "BASICS" it's not movements! It's Trade, Circulate,Pull By, Turn!
Example: "Square Thru" Pull By, Turn a Quarter IN! Do it again and again until you reach that number and then just Pull By, 1 to 99!
Example: "Swing Thru" Those who can Turn half by the Right. Those who can Turn half by the Left!
Example: "Coordinate" (Don't worry Touch a Quarter to get into it is nothing more than touch right hands with the person you are facing and "TURN" a quarter) Circulate 1 1/2 those who can "TRADE" ends and centers circulate!
Example: " Load the Boat" Ends Circulate, centers Pass Thru (Pull by without hands, just like Weave the Ring is a Right and Left Grand without hands) (Gotcha!) Turn out, Trade, Pass Thru!
They preach you need Basics! I teach Coordinate the first night some times. Or, Load the Boat! Or, Tea Cup Chain! If they know how to do my "Basics" it doesn't take months to learn to Square Dance!
But, I believe we have crawled into a Small World of our own! It was nothing to know most of the people by sight anyway for up to 30 miles from home! Today we hardly know the person next door!
I'm as bad as the next guy! I used to travel as far away as I could when I wanted to buy something at a farm sale because otherwise I would be bidding against people I know.
I find it weird that these Churches can spring up in a School Cafeteria and find enough people to come to build a New Church while the one on the corner can't find enough members to keep it repaired! I'm afraid it's because they are offering to work, or buy your way into Heaven.
If it isn't then people are looking to find people to do something together! Square Dancing should be growing not declining, but Callers are going to have to entertain people with more imagination and less movements. The need to kill this idea that Plus Movements are some sacred cow that can only be used once people have learned the "BASICS!"
What are the "BASICS" it's not movements! It's Trade, Circulate,Pull By, Turn!
Example: "Square Thru" Pull By, Turn a Quarter IN! Do it again and again until you reach that number and then just Pull By, 1 to 99!
Example: "Swing Thru" Those who can Turn half by the Right. Those who can Turn half by the Left!
Example: "Coordinate" (Don't worry Touch a Quarter to get into it is nothing more than touch right hands with the person you are facing and "TURN" a quarter) Circulate 1 1/2 those who can "TRADE" ends and centers circulate!
Example: " Load the Boat" Ends Circulate, centers Pass Thru (Pull by without hands, just like Weave the Ring is a Right and Left Grand without hands) (Gotcha!) Turn out, Trade, Pass Thru!
They preach you need Basics! I teach Coordinate the first night some times. Or, Load the Boat! Or, Tea Cup Chain! If they know how to do my "Basics" it doesn't take months to learn to Square Dance!
Looking or Finding
How do you get new dancers. Do you go out looking for them, or do you expect them to find you! You always hear that dancers have already asked everyone they know. When you start Square Dancing and get caught up in all that is offered, your circle of friends to many times becomes to small. That's why new people have a better chance of finding new blood! But, the way we have set up Square Dancing we kill that option.
You take a set of lessons! Then you give up half your night to Round Dancing so you take Round Dance Lessons. Then either you give up a tip or two to Plus, or you take Plus Lessons. So when you should be enjoying what you HAVE LEARNED! You, now are into two sets of lessons as well as dancing (when you can get on the floor!)
Whether your Club offers the Rounds and Plus makes no difference some other Club will gladly take your new dancers to the next level!
You take a set of lessons! Then you give up half your night to Round Dancing so you take Round Dance Lessons. Then either you give up a tip or two to Plus, or you take Plus Lessons. So when you should be enjoying what you HAVE LEARNED! You, now are into two sets of lessons as well as dancing (when you can get on the floor!)
Whether your Club offers the Rounds and Plus makes no difference some other Club will gladly take your new dancers to the next level!
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Why am I so Hard on Callers?
It's because what they are doing isn't working!
I had a Club that I built into 10 Squares, and they hired a Traveling Caller to do the dance. Gave me a chance to dance and listen to another Caller and my dancers to hear someone new.
I had made the mistake of making it a strictly Mainstream Club which we were adding Plus Calls every week rather than having Plus Class. And, somehow the Club President failed to tell the caller it was a Mainstream Club. He took off in his Plus Routine and had the whole floor standing looking at him. By the end of the first tip he was ready to call it a night and go home!
I went up and told him it was a Mainstream Club. The next Tip he went into a "One Night Stand" mode! By this time my dancers were ready to go home!
So I go up to the stage again and told the Caller what Plus Calls the dancers knew. With a hand full of Plus Calls he left the dancers not wanting for the dance to end! It doesn't take books of Calls to entertain dancers. And, he had people dancing to the music. Let's face it, he was a great caller, but if you haven't called to a Mainstream Club for Years you lose what you once knew!
After the dance he came up to me and thanked me for the help. Then he said he was going to be back in town in a year and asked if I would call a dance with him. He returned and we had a ball!
Don't lock your Plus Calls in a List that you have to learn everything before you can dance it. Like the old Quarterly Selection, they can be enjoyed learning and dancing them one at a time!
I had a Club that I built into 10 Squares, and they hired a Traveling Caller to do the dance. Gave me a chance to dance and listen to another Caller and my dancers to hear someone new.
I had made the mistake of making it a strictly Mainstream Club which we were adding Plus Calls every week rather than having Plus Class. And, somehow the Club President failed to tell the caller it was a Mainstream Club. He took off in his Plus Routine and had the whole floor standing looking at him. By the end of the first tip he was ready to call it a night and go home!
I went up and told him it was a Mainstream Club. The next Tip he went into a "One Night Stand" mode! By this time my dancers were ready to go home!
So I go up to the stage again and told the Caller what Plus Calls the dancers knew. With a hand full of Plus Calls he left the dancers not wanting for the dance to end! It doesn't take books of Calls to entertain dancers. And, he had people dancing to the music. Let's face it, he was a great caller, but if you haven't called to a Mainstream Club for Years you lose what you once knew!
After the dance he came up to me and thanked me for the help. Then he said he was going to be back in town in a year and asked if I would call a dance with him. He returned and we had a ball!
Don't lock your Plus Calls in a List that you have to learn everything before you can dance it. Like the old Quarterly Selection, they can be enjoyed learning and dancing them one at a time!
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