Contra at wedding reception
Bobfab
Hi, group. My fiancee and I met at the San Francisco Contra. We will be
wed in Rochester NY in October of this year, and thought it would be fun
to include a few contras in the reception. I have a friend who is a
caller, but we need a band. We are looking for musicians who like to play
Contra music, yet are able and willing to play other kinds of music as
well. Would anyone out there please put us in touch with a Rochester area
band?
Other topics for discussion are: have any of you been to weddings where
there were contras? How did it go? Were there a majority of people who
did not know what was going on, and was it fun anyway? Does anyone feel it
would be inappropriate to suggest that guests who might like to enjoy the
dancing more at the reception attend at least one Contra beforehand?
Finally, we were hoping to get a hold of a schedule of Rochester area
dances so we could do just that, at least for the family that lives in
that area. Would you send it to me at bob...@aol.com or suggest a contact?
Thanks, and happy dancing-
Bob and Marcia
Peter Masters
Bobfab wrote:
>
> Other topics for discussion are: have any of you been to weddings where
> there were contras? How did it go? Were there a majority of people who
> did not know what was going on, and was it fun anyway? Does anyone feel it
> would be inappropriate to suggest that guests who might like to enjoy the
> dancing more at the reception attend at least one Contra beforehand?
>
Yes, I've been to lots of weddings with dancing, including my own.
At one extreme, I've been invited to a dance in celebration of a
marriage - the marriage and perhaps a smaller family reception having
taken place earlier, perhaps the same day, perhaps not. These have
typically been organized by enthusiastic dancers who really wanted a
good dance for their wedding, but who realized that their favorite dance
companions were not necessarily their closest friends - hence the
separate venues. In general, the result has been a satisfying, festive
dance, and I think it's the way to go if you've got your heart set on a
great dance for your wedding.
More commonly I've been to weddings where there was contra dancing as
entertainment, but the guest list was the regular wedding guests -
family and friends. Even in extreme cases, it's unlikely that even 1/2
of the attendees are experienced dancers - and since you are getting
married away from where you live and dance, the proportion will probably
be much less. In a situation like this, I think the key is a caller who
is experienced at getting total beginners up and dancing. Ted Sanella
used to be a master at this. If your friend is an experienced caller,
I'm sure they've done their share of weddings; it's a very common gig.
Remember that these people are coming to the wedding because they're
connected to you, not (necessarily) because they want to learn to
dance. So I wouldn't expect even the degree of attention and
persistence you'd see at a dance full of beginners, where the caller
could teach a fair amount of material and progress to harder stuff in
the later part of the program. Many guests will only be good for one or
two dances, which should be fairly simple ones. Then the more
adventurous beginners will stay in with the experienced dancers for 4 or
5 more dances, and you can probably sneak in one or two of your
favorites; otherwise the dances will have to be pretty simple ones.
Don't forget waltzes and polkas: more people feel comfortable with them
than with contras. Usually the dancing will last about an hour or so.
As far as trying to get people to go to a public contra dance before
hand, I don't see anything wrong with trying, but I wouldn't count on
many people actually doing it. I'd probably try putting something in
the invitation like "there will be contra dancing at the reception. If
you'd like to see what this dancing is like before the wedding, there
are dances on Wednesday nights at ___. Call ___ for more information."
When I got married, it was to a woman I'd met dancing, whose family all
danced, and we had many dancing friends. But we were married outdoors
at her parents' house, so there wouldn't be a dance floor. We didn't
hire a caller or band but there was plenty of talent and experience
among the guests, and as it turned out we did 4 or 5 contras, out on the
lawn. As dancing goes, it was so-so, but it was a great wedding.
Have a wonderful time.
--
To send me email, remove the "nospam_" from the front of my address.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Peter Masters
david henry
Try contacting Richard Castner, 617 Conkey Avenue, Rochester NY
14621-3103 (716) 442-0033--he's involved in Contra, English, Old
Time, & Vintage. Best wishes, David Henry folkt...@msn.com
Kiran Wagle
bob...@aol.com (Bobfab) wrote:
> Other topics for discussion are: have any of you been to weddings where
> there were contras? How did it go? Were there a majority of people who
> did not know what was going on, and was it fun anyway? Does anyone feel it
> would be inappropriate to suggest that guests who might like to enjoy the
> dancing more at the reception attend at least one Contra beforehand?
Like most things, the answer to your questions is "it depends."
Specifically, what are your goals for the event? Do you want a *dance*?
Do you want to expose your relatives and non-dancer friends to what you do
for fun? Do you want to "have fun" by some unspecified means that may
include dancing? Do you want to have a dance because dancing is
traditional at weddings and this is the most accessible form of dancing
you can find? Do you want to turn your vanilla friends into dancers?
I've been to one wedding of dancers. The guests were probably half
dancers and half vanilla people. The dancing was somewhat ragged, as one
would expect, and there was no mixing between the dancers and the other
guests. People smiled a lot and seemed to be having fun (I didn't
dance.) Since I don't know the design goals of the event, I have no clue
if it was successful.
As for whether it is "appropriate" to suggest that wedding guests go to
their local contra series beforehand, IMO that depends on the local
series. If the vision of the series is to be "welcoming" and "inclusive"
then it's probably entirely appropriate. If the vision is zesty dancing,
then sending people who are unlikely to return or continue dancing is
probably not appropriate.
If your goal is to expose people to what you do, then a wedding dance
seems a perfectly reasonable way to do that. If your goal is to turn some
of your friends into dancers, then I suspect it will not be successful
(because most people are not interested in most things.) It all depends
on what YOU want the event to do. <g>
~ Kiran <ent...@io.com>
--
"Zathras is used to being beast of burden to other people's needs.
Very sad life. Probably have very sad death. But at least there
is symmetry.--jms, Babylon 5
<http://www.io.com/contradance/> 1628 5th St NW Wash DC 20001 (202) 483-3373
Brian Rost
|> Bobfab wrote:
|> >
|> > Other topics for discussion are: have any of you been to weddings where
|> > there were contras? How did it go? Were there a majority of people who
|> > did not know what was going on, and was it fun anyway? Does anyone feel it
|> > would be inappropriate to suggest that guests who might like to enjoy the
|> > dancing more at the reception attend at least one Contra beforehand?
I attended a wedding some years where the couple had hired a contradance band
and caller. A little over a dozen people danced; I think we were able to get
two squares going. Most of the guests just watched and after about four dances,
the caller stopped and the band just played tunes for listening.
More recently I performed at a bat mitzvah (excuse the spelling, I'm Catholic!!)
where the parents were avid dancers as were many, but not all, of the guests.
Even so, dancing only ran about 45 minutes and there were only maybe 20 people
who got involved.
Also, consider that at a typical wedding reception, the bnewlyweds are expected
to schmooze with all the relatives, etc. which leaves little time for them to
dance!
Based on these experiences, my advice is unless you KNOW most of the guests
are dancers, you're better off NOT having contradancing at a wedding. My $0.02.
--
Brian Rost
3Com Corp.
508-264-1550
br...@synnet.com
*********************************************************************
Monkey Island: a dance band for the new millenium
*********************************************************************
Alan Crosman
> |> Bobfab wrote:
> |> >
> |> > Other topics for discussion are: have any of you been to weddings where
> |> > there were contras? How did it go? Were there a majority of people who
> |> > did not know what was going on, and was it fun anyway? Does anyone
feel it
> |> > would be inappropriate to suggest that guests who might like to enjoy the
> |> > dancing more at the reception attend at least one Contra beforehand?
>
> I attended a wedding some years where the couple had hired a contradance band
> and caller. A little over a dozen people danced; I think we were able to get
> two squares going. Most of the guests just watched and after about four
dances,
> the caller stopped and the band just played tunes for listening.
>
> More recently I performed at a bat mitzvah (excuse the spelling, I'm
Catholic!!)
> where the parents were avid dancers as were many, but not all, of the guests.
> Even so, dancing only ran about 45 minutes and there were only maybe 20
people
> who got involved.
This has been my experience as well when asked to call Square Dancing at a
wedding reception - the band plays a lot, there is a little dancing that
is as much entertainment for those present as an opportunity for a few to
dance. It has usually been well received as providing a nice atmosphere
for the reception, but don't assume that much dancing will take place.
The one exception to this was several years ago when my cousin was
married. He had played in an band that provided folk dance music in
Chicago. Many of us joined the bride and groom for the dancing and I
still remember it as one of the most enjoyable weddings I have ever been
to.
--
Alan Crosman
KMsSavage
A contra wedding can be fun if your expectations aren't high; the
contra corner crowd will enjoy a private dance celebration. Your relatives
and old-boomer co-workers will enjoy a program like this:
--bridal party waltz, turning into snowball waltz with all guests
(note that this cleverly gets everyone up & dancing)
--grand march (e-z walking fun)
--e-z sicilian circle dance (I like "Come Haste to the Wedding")
--circle mixer (I like "Jamie Allen")
--Virginia Reel (everyone's seen the movie "Gone With the Wind" or been
thru 3rd grade)
By then the older, non-dancing guests will be tired, and possibly you
could do a fast contra for the die-hards. Then, it just depends; I work
with bands who can play easy listening and couple dance music. Polkas and
waltzes. The bunny hop. The hokey pokey. The chicken dance. For a mixed
group I would expect the called dancing to last an hour, 90 minutes tops.
And the floor will routinely empty as soon as the music stops.
If they want the Macarena, bring a boom box and a tape. The "tune"
contains about 3 chords and it's not worth your musicians' time.
I have also done weddings where a DJ followed the contras. Some people
really need rock 'n' roll-type dancing. A program like the one above will
get everybody mingling and eliminate the "our table" awkwardness.
Keep in mind, too: most reception halls have about 100 sq ft of
uncarpeted dance space, which lends itself well to the "stand in one place
and gyrate" type of bar dancing.
One more thing: if you want your guests to dance, do not serve alcohol.
(Booze is no longer "required" of a good host these days.)
--Karen Missavage
Ann Arbor MI
Lisa Inman
Peter Masters wrote:
>
> Bobfab wrote:
> >
> > Other topics for discussion are: have any of you been to weddings where
> > there were contras? How did it go? Were there a majority of people who
> > did not know what was going on, and was it fun anyway? Does anyone feel it
> > would be inappropriate to suggest that guests who might like to enjoy the
> > dancing more at the reception attend at least one Contra beforehand?
> >
>
> More commonly I've been to weddings where there was contra dancing as
> entertainment, but the guest list was the regular wedding guests -
> family and friends. Even in extreme cases, it's unlikely that even 1/2
> of the attendees are experienced dancers - and since you are getting
> married away from where you live and dance, the proportion will probably
> be much less. In a situation like this, I think the key is a caller who
> is experienced at getting total beginners up and dancing. Ted Sanella
> used to be a master at this. If your friend is an experienced caller,
> I'm sure they've done their share of weddings; it's a very common gig.
>
I have called for many groups of total beginners for weddings and other
events. I agree that one key to your success is a caller who is
experienced at getting beginners up and dancing in a casual, fun, relaxed
way.
The goal for me at this type of dance is to provide a way for many
different folks who may not have a form of recreation in common to come
together and have a fun time celebrating. Very often I feel that the
dancing provides a way to blend different folks and generations who might
otherwise just stand around and chit-chat. The music seems to be
enjoyable to all, and not identified with one generation or another.
A selection of only contras might be a bit difficult or challenging, even
very easy ones. For me such a dance often includes some simple Southern
squares (not tied to being a certain place in the music at a given time),
some lively but simple circle mixers, maybe a set dance like the Virginia
Reel (which doesn't have a contra type progression) and a couple easier
contras. People will enjoy a very simple dance taught briefly that they
are very successful at, more than a dance they had to stand around for a
lot of teaching and then felt lost in. They can be nervous about trying
this stuff, and one dance they felt too complex is likely to convince
them that they "can't do this stuff" and send them back to the folks on
the side. What type of music your band plays will also affect the
choices.
Beginners are likely to skip and romp through dances (which is fun and
fine in this setting), and then be exhausted by them. Don't be surprised
if after one or two dances everyone wants to take a 10-20 minute break!
This is a good time for couple dance tunes for some to dance to and
background music for others.
We have also learned that the degree to which alcohol is or isn't
consumed at a party significantly affects what people are up for in terms
of learning new stuff. Can be quite difficult to pull off a dance in
which people are needed to go in certain directions at certain times if
some are tipsy or drunk.
Personally I wouldn't suggest to all that they consider attending a
contra dance ahead of time. I would be afraid that it would give folks
the message that the dancing at your party was something that they would
need to worry about getting "right" and maybe make them less likely to
join in.
Have a fun party!
Lisa Inman
Port Townsend, WA
Cynthia M. Van Ness
On 4 Mar 1997, Brian Rost wrote:
[snipped for brevity]
> Based on these experiences, my advice is unless you KNOW most of the guests
> are dancers, you're better off NOT having contradancing at a wedding. My $0.02.
All the more reason to invite every dancer you know!
When my beloved & I had our ceremony, we invited only family &
close friends to the ceremony, and invited *everyone* to the
dance/reception. With a potluck supper and no gifts, we had a hall full
of dancers, many of whom yanked the non-dancers out on to the floor. It
worked out just fine.
-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-+-=*=-
Cynthia Van Ness, M.L.S. | Co-moderator, Buffalo NY USA genealogy page:
af...@freenet.buffalo.edu | http://freenet.buffalo.edu/~roots
If information was power, librarians would rule the world. (C. Stoll)
David H. Millstone
In article <19970301185...@ladder02.news.aol.com>, bob...@aol.com
(Bobfab) wrote:
> Other topics for discussion are: have any of you been to weddings where
> there were contras? How did it go? Were there a majority of people who
> did not know what was going on, and was it fun anyway? Does anyone feel it
> would be inappropriate to suggest that guests who might like to enjoy the
> dancing more at the reception attend at least one Contra beforehand?
Here in New England, it's quite common to have a dance as part of the
wedding reception; I've called at scores of such events as have many of
the callers I know. It is a wonderful way to bring together people who
don't know each other-- friends of the couple, friends from the bride and
groom's past lives, plus two families who typically don't know each other.
It is an activity which can involve folks of all ages, from 4 to 74, and
since everyone (or nearly everyone) is starting at the same level, it
builds comaraderie. After dancing together, people feel more connected and
I've heard from *many* folks afterwards that the dancing was a high point
of their event.
Since the vast majority of the people will have had no prior contra
experience-- nor should they be expected to have this-- the choice of the
caller is even more important than usual. At a typical wedding, I might
call an entire afternoon or evening without once calling a "typical"
contra dance. Instead, I'll use Sicilian circles, squares, dances in
longways formation with the top couple active, and so on. I like to pick
dances where people can get up and dance instead of having to listening to
me explain a lot.
The single biggest factor, I've found, in making the dancing work is how
committed the wedding couple is to being on the dance floor. If they're
off talking with guests, people will hang around them there. If they're on
the floor clearly having a good time, others will follow their example.
David Millstone
Lebanon, NH
W R Potter
My wife and I had a Contra Dance at our wedding reception a year and a
half ago and it went over great! Granted, many of our guests are
regulars at Contras but some (including all of my family) were first
timers. Make sure your caller is aware of the range of experience in
your guests.
Our caller payed some special attention to the kids early on. It
proved a great way to involve the adults. After seeing how readily the
younger generation caught on, the adults jumped right in. Good Luck.
Bill Potter
wrp9...@uconnvm.uconn.edu
Kiran Wagle
Bill Potter <wrp9...@uconnvm.uconn.edu> wrote:
> Make sure your caller is aware of the range of experience in your guests.
This is a very good point. It's probably worth hiring a caller who
understands and enjoys one-shot gigs to call a wedding dance.
~ Kiran <ent...@io.com>
emp...@aol.com
Fifteen years ago, my wife and I decided to hire a contra band for our wedding. Most of the guests had never even HEARD of contra dancing, My bride had been only once to a contra and I was a rank amateur (Still am, pretty much). The hall was constructed so that there were 4x4 posts every 10 feet or so down the middle of the room. The band (Mountain Laurel) understood the situation.and did a marvelous job of calling, enticing new dancers onto the dance floor and explaining to the guests basic dance ettiquite . Of the 50 guests, I think 45 danced at least once and 40 danced most of the dances. We all had a grand time. I still occassionally hear from someone who attended how much they enjoyed the wedding and particularly the dancing. It is, by the way, the only wedding I have ever attended that had contra dancing and I worked as a professional wedding photographer for over ten years, averaging about 70 weddings a year.
My conclusions: only three things matter if you want to have contra dancing: First and most important is YOUR (bride & groom's) attitude. Presume that you and your guests will have a good time and you will -- don't worry them or yourselves about the details. Go, have a good time, and don't worry about it. Regardless of what happens, everyone will have a good time. If everything runs perfectly, no one will even REMEMBER your wedding in six months, they will just say they do. If it is a little different, including a faux paux or two, then it is an event with character, to be relished and embellished in family folklore. (Of all the weddings I have attended, the only one I actually remember, other than my own, is the one in which a streaker streaked (that's what they do, I suppose) down the aisle (Catholic church, etc) with a paper bag over his head during the ceremony.
Second: You need a band and a caller that knows how and is willing to work with rank beginners. If they mix in a few waltzes, then everyone will have a chance to dance. (I could highly recommend the Mountain Laurel Band -- they also played more recently for several "father/daughter" valentine dances my wife organized as part of girl scouts. For most of the dancers, it was also a contra first, and I heard NO complaints.
Third: Attitude of your guests. But that's really their problem, not yours. you need to have one or a few persons that, although are not experienced contra dancers, are willing help get things going. which means getting non-dancers to dance early on. Might be a good idea to talk to a few close friends ahead of time. Sounds to me like a perfect assignment for the best man, maid of honor, attendants, groomsmen, etc. Let them know that you expect them to dance and that they should each seek out someone who is not part of the wedding party or not dancing and get them to dance.
My advice: Do it!! and have a good time.
Pwmaine
We had a contra dance at our wedding 15 years ago. Very few of our 50-60
guests had ever contra-danced before, but we all had a great time. The
key was in hiring a caller (and band) good at teaching and motivating
beginners of all ages. We did a couple of squares, etc., as well. I
cherish the photos of friends and family ages 6-80 dancing together. No
regrets at all!!
Nancy Mamlin
I missed the beginning of this thread, since I was on my "Spring Break Tour"
of dances with the Wabash Cannibals....
So, sorry if I am repeating what others have said.
In article <331DCC...@olympus.net>, Lisa Inman <in...@olympus.net> wrote:
>Peter Masters wrote:
>>
>> Bobfab wrote:
>> >
>> > Other topics for discussion are: have any of you been to weddings where
>> > there were contras? How did it go? Were there a majority of people who
>> > did not know what was going on, and was it fun anyway? Does anyone feel it
>> > would be inappropriate to suggest that guests who might like to enjoy the
>> > dancing more at the reception attend at least one Contra beforehand?
>> >
>>
>> (snip)
I have something to say from several perspectives:
1. As a dance caller. These are my favorite gigs. People are there to have
fun, party, etc. True, there may not be a lot of dancing, and waht gets done
may be the only dancing these people ever do in thier lives. So what? My goal
is to get people interacting. I've called three different types of these
wedding gigs:
a. No one dances- including the bride and groom. They just want an
"Appalachian flavor" to their wedding since they're getting married here. In
this case there may just be a waltz and a VA Reel, with lots of music from the
band.
b. About half of the folks are dancers, including the bride and groom
and their dance-crazed friends. These are the most difficult, since there are
some dancers there who think it's a "Dance" and don't get that Aunt Lillian
just wants to enjoy the even without being pressured to get on the dance
floor. Or if she does get on the dance floor, she wants to have fun and not
feel like she has to do it "right".
c. Everyone (over 80%, say) is a dancer, including the families. I've
been to two of these, though I know they're rare. These are easy as "a" above,
in that the expectations are usually in line with the wedding part of the
evening rather than the dance part fo the evening. Dance is just the way we
express the community and happiness of the wedding event. Same thing goes for
other weddings that have some other expression of community- rock and roll
dancing, volleyball, eating a lot, whatever.
2. As a guest. I've been to all of the above. I'm more interested in having
fun, and expressing my wishes for happiness to the bride and groom. Dancing
is a great way to interact with everyone there, and I personally love it.
3. As a blushing bride... The most fun I ever had dancing lately was at my own
wedding last September. The guests were primarily musicians/dancers (very few
"dancers only"), my family (who are mostly musicians), and a few other stray
co-workers, and friends from elsewhere who were fully aware that Ron and I are
musicians. Our wedding invitations had great caricatures (by Frank Lee) of us
playing fiddle and bass, so folks knew what they wree coming for!
The dancing was all real community oriented, kid-friendly, and lotsa
lotsa fun. Everyone danced, everyone had a great time. There wree only four
callers there (counting me) and we shared the responsibilties for calling.
There were tons of bands there, though only about four or five played at the
dance party....
Of course, there were no contras (it was *my* wedding after all!), but
we did a good variety of squares and circles and VA Reel-type dances for about
three hours. Then we palyed music the rest of the night/morning.
As for the alcohol question- it was cold, so folks didn't go through as much
as I thought they would. The beer was located in a different building (we were
at a camp), so there wasn't any "public drunkenness on the dance floor". But
when you're dancing you're not drinking anyway- another plus for dancing! (And
if you are drinking, there's another plus for having a camp!
Gotta get back to work...
Nancy
Steven J Gold
In article <19970305163...@ladder01.news.aol.com>,
kmss...@aol.com (KMsSavage) wrote:
> A contra wedding can be fun if your expectations aren't high; the
> contra corner crowd will enjoy a private dance celebration. Your relatives
>>> TEXT DELETED <<<<
> I have also done weddings where a DJ followed the contras. Some people
> really need rock 'n' roll-type dancing. ... ...
Several callers how do a lot of wedding & private parties said they would
NEVER accept a gig which had a DJ or rock-band *preceeding* the
"traditional" dancing; it's the "kiss of death" unless most of the
attendees are traditional dancers.
To Karen's comments & suggestions, I would add that I've been very
successful in using some simple international "folk dances" mixed in to my
program. Many of them only require people to walk & clap and are a great
way to get people over their preconceptions of "square dancing".
The down side is that it can be quite hard to do this with live music since
most traditional bands can't/won't play folk music (and it's hard to find
the tunes published for them to learn them). Sometimes, I've been hired to
do a wedding gig with recorded music so it has not been a problem.
Steven J Gold
In article <5g1mg3$5...@lester.appstate.edu>, maml...@appstate.edu (Nancy
Mamlin) wrote:
> I missed the beginning of this thread, since I was on my "Spring Break Tour"
> of dances with the Wabash Cannibals....
>
>>> SNIP! <<<<<
> is to get people interacting. I've called three different types of these
> wedding gigs:
>
> a. No one dances- including the bride and groom. ... ...
I always talk to the bride & groom before I accept the job (assuming they
are not "contra dancers") and explain that if they want their guests to
participate, it's important that they set an example and I will expect them
to "be at the head" of the first few dances.
wesle...@delphi.com
Lisa Inman <in...@olympus.net> writes:
>I have called for many groups of total beginners for weddings and other
>events. I agree that one key to your success is a caller who is
>experienced at getting beginners up and dancing in a casual, fun, relaxed
>way.
you would be willing to share? Does anyone else? I don't call to a mixed
crowd very often. I have appropriate material such as whole set dances,
easy squares and circles. But I find this is the biggest challenge to me
at a event like this is simply getting people up to dance.
Wesley
Nancy Mamlin
I realize I should have been more clear. It's not that they don't dance *at
the wedding*, but they are not _dancers_ out in the real world.
At any rate, I try not to dictate what folks do at their own wedding, though I
may talk them out of hiring me if I think they're not really going to
dance....
Nancy
KMsSavage
<<<... one key to your success is a caller who is experienced at getting
beginners up and dancing in a casual, fun, relaxed way.
Do you have any specific techniques that you use to accomplish this
that
me
at a event like this is simply getting people up to dance.
One of the simplest ways: during food, the caller makes the rounds of
the tables, briefly describes dancing, asks that guests arise and make a
circle around the bride & groom at a certain signal (like, when s/he steps
up to the mic & says "good evening.").
Susan English, fellow Ann Arbor caller, told me about this. Says it
works really well--VROOM--they are there! If you lead off with a wedding
party snowball waltz with the guests joining in, they will be on their
feet and have a partner for the first dance, segue into a big circle.
If you can find a msg I posted on this topic/thread sometime back,
there's a complete description...
Good luck!
--Karen Missavage
Nancy Mamlin
On Wed, 12 Mar 1997 wesle...@delphi.com wrote:
> Do you have any specific techniques that you use to accomplish this that
> crowd very often. I have appropriate material such as whole set dances,
> at a event like this is simply getting people up to dance.
I'll jump in here. After all, I'm calling a community dance tonight- in my
very own community of Meat Camp, NC (we don't even have a post office,
it's not on any maps...)
I've said before- these are my very favorite kinds of gigs to call. The
one tonight I'm doing for free (it's to help with someone's chemo
expenses). The reason I love them is that the expectations are more in
line with my own expectations for a dance- and it happens more in these
situations than in the "modern-a-go-go" (to use Larry Edelman's words)
contra dances in the big cities. In a word: FUN.
How do I approach these dances? Well, I do have lots of dances that I
label in my box as "square dances for one-night stands" and I pull a bunch
of those out. I don't plan an evening the same way I do for city dances- I
don't make out a sequence; it's much more by "feel".
First dance of the evening: absolutely no teaching! I get folks in a
circle, make sure they have a partner, *maybe* make sure the woman's on
the right (using the line: you can remember this because the woman's
*always* right), and have the band start! The moves are cirle left, right,
into the center and back, swing your partner, promenade (or, take your
partner and walk with them) to another couple, make a cirle of four with
them,.... then I may do birdie in the cage (using English words),
right/left stars,... then they get into a big circle after doing this with
several couples, go into the center and back, and that's the first dance.
No muss, no fuss, and everyone realizes that I'm not asking them to do
anything impossible.
I'll teach subsequent dances, and do a lot of dances with the pattern
above- in this area, after all, those are called "square dances". I may do
a few four couple squares, may not. I typically use a VA reel, since most
folks have some memory of that from fourth grade. (Or I tell the kids I'm
giving them a leg up for when they get to fourth grade!)
Other things- lots of time between dances- no one rushes to find a new
partner- they visit with the old one for a while, or have to come up and
thank me, or ask the fiddler what tune that was... I may put in more
waltzes, but that's a judgement call- sometimes those are scarier than
called dances for non-dances.
I also don't get my feelings hurt if no one wants to dance (this rarely
happens, but can at weddings). I encourage folks to dance, but I don't
cajole or bribe or pout. (Hey- they aren't paying me by the dance or
anything!) There usually are a few folks who want to dance (like the
people that hired you- and I might solicit their help in getting others on
the dance floor, though that first dance also goes a long way. I might say
something like, "I'll have the band play a few tunes here for you all to
"boogie" to (most folks can flatfoot or polka or do the twist) and then
I'll lead a few dances"... that way I may "ease" them into the idea of
dancing.
Hope this gives you a few things to think about. I'd like to read others'
comments on this as well.
Nancy
***************************
Nancy Mamlin, Ph. D.
College of Education
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
704-262-6059 (office)
maml...@conrad.appstate.edu (email)