David asked:
>So, what are topics that _you_ would like to see in a workshop? Assuming that
>one already has the nuts and bolts of programming an evening, 
>teaching a dance,
>and delivering the calls in good fashion, what skills would be useful to
>address?

Well, here is a write up for my own workshop.  Feel free to use any 
of these topic ideas.

Generally I feel that, after callers gain several years of 
experience, most develop enough confidence that they feel they can 
ignore many of the basics of calling.  Things like using effective 
word order in calls and prompts is often dropped in favor of a more 
"natural" speaking style.  This may put the caller at ease but their 
calling always suffers for it and the results are often dramatic when 
a good number of newcomers are present.

Beyond that I would like to see more emphasis on integrating 
newcomers and inspiring a gracious, civil, and welcoming environment 
suitable to a public social event.  (It might be good to recognize 
that open and public contra dances are very different events from 
special events designed for dance enthusiasts.  The skills are 
different and the caller's job is different.)

Just a thought.

Greg

**************

An Instructional and Participatory Workshop for Contra Dance Callers

In Caller Lab I and II participants will learn many of the basics 
skills and techniques useful in calling dances and in dance 
instruction for groups of mixed skill levels.  In Caller Lab III 
Participants will have the opportunity to try calling dances and will 
receive constructive feedback on their calling techniques from the 
entire group.  This lab will be taught in three Tuesday evening 
sessions of 2-3 hours each during January and February of 
2008.  Topics in the sessions will include:

Caller Lab I
-         The Purpose Of Social Dance
-         The Purpose Of Contras
-         The Purpose Of The Contra Dance Caller
-         The Caller's Responsibility
-         Integrating Newcomers Into the Community
-         Inspiring Confidence In The Dancers
-         Explicit and Implicit Messages
-         Voice Clarity and Projection.
-         Crafting Precise And Unambiguous Instructions
-         Effective Word Order
-         Know Your Audience (The Bell Curve)

Caller Lab II
-         Earning And Holding The Attention Of The Dancers
-         Planning Your Dance Program
-         Gaining The Support Of Experienced Dancers
-         Setting a Tone of Decorum and Mutual Regard
-         Maintaining A Safe And Supportive Environment
-         Putting All Dancers at Ease
-         The Newcomer's Orientation Session
-         Proven Instructional Techniques and How to Avoid Them
-         12 Common Mistakes made by Callers
-         Fool-Proof Dance Cards

Caller Lab III
-         Using The Music Effectively
-         Working With Live Musicians
-         Working With PA Systems And Sound Engineers
-         Effective Use Of The Microphone
-         Microphone Etiquette
-         Recognizing Problems
-         How To Handle Difficult Situations
-         Recovering From Mistakes
-         How to Generate an Atmosphere of Graciousness and Goodwill


This workshop series will cover techniques useful for dance callers, 
instructors, masters of ceremony, and workshop facilitators who use a 
public address system.  The core program, however, is designed for 
callers of contemporary New England style contra dances, which 
involve a caller-led evening of intensely social dancing to live 
music in which newcomers are integrated without prior 
instruction.  Whatever background or interest, all participants in 
Caller Lab should have attended at least one contra dance to 
understand the context of the lab instruction.

Greg McKenzie has been dancing and calling contras for more than 20 
years.  He has a B.A. in Speech Communication and graduate course 
work in instructional design.  He has managed and programmed contra 
dance series and has served on several Boards of Directors.  He has 
also organized citizen-diplomacy contra dance tours of Eastern Europe 
where locals were invited to dance with visiting Americans traveling 
with a live band and a Russian-speaking caller.  In this workshop 
series McKenzie applies his communication and instructional 
background to the traditional, contemporary, and remarkable public 
ritual that we call a contra dance.