I have noticed that sometimes if a dance has a "dorky" figure in it,  
a tune that's slightly different can help free people up to enjoy it.  
A ragtime tune,  a klezmer tune, a riff from rock and roll, something  
that makes people want to be playful or to bounce or shimmy as they  
dance, will free them up to enjoy the "dorky" part and be playful  
with it.



On Jul 7, 2009, at 9:00 AM, callers-request at sharedweight.net wrote:

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>    1. Re: "Limited Views" on Dorky Dances (Martha Edwards)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2009 20:56:00 -0500
> From: Martha Edwards <meedwards at westendweb.com>
> Subject: Re: [Callers] "Limited Views" on Dorky Dances
> To: "Caller's discussion list" <callers at sharedweight.net>
> Message-ID:
> 	<7d8d864a0907061856k5d2b99c5gc67897718922d7bd at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> My own foray this year into attempting to broaden people's idea of  
> what kind
> of dancing they liked has led me to this hypothesis: People become
> comfortable with the dance figures and music AND social setting (!)  
> of one
> dance form, and they dislike other dance forms in precisely the way  
> those
> other forms differ from the one they're used to.
>
> They say "I know what I like" but if you watch closely, you may see  
> that
> it's really "I like what I know."
>
> It's reasonable, really. Human evolution probably favors the  
> development of
> people who find a safe way to live. If they don't venture too far  
> out of
> their, let's call it, "culture", they survive. They have babies. The
> adventurous are admirable, but they don't tend to stay home and  
> watch after
> the kiddies.  So, it makes sense that once your body has a certain
> neurological "set", it may be pre-programmed not to like changes  
> very much.
> I try to become a nice, healthy tea drinker, but every morning, I  
> just make
> the coffee.
>
> On the other hand, my kids made it to adulthood, and so I am  
> evolutionarily
> free to be adventurous. Although contra is my village social, my  
> comfort
> zone, I dance Greek, contra, swing, and salsa, and recently added  
> English
> and (gasp!) Modern Western Squares. I have become "used" to feeling  
> awkward
> and inexpert, and know the feeling passes.
>
> I am sympathetic with those who have fought their way to competence  
> in one
> dance form and are not about to give it up and feel awkward and  
> inexpert
> again. I just wish I could figure out a way to help them stand it long
> enough for them to experience the pleasures of other dance forms.
>
> M
> E
>
> On Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 4:51 PM, <gregmck at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>>
>> Well.  Yes.  I can see how many folks feel.  Many of us encounter  
>> rolling
>> eyeballs when we tell our friends about contras and we feel  
>> compelled to
>> assure them that:  "No.  Its NOT like the goofy square dancing you  
>> learned
>> in Jr. High.  It's NOT about bouncing up and down, waving your  
>> arms, and
>> making foolish animal sounds.  Its actually very cool and you'll feel
>> comfortable doing it."
>>
>> Then, when we finally drag these folks to a contra dance, the  
>> caller does
>> one of "those" dances.
>>
>> Is this being "limited" or "close-minded" (as one caller once  
>> referred to
>> me)?  Maybe.
>>
>> If you want to see real "closed mindedness" just try fitting one  
>> simple
>> mosh pit slam dance with recorded screaming rock music--for just ten
>> minutes--into your contra dance program.
>>
>> The point is that "folk dancing" is an extremely "limited view" of  
>> what
>> dancing should be.  Contra dance is an extremely "limited view" of  
>> what folk
>> dancing should be.  And "folk music" is an extremely "limited  
>> view" of what
>> music should be.
>>
>> On the whole, I would venture to say that in many ways contras are  
>> more
>> open to variation than most "folk dancing."  We have seen electronic
>> instruments sneak in along with non-traditional percussion (such  
>> as trap
>> drum sets), and many variations of dance figures.
>>
>> Personally I think that the beauty, magic, and sustainability of  
>> contra
>> dance comes precisely from the limits of the tradition that  
>> governs it.  It
>> is within that rigid traditional structure that people feel safe,  
>> and free
>> enough to open themselves to others and to connect in  
>> extraordinary ways.
>>  This is not to say that I am a "traditionalist" by any means.   
>> But we
>> should not try to "change the direction" of that tradition without  
>> a clear
>> idea of what our common purpose is.
>>
>> The real question is: What is your purpose?  And what is the  
>> purpose of the
>> majority of those who attend?  Are you trying to "preserve a  
>> tradition," to
>> "open folks to other dance traditions," or simply "to offer an open
>> community social dance with live music," or a combination of all  
>> those.
>>  ...Or are we doing something else entirely?  The answer will  
>> surely vary
>> for each dance series or event.
>>
>> This is a question seldom discussed yet it seems to be a central  
>> issue
>> regarding how we organize dances and what the role of the caller  
>> is.  I
>> think that discussion would be very useful.
>>
>> What is the purpose of our event and what is the caller's job in  
>> realizing
>> that purpose?
>>
>> Perhaps if we answered that question we might come to a better
>> understanding of why we sometimes get "hairy eyeballs" when we  
>> wander off
>> into some more "limited" goal.
>>
>> Just a thought,
>>
>> Greg McKenzie
>>
>> *********
>>
>> Winston Wrote:
>>
>>> I think I'd believe how much of a hairy eyeball you got.  There  
>>> are a lot
>>> of
>>> people with very limited views of what ought to happen at a  
>>> contra dance,
>>> and
>>> they're not shy about letting you know.  [I once saw somebody yell
>>> "English!"
>>> and refuse to do a bouree balance (not unlike an English setting  
>>> step) in
>>> what
>>> was otherwise a perfectly conventional longways duple improper  
>>> contra.]
>>>
>>> (Wide assortment of *reasons* for not liking what they don't  
>>> like, and not
>>> being willing to give a chance to what they don't know they won't  
>>> like.
>>>  It's
>>> hard to influence the program and the dancer attitude very much  
>>> if you're
>>> not
>>> the main caller, and if your desire to change the direction isn't  
>>> shared
>>> by
>>> other callers.  But anyway, if half of 'em sit down and grumble for
>>> squares,
>>> getting them to do a dorky (in a good way) scatter mixer to non- 
>>> Celtic,
>>> non-old-timey, non-New-Englandy music is going to be a challenge.)
>>>
>>> -- Alan
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> ==================================================================== 
>>> ===========
>>>  Alan Winston --- WINSTON at SSRL.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU
>>>  Disclaimer: I speak only for myself, not SLAC or SSRL   Phone:
>>>  650/926-3056
>>>  Paper mail to: SSRL -- SLAC BIN 99, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo  
>>> Park CA
>>> 94025
>>>
>>> ==================================================================== 
>>> ===========
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
>>>
>>
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>
>
>
> -- 
> For the good are always the merry,
> Save by an evil chance,
> And the merry love the fiddle
> And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats
>
>
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> End of Callers Digest, Vol 59, Issue 3
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