Egads! One of my resolutions for 2010 was to stay caught up with my blogs. Easier said than done. Though, I’m going to get and stay focused.

Here are some random things for today, and I’ll get more posted over the next few days.

I’ve not had a huge number of gigs in Arizona so far this year, but I’ve been busy. (Especially with Eli, but that’s another story for another time/blog.)

Here are the highlights from the dances I’ve had but not blogged about.

January 9th – This was a (solo) visit to the White Mountain Rim Rompers. We’d had a busy few days with Eli the week prior, so felt that it would probably be best if he stayed home and just “chilled.” We had a nice dance. A square of folks for the Plus workshop and then two squares (with some extras) for the dance. They are a Mainstream club, but many of their members dance the Plus program. So, if they had only Plus dancers on the floor, I called Plus. If Mainstream only dancers were up, then I kept it Mainstream. (No matter what, I made sure they had fun all the time.)

January 16th – I was honored to be able to call for part of Dessert Valley Squares’ annual fly-in. It’s a mini-festival of square dancing and always fun. It’s the third fly-in that I’ve called for and all of them have been real events. I worked with the legendary Bob Jones for my set. The dancing was fun, and the food was outstanding! DVS knows how to take care of people.

January 28th – I took the family on a road trip to Lake Havasu for the London Bridge Squares. We had a blast. LBS is a great group and a lot of fun. They’ve booked me for next year already. We had, I think, 4 squares, but 3 danced most of the night. The lovely and talented Nancy Mouser did the rounds. They put us up for the night and we played tourist on Friday. The London Bridge was cool, but I was disappointed in the kitsch around it. I expected more British fare, but it was more geared to the college/bar-hopping set.

February 12th – The family and I headed to Washington state for a small vacation and some calling dates. This initially was supposed to be a Woodinville Toe Stomper dance, but they have since folded.  Our friends Susan and Larry Morris helped me put on the dance on our own. We landed and got to the dance no problem. We had 4 squares and a fun time. I tried a “Take No Prisoners” set in place of pre-rounds. It didn’t go as well as I’d have liked, but we had fun. I called and cued the whole dance. It made for a long night, but we all had a good time.

February 13th – We headed to Puddletown for their Valentine’s Day dance. What fun! We did some mixers and split the tips for the new students and the experienced ones. Martha and I love this club and its members/guests. We had a blast. (And we had some visitors come just to see Eli.)

February 14th – Just a quick visit to Spike Reid’s Sunday Plus. I wasn’t calling; we were just visiting. However, Spike let me call a tip which was great. I thought they started at 8, but they started at 7, so we missed some dancing. However, better late than never.

February 15th – We headed over to Monday Squares where Rem Remington let me split the night with him. Just like old times. We didn’t have enough for 2 squares.  So, we kept the tips short/sweet and had some fun with it.

February 21st – We headed to Solo Squares for a visit with our square dance family there. Their caller, Cliff Nichols, took over when we moved to AZ and has done a great job of entertaining them. He even asked me to call a tip of which I was (and am) thankful.

Tomorrow, March 20th, I’m calling at the Mile High Squares in Prescott.

Over the next week or so, I’ll be providing more updates of some behind the scenes things I’m working on here in AZ. Never a dull moment!

Until next time, keep dancing!

In square dance land there are a number of beautiful things that happen. I count myself blessed with the friends I’ve made and I’m thankful for so many rich memories.

Here’s another one. (The tissues are optional.) If you want to read the original, here’s the link:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/03/20/shes_square_with_life/

Thanks go to Guy Steele for pointing this link out to me.

The article is © Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

She’s square with life

By: Steven Rosenberg

Hospice brings partners for resident’s last dance

NORTH READING – Marilyn Coyne survived the Depression with little food and no heat in her parents’ flat in Portland, Maine. She married and sent four kids to college. She saw her husband and one of their children die. And, in November, after three years of fighting breast cancer, she was told by a doctor that she had months to live.

In hospice care and losing weight in recent weeks as the cancer crept through her body, she confided to a hospice volunteer that she had a last wish, something that recalled summer nights of her childhood and joy with her husband. She wanted a final square dance.

Yesterday, her wish came true. Coyne donned a floral skirt, a crimson petticoat, and a red peasant shirt, and walked to the center of a nursing room social hall, where nine professional square-dancers, dressed in cowboy shirts and calico, waited for her.

It had been a decade since she last clasped hands with a partner, but as music played, the elfin Coyne deftly followed the dance caller’s instructions of allemande left, promenade, and do-si-do. After five minutes of swinging her partner, and singing along with “She’ll Be Com ing ‘Round the Mountain,” Coyne let her thin, 82-year-old frame fall into a padded wooden chair and took a deep breath.

“That,” she sighed, “was wonderful.”

It may have been bittersweet, this scene, but it befitted the decades that led to it. For much of her life, Coyne had sought refuge on the square-dance floor. She learned the art as a child growing up on Portland’s mostly-Irish Munjoy Hill, where she received the nickname Minty. The name stuck for life (she never liked Marilyn, she says) and still hints of a youth long past.

“I’m Minty McNeill Coyne, the girl who could steal any heart, anywhere, any time,” she says.

As a teenager, she met Patrick Coyne. The two went to separate Catholic high schools in the city, but they became fast friends, brought together by poverty and hardship and, ultimately, by square-dancing. After their first square dance together, they realized there was more than friendship between them. “I just liked him from the very start. We were good friends and got along very well,” she said. They married in 1947.

In Portland, Patrick worked as a foreman for the city water district, and Minty took a clerk job at a credit union. The couple had four children. Minty says she lived a “simple life,” working, taking care of her children, and putting her passion into baking apple pies and attending weekend square dances. There, she found escape among people who, like her, reveled in music, dance, and small talk.

“I’d feel free when I danced, and it’s nice if you have a husband who likes it. I have some friends and their husbands would never do anything like that,” she said.

All of her children would graduate from college, fulfilling her dream for them. “I never could go. I wanted them to go so bad,” said Minty, who is 4 feet, 10 inches tall, has sharp blue eyes, and short silver hair.

One son became a doctor, a daughter became a lawyer, another son went into real estate, and a third son, Danny, was an assistant secretary of state in Maine. At a family picnic in 1991, when Danny Coyne was 40, Minty watched as her son collapsed during a basketball game and died.

“I screamed ‘Danny’s dead, Danny’s dead’ over and over, and cried and cried,” she said, adding that there is no such thing as closure when one loses a child.

Tired of Maine’s frigid winters, the couple moved to Gulfport, Fla., in 1995, determined to square-dance as much as they could. She sewed all of her dresses and shirts. She bought her petticoats and shoes.

Ten years into their retirement, Patrick died, and Minty moved north to be closer to her daughter, Carol. She settled into an assisted-living facility in Tewksbury and soon after, felt pain around her breast. After tests, she was told she had breast cancer and had a breast removed.

The cancer never went away.

After Coyne mentioned her desire for one last square dance, Camryn Walsh, of Care Alternatives Hospice, decided to bring the dance to Minty. Walsh arranged to bring the Riverside Squares, a Danvers square-dancing group, to Minty’s floor at the Meadow View Care and Rehabilitation Center in North Reading.

“What we really try to provide is comfort and dignity when patients and families are faced with incurable disease,” said Walsh.

For an hour yesterday, the music played and dancers danced while a small crowd of nursing home residents, and Minty’s nurses and social workers, hooted and hollered in appreciation. Then the dancers packed up and were gone, and Minty sat in the dining room, talking about everything from the economy and technology to nature. She’s waiting for a really warm day so she can take a walk outside. “I don’t like sitting around,” she said.

She does not fear death or dwell on the idea of not being around much longer. “I know I’m going to die one day but it doesn’t bother me. I don’t think about dying,” she said. “I believe in afterlife. I assume there’s a heaven. . . . I’ll let you know if I get there.”

Steven Rosenberg can be reached at srosenberg@globe.com.

Though I am a professional square dance caller, this is a personal note, not one about an experience based on a dance I’ve hosted. Though, I’m not sure there is a difference between personal and professional at this stage in my career.

On New Year’s Eve, Martha and I went dancing at a local square dance club because we a) wanted to go out, and b) wanted to go dancing. We had a nice time, but it was marred by a single issue. One woman I was dancing had no clue how to touch hands while on the dance floor. By “touching hands” I mean that she had a grip like a clamp.

I talk, over and over and over again, about touching in class. It is there for a reference. It lets you know where you are in your formation and provide some stability. You should never hold on “for dear life.” Gripping is not needed. If each dancer applies pressure, you’ll find there is enough feedback to manage your needs. I’ve met a number of dancers that REFUSE to touch hands. In my professional opinion, these dancers are the WORST ever. When I’ve asked why they don’t touch, the answer I get is, “I know where I’m going” or “I’m going where I’m supposed to be.” The trouble with that is that touching hands is not just about an individual need. Sometime, your hand touching is about helping others know where they are or where they need to be.

So, after finally being cured (or, at least pain free) of a nagging tendonitis problem, it is back and back in a major way. It started out when this woman wouldn’t let go of me during some move… probably a Swing Thru or a Spin the Top. My shoulder wasn’t happy at this moment either. I joke and say things like “she nearly pulled my arm out of the socket” but though that is an exaggeration, the pain/discomfort is real.

As a result, I’m going to have to find my tendonitis brace, take some OTC pain relievers, and if it gets worse, seek medical attention.

The question that it makes me ask is, how many people don’t go dancing because of stuff like this? I hope the number is small. But, with square dancing’s number as low as they are, even small numbers are easily noticed/felt.

Please, as you enjoy square dancing, take note of how you touch hands. And, be ready to change, should you find that you “hold on for dear life.” The dancers will be there. Trust them.

Until next time, keep dancing.

Martha and I had an amazing night in Tempe doing a “taste of square dancing” event for a group staying at the Tempe Mission Palms.

About a month ago, I got a call from a Kathy Nord asking if I’d be willing to do some square dancing at a conference that she was being held in Tempe. The conference/banquet was from 6-8 and then she’d like some square dancing from 9 to Midnight.

We played phone tag, and then I didn’t hear from her again… until last monday. She apologized and said that she didn’t get my last message as her husband had heard the message, and written it down but had neglected to get it to her. No big deal.

We had a blast! The group was COCA-I, the Children’s Oncology Camping Association, International. Kathy is set to retire from her camp, Camp Rainbow.

There were probably 200 hundred people in attendance. Of which, I think, at one point, we had 6 squares on the floor dancing. After about two hours, I still had 8 people that wanted to dance, so I gave them an hour to themselves. I felt as if it were a rock concert where people were chanting “One More!” I’m a little hoarse today as I abused my vocal folds just a tad. I’ll rest them before my dance tonight.

The telling thing, to me, in the numbers, is that we had a large group from which to draw people (200), of that one forth chose to participate (48-50), and from that one square (8 people) wanted to go all night. The same is true of our overall square dance population. From a large group of people, we get our square dance classes, many quit, and a few want to just keep going. The trouble comes, I think, when the few that want to keep going use peer pressure to get their friends involved.

What did I teach? I didn’t use a written program, so, from memory (and not in this order):

Circle Left/Right
Boys/Girls/Heads/Sides – Right/Left Hand Stars
Allemande Left/Arm Turns
Dosado
Right and Left Grand
Sides Face Grand Square (one tip only)
Promenade

With the above calls, I entertained people for about two hours. With the square that stayed, I added…

2/4 Ladies Chain
Courtesy Turn (for the Ladies Chain)
Star Promenade
Ladies Center, Men Sashay

I used mostly pop tunes for my hoedowns, not because it is better, but because I find that there are a number of songs that people connect with. When I said, “I’ve got a traditional hispanic hoedown” and started playing it, one of the women on the dance floor said, with a look of surprise, “Jennifer Lopez!” Too funny. I did a singing call after every teach and used mostly high energy music. They were clapping, and sometimes singing, along.

These people were of all ages, but mostly young, and I had a lot of positive feedback. One man from Canada asked me about leaning how to call what I was doing, so told him to get in touch with me and I’d send him some information. He’d be a perfect candidate for an ABC Program caller. Martha heard people saying they wanted to learn more about square dancing when they got home. Our fear is that they’d find some old guy that plays vintage 1950′s music and specialized in bolo ties. Still, if they have a good memory of square dancing from this evening, it should carry on and they can spread the good word.

It was a really fun evening for both me and Martha. We’re also going to look to see if we might be able to help with Camp Rainbow in some capacity as a volunteer.  We’ll see what happens.

Until next time, keep dancing!

Times are a changing, that’s for sure.

I’d argue that this is a good thing for if you don’t change, you’re probably dead. I enjoy change in my life. I like the upheaval that comes with it. It keeps me on my toes and thinking. I suppose it is true that not all change is good, but I think that there is good to be found in nearly all change.

The hardest thing about it though is that it is work. There is a huge amount of effort in adapting old ways into new processes.  Also, there is the risk of anger and frustration because what was learned at one point is “simple and effective.” When what is known becomes unknown, it is easy to dismiss it. The reasons are plentiful for this:

“It is a fad.”

“It won’t work.”

“It’s too difficult.”

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

Granted, some change can be frustrating. In square dance land, it irks me to no end that, at club dances, parking spots are not reserved for the caller and cuer. This, to me, was (un)common courtesy.  It made for easy entry and exit. I don’t think I should have to ask for it, but I’m about ready to do so. It could be that new members don’t see it as important. I don’t know.

There’s other change on the horizon when it comes to square dance land. Numbers, in general, are down all over the world… even in Europe. It is a very real possiblity that organized SD will fade into history books. Indeed that last few times it made a comeback was due to a wealthy/famous patron. (Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, was one of the biggest ever.) Having a singular vision, whether you agree with it or not, can take an idea far and wide.

A contemporary example of one person’s vision moving through popular culture is Apple and the Macintosh and iPod. Steve Jobs is the beginning and end of those products. There are a number of people that can find fault with them (I’m not one of them, I think they’re great) but one person’s vision is what is being produced.

Square dancing is without vision. It is not without visionaries. We have those. However, what I’ve found is that for every hundred square dancers I know, there are one-hundred-and-one ideas different of how to make it better, stronger, and sustainable. Not only that, a very small percentage of these people are willing to change.

Have you ever heard the following?

• “If the dancers knew the definition, they could dance to my calling.”
• “If we teach dancers right the first time, they’ll never have a problem.”
• “I know that’s how your caller taught you, but here’s how you really do it.”
• “I don’t dance Mainstream, I got tired of it. Besides, Plus is where the fun really is.”
• “Come square up with me so I don’t have to dance with those new people.”

ALL of these thoughts and attitudes frustrate me to no end.

When we (I) teach new dancers, I don’t have tests for the definitions. I teach them “the correct way” but I also take the time to let that patterns turn into a form of muscle memory.  Teaching new people is NOT the time to shove definitions down anyone’s throats. If someone needs some help and a written defintion is needed, then share it.

If dancers can’t dance, it isn’t that they don’t know the definition, it is that I don’t know how to call it. The onus is on me to provide the calls and deliver them in a manner that can be danced. If I want to call something complicated, then I need to work my way up to it. It is my job to deliver success.

It is a case of knowing your audience. If your audience is proficient, then yes, open up your bag of tricks. If they’re not, why would anyone want to show off how clever they are? It is only going to make people mad, hurt, and embarrased. Sounds pretty stupid to me.

So, change is needed. I prefer the term “reform.” Back in the late 1990′s Callerlab aimed for whole scale change. It didn’t happen. Mostly this was due to the fact that not everyone believed in instant change. Transitions are important. Also, a number of people felt that their voices weren’t being heard. (It goes back to that single vision thing, but still, people that are affected should be heard.)

How would I reform the activity? (It is somewhat rhetorical as I’m working on it every day with every caller I help train and every dancer that I teach. I shape attitudes.) Still, there is some widespread change that is needed.

The biggest thing is that we need to make the program lists more fluid. That is, they need to change with the times. Old calls need to be brought into the lists and existing calls need to be moved, dropped, or forgotten.

The problem with this sort of reform is that a large number of callers, and I mean a LARGE number of callers read nearly all their material. Changing their programs means a lot of work, sometimes a lifetime’s worth of work would have to be changed. So, let’s not do whole scale reform.

Let’s pare down the program lists for Mainstream and Plus and make them manageable.  To learn how to square dance should take at MOST 12 weeks. 10-12 would be optimal. The Basic program has not proven itself to be viable. In Europe, where callers have insisted they need at Basic program, it turns out that it is only a stepping stone that needs a title. Their goals are the same as here in the states… get the dancers to Mainstream, then Plus.

Gadzooks.

So, we need a better, and more efficient, destination program then Mainstream, but more viable then Basic. Small and nimble, it should be fluid enough to teach a number of basic calls but large enough to provide variety.  Then, those calls that have been dropped or forgotten can easily be “quarterly selections” or some other sort of workshop move that can be thrown in at a moments notice.

It should be easy to pull calls out of the historical record… Square the Barge (one that comes to mind)…and put them in a dance. It should be encouraged.

Then, after dancing for a while… let the dancers decide when they want to move on to another program. Some might want to go immediately. Others, not so much.

We don’t, in square dancing, have many options. In the USA, we have a market based economy. (The current 2008 market meltdown not withstanding.) It thrives because of options that keep it flexible.

So, if (when) I have my way, a new set of lists will be coming. A set that can breathe with the times and stay flexible. Will it be the end of civilization as we know it? That’s what people said about the automobile, the refrigerator, the radio, nylon, plastic, flying, and the Internet. Change is inevitable. It’s only other option is death.

The dance you save, may be your own.

Until next time, keep dancing!

It’s been over a month since my last post and I am sorry about that. The summer has really gotten away from me. I’ve got a lot to catch up on, and I’ll try to go back and hammer away at things based on memory. (That may or may not go well.)

Most recently, Martha and I traveled to Washington to dance (and call a little) at the Circle 8 Ranch. Labor Day Weekend at the Ranch is special to us as that is where we met five years ago. It seems like yesterday. (Next week we’ll celebrate our second wedding anniversary. Wow.)

Kevin Thomaier and Ray Brendzy were at the top of their game. (Aren’t they always?) We had a great time. We saw so many friends and adopted family. It was like a family reunion if you could actually pick your family. (Opposed to being born into it.) A special thanks goes to our friend, Thal, as she was our transportation for the weekend. It was great to catch up with her and get the lowdown on what is going on in the area. Everyone should have a friend like her.

The new call for the weekend was Flip the Top. For those of you that dance the Plus Program, it is a Flip the Diamond – Fan the Top. Not hard, but you have to be aware of your position in the formation. As many callers have said before me, “Finish One Call THEN do the next one.”

Lots and lots of fun. A nice bonus was seeing people that I didn’t recognize. This means we had some new people over the weekend. That is always good news. Many callers were there too. There are many that weren’t there that I wish would come and take notes. Both Kevin and Ray are gifted when it comes to choreographic management. None of this “if the dancer knew the moves, they’d be fine” stuff. I can’t think of any “gotcha” moments. There were a few of them that were funny. One that comes to mind was when Ray said “Guillotine.” Everyone stopped and looked at him. He said, “…and Heads will Roll.” Too funny!

I got to call a tip a the end of the weekend. Man, I wish I could get a weekend there. It would be heaven. Maybe someday. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

I spent some time talking with the other callers there and picking their brains. Jack Hardin, Tom Clymer (and his wife, Chris), Spike Reid (and his wife, Betty), Rem Remington (and his wife Diana) were all full of information. Next weekend, the Northwest Callers’ Association is putting together a weekend covering technology for dance leadership. (Callers, cuers, and clogging instructors.) I’m sorry I missed it.

There’s more, but I’m off to bed.

Until next time, keep dancing!

I know that the convention was over a month ago.  Sorry about the huge delay. I’m trying to stay on top of things, but sometimes life gets in the way.

Nationals was a blast.  My favorite part? Singing with the Ghostriders (a LIVE band) in the Mainstream hall at 9:00 on Friday night. I don’t know if it gets much better.

This was, I think, the best convention I’ve ever attended. The sound was great. The programming was excellent. The facilities were fantastic. Wichita was welcoming and charming.

At first, I questioned the location. During the caller school, I continued to think that, but as the convention started, the support from the city was very apparent. The convention staff reciprocated and sold visitor badges that said non-dancer. This let the public come in and watch. A BRILLIANT idea.

I danced a lot but tried to pace myself. I, along with my parter for the week, Thal, tried to do as much dancing as we could. (My wife, Martha, could not attend, but my “stunt wife” Thal, from Seattle, was able to join me.)

It was also nice to meet and greet callers that I’ve known for years, callers I’ve met via email but not met face to face, and callers that I’ve never met but got to know.

We did some non-dancing stuff too. There was a dinner on Wednesday night, with music by the Prairie Wranglers. They were fantastic.  “Sons of the Pioneers” fantastic. (Funny too.) During the convention, we attended Jerry Junck’s talk on attitudes. I took some notes, so I’ll have to find them and post them.

People think of it as a festival, but it isn’t.  A convention isis a gathering of individuals who meet in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. So, it is more than just dancing, it is about connecting and celebrating the one thing we all have in common, square dancing. It strikes me as odd that so many people have this desire to promote square dancing, but can’t agree on how to make it happen. Everyone has a slightly different take on the issues before us, and because of this, we can’t seem to be able to affect the change we need to make a difference.

There were only a few disappointments the entire week. I’m a square dancer and a square dance caller, but I enjoy round dancing. For me, the round dancing was too far removed from the day-to-day square dancing. A couple of halls had some round dancing it them, but it was once an hour. A single 2×2 hall might have been nice with Square Dance “level” rounds. (I put the word level in quotes because I hate that term. It implies ability, and we don’t talk about that anywhere in the activity. A number of people seem to assume that Mainstream is a beginner “level” so it must not be good. That is just wrong, but it is hard to overcome. That’s a discussion for another timel; I think.

Along the lines of disappointments was the floor that the round dancers used. It was that black floor tile. It was just awful. My dance shoes (with a smooth sole) stuck to the floor more than once and the seams between tiles caught my shoes more than once. It was touted as a great thing, but if I never see it again, that’s fine with me. Carpet would have been smoother and easier on my knees.

What else? I saw some good friends from Texas, Marvin and Tammy, and it was great to dance some with them. It turns out that they’d never really heard me call before, so that was fun. Then we spent some time dancing with them. Fun, fun, fun!

I saw no incidents involving the policing of attire. People were there in all sorts of attire and no one was removed from any dance floor. That is a huge bonus to me. Adults don’t tell other adults how to dress. (Unless that other adult is my spouse.) That anyone would feel “holier than thou” enough to ask someone to leave the floor due to their clothes is appalling to me. So, it was great that this was not an issue.

Thal and I went to the bid session for the 2012 nationals. After living in Washington, you’d think that I was supportive of their bid, but, in truth, I wasn’t. I know the leadership in the area, and while some of them are very capable, in four years, I’m not sure there will be enough strong leaders to get the job done. I’m sure they’ll put it out, but I think that Oklahoma City had a better presentation. So good, in fact, that I’m ready to vacation there some day. Their mayor was there and he said that if they got the convention, he’d take lessons and encourage his staff of 4,000 to take lessons as well. Can you imagine that? I guess that this is all I’ll be able to do. I hope they bid again next year.

That’s all I’ve got for now on nationals. If I think of more, I’ll add it in another post. As it is, I’ve got a month of dances to catch up on so I’ll be able to sneak stuff in here and there.

Until next time, keep dancing!

It took me three days to get here from Washington.  In hindsight, I should have stopped before I got to LA on my second day.  As it was, my second day of driving was the worst.  (It took weeks for my cat to forgive me for three days trapped in the car.)

Arizona has a much different dance scene than Washington does.  The state of Washington has a Square and Folk Dance Federation with councils and member clubs.  There are officers and delegates and all sorts of activity inside it.  Arizona doesn’t have statewide dance leadership.  The Phoenix area has an association that I think is chartered under the USDA.  (Not the United States Dairy Association, but rather, the United Square Dancers of America.)  Tucson has a dancers association, SARDASA.  (Square and Round Dance Association of Southern Arizona.)  I don’t know with whom it is affiliated.  It also has a callers and cuers’ association, SACCA.  (Southern Arizona Callers and Cuers.)

That’s on the local scene… in Mesa, there’s the “Trail.”  There are a number of callers that have full time winter programs October-ish through March-ish.  Those callers currently include Jerry Junck, Gary Shoemake, Dale Dockery, Bill Haynes, Mike Sikorsky, John Steckman, and Randy Dougherty.  These guys call programs from ABC through Challenge.

The local scene doesn’t really mix with the Trail.  I’m not sure why, as I’ve had a lot of fun in both places.

Locally, I’ve danced at the Valley Single Squares in Mesa, the Bucks and Bows in Scottsdale, and the Checkmate also in Mesa.  The Valley Singles has, as their caller, Chuck Meyer.  He and his wife Eda Mae are two of the nicest people ever.  The same can be said for the caller of the Bucks and Bows, Dale Dockery and his partner, Pat.  It’s been a lot of fun dancing and working with these pros.  The Checkmates have guest callers every week, so when I’ve been able to attend their dances, I’ve been able to do some extra meeting and greeting.

On the Trail, I’ve touched base with Jerry Junck and Gary Shoemake.  Both of these guys have been kind enough to give me some floor time.  It was unexpected and I was a bit surprised.  The Trail is where the “big boys and girls” play.  (Yes, it was more fun than I can describe.)

So, that’s just a primer of the area.  More will come as time permits.

For those asking about Martha, the separation has been hard on both of us.  However, imagine, after being on your own and married, you had to go back to your parents to live *and* not have a room at your own.  As you can imagine, it has not been fun.  On top of this, we’re trying to sell our condo, and the current market is bad for sellers.  This is an understatement.  We’re about to be caught up in the sub-prime mess “by association.”  We were the lowest priced condo on the market.  As of last week, five others went on the market $10K less than ours.  There’s no way we can lower the price and be able to pay off the mortgage.  So, we could use a miracle right now.  Prayers are appreciated.

Until next time, keep dancing!

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!

Sunday’s weather wasn’t as bad as Saturday’s.  Mostly it was just wet.

We visited Martha’s mom who’s in a rehab center until (we hope) Monday early in the afternoon, then our friends Bob and Monica for a quick “catch up” before heading to the dance.

The dance started slow as people trickled in.  From the meeting upstairs, one of the women came down to visit, Jennifer, and she was telling us how she danced as a teenager.  She was interested in getting back into it, but wanted lessons.  Man, oh man.  There are people out there interested in our activity, but we, in general, can’t get it to them.

I forget to whom I was speaking, but it’s been noted that a number of clubs in the metro-Seattle area are moving towards having guest callers 100% of the time.  This is good in that it provides a fresh face, but it is bad for two reasons.  One reason this is bad is that a caller develops an ”institutional memory” for a club.  He/she knows what and where the weak spots are and can plan around them.  Visiting callers might all work the same material which might allow some knowledge to become “a little less solid.”  The other problem when it comes to having guest callers is about caller development.  Callers call.  Callers improve their calling skills by calling more.  Yes, you might have a “less than perfect” dance experience.  However, any existing caller was once a “greenhorn.”  It is very important that new callers get the chance to practice on real people.

The dance was basically a Christmas dance and it was a lot of fun.  I really enjoy when people start singing along.  (Especially when I forget the words.)

I’ve been experimenting with some new choreography.  Not really strange stuff, just pushing the envelope with what people know and letting it progress as the night goes.  It really has to be planned to be effective, but so far, it seems to work.  Any dance is a fairly organic creature an when properly fed, given ample light and water, and cared for, can become a thing of beauty in its own right.

I suspect that this falls under the heading of giving everyone a little something at each dance.  So, I provide some “wind in your face dancing” along with some puzzles and some “extended applications” to work on the whole dance experience.  It was fun.

 In fact, one tip, where we only had one square, I noticed that everyone in it was a Plus dancer.  So, I added some Plus movements.  Then, I noticed that some were those that danced the Advanced program, so for those people, I’d put them in the middle and give an Advanced call or two.  We had a blast with it.

It was a great dance and couldn’t believe when it was over.

 Until next time, keep dancing!

This was another 3 square night at Solo Squares.  That is, if everyone was dancing.  Some people just come to be social and they hide out in the back.  (Nothing wrong with that.)

Martha took the night off again so I went by myself.  I got there early enough to get a good parking place.  Some clubs reserve a spot for their caller and cuer but the Cedar Grange in Maple Valley really has no good place to park, let alone reserve a spot, so by getting their early I can make the best of it.

Two dancers that visit regularly are into Geocaching and were disappointed that Martha wasn’t there as they wanted to show her a bit more of their hobby.  They brought one of the clues they use to find things.  (Geocaching is a hobby where you use a GPS device and clues to do a type of global treasure hunt.  You don’t keep the treasure, you just mark that you found it either online or on a journal that is nearby.  The idea, I think is to encourage people to explore a bit.)  It was pretty cool.  They gave me one of the clues to give to Martha with a hint as to how to solve it.  It was in hieroglyphics.  My kind of puzzle.  Maybe it’s time for another new hobby. 

The dance was fun.  One of the members, a while back, asked me if I’d buy and learn the song “I’ve got the world on a string.”  She listens (regularly) to the radio show “The Music of Your Life.”  I’ve not heard of the song, but I try to buy new music every month.  About halfway through the dance, I told everyone that she was going to help me sing the next song as “I wasn’t sure I’d remember all the words.”  I did pretty well in remembering, but in the end it turns out that it was the wrong song.  Right title, though, so I got points for trying.  It brought a smile out in everyone and we were all laughing about it.  Several people also commented that they really liked that I seem to add new music every month to my program.  It was nice that they noticed.  It makes me happy.

One dancer noted how comfortable I am on stage and that I seem to be really enjoying myself.  It is very true.  I do enjoy myself.  I’ve seen callers enjoy themselves at the detriment to their dancers.  That’s not my style.  I’m entertained while I’m entertaining.  Sounds odd, but it’s true.

Okay, I’m nearly caught up with my blog.

Until next time, keep dancing!