Stephen’s Square Dance Blog

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!

Callers’ meetings are usually fairly dry.  This one is no real exception.  We’ve tried to limit the “hot air” factor by having a three hour meeting/discussion with half of it dedicated to business and the other half about choreography or a workshop.

When I walked in, they were talking about articles of incorporation and membership classes.  I was conflicted with what I heard.  I agree that it is important to me to choose how and with whom I associate.  I’ve worked hard to become the caller I am, I don’t know if I want to be lumped in the same class as someone that just picked up a microphone.  However, does it really matter?  I’m not sure.  I believe in the idea that standards promote excellence.  How do we do this and avoid a “good ol’ boys’ club?”

We talked about the proposed teaching order and the “All 8 Spin the Top” definition change in the Plus program.  This forces, at Plus, the call to be done from an RLG circle.  Some like to call it from a static square and expect everyone to step forward (passing right shoulders if needed) to create an Allemande Thar.  So, I’m glad that the explicit limitations have been added.  As you can imagine,  some aren’t.

The discussion about the proposed teaching order was mostly positive.  I’m probably going to make up my own version of it that will do two things.  1.) I need cross reference the calls to see if they’ll fit in existing student level dance structures.  2.) I’d like to make a teaching order checklist.  So, I’ll know more by the next meeting.

We also talked about All Around Your Corner and why it’s been changed a number of times in the past ten years.  I told them that much of the wording change here (as well as with other calls) is out of deference to the non-native English speaking community.  By limiting the usage of some words, it helps people in Europe avoid confusion.  I was surprised at the number of people that were unaware of this.  The consensus was that most of us want to know WHY definitions change.  Indeed, it might make a bitter pill easier to swallow.

The workshop was mostly about Dixie Style and All 8 Spin the Top.  The question of Dixie Style included one about the Double Track and whether or not men can lead.  All 8 Spin the Top was a discussion of how to get in and out of it.

This lead to a segue about what hand is free after:
All Around Your Corner
See Saw Your Partner

The floor was split 50/50.  Some argued that after the left shoulder pass with your partner means the next hand should be the right.  Others contended that after the left shoulder pass the dancers’ trajectories were such that a left hand is comfortable.  The consensus was, “be specific and remove any ambiguity.”

That’s all I can remember for now.  If I can think of more, I’ll post it.

Until next time, keep dancing!

Friday the 13th wasn’t a harbinger of doom.  We had three squares up until the end of the dance, then we had 1 and 7/8 for the last tip.  (I called a Plus tip at the end.)

The fun thing for me was that I used a bunch of material that we shared with the students at the callers’ school in Cle Elum.  I even turned some of what I saw at the school into a module.

Here’s some Caller Speak:

From a Zero Box:
Touch 1/4
Centers Trade
Swing Thru
Scoot Back
Boys Run
Star Thru

Takes you right to your corner.  However, the really cool part of this module is that it rotates the square 180 degrees.  I’ve got a couple of get outs that require this sort of rotation otherwise dancers end at home and don’t promenade.  I’ll post them on my website eventually.  There’s just too much to do.

It was a fun dance, and I tried to manage a balance between dancing and over heating.  I think I did okay.

I did hear that their regular club caller, Dave Knien was not feeling well.  So, thoughts and prayers for him are appreciated.  He’s a super guy and a great caller. 

Afterwards, Martha and I went out with Susan and Larry Morris for some ice cream and fellowship. 

Until next time, keep dancing!