An occasional newsletter goes out to alumni of the Silver State Caller College. It discusses topics related to the art and science of calling square dances.
|
|
| 2006 |
| 2007 |
| January 5, 2008 Developing a figure using Spin Chain Thru |
| January 7, 2008 Developing another Spin Chain Thru figure |
| February 5, 2008 Speeding up Slow Dancers |
| February 6, 2008 More on Speeding up Slow Dancers |
| March 7, 2008 Planning a patter tip with modules |
| April 5, 2008 Using singing call figures as modules and vice-versa |
| June 12, 2008 Formation Management, Part 1 |
| July 11, 2008 Promoting and Recruiting |
| August 14, 2008 Square Dance Parties |
| October 5, 2008 Step-by-Step Promotional Idea |
Hi SSCC Alumni!
Happy New Year!
I received some very thoughtful worksheets from Robert Morris of California (SSCC 2007). This guy really does his homework! In 2008 let's all resolve to be more like hard-working Robert Morris, and less like lazy loafing, ahem, meeee. :-) :-)
Let's follow along on how to develop an interesting choreographic sequence.
Robert's text is set off with > signs. My comments are interspersed.
> Nasser:
>
> I was working with that figure I created at Silver State and I
> saw that the girls were being screwed into the ground. Starting
> with # 1 and going to #4 is what I came up with. #5 I am trying
> to make it work for a singing call. #6 & 7is just refining the
> figure But it is about 10 beats short. # 8 is a try at bringing
> it up to about 60 beats Can you give me a push in the right
> direction?
>
> UPDATE --
>
> At 1:00 AM this morning I figured out a better way to extend
> the figure. Look at 9 & 10 The way that I have it laid out you
> can see my train of thought.
>
> Robert E. Morris
>
> No progression
> 1.
> HEADS LEAD-RIGHT
> SLIDE-THRU
> PASS-THE-OCEAN
> GIRLS TRADE
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> SPIN-CHAIN-THRU
> GIRLS U-TURN-BACK
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> PROMENADE-HOME
>
> 48 Beats
> Girls are getting screwed into the ground. Not very bad but
> this is not good.
Nasser's comments - This could be an interesting figure ... if you're a gurrll. :-) :-) You're right, it's a lot of overflow for the girls. However you do appear to be off to a great start on developing a very good figure.
> 2.
> HEADS LEAD-RIGHT
> SLIDE-THRU
> PASS-THE-OCEAN
> GIRLS SCOOT-BACK
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> SPIN-CHAIN-THRU
> GIRLS U-TURN-BACK
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> PROMENADE-HOME
>
> 54 beats
> Scoot back is better flow than girl's trade then girls
> circulate. And they are not being screwed into the ground
> as bad.
Nasser's comments - Girls Scoot Back is left-handed in this case. Most dancers will not be able to do it easily. This does -not- mean "avoid it"! Rather, take some extra care in building them up to it during the patter. Also, my overall impression (I have -not- pushed the checkers at this point) is that if you're circulating the centers twice, then later on circulating the same people (who are now ends) once, that's three circulates for the same people. It seems a bit much. Again, I have not pushed the checkers, so this is a not a choreographic judgement but rather an intuition.
> 3.
> HEADS LEAD-RIGHT
> SLIDE-THRU
> PASS-THE-OCEAN
> GIRLS SCOOT-BACK
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> BOYS CIRCULATE
> SPIN-CHAIN-THRU
> GIRLS U-TURN-BACK
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> PROMENADE-HOME
>
> 54 Beats
> Two girls Circulates is the same as Boys circulate Girls circulate.
> Less screwing into the ground and gives the boys something to do.
> Keeps them out of trouble.
Nasser's comments - It's improving. Whenever I call for Ends do something then Centers do something, I usually give the Ends their call first. That's because they usually have further to go. In this specific case, I would call Boys Circulate, Girls Circulate (instead of the other way around), giving the Ends their call first because it takes them longer to get 'er done. Note that the Girls -could- do their U-Turn back and Circulate while the Boys finish up their Spin Chain Thru. This reduces the overall timing of your figure by 6 beats, bringing it down to 48 beats. So if you're trying to get to 64 beats, this figure will time out -way- short. But that could be a good thing. It's almost always easier to add more to a figure than try to pare it down to size.
> 4.
> HEADS LEAD-RIGHT
> SLIDE-THRU
> PASS-THE-OCEAN
> GIRLS SCOOT-BACK
> CIRCULATE
> SPIN-CHAIN-THRU
> GIRLS U-TURN-BACK
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> PROMENADE-HOME
>
> 50 beats
> Circulate is the same as boys circulate and Girls circulate
> and less to say. Also less beats.
Nasser's comments - as you noted, the same as #3 except replace Boys Circ / Girls Circ with All 8 Circ. At Plus and below, I almost never call "Circulate" if I mean "All 8 Circulate". It makes the dancers have to think too hard. Plus dancers don't want to think that hard. Of course at Advanced they -do- want to think a lot, and I specifically -do- call just "Circulate" (and let the dancers figure out that I meant All 8) at Advanced. But not at Plus. Note that different callers call differently, and I'm not always right. :-)
> Right hand progression
> 5.
> HEADS LEAD-RIGHT
> SLIDE-THRU
> PASS-THE-OCEAN
> GIRLS SCOOT-BACK
> GIRLS TRADE
> BOYS CIRCULATE
> SPIN-CHAIN-THRU
> GIRLS ZOOM
> GIRLS U-TURN-BACK
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> PROMENADE-HOME
>
> 54 beats
> In the Spin Chain Thru after the girls do the first trade they
> are done. Then call Girls zoom U-Turn back and circulate. They
> will be in place for the boy to pick them up. They might have to
> wait 2 beats before the boy gets there.
Nasser's comments - Whenever I need to call something for the Ends and a separate call for the Centers, I give the Ends their call first, because they have further to go. In this case I would call "Boys Circulate, Girls Trade" instead of the other way around. Also, lotsa luck calling this figure to a Plus floor. "Ends Zoom" from waves will require significant (like, an entire tip of) practice, and even then some of the dancers won't ever get it! However, I must admit, you do come up with some seriously gooood stuff.
> 6.
> HEADS LEAD-RIGHT
> SLIDE-THRU
> PASS-THE-OCEAN
> GIRLS SCOOT-BACK
> CENTERS TRADE
> ENDS CIRCULATE
> SPIN-CHAIN-THRU
> GIRLS ZOOM
> GIRLS U-TURN-BACK
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> PROMENADE-HOME
>
> 50 beats
> Removed Boys Girls on the circulate I don't think that it buys us much
Nasser's comments - As previously noted, call Ends Circulate, Centers Trade for better timing and flow. Also, we as callers must be aware that Centers / Ends is harder for dancers to figure out than Girls / Boys. Technically it -should- be the exact same effort, but in real life everyone in the hall has known for years if they're a boy or a girl. But they must figure out immediately on the spot if they're a center or an end. Executive summary: Centers/Ends is more difficult for dancers than Boys/Girls. This does not mean "avoid it". Rather, it means "be aware of it".
> 7.
> HEADS LEAD-RIGHT
> SLIDE-THRU
> PASS-THE-OCEAN
> GIRLS SCOOT-BACK
> ACEY-DEUCEY
> SPIN-CHAIN-THRU
> GIRLS ZOOM
> GIRLS U-TURN-BACK
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> PROMENADE-HOME
>
> 50 beats
> Acey Deucey same as girls trade boys circulate and less to say.
> It is now Plus level
Nasser's comments - same as previous two figures. Use whatever works for you. As you noted, it's now officially Plus.
> 8.
> HEADS LEAD-RIGHT
> MAKE-A-WAVE
> GIRLS TRADE
> BOYS TRADE
> GIRLS SCOOT-BACK
> ACEY-DEUCEY
> SPIN-CHAIN-THRU
> GIRLS ZOOM
> GIRLS U-TURN-BACK
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> PROMENADE-HOME
>
> 56 beats
>
> As a dancer I have never liked the Girls trade and Boys trade.
> The Boys on the end going thru the center don't have a lot of
> room. I hate it in a tidal wave the caller calls boys trade and
> you have to go from one end to the other. Then he calls boys
> trade again. Then I want to kill him. I.E. If I don't like to
> dance it. I don't want to call it. But I do have to use ALL of
> the calls.
Nasser's comments - I still have not pushed the checkers through this, but my intuition says it's gonna be tiresome for the Girls. You're asking the girls as Centers to Trade, then do a left-handed Scoot Back (lotsa luck getting them through this, by the way) which is essentially a Trade, then Trade again as centers of an Acey Deucey. That's three trades in a row by the exact same two dancers. The checkers don't give a rip, but the dancers will probably find it tedious.
> 9.
> HEADS LEAD-RIGHT
> VEER-LEFT
> WHEEL-AND-DEAL
> MAKE-A-WAVE
> GIRLS SCOOT-BACK
> ACEY-DEUCEY
> SPIN-CHAIN-THRU
> GIRLS ZOOM
> GIRLS U-TURN-BACK
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> PROMENADE-HOME
>
> 54 beats
> Added 4 beats to #7
Nasser's comments - I immediately feel overflow for the Side Boys after Lead Right (90 degrees), Wheel & Deal (180 degrees), Acey Deucey (180 degrees for some of the boys), Spin Chain Thru (180 degrees). At this point the head boys have spun 450 degrees, which is right at the limit, but the poor side boys have spun 540 degrees, which is 90 degrees over the limit. And the figure basically still contains two major floor-breakers (i.e. most floors will not survive the figure). Those two floor-breakers are centers of a wave do a Left-handed Scoot Back, and ends of a wave do a Zoom. You're onto some -very- interesting choreography, but just be aware that it will require significant workshop during the patter in order to "prepare" or "train" the dancers. If this were my choreography, I'd search for ways to keep it interesting but make it easier for the dancers to get through it.
> 10.
> HEADS LEAD-RIGHT
> VEER-LEFT
> FERRIS-WHEEL
> CENTERS PASS-THRU
> MAKE-A-WAVE
> GIRLS SCOOT-BACK
> ACEY-DEUCEY
> SPIN-CHAIN-THRU
> GIRLS ZOOM
> GIRLS U-TURN-BACK
> GIRLS CIRCULATE
> PROMENADE-HOME
>
> 58 beats
> This is better than #9 and we have added 8 beats to # 7 We are
> only 6 beats short of the 64 beat figure. Acey Deucey is the only
> thing that makes this a plus figure
Nasser's comments - All ten of the figures you wrote are good. You did a LOT of work. I normally try to find an easier way. :-) Let's see if we can take your basic idea and develop something seriously cool.
First, what exactly is your basic idea? Clearly, you want to call Spin Chain Thru. But "Spin Chain Thru, Ends Circulate" is common. You want something different, which is great. You want the Ends to Zoom while the centers finish their Spin Chain Thru. This is interesting choreo.
You've also played with the idea of centers doing a Scoot Back (left-handed). That's an entirely different can of worms. Let's save it for another day. In other words, we're working with two spicy concepts. Let's develop just one of the spices (ends Zoom) and let's save the other spice (centers left-handed scoot back) for some other time.
When I develop a figure, I normally write down -something-, then adjust it to make it fit. It's easier to change something than it is to paint on a completely blank canvas. On the first draft, I don't care if it resolves. I'm just trying to come up with something interesting that flows well. Since we gotta start somewhere, let's start with:
HEADS LEAD RIGHT,
SPIN CHAIN THRU,
GIRLS ZOOM,
SPIN CHAIN THRU,
BOYS ZOOM,
then adjust it to fit.
Okay, we've got a good base to work from. Does it resolve? Pushing the checkers, I find the boys are exactly in sequence but the girls are out of sequence. If we could somehow swap the head girls, we'd be perfect. With everyone in sequence you technically -could- call "circulate until you find your own dang corner, swing, promenade". :-)
Alrighty then, let's swap those two girls by replacing Lead Right with Pass the Ocean, and here's what we have:
HEADS PASS THE OCEAN,
EXTEND,
SPIN CHAIN THRU,
GIRLS ZOOM,
SPIN CHAIN THRU,
BOYS ZOOM,
then adjust it to fit.
Pushing the checkers, I'm pleasantly surprised to discover we end up in a zero box wave. Wow, it must be beginner's luck. Just do the figure, swing your corner and Promenade. Cool Cool Cool.
Let's address the next crucial question ... how does it time out? We might have to shorten or lengthen the figure.
6 HEADS PASS THE OCEAN,
2 EXTEND,
16 SPIN CHAIN THRU,
- GIRLS ZOOM (while the Boys finish Spin Chain Thru)
16 SPIN CHAIN THRU,
- BOYS ZOOM, (while the Girls finish Spin Chain Thru)
4 to 8 SWING CORNER
20 to 16 PROMENADE
64 total
Well, whaddaya know, we have a perfectly timed figure on our first attempt. Are we goood, or what? We're on a ROLL!
You've got an extremely usable figure. In fact, I'm gonna use it tonight. THANKS FOR THE MATERIAL, ROBERT!!
During the patter portion of the tip, we'll want to work the dancers through "Ends Zoom" from a wave. You will probably need to work 'em through Spin Chain Thru as well, especially when starting from a wave with Girls on the End. This is good: your patter tip now has a very specific purpose.
You might actually need TWO patter tips to develop this ONE singing call figure: a full tip to practice Spin Chain Thru and a second tip to practice Ends Zoom from a Wave. Whether you choose to get it done in one tip or two, this singing call figure very definitely requires preparing the dancers during the patter, so that they can dance and enjoy the singer. "Patter with a Purpose" is always a good thing.
Looks like you came up with a winner! CONGRATULATIONS! And thanks for doing such good research for the group, so we'll all have something fun and different to call this month. You are very welcome to do more research for the group, any time you choose!!
With appreciation,
Nasser "gladly uses choreo from SSCC alumni -- it's often GOOD stuff" Shukayr
Someone wrote in:
> What I want to do is:
>
> spin chain thru
> girls u turn back
> Promenade home.
Good idea. Here's how to develop it.
Rough Draft #1
Heads Square Thru
Spin Chain Thru
Girls U-Turn Back
Where is everybody? If the girls do an "Un-circulate" after their U-Turn Back, everyone ends up with their corner. Un-circulate does not work well, but certainly they can Circulate -before- doing the U-Turn Back. So let's add that to our sketch pad:
Rough Draft #2
Heads Square Thru
Spin Chain Thru
Girls Circulate
Girls U-Turn back
(now everyone has their corner)
Where is everybody? Promenade home requires only 6 beats from here. A Singing Call promenade needs to take 14 to 20 beats. So we need a longer promenade. How do we accomplish this? We need to change everyone's position so that they'll end up in the proper quadrant for a longer Promenade. So let's rotate the entire square 180 degrees:
Rough Draft #3 - with timing
8 - Heads Promenade Halfway
6 - Sides Pass the ocean
2 - Extend ( = Zero Box Wave)
16 - Spin Chain Thru
0 - Girls Circulate
0 - Girls U-Turn Back (this takes zero time because it overlaps what the boys are doing)
14 - Promenade
total = 46 beats
We're perfect except we need 18 beats of additional dancing.
How about Swing Thru, Boys Run, Ferris Wheel, centers Pass Thru? This equals 18 beats, and can be inserted just before Spin Chain Thru. Now we have:
Rough Draft #4 - with timing
8 - Heads Promenade Halfway
6 - Sides Pass the Ocean
2 - Extend
6 - Swing Thru
4 - Boys Run
6 - Ferris Wheel
2 - Centers Pass Thru
16 - Spin Chain Thru, Girls Circulate, Girls U-Turn Back
14 - Promenade
Total = 64 beats
And that's our Final Answer. Other final answers are possible. That's the neat thing about calling square dances: there are jillions of right answers!
Happy Calling in 2008 and beyond!
Nasser Shukayr
for Silver State Caller College
PS - Everyone please remember the upcoming Silver State Caller College in November 2008. Square dancing needs new callers. Please help bring them on board! If anyone reading this happens to run across newbies with a knack for calling, send them our way! Of course the Silver State Caller College is well suited for experienced callers too!
Somebody wrote in:
> What are some suggestions/ideas that you might have that
I can use to bring slow dancers up to speed, instead of
slowing the record down (which I know is not really the
correct thing to do) .. these are not new dancers, but
they are older dancers ..
GOOD QUESTION!! Getting everyone dancing together as a team can be a definite challenge. It's one of our main goals as callers.
The answer is certainly -not- "call slower". If dancers are already dancing too slow, then if you slow down your calling, the only possible result is the dancers will slow down even more!
Let's look at several factors which can affect dancer speed.
1. Music factors:
1-A. Use music with a good strong beat ... the kind of music you just can't help but move to.
1-B. Make sure the tempo is in danceable range. For today's older dancers, you need 124 to 130 bpm (Beats Per Minute). I tend to run all my patter at 126 bpm (unless I'm calling for a youth group or something similar).
2. Acoustic factors:
2-A. Is the music loud enough for the dancers to hear the beat and move to the beat? If the music is not loud enough, the dancers' only choice is to try to move to the cadence of the caller's voice. Dancing to the music almost always produces more uniform movement than dancing to a caller's voice.
2-B. Is the music too loud? The caller's voice must be clearly heard over the music.
2-C. How are the acoustics in the hall? Poor acoustics will slow dancers down, because it takes longer to hear and understand a call. Echo is the most common acoustic problem. Most echo problems can be improved by some combination of lowering the volume, reducing the bass in the music, and/or increasing the treble in the microphone tone control.
3. Voice / Delivery problems:
3-A. Eliminate filler words. This is extremely important. With no filler words, dancers can more easily hear the command, figure out what you want, and get 'er done. But if dancers must constantly filter a stream of extraneous audio clutter, it takes them more time to head and understand the call. Try to say the calls (and only the calls) by their exact and proper name.
3-B. Are you calling fast enough? Slow calling will surely result in slow dancing. To speed up dancers, call faster (i.e. give the next command sooner). This gives people a bit more time to hear and process the information. Ideally commands should occur 2 or 3 beats in advance
3-C. Are you mushy-mouthed? :-) If so, sshtopp dewwing dat! :-) Speak clearly and correctly, to help dancers understand the calls better and sooner.
4. Dancer training:
4-A. Gently remind the dancers that if they are not keeping up, it's a great idea to make their square smaller (so they will have less distance to travel).
4-B. Are your dancers using too strong of a handhold? Sometimes dancers mistakenly believe they need a good tight hold on each other. Each call then requires an extra split-second at the beginning for dancers to unclench their handhold, and another extra split-second at the end to re-establish the vise grip. All those split-seconds add up. Remind dancers to dance gently. They should never "contain" or "envelop" or "clench" another dancer's hand or arm.
4-C. Are your dancers using enough handholds? Remind dancers to lightly touch hands, with the person(s) beside them, at the completion of every call. This lets them immediately know who they're working with (i.e. who their partner is.) Proper handholds reduce the amount of time dancers spend fumbling around looking for someone to do the next call with.
4-D. Gently encourage dancers to take one step on each beat of the music.
- - - - - -
The above list is just a start. There may be other factors which we have not yet considered. Note that if you learn -all- the factors all at once, your head will surely explode from the pressure of too much knowledge. Since we don't want that to happen to anyone, let's stop discussion and let's get back on our main mission, which is helping people dance together as one coordinated team!
Thanks for asking such a great question!
Nasser Shukayr
PS - for an entire week of great questions and answers, please remember the Silver State Caller College, November 20 thru 24 2008 in Reno, and please recommend us to your friends! Flyer is at http://www.nshukayr.com/sscc2008.pdf
It would be especially helpful if we can scare up a few more brand-new callers (although the school is very well suited for any caller with any level of expertise). Please let potential student callers know that the school does sell out every year, and they can reserve their place today with only a $50 deposit.
Candy Hughes (SSCC Alumna 2007 ... wow, she was at the most recent one) sent the following helpful info. I'm torn as to whether to resent the intrusion, or ... delight in having such smart alumni. :-) :-)
Nasser "delights in having such smart alumni" Shukayr
- - - - - - - -
another thing to think about:
HALL CONDITIONS
some SD clubs/classes share space in a hall with other activities
floor could be quite slippery --> slows down the dancers (they don't want to fall, so they take shorter steps)
floor could be quite tacky --> slows down the dancers (their feet do not glide, they "grab" so steps are shorter, dancers may even trip over their own feet)
hall could be quite warm --> slows down the dancers as they deal with the heat
hall could be quite chilly -- > slows down the dancers since they are using extra energy to keep warm (and may stiffen up between tips)
______
another thing I think about, which you touched on, the "mental processing" time may be longer for older dancers
caller may need to sing out the call half a beat or a full beat early, to make up for this ... in patter of course ... or may need to eliminate a dosado in a singing call, to let the dancers get where they need to go
(certainly have found this true here --- dancers just don't MOVE that fast, may not be capable of moving any faster than they already do; am by far the youngest of the bunch)
also, using older records, recorded faster than 130 bpm, did have to slow those down, I use the "can I personally grapevine at that speed ?" test to see if the record itself is too fast
one call that seems to take these dancers "longer than standard" is a promenade halfway ... am considering substituting RLT for Prom 1/2 while working with these dancers ... most are in their 70s and several not in good physical condition ... two may have some short-term memory impairment as well
interesting to deal with this
Candy
Let's plan and call a patter tip with Modules
Every tip needs a purpose. For this tip's purpose, let's choose "a variety of getouts".
We need some getouts. They're easy to find. Many are on the internet. Several were in the textbook from your caller school. You could push checkers and write your own modules.
For variety, let's choose some modules from a Zero Box, some from a Zero Line, and some from other places. Let's also choose some which resolve to a Left Allemande, some which resolve to R&L Grand, and some which resolve to something other than Left Allemande or R&L Grand.
Here are some modules I selected. You might chose different modules for your own tip:
from Zero Box: Star Thru, R&L Thru, Rollaway, Pass Thru, Ends Fold, Left Allemande
from Zero Box: Swing Thru, Boys Run, Ferris Wheel, centers step to a Wave, Left Allemande
from Zero Box: Swing Thru, Boys Trade, Step Thru, R&L Grand
from Across the Street Box: Swing Thru, Swing Thru, everybody Circulate, everybody Run, everybody Fold, Left Allemande
from Zero line: Pass the Ocean, Girls Trade, Swing Thru, R&L Grand
from Zero Line: Pass Thru, Wheel & Deal, centers Pass Thru, Swing Thru, Turn Thru, Left Allemande
from Zero Line: R&L Thru, Pass the Ocean, Boys Run, Promenade
It makes a much better tip if you can call these modules from memory instead of reading them. It is not difficult to memorize modules. The secret is to memorize each module into your LONG-term memory. Use a multi-sensory approach. Don't just recite the words over and over. Make the module REAL. Imagine yourself as one of the dancers. What does it FEEL like and what does it LOOK like to dance this module? Put on a piece of music. HEAR the music. FEEL it. Imagine yourself dancing to it.
To get the module into long-term memory, we need to STOP trying to memorize it. Take a break, then come back to the module later. If you can still recall the module after a five or ten minute break, then it has sneaked into your long-term memory.
Whenever I use a piece of music to memorize a module, I can recall that module by merely thinking about the particular music which was playing when I worked the module into memory. Let's agree that various memorization methods work differently for different people. A reasonable goal is to learn just one or two new modules a day. Every person reading this can easily meet that goal.
After memorizing some modules, let's plan a tip with those modules.
A tip should progress from easy to difficult, so we should arrange our modules in a progression of difficulty. We can also plan to save a nice easy cool getout for last. Let's make sure everyone succeeds on the very last sequence of the tip.
Here is the progression of difficulty I chose. Maybe you would choose a different order. If so, that's okay. Any order is better than random.
#1 from Zero Box: Star Thru, R&L Thru, Rollaway, Pass Thru, Ends Fold, Left Allemande
#2 from Zero Line: R&L Thru, Pass the Ocean, Boys Run, Promenade
#3 from Across the Street Box: Swing Thru, Swing Thru, everybody Circulate, everybody Run, everybody Fold, Left Allemande
#4 from Zero Line: Pass Thru, Wheel & Deal, centers Pass Thru, Swing Thru, Turn Thru, Left Allemande
#5 from Zero line: Pass the Ocean, Girls Trade, Swing Thru, R&L Grand
#6 from Zero Box: Swing Thru, Boys Trade, Step Thru, R&L Grand
#7 from Zero Box: Swing Thru, Boys Run, Ferris Wheel, centers step to a Wave, Left Allemande
Okay, we have our getouts, and we have our "progression of difficulty". We need to select music to fit the tip. Since the tip features a bunch of "fun" getouts, appropriate patter music would be anything "bouncy" and "happy" and "fun". For my tip I will select "Stars Hoedown" on Blue Star. Of course you might select an entirely different piece of music. At least you're pre-planning, instead of "winging it". The main thing is that we are planning a fun successful happy tip for the dancers, as opposed to a deep-thought ponderous tip or a teaching tip. So, select music which fits the kind of tip we plan to call.
Okay, we have planned our tip. It's SHOWTIME!!! Let's call!!
Set up a Zero Box, by calling an equivalent for Square Thru such as: Heads Pass the Ocean, Girls Trade, Recycle, centers Pass Thru
Call Getout #1: Star Thru, R&L Thru, Rollaway, Pass Thru, Ends Fold, Left Allemande, you're home with partner
set up a Zero Line, by calling an equivalent for Lead Right, followed by an equivalent for Circle to a Line, for example: Sides Pass the Ocean, Girls Trade, Extend, Swing Thru, Boys Run, Couples Circulate, Bend the Line
Call Getout #2: R&L Thru, Pass the Ocean, just the Smart Boys Run, Promenade Home
Set up an Across the Street Box by first setting up a Zero Box (i.e. calling an equivalent for Square Thru): Heads R&L Thru, Rollaway, Pass Thru, Separate go around 1 to a Line, R&L Thru, Star Thru then convert your Zero Box to an Across the Street Box: R&L Thru, Veer Left, Couples Circulate, Chain Down the Line, R&L Thru, Pass the Ocean
Set up a Zero Line (by setting up a Zero Box, then converting it to a Zero line): Sides Square Thru, Swing Thru, Girls Circulate, Boys Trade, Boys Run, Bend the Line
Set up a Zero Line (by setting up a Zero Box, then converting it to a Zero Line): Sides Square Thru, Swing Thru, Boys Trade, Boys Circulate, Boys Run, Bend the Line
Set up a Zero Line (by calling an equivalent for Lead Right, followed by an equivalent for Circle to a Line): Heads Touch 1/4, Walk & Dodge, everyone Touch 1/4, Walk & Dodge, Partner Trade Convert it to a Zero Box: Touch 1/4, Single File Circulate, just the smart Boys Run
Set up a Zero Box: Sides Pass the Ocean, Extend, Girls Trade, Recycle, Pass Thru, Trade By
For extra credit, use one or more of your getout modules in a singing call figure!
Please note that any mistakes in the above choreo were put there intentionally, to give you the joy of finding someone else's error. Maybe I'm joking, yet it is -always- a good idea to push -any- choreography through with your checkers, before you just up and call it. Look for difficult places, weird sequences, poor flow, etc. To call effectively, you must first completely understand the pattern you are calling!
Now it's your turn: plan a tip (it can be the same theme as in this example, or any other theme you wish), then call it!
Happy planning ... and calling!
Nasser Shukayr
For an entire week of planning and calling, consider the Silver State Caller College in Sparks, Nevada (November 20 thru 24, 2008). Even if a caller school is not in your plans for 2008, please recommend us to your friends and colleagues. Tell them to hurry: the school sells out to capacity every year, and right now there are only a handful of remaining spots! A small refundable deposit holds your place. More info at http://www.nshukayr.com/sscc2008.htm
It's hard work to memorize modules and singing call figures! Let's cut our workload in half, by learning to use modules as singing call figures and vice-versa.
Many singing call figures can be used as Zero Box Getouts. Most singing calls figures have three parts:
The "body" of most singing call figures can be used as a getout in your patter. For example, consider this common singing call figure:
To use this figure in your patter, you'd get the set o a Zero Box then call the "body" of the figure. You can end with Left Allemande, or you can segue smoothly into yet another module. This does not work for -every- singing call figure, but it does work for a great many of them.
Some singing calls use an Across-the-Street box instead of a Zero Box. For example:
You must be in an Across The Street Box to use the "body" of this figure. Or, you can start from a Zero Box, convert it to Across-the-Street, then use this "body". Or you can start from a Zero Box, use this 'body" (and you'll end up in Across-the-Street Box) then convert to Zero Box. So many possibilities!
Why would we even want to use singing call figures in our patter? First, we already know the figures. Second, they're usually nice smooth flowing routines. Third, it's always a good idea to learn and practice new tricks.
In addition to using singing call figures as getouts, you can use most getouts as singing call figures. It does take a little planning to time out to 64 beats.
For example, let's make a singing call figure from this Zero Box Getout:
First, set up a Zero Box. Second, ditch the "Left Allemande" and replace it with Swing Your Corner. How do we time out so far?
Total = 60 beats
As you can see, we're 4 beats short. We need to either add a 4-beat call, or replace some call with an longer equivalent. There are several possible solutions. Here are two I came up with. You might have come up with something else instead.
- after Rollaway, call Forward & Back (4 beats)
Let's look at another example. Let's make a singing call from this Across The Street Box getout:
As before, set up the required formation (Across the Street Box), followed by the body of the module, and replace Left Allemande with "Swing, Promenade". Let's see where we are timing-wise:
Total = 42 beats
We need to add 22 beats. Let's use a different (longer) setup to get to the Across-The-Street Box, i.e. let's replace "Heads Star Thru (4), Pass Thru (2)" (total of 6 beats) with "Heads Promenade 1/2 (8), Square Thru Four (10)" (total of 18 beats).
Here's where we stand so far:
Total = 52 beats, we need 12 more
There are several solutions. For example, we can replace Swing (6 beats) with "Touch 1/4 (2), Scoot Back (6), Scoot Back (6), Star Thru (4)".
All the body-flow and hand-usage rules are still in effect. Note that the hand usage in this example is good. The second Scoot Back has the girls going in with their right hand, and coming out with a left hand free. They use their left hand for the Star Thru, so we're good to go.
Here's what we end up with:
Total = 64 beats
Okay, it's your turn! Take some of your favorite memorized getouts and convert them to favorite singing call figures! Or take some of your favorite singing call figures and start using them as modules in your patter!
Happy calling!
Nasser Shukayr
Remember our upcoming caller schools, and please recommend them to your friends:
How is your formation management? Wait, before you answer ... what IS formation management?
In a nutshell, it's knowing the resulting formation BEFORE the dancers finish a call. It's also knowing how to set up a desired formation and/or arrangement.
Why do we need formation management anyway?
We need it for smooth dancing. A smooth caller must give the next call while the dancers are still doing the previous call. If you need to wait and see the actual formation before you can give the next call, your delivery will be too late for smooth dancing.
We also need formation management for good teaching. Pretend you're teaching a class (NO, strike that! Do NOT pretend! Instead, go out and actually TEACH an actual class!). To teach a call efficiently you must be able to smoothly and quickly:
Let's take a closer look at this with an actual call. Let's use Double Pass Thru as our example.
Can you create a sequence so that all eight dancers get to dance each position of Double Pass Thru? Go ahead and do this yourself as an exercise. Some of you will find the assignment trivially easy. If so, choose a different call.
Of course you'd follow the exact same thought process to prepare for every call you ever teach:
So, how is your formation management?
Happy calling and managing!
Nasser Shukayr
For a whole week of formation management and other topics, please consider one of our upcoming caller schools! Also, please talk it up among your friends. We appreciate your help in bringing in student callers. There's only one thing we love more than referrals, and that's a school schools full of enthusiastic talented student callers!
Dear SSCC Alumni,
I hope all will be involved in new dancer programs this year. New dancers are absolutely crucial to our activity. Even though classes don't start for awhile, now is a great time to promote and recruit.
I'll provide a few ideas, and I hope each of you will reply with ideas of your own to share with the group.
1. MAKE A LIST OF PROSPECTS. Think of every person you can invite to square dancing. Get your friends / club members / relatives to also come up with names of prospects. If the same prospect is mentioned by multiple people, you've got a special opportunity. Get every dancer who knows that prospect to individually invite him/her to square dancing.
2. REPETITION. Contact each prospect regularly (at least three times between now and the start of classes) by some combination of e-mail, phone, personal contact, snail-mail, etc. Repeated short contact is more effective than a single prolonged contact.
3. SELL THE BENEFITS. We often mention only the cold hard fact, i.e. "Square Dance Class, Tuesday at 7 pm". It's much more effective to sell the benefit, i.e. "Have Fun while Improving Your Physical Fitness, Tuesday at 7 pm".
4. PLAN A PARTY. Very few people will come to "First Night of a Year-Long Class", but almost anyone will come to a "Pot-Luck Dinner" or "Cookout" sponsored by your club, especially if the proceeds go to some worthwhile cause or charity.
5. FRIENDS BRING FRIENDS. Surveys repeatedly show that most square dancers were brought in by other square dancers. Encourage your dancers not just to ask people, but actually BRING them, to square dancing.
6. FREE LISTINGS REQUIRE ADVANCE PLANNING. Many media (newspapers, radio, TV etc) will run free community-interest announcements, but you must submit the info well in advance. Start scoping it out now, so that your info will be in the right place at the right time.
7. PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE FOR CLUB MEMBERS. Instead of just asking people to bring newbies, reward people with a token of your appreciation. Perhaps you can have a contest with a prize for the most people recruited. Even better, offer a prize for EVERY person recruited. It does not need to be a huge prize: it can be free admission to a future dance, or you can let them pick a song for you to sing. The point is, everyone likes to be noticed and appreciated.
8. PROVIDE AN INCENTIVE FOR NEWBIES. It's fairly common to offer the first two or three weeks free. Can we improve on that? What if newbies pay from the get-go, but they get something free? This season I will advertise the health benefits of square dancing, and I'll give away a free pedometer to all who show up for ABC or class. Pedometers cost as little as $1 each in quantity, but units that cheap are flimsy. I'm in the $3 pedometer camp. Do the math: someone pays $4 to dance, they get a $3 pedometer, I'm ahead one dollar and one dancer.
9. FLYERS. Most of us try to make flyers as cheaply as possible, but now you can have top quality at a cheap price. Square dancers Dave & Becky Knapp own a printing company in South Carolina. They'll make nice professional glossy flyers at only 5 cents apiece for one color, 10 cents apiece for full color. They'll ship anywhere. This tremendous bargain is only available for square dance promotion. Like most great opportunities, this one also requires advance planning so that your order gets produced and shipped on time. Go ahead and contact Express Press of Greenville today at www.epgvl.com or phone (864) 757-9652.
- - - - -
Many of our alumni and instructors are extremely good promoters. Please share some of your ideas and experiences. Send them to me and I'll forward them to the group.
Happy calling and promoting!
Nasser Shukayr
We sincerely appreciate your help in locating student callers for our future schools:
Square Dance Parties are an ideal way to introduce new people to square dancing. In most cases the caller gets paid extremely well. What's not to love?
Your Caller School textbook included some pages on Square Dance Parties. Let's assume everyone has the book memorized by now 1. Make business cards and promotional flyers specifically for square dance parties. Put them where potential customers can see them.
2. Ask customers for customers. Whenever you call a class, workshop, dance or party, wait until just the right point where your dance reaches a peak of fun and excitement, then announce, "I do private parties. If interested, let me know and I'll give you a card.".
3. When someone at a dance or party tells you how much fun it is, suggest "Why don't I give you one of my cards? You might want to have a square dance party of your own sometime". (This is a more direct approach than waiting for someone to ask you for a card.)
4. Seek repeat business. After you're booked for a party, let the organizer know you're available and eager to call for the same group in the future. Some party events (i.e. "Western Days" at a church or school) can easily become annual affairs. Of course some events, such as wedding receptions, you surely hope will NOT be annual!
5. Offer to take up slack for a busy caller. Some callers in your area might have more business than they can handle. Contact those callers and let them know you are available and interestesd in doing more square dance parties. Offer "if you get an inquiry which you're too busy to handle, please keep me in mind".
6. Almost every city has professional party planners. Most cities have several. Look them up in the phone book or online. Contact them to say that you are a professional square dance caller and you do dance parties. Send a promotional flyer.
7. Think like a customer. How would you search for entertainment for your own party? Would you go to google.com and key in something? If so, what would you key in? Would you look up something in the phone book? If so, what would you look up? Would you look in a section of the local newspaper? If so, which section? The answers to these questions tell you exactly where and how you should list and/or advertise.
8. Advertise. Free listings can go a long way, but any business needs an ad budget. It's okay if your budget is very small, as long as you've set aside some amount to spend on advertising. Perhaps producing business cards blows your entire ad budget for the year. If so, at least you have a budget and you're spending something on advertising. Perhaps you want to put a small listing or ad in one or two places. Keep track of which ads bring in the customers. This will determine your future ad purchases. You'll want to renew effective ads and place ineffective ads elsewhere.
9. Trade for advertising. Many businesses will let you put your business cards and flyers in their place of business if you will reciprocate. For example, approach a restaurant. Ask the restaurant owner / manager for business cards or flyers which you will put out at your dances, and in exchange you'll leave some business cards or flyers to be put out at the restaurant.
Be persistent! Don't put all your eggs in one basket!
Let's talk a bit more about professional party planners. Dealing with party planners can be frustrating. You contact a party planner. They say "sure, send info". So you send a promotional flyer and a business card. Then you never hear back. A few weeks later, you contact them again. They don't remember ever talking to you before but they say "Sure! Send more info". So you send more info. A few weeks later, no word from the party planner, so you make a third contact. They've never heard of you, but they seem interested. "Sure! Send some info!". You send the info a third time. A few weeks go by and you finally get a phone call. "Hey, I have a party coming up and they want to do some square dancing. Are you available?". Of course you're available. "Great! Send me more info about you!". So you send the info a fourth time ... but at least you finally got the gig.
Persistence pays!
What kind of info should you send? First, make it brief! The shorter, the better. A very good promo kit might include a flyer, a mug shot and letters of recommendation from past customers. This covers the main thing a party planner wants to know: can you actually go in front of a bunch of strange people, and show 'em a good time at a party? Your rate is not nearly as important as your credibility. Let the professional party planner negotiate the rate. In almost all cases, the rate they get for you will be much higher than the amount you would have asked for.
How do you get letters of recommendation? One thing's for sure: your customer is unlikely to sit down and pound out a letter. Would YOU sit down and write a letter for a plumber or an electrician who did a job for you? Not likely! But, if you're a happy customer and someone asks you to read and sign a pre-written letter, would you do that? Probably! That's the key to getting a "letter of recommendation": write it yourself, then get the happy customer to read and sign it.
Happy partying!
Nasser Shukayr; www.nshukayr.com
November 20-24, 2008 in Sparks, Nevada - Silver State Caller College with Doug, Nasser and Vic Kaaria
June 7 thru 11, 2009 in Livingston, Texas - Trail Thru Caller College with Doug and Nasser (and possibly a third coach TBA)
November 19-23, 2009 in Sparks Nevada - Silver State Caller College with Doug, Nasser and Hanna Tenenbaum
Here's a promotional idea which seems to have merit. I believe nobody has ever tried it. I plan to try it in my home program next month. Who else is willing to give it a try?
A pedometer measures the number of steps a person takes. You can get a cheap one for a dollar, but it's not very sturdy. A fairly decent pedometer costs about $3 each in quantity.
The idea is to sell square dancing by advertising "FREE PEDOMETER!". (I plan to get with some professional copywriter friends to come up with the exact wording for the ad.) The ads will encourage people to "Take a step toward fun and fitness!". It will urge them to "Smile for a Mile". The ads will tell people they can walk 2 to 3 miles per night and have a trainload of fun at the same time.
Let's do the math. You charge $4 or $5 for a dance, but give first-timers a $3 free pedometer. Every time this happens, you make $1 or $2 profit, and you have a new customer. What's not to love?
There's more. Keep a logbook with one page per person. Track how many miles each person has danced. As soon as someone reaches 5 miles, they get a sticker for their pedometer. It will be the number "5" in a bright orange circle. It tells everyone "Hey, I'm a 5-miler!". They get a different-colored sticker at 10 miles, 15 miles, etc. I expect each person will earn a new sticker every second or third time they dance.
Perhaps when someone reaches a major milestone, such as 50 miles, they'll get a more substantial prize such as a Double Big Mac, Large Fries and a Chocolate Malt, so they can gain back all the weight they lost. Hee Hee, just kidding. :-) But really, I do expect some (perhaps most) people will be interested only in getting their steps in, charting their progress, getting a new sticker every now and then, and coming back next week. Most people probably won't care if they ever learn how to Load the Boat.
That's why Square Dance ABC is a perfect fit for this. First-timers are always welcome, while repeat customers get a slightly different program each time. (If you have no idea what Square Dance ABC is, check out www.squaredanceabc.com).
Of course someone can still use their pedometer if they enroll in a MS, Plus or even Advanced class. As long as they come dancing, I'll keep logging their miles and awarding them stickers.
Here are some questions and answers.
Q: Can they count miles they rack up while dancing to my competitor?
Q: Where do we get the pedometers?
Q: Exactly which pedometer will we use?
Q: What will be imprinted on the pedometer?
---> (which slogan do YOU prefer? I'm interested in everyone's opinion!)
Q: How will the logbook be organized?
Q: Where do we get the 5-mile, 10-mile etc stickers?
- - - -
I'm extremely interested in any discussion or feedback about this promotional plan. If you can find holes in the theory, please find them BEFORE I order $600 worth of pedometers rather than after! My free pedometer giveaway will start in late November. If anyone else is interested in promoting with pedometers, I can combine your order with mine and there will be only one set-up charge. I just need to know one thing: how many pedometers do you wish to order?
Nasser Shukayr
PS - Please help us recruit some good students for our upcoming caller schools:
Call Getout #3: Swing Thru, Swing Thru again, everybody Circulate, everybody Run, everybody Fold, Left Allemande, and if you're good, you're home with partner
Call Getout #4: Pass Thru, Wheel & Deal, centers Pass Thru, Swing Thru, Turn Thru, find the corner, Left Allemande, promenade home with a younger lady
Call Getout #5: Pass the Ocean, Girls Trade, Swing Thru, find your partner, R&L Grand, Promenade Home with an older man
Call a zero: Star Thru, Pass Thru, Bend the Line, Pass the Ocean
Call getout #6: Swing Thru, Boys Trade, Pass Thru, find your partner, R&L Grand, Promenade home
Call a zero: Touch 1/4, Scoot Back, Boys Run, R&L Thru, Pass the Ocean
Call getout #7: Swing Thru, Boys Run, Ferris Wheel, centers step to a wave, find your corner, Left Allemande, R&L Grand, promenade home
April 5, 2008 Using modules as singing call figures and vice-versa
- the "setup". This typically sets up a zero box. For example, Heads Square Thru.
- the "body". This is the main part of the singing call figure.
- the "ending". In a typical singing call, you end the figure by calling "Swing Your Corner".
the setup: Heads Square Thru
the body: Swing Thru, Boys Run, Bend the Line, R&L Thru, Flutterwheel, Slide Thru
the ending: Swing, Promenade
the setup: Heads Promenade Halfway, Square Thru 4
the ending: Swing, Promenade
Touch 1/4, Scoot Back, Boys Run, R&L Thru, Rollaway, Pass Thru, Ends Fold, Left Allemande
Heads Square Thru = 10 beats
Touch 1/4 = 2
Scoot Back = 6
Boys Run = 4
R&L Thru = 6
Rollaway = 4
Pass Thru = 2
Ends Fold = 2
Swing Corner = (4 to 8 beats, let's use 6 for now)
Promenade = 18 beats from this place in the square
or
- replace "Heads Square Thru" (10 beats) with "Heads Touch 1/4 (4 beats), Boys Run (4 beats), Dosado (6 beats)", which means we replaced a 10-beat call with a 14-beat equivalent.
- Square Thru 3, Trade By, Left Allemande
Heads Star Thru = 6
Pass Thru = 2
Square Thru 3 = 6
Trade By = 4
Swing = 6
Promenade = 18 from this point
Heads Promenade 1/2 = 8
Square Thru 4 = 10
Square Thru 3 = 6
Trade By = 4
Swing = 6
Promenade = 18
Heads Promenade 1/2 = 8
Square Thru 4 = 10
Square Thru 3 = 6
Trade By = 4
Touch 1/4 = 2
Scoot Back = 6
Scoot Back = 6
Star Thru = 4
Promenade = 18
2008 Silver State Caller College, November 20-24 in Sparks, Nevada flyer at http://www.nshukayr.com/sscc2008.pdf
2009 Trail-Thru Caller College, June 17-21 in Livingston, Texas flyer at http://www.nshukayr.com/ttcc2009.pdf
2009 Silver State Caller College, November 19-23 in Sparks, Nevada
June 12, 2008 Formation Management, part 1
(1) set up a formation where the call can be done, and
(2) after they do the call, set up another formation where the call can be done AGAIN, and
(3) set up various formations and arrangements so that everyone can do every part of the call.
(1) Set up a formation where DPT can be called. For example: HEADS STAR THRU
(2) After they do the call, set up another formation where DPT can be called AGAIN. For example: EVERYONE CALIFORNIA TWIRL
(3) Make sure everyone gets to do each part. Double Pass Thru has four "positions":
(a) Lead left-hand dancer
(b) Trailing left-hand dancer
(c) Lead right-hand dancer
(d) Trailing right-hand dancer
(1) How do I set up the call?
(2) How do I set it up again?
(3) How do I make sure everyone gets to dance every part?
www.nshukayr.com
2008 Silver State Caller College, November 20-24 in Sparks, Nevada flyer at http://www.nshukayr.com/sscc2008.pdf
2009 Trail-Thru Caller College, June 7-11 in Livingston, Texas flyer at http://www.nshukayr.com/ttcc2009.pdf
2009 Silver State Caller College, November 19-23 in Sparks, Nevada
July 11, 2008 Promoting and Recruiting
www.NShukayr.com
Silver State Caller College, November 20-24 2008 in Reno NV with Doug Davis, Nasser Shukayr and Vic Kaaria
Trail Thru Caller College, June 7-11 2009 in Livingston TX with Doug and Nasser
Silver State Caller College, November 19-23 2009 in Reno
August 14, 2008 Square Dance Parties
(Almost sold out to capacity. If you know someone who wants to attend, tell 'em to get their deposit in ASAP.)
(This school is filling up nicely. Several overseas callers will attend, so this is a good chance to expand your network of contacts.)
(you, yes YOU, can become the very first registrant for this school!)
October 5, 2008 Step-by-Step Promotional Idea
A: Yes. In fact, I specifically WANT them to go to my competitor's club, bring their pedometer, and let everyone there know that they can come to me and get their own free $3 pedometer for just $5.
A: We'll order them from a square dance couple who is in the promotions business. If you were at any Silver State Caller College in Reno, this couple was probably in a square you called for, as they are big supporters of square dancing.
A: There are three models to choose from. There isn't 25 cents difference in price between the cheapest and the most expensive. The cheapest model counts ONLY steps and it has ONLY one button: "Reset". It comes in all kinds of bright colors. I like it because it's so easy to operate. Even the world's finest idiot can't goof it up.
The middle-of-the-road model comes in only one color (silver) but it counts both Steps and Distance. You pay a price for these extra smarts: the unit now requires THREE buttons: "Reset", "Mode" (to switch between Steps and Distance), and "Adjust" (to set the stride length). But here's a real plus: this model comes with a hinged cover which will hold a BUNCH of small stickers.
The deluxe model has many functions including calendar, alarm, calorie counter, etc. It also has five buttons. My immediate reaction is "NO WAY!!". I can just see someone calling me at 4 in the morning because they can't turn off the alarm, or someone getting mad because they can't figure out how to work their free pedometer so they want all their money back or else they'll "teach me a good lesson" and "never dance to me again". Fancy Schmancy pedometer?? No Thanks!
So ... let's go with the middle-of-the-road model. It measure steps and distance and also has a hinged cover which will hold lots and lots of stickers.
A: I'm leaning towards "Smile for a Mile ... Square Dance!". Another possibility is "Take a step toward Fun, Fitness and Friends ... Square Dance!"
A: We'll count just the steps, then divide by some number to get miles. If you google "How many steps in a mile" you get answers ranging from 1800 to 2600. The math sure is easy if you assume 2000 steps per mile. So, right or wrong, let's use that figure.
A: Office Depot sells brightly colored stick-on dots. We can get sheets of dots then tell a computer to print the number of miles (5, 10, etc.) inside each dot. We can use a different color dot for each milestone.
November 20-24, 2008 in Sparks, Nevada
June 7-11, 2009 in Livingston, Texas
November 19-23, 2009 in Sparks, Nevada