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Baltimore Club Night
Kent was off to a chorus rehearsal last night (concert this coming weekend) so I went to Baltimore solo for square dancing. Dayle was calling so I expected to spend the evening dancing and possibly calling a Mainstream or Plus tip.
If you haven't figured it out from prior LJ posts, let me spell it out in clear text: I'm a control freak, at least about projects which directly involve me. Dayle as long since figured this out, and I suspect he likes to press my buttons about it. Last night, he was slamming them with a very heavy mallet.
I had barely hung up my coat when Dayle announced from the stage that we'd be sharing the following A2 tip. Surprise! Did I see this coming? Nope. Was I ready? Nope. I had called prior A2 tips from material I had prepared & tested in advance. This time around however, was to be done entirely by sight, no notes at all.
In all, I think I acquitted myself relatively well. It wasn't great calling and not particularly interesting choreography by any stretch, but it flowed relatively well and no one was injured. I got myself into a couple of tight spots but also got myself out of it. Of course, I'd have been much happier to have had a couple more minutes to think through a figure or two as a mental warm-up but such is life.
Dayle then called a Plus tip, and finished that one by announcing that after a two minute break, I'd be back to calling a Mainstream tip. Surprise!
That tip went pretty well. A couple of our newer dancers stumbled on some calls --they haven't seen "dixie style to a wave" or left-handed calls much lately, something I'll fix at next club night-- but it was generally pretty good.
Dayle called another Plus and pulled me on the stage to share another A2 tip. Surprise! Since I was well warmed up by this point, this tip went much better than the previous A2 set. Uninspired choreo perhaps but much improved flow.
I think Dayle is subtly indicating that since I could be theoretically handed a mic to entertain the dancing masses with no advanced notice, I'd better develop a strategy for handling the situation before it happens, and to find my way quickly into a comfortable zone when everything (potentially) goes to hell. So noted.
Kent & I will be calling for next Tuesday's club night. Come by if you're available!
If you haven't figured it out from prior LJ posts, let me spell it out in clear text: I'm a control freak, at least about projects which directly involve me. Dayle as long since figured this out, and I suspect he likes to press my buttons about it. Last night, he was slamming them with a very heavy mallet.
I had barely hung up my coat when Dayle announced from the stage that we'd be sharing the following A2 tip. Surprise! Did I see this coming? Nope. Was I ready? Nope. I had called prior A2 tips from material I had prepared & tested in advance. This time around however, was to be done entirely by sight, no notes at all.
In all, I think I acquitted myself relatively well. It wasn't great calling and not particularly interesting choreography by any stretch, but it flowed relatively well and no one was injured. I got myself into a couple of tight spots but also got myself out of it. Of course, I'd have been much happier to have had a couple more minutes to think through a figure or two as a mental warm-up but such is life.
Dayle then called a Plus tip, and finished that one by announcing that after a two minute break, I'd be back to calling a Mainstream tip. Surprise!
That tip went pretty well. A couple of our newer dancers stumbled on some calls --they haven't seen "dixie style to a wave" or left-handed calls much lately, something I'll fix at next club night-- but it was generally pretty good.
Dayle called another Plus and pulled me on the stage to share another A2 tip. Surprise! Since I was well warmed up by this point, this tip went much better than the previous A2 set. Uninspired choreo perhaps but much improved flow.
I think Dayle is subtly indicating that since I could be theoretically handed a mic to entertain the dancing masses with no advanced notice, I'd better develop a strategy for handling the situation before it happens, and to find my way quickly into a comfortable zone when everything (potentially) goes to hell. So noted.
Kent & I will be calling for next Tuesday's club night. Come by if you're available!