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Susie’s Notebook: Back to Basics

Back to Basics

© 2003 by Susie & Gert-Jan Rotscheid

Once in a while even the most experienced dancers and leaders need to take a moment and remember the basics in round dancing. We were at this point not too long ago and thought it might be helpful to put our thoughts on paper.
With “the basics” we’re not even talking about the basic figures of a rhythm, but the real, from the beginning basics – things like our manner and attitude – things we have heard from the very beginning, starting at our very first lesson. So, let’s think about a few.

Make a looking circle. Especially at a busy workshop it is very important during the teaching to make a looking circle. The teacher is trying to demonstrate the correct way to dance a figure, and everyone should have the opportunity to see this. If you don’t know what a looking circle is, it is a circle where the tallest person from each couple stands behind their partner. This gives twice as much room for the circle so that everyone can see.

Don’t talk while the leader is teaching. Even if we think that we can teach or explain something better than the teacher, it is not polite to be talking or explaining the figures to someone while the teacher is talking. If we talk while the teacher is trying to teach, we cannot learn ourselves, we make it impossible for the people we are talking to, to learn, and we also disturb those around us. If we feel that we know something better than the teacher, it is much better just to demonstrate this by correct dancing. If we still feel it is necessary to explain something to another dancer, we should do this during a break. Even if someone asks for an explanation during a workshop, it is better to say, “why don’t we go over that during the break if you still don’t understand it after the workshop.”

Give applause. The cuer/teacher has worked hard, not only during a dance, but also in preparation before the dance and workshop. The best “music to their ears” is our applause after a tip or a workshop. When we applaud we should do it with all our heart; a half-hearted applause is worse than none at all. It costs so little effort, but makes such a difference; not only to the cuer, but also to the whole atmosphere of the dance. Applause also shows to others that do not round dance that it is a fun, worthwhile activity. It is also nice if at the end of the session you go personally to the cuer and tell them that you enjoyed the evening or day.

Be on time. If you are only 15 minutes late, it would only take leaving 15 minutes earlier to be on time!! Of course once in a while everyone is late – but my father taught me “if you’re not 15 minutes early, you’re late.” Being late is being discourteous. It is a way of showing that you do not think that the event is important enough for you to take the trouble to arrive on time. Show your appreciation; be on time.

Along that line, a dancing friend, Bob Benjamin, sent us one of the things they do at their club to encourage people to be on time. In my Wednesday class we have a raffle. It goes like this. Everyone that is there on time (or w/in a short reasonable time thereafter) gets a raffle ticket. They put their name and date on it. The tickets go in the ‘pot’. At the end of the evening, or whenever, we pick a ticket out of the pot for free admission to next week’s class. All of the rest of the tickets stay in the pot ’till the end of the year. The more times that you attend (on time) the more chances you have because the tickets are only cleared out at the end of the year or when you win. What a good idea – thank you Bob.

We hope that all of us will once in a while take the time to think about these things. They are so easy to do – yet so easy to forget.

For a round world,
Susie & Gert-Jan