strathspey@strathspey.org:43890

Ron Mackey

Workshops and walkthroughs . . .

Jan. 28, 2006, 12:58 a.m. (Message 43890)

There are, obviously, diferent ideas behind the organization of 
the various 'workshops'.   
	In this neck of the woods we have 'weekends' which consist of 
dances on the Friday and Saturday nights,  classes on Saturday and 
Sunday mornings and 'social' dancing before tea on the Sunday 
afternoon before people filter away home.
	The Saturday dance is often more fomal and receives other 
non-attending dancers.
	The classes are usually based on what the particular teacher 
has buzzing in their bonnet at the time.  If there are two 
teachers/classes they will communicate so as not to overlap unduly.
	The Saturday afternoon 'workshop' is usually a specialist view 
of SCD, an attempt at some really difficult dances or even an attempt 
at some other quite different form of dance.
	One of the published evening dances just might be included, as 
a special request,   during a class or workshop (if suitable) but as the 
programmes are published well in advance it is assumed that 
applicants for tickets attendance will do their own homework.  To assist 
with this, these days, dances are normally talked through before the 
chord.
	We see from Anselm's mail that there is a practise before the 
Frankfurt Ball and that seems reasonable but if there is a great demand 
for such a thing before a normal large dance with guests coming from 
afar then it seems that the programme needs to be examined.
	I always was under the impression that the more difficult/new 
dances should only be included in local dances where local classes 
could practise them, these to be 'promoted' when they became more 
universally known.     Larger affairs should confine themselves to more 
universally known and popular dances and the number of these is 
rapidly growing so choice should not be too limiting.
	I think this was part of the thinking behind Diana Shipton's list 
and could also be part of the reason for the new pop list proposal from 
HQ?