strathspey@strathspey.org:1344

Patricia_J_Donaldson.Henr801B

Re: Briefings -- Talk Throughs or Teach Throughs?

March 17, 1995, 6:54 p.m. (Message 1344, in reply to message 1341)

Rebecca Davis writes:

>Am I to understand that there are people out there who can listen to
a quick recap of a complicated dance, and not only memorize the
order of the figures, but also anticipate tricky transitions,
potential phrasing complications, and orientation anomalies? And all
this from two, three, or even four places? My.<

(blush) I admit to being one of those people who actually go to balls and learn
the dances on the talk-thru.  This has occured over the years, in stages.  At
first I only went to Balls that our group had specifically practiced for - and
the group might spend a couple of months before a ball doing dances from the
ball program.  Then I'd go to balls that our group wasn't practicing for, but
get the program well in advance and work thru the program, moving
salt-and-pepper shakers through the steps, and walking through figures with
Bill if they were unclear (Not the same as having a full set to help out- but
still helpful)  Then I'd get the program in advance, read each dance through
once to visualize the steps, and move coins or something through the most
complicated dances a couple of times until I was sure I understood them.  I
still mostly do that, but there have been times when I've gotten the program,
briefly scanned each dance to see if it had any tricky figures in it - read
through and visualized the complicated dances and learned the others on the
talk-thru.  While dancing as first couple with a near total beginner as a
partner. :^).  This is completely irresponsible of me, and the first two or
three times I had to learn a dance from the talk-through I was petrified, but
I've gotten good at it, and I generally don't muck up dances for the other
dancers.  On the other hand, I've never been able to keep dances straight in my
head, they all mush together, and I'm in awe of someone who could actually
memorize all of the dances for a ball.  What it comes down to is training.  I
learned scottish dancing in a small group which had a number of people who
hated walk throughs.  Their idea of a perfect class was to do as many dances as
possible, talking through each dance once, dancing it once and then going on to
another.  Dances would only be walked through when beginners joined the group,
or if one of the members had gotten hold of a particularly fiendish new dance.

Pat Donaldson