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Briefings -- Talk Throughs or Teach Throughs?
Rebecca R. Davis
March 17, 1995, 10:02 a.m. (Message 1341)
REPLY TO 03/16/95 12:23 FROM xxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxxxxxx.xxx-xxxxxxxxx.xx: Re: Briefings at Balls - a geographical perspective This discussion re briefings has been an eye opener for me. I have always thought that the purpose of "talk throughs" (as they are called here) was to furnish a timely reminder of the sequence of events in a dance one already knew. A while back we had a discussion about "learning" dances from Pilling diagrams, a practice much frowned upon. And yet, apparently some not-inconsiderable segment of the SDC world "learns" dances from thirty-second briefings while standing in the set line waiting for the opening chord (perhaps even in first place). I haven't made up my mind whether to be appalled or awe-struck. 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. At our class parties dances are always briefed; however, on the posted program, the "tricky" dances are marked "TWKI" (Those Who Know It), and we hope to have this taken seriously. People who have worked hard to learn the intricacies of a particular dance deserve to do that dance with others who have also paid their dues. There are plenty of other dances on the program well within the scope of the purely social dancer. Scottish Country Dancing is certainly a social activity, but it is also an art form. In this area there are many, many dancers with the talent, dedication, intellect, and physical conditioning to do even the most difficult dances with spirit, beauty, and grace. I would not like to see that heady experience spoiled for them because somebody might feel left out. Rebecca Davis San Francisco To: xxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxxxxxx.xxx-xxxxxxxxx.xx
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