Mikeside Management 1 January 1995
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,.. MIKI!BIDI! MANAG Nl NT Mo~lt,~~ t.i~~~ $~~i~~ ~~: q$~~t~: ~ ~~~~: ~ ¢~~~~: ~¥~i~lk : : : : : : : : : : : : ; : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Noting that this club likes variety, you try a dance JANUARY 1995 with a different formation-progressive squares or a tandem, maybe even a contra that incorporates square dance calls Volume rv, No.1 they know. Nothing you do tonight has a flaw. The officers indicated that the club members liked to "learn one new thing" at each dance. You are able, THE PERFECT DANCE because you teach carefully, clearly and concisely, to walk Picture you-upon my knee, tea for two and two for them through a smooth new experimental and then use it in tea ... no, no, wrong picture. your "workshop" tip. Picture you calling a dance. The floor is full of You notice that very few people are sitting arowtd dancers of all ages, weaving in and through all the figures the edges of the dance. The floor fills up when you first put that are flowing effortlessly from your brain to your tongue. the needle on the record, the dancers await your comments Their colorful costumes provide you with a constant kalei with smiling and eager faces, and move easily as soon as doscopic panorama as you stand on the stage. you start to call. Before you set foot on the stage, a number of other The evening grows later. The dancers are still things happened. You were called about your availability squaring up promptly and you've not seen anyone slipping for the evening, and accepted the job at a fee that pays ade out with a coat on. Between the tips, small groups quately for your travel, your expenses and your time. A congregate, laughing and talking on the floor. Occasionally, contract then carne in the mail which you efficiently signed someone comes up to talk to you but usually you step off and returned to the club officer in charge. About two weeks the stage and join one of the groups for a brief chat. You do before the calling date, you received in the mail (or by fiu<) not keep people talking on the floor once the round dance a map showing the location of the hall and a note giving cuer begins the music; the floor is nearly as full for rowtds you the details of your lodging and hosting arrangements. and the enthusiasm of this club is noticeably outstanding. (Since callers vary in what constitutes their favorite ar Before the final tip, one of the officers approaches rangements, we'll leave this part to your imagination, but you and books you for future dances. You know you have rest assured that your personal wishes for motel or home succeeded. After the final tip, folks are still chatting and lodging were recognized and met.) talking; there is no hurried exodus. Many tell you how You arrived in the town and followed your arrange much they have enjoyed the dance. Several help dismantle ments to the letter; so did the hosts. Now rested, fed and the equipment and help close up the hall. eager for the dance, you have mounted the stage and begun The following week you receive a contract from the the first tip. club spelling out your future dates and fees, which increase You notice that your partner, who traveled with as the time span stretches into ensuing years. You send a you, is on the floor for the dance. During the evening, any note back telling the club how much you enjoyed aU their time your partoer is not dancing, you notice that several arrangements and hospitality and their enthusiastic dancing. club members are chatting with your partoer. Since you are You feel fulfilled and satisfied; you are glad to be a aware by the smiling face that your partner is having a square dance caller who can give folks a needed evening of good time and being made comfortable, you relax on that fun and recreation. The dancers have become your fans; score and concentrate completely on the dance. they will talk wttil your next visit about the wonderful You have picked a variety of music-some loud dance they had. tunes, some soft; some crowd lifters, some calming songs; Picture this: a perfect dance when everything goes a tune with fiddle and banjo, one with a big band sound, right for you and for the club. You must be dreaming, or one with a rock beat. Since you have a good singing voice, are you? Couldn't this happen with effort and the crowd reacts to all your different styles with great en communication? Our wish is that it happen for thusiasm. The applause after each tip is deafening. you-<>ften-in the New Year. Happy 1995! Mikeside Management 1 January 1995 .. WAVE YOUR MAGIC WAND! CORRECTION•.• by Cathie Tom Johnson, a member of the SID Callers of Did you know we bave a son who's a professional Northern California and a subscriber through that ....,;/ magician? He waves his magic wand and a cane becomes a organization, wrote to say that the experimental move, scarf. Sometimes doves appear beneath a scarf or rabbits grand chase, sent to us by Walt McNeel is not really new. in an empty box. Tom claims to bave invented that move in 1978 and its Along in January we sometimes wisb we could Burleson number is 2936. "While it may bave gotten wave a magic wand over oW"Selves. Tbe beginning of a virtually no airplay," Tom says, "I think it is only fair that I New Year is the time for looking into a mirror and making sbould be credited for inventing grlllld chase." assessments and resolutions. Women, I read, are very Tom goes on to describe his move: "Part A bas a prone to feel that they never look quite right to themselves star thru instead of a slide thru, and Part B (my verion) boys and this governs quite a lot of wbat we do. An editorial I run, star thru, back up lllld turn to face is replaced by the read recently said we should accept ourselves and get on following sequence: partner tag, step ahead, partner trade with wbat we bave to do in our lives, concern oW"Selves and roll. As you can plainly see, both replacements with greater things. I guess I'd agree with this, even if I am accomplish the same net action/outcome, but my flow, in planning to remove a few pounds during 1995! my opinion, is a little more definitive. All dancers halfway How much can we change in our world? Although are halfway home." it seems sometimes as though we cannot do very much, we It's been said before and will be said again but do many things in small ways. Consider the "Magic of the callers writing new moves should check Burleson's Mobile." carefully. If it's a different move than the recorded one:, it "When you move just one piece on a mobile, the needs a different name. If it's the same move, giving it a other pieces move in response. new name is unnecessary. "So it is in life-if you change yoW"Self, those people with whom you are connected will respond to your changes. ALTERNATE FOR TWO-FACED "We may not be ·able to change this world, but WHEEL AND DEAL changes we make in wbat we do and bow we act can make by Orlo Hoadley , important differences. A lot of callers don't like to call wheel and deal to ...,;; "In our families, wbat if we were unconditionally two-faced lines, and there's a good reason for that. If the loving? in-facing couples do a grand wheeling movement, they bave "In our relationships with others, wbat if we were to do a lot of fudging to keep from bumping into each other more Ioving,affirming, patient and forgiving? in the middle of the square. You can get the same result by "For our environment, wbat if we used less and calling bend the line and sweep a quarter. Tbe movement is reused more? smoother and quicker (only four beats) and is pretty much "In our communities, what if we gave more of our like wbat experienced dancers do anyway. time and talent? If you follow this with a veer (left for right-handed "In our faith, what if we were more trusting in a two-faced lines), you bave a nice equivalent for couples loving and concerned God? trade, Also, bend the line lllld circle half is a smooth and "In the year sbead, let us all try to 'move our piece quick equivalent for bend the line, righr lllld left thru. of the mobile' to make this world a better place to live." This little message appeared in our monthly newsletter from the town of Hague, NY. It struck a chord with me and I hope it will with you. No matter how old I grow, I'm still waiting for that magic formula that will "CALLING SQUARE DANCES TODAY really bring peace on earth and good will to everybody. I'd TAKES A LOT OF STUDY, A LOT OF WORK, rather move my mobile piece a little than be described by Pogo as "We bave met the enemy and it is us." A LOT OF DEDICATION, ALL WITHOUT MUCH FINANCIAL COMPENSATION--BUT Stan and I wisb you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. May your square dance enterprises IT'S STILL THE TOUGHEST JOB YOU'LL flourish, may you find great rewards in making others EVER LOVE!" bappy and may you find that at year's end, you are happier than you bave ever been before.