The Modern Western Square Dance Caller
The role of a caller in modern Western square dance is not only to provide the dance steps which all of the dancers on the floor should be able to follow, but also to provide entertainment through a combination of factors, including programming, showmanship, singing ability, and challenging choreography.
Part of the entertainment factor can come from the caller's use of "patter" — a set of rhyming words and rhythms that complement the names of the dance steps being called. Patter can not only be entertaining because it is innovative and surprising, but it can also fill in the space between lengthy dance patterns, helping boost up the energy during potentially dull moments.
There is a large, common pool of patter which callers might use. Examples are:
" Allemande Left with your left hand. / Back to the partner for a Right and Left Grand".
OR
"Ace of Diamonds, Jack of Spades / Meet your partner and all Promenade".
The square dance calls are underlined; all the rest is patter.
Many callers spend time inventing their own unique patter or variants on common patter.
Entertainment also comes from callers challenging the dancers on the floor. There are many techniques to accomplish this. This can be done choreographically, for example, by mixing dance calls in unexpected or unusual ways, by varying expected dance patterns, or by calling figures from unusual and unexpected formations. Callers might also use gimmicks such as calling a common and well-known sequence of calls, and then catching dancers off guard by suddenly changing an expected call.
Occasionally callers make mistakes, or forget what they are doing momentarily, in which case, it is important for them to be able to keep the dancers moving and to bring the dancers back to their partners, and home again, smoothly, and hopefully without anybody noticing.
Read more about this topic: Caller (dancing)
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