The following information is published with ROUNDALAB's permission from the ROUNDALAB Reference Manual compiled by Richard & Jo Ann Lawson, 1987.

Cueing and Teacher Training

Roy & Phyllis Stier

December 10, 1985

Dear Irv and Betty,

Sending along some thoughts as a request of Ann Rotruck in the hopes that they may be of use, or in any event, may serve as reinforcement to current ideas in the development of a teacher training program.

In would be nice if we could produce a step by step categorically correct format or even empirically develop a logical progression, however, the clientele out there is so varied as to make it impossible, so, I guess we do the best we can. Let me put down a few things as they occur to me and see it they could fit into any overall pattern.

First, it is human nature to accept live instruction and procrastinate when it comes to study from a manual in publication. Clinics and seminars for teachers conducted by a qualified panel or two or more is the best solution for any training program. Of course, this does not preclude an accompanying manual which some will use from time to time, particularly those out in the hinterlands.

Many time advice for new teachers either goes over their heads or anticipates concepts that they are not ready for. It must be impressed upon them that most dancers are looking for something and somebody that they can feel comfortable with. To copy another's style or to feel that they must be somewhat of an evangelist can be self defeating. Generalized concepts of how to advertise for a class, organize the group so that you're shooting down the middle, initiate a logical progression that is not threatening, etc. must be covered in both a live session and a manual.

One of the important advantages of a live session is the immediate feedback from the participants. Questions of greatest interest (and comments) written on cards is an excellent way to put issues on the table. Many folks do not like to ask what they consider as dumb questions or expose themselves to their peers. Also, it is my experience that leaders are apt to share their more meaningful ideas when exposed in a give and take seminar.

Some things are often neglected in a training program and one that comes to mind is how to handle mistakes by the teacher. It really is a matter of basic honesty, and I can recall several instances where the people were turned off when they discovered their leader had feet of clay. If a dancer questions an interpretation or figure the leader should thank them and check for correctness in a give and take manner. If there is reasonable doubt about a portion of a dance or teach it should be set aside for a research with promise to get back at the earliest opportunity. When the teacher discovers a mistake on his/her own they should freely admit it and make the correction as soon as possible. Comments about other teacher's mistakes are neither helpful or in good taste.

Another thing that normally comes up is choreography. Most budding leaders either feel they must write dances to get recognition or just want to express themselves in a creative manner. A discussion of this could be a complete seminar on its own, but at least a few things should be covered. For instance, music selection where pop and standard labels can be given their pros and cons. Keeping the choreography at the writer's ability level and not copying sections of other dances should be noted. Writing a dance to a piece of music and taking advantage of the phrasing as opposed to looking for music to fit a favored pattern would be a good discussion subject. It can be pointed out that one good dance is worth a number of mediocre ones, and that good choreographers always "live" with their dances for quite a while to see if they will stand continued exposure. Unfortunately, not all of our top choreographers can express themselves well enough, or are willing to ass along goodies to the newcomers.

The art of cueing is probably a most important consideration for those who are tied strongly to square dancing. In fact, many people equate a leader's ability completely to cueing and so they are called just that. A teacher training program should stress the overall picture where the leader must have enough basic knowledge to feel comfortable with all phases. If a person is conversant with the current round dance figures and their correct interpretation he/she will make a better cuer. It used to be considered a loss of dignity to read from cue cards but no longer so. The dancers would rather have this positive continuity from cue cards rather than the not too reliable memory, even if they must sacrifice some timing in the process. The use of playback tapes for a teacher in training should be discussed and, of course, the farming out of tapes for cueing purposes at square dances and their ethical impact.

When we come to the method of teaching format it present some attendant difficulties. The best we can do is to give some guide lines as to how much of a chunk to present, what to settle for in interpretation, how much attention to individual couples, how much repetition, etc. There is so much to learn about the personalities of people — some are "brittle" and some are easy going and can handle challenge well, however, most need some sort of positive reinforcement. It is axiomatic that you will lose more dancers by shooting too high than by shooting too low. It would seem to me that leaders can often lose perspective on this subject, and we should enlist the help of dancers to give their ideas, perhaps even through a mail inquiry.

A complete teacher training program should also go on to cover the clinics and seminars that are somewhat down the road for the more experienced ones. Perhaps one of the most abused concepts in seminars is that people are all looking for dance figures. They should get this from another source such as local teachers, clinics, or in any event, from a continuing program where they develop a style that best fits their needs. It is a good idea in a mixed teacher-dancer group not to dwell on anything that contradicts the local dancing or cueing mode. This can result in a built in defensive posture that can destroy the benefits of the program. Paradoxically, one of the basic needs of both teachers and dancers is to have a clear concept of what is correct — they don't want a dealer's choice but a "this is it" type of offering. Obviously this means walking a tightrope and the seminar leader must have enough clout to carry it off.

We often change our expected format when presenting a clinic or seminar to fit the occasion. One must have some knowledge of local interests, but just an observation of the people prior to a presentation can be most helpful. Noting how the locals handle themselves on the floor and the type of rhythm and dance mode they enjoy, as well as what seems to bother them, can be of use. Flexibility is the key concept — the list of priorities for the folks that you are working with may be at variance with your own and it is important to recognize this.

At this point, I realize that there is much more that would occur to me and it could go on and on. Let's say you that you could come back to me at a time when the collected thought of yourselves and others are starting to gel. We could then think about editing and supplementing all this for a final draft. Certainly you deserve the congratulations and support from all the round dance folks on this much needed program.

Yours,
Roy & Phyllis

cc: Stewart