From: htr@world.std.com (Helena T Robinson)
Subject: Re: WSD, Challenge:Where's the C4?
Summary: Might be a harbinger of other concerns that span other dance levels
Keywords: WSD, Challenge, levels/programs
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 14:59:03 GMT

All right, I'll take a stab at this (as one who doesn't quite rate these dances 
yet), but I'll do it in two parts.  

In article <4r_pb0a.coreyj@netcom.com> coreyj@netcom.com (Corey Jaseph) writes
(in part): 
>Seems like there are more and more 'easy C4' and
>'not <someone's> hardest C4' than there is C4 right now...

>>I just went to a weekend of C4 'open,' which I
>assumed was just C4 at a more comfortable pace.
>However, some of the dancers there called it easy
>C4 and althought they were dancing at this weekend,
>they had no plans to be in the 4 hall at Extravaganza
>in Oxnard over Thanksgiving weekend.
>
>Is this a trend toward no-brainer C4?  Or is it 
>(yet another) level of C4 emerging?  And are there
>any plans underway to adopt any of the levels
>of C4 that have been suggested previously?

Somehow, I can't help but think of "no-brainer C4" as an oxymoron!  ;-)

Is there "another level" emerging?  Perhaps - it's been discussed for the past 
year or two (or more?).  However, I can't help but ask WHY?  Perhaps this 
serves a particular need - or there may be another underlying issue. 

There's certainly precedent - witness Advanced and C3 being split (A1/A2 and 
C3A/C3B).  However, to my knowledge, Advanced was never designed to be split - 
the A1/A2 lists were originally designed to serve as a teaching order.  Can any 
of the CALLERLAB members/affiliates tell me if/when separate Advanced 
levels/programs were endorsed?  (For those into history, the Advanced list was 
split circa 1980)

Now, the C3 split is another matter.  Years ago, there were a lot of dances 
designated C2.5 - but who knew which half of the list was going to be used???  
As a matter of fact, the levels at the (then) National Challenge Convention 
were C1.5 and C2.5 until 1982, when halls were designated C1/2/3.  Since it was 
long-agreed that the gulf between C2 and C3 was so wide (just by the sheer 
number of calls), the split of C3 in A and B lists was tried (circa 85-86) to 
attract more people to this area of challenge dancing.  As you can imagine, it 
didn't take long for these "new" programs to take hold amongst dancers - they 
felt this "little extra" was just enough to make their dancing more challenging 
yet still enjoyable to them.

So, just as I've said that there's "trickle up" and "trickle down" with respect 
to several matters in square dancing, we now have this situation in C4.  
Without getting into the internals (which are being discussed off-line - 
permission granted to add this to the heap), I can't help but think of another 
issue that affects ALL dancers: dancer ability (all right, that's being 
diplomatic; for the more blunt, call it competence).  To me, a major factor in 
the eventual success/failure of a dancer's success (define that any way you 
want) is the quality of teaching.  Those who are taught (and learn) 
well/thoroughly from the beginning will progress (if interested in doing so) 
with more ease than those who aren't (that may have to learn some things all 
over again to correct bad habits that may be been taught way-back-when).  And, 
these folks will have a much easier time (and much more fun) on the dance floor.

How many times have we begun workshops designed to progress to a more difficult 
level/program with the caller/instructor having to review calls from the 
previous one?  How many times have "stronger" dancers been asked to help create 
a square for dancers that are having too much trouble?  And, I'm not talking 
about alleged challenge snobbery (Besides, I've appreciated those squares when 
I've been new to a program where folks were willing to help!) - I'm talking 
about "newly-graduated" dancers who should've been asked to leave the class in 
the early weeks (yes, some types of dancing are NOT for everyone, much as we'd 
like to believe otherwise).

Since we DO our best to encourage people in spite of all these foibles, there 
is still (unfortunately) that desire among some dancers to "keep up" by moving 
to programs or levels that just aren't right for them.  Some do creep up into 
challenge - that's why we've long held that one should not move up to a more 
difficult program simply to escape "weak" dancers - we (and I include myself 
here) exist at ALL levels/programs!

So, what do we do about it?  I can't answer that, but I think it's something 
to think about as the new dance season begins...

I'll continue my rambling by addressing Corey's other concern  - in another 
post!  Hope this has been worth it...  I'd say something about flames and 
protective clothing, but I don't think it's appropriate to mention asbestos 
when (still) recovering from lung surgery - ;-)

Happy Dancing!
Helena Robinson
htr@world.std.com