Talk:Caller (dancing)

message: I decided to go ahead and write about this, since I have a decent knowledge of the subject.  Please feel free to discuss problems you see, fix grammatical mistakes, comment on hard to follow passages, or whatever else may need some attention.
Also, feel free to expound upon what I've written.  I know my history could use some more work and some sources.
Lareon 09:33, 20 October 2005 (UTC)
thread_title: I've Expanded the Article

message: You're right the history section needs serious work.  I have removed it from the article because, I believe, it is a lot of conjecture.  It certainly doesn't jive with what I've read on the subject, and goes contrary to information found in referenced articles, for example country dance originating in frontier towns.  I would suggest that the country dance section of the folk dance article is read carefully.  
I would also suggest that careful citing of references in this history section will make it a lot better.  What happened to the role of the "dance master", and of "recorded music"?  These are both important aspects of the caller's history.
It's a little too hit-and-miss for my taste.  --SFDan 17:44, 20 October 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Removed text from article 

message: You're very right.  It felt like it needed a history segment, but no, I have not done much research, so I thank you for your modifications.  I know a fair amount about modern square dance in America, and so was able to provide decent information on modern stuff.  If I get a chance, I'll try to find out more about the history of callers, and add that in to this article.
I am however curious what you are referring to with the importance of recorded music as a caller?  Most callers I've known are just as able to call to live music versus recorded music... (though it's often considered a treat to call to live music ^_^)  Are you perhaps referring to pre-recorded singing calls?  For the other comments, when I said "frontier" towns, I was referring to whatever towns were on the frontier of civilization at that time, which in the late 1700s would have been most of the eastern coast of the united states.  Probably a better way to refer to this, however.
Beyond that, I see little which conflicts with or could help to elicidate what I wrote previously.  As for the role of a "dance master", I believe this to likely be an older title for a caller, though I am unfamiliar with it.  Most of the information I have was given to me through callers, and not through writings; I will of course seek out some writings (as I said) when I have more time.  Again, thanks for the call to attention.
----
Okay, I went back and looked at "Cowboy Dances" (which I've read before, just forgot), and you're very right.  I'll rewrite the history section soon, and include citings from at least that text.  There's a book from Cal Campbell which may have some more information in it as well.
Thanks again,
Lareon 10:11, 21 October 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Quite Right, Thanks 

message: I moved some of the text I deleted in the western square dance article to this one, as being more appropriate.  I did not, however, move any of the text written under the subhead "Calling a square dance", as I felt it was unusable and written from the absolutely wrong viewpoint.  --SFDan 09:56, 26 October 2005 (UTC)
thread_title:  Moved text from western square dance article to this one 

message: I think the explanation of patter and hothash is incorrect seeing as how I have always heard and experienced them being used is hothash and patter can both be prewrittren and can both be improvised and hothash is a style of patter which is supposed to be faster and more complex or challenging than patter as a whole. Shimonnyman 08:15, 3 March 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Call Types

message: I am not an expert on this, but I have seen folk dances in European countries and they also had callers. I would be nice if information could be added about callers in other folk traditions.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 192.116.64.62 (talk) 09:04, 5 July 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: Other Traditions