A good caller should be able to assess the dance level and call appropriately. I think as callers its easy to assume too much. eg right and left hand star - just try putting both hands in! Also - to advise people - this is an energetic dance/ leave your partner dance/ difficult for beginners dance. With a live band often you can enjoy yourself just listening to the music so its OK to sit out a dance.

I always aim to be a good caller and sometimes succeed, and I'm lucky that the band will often say ' a better way to describe that might have been' There is no ' caller training' as such - perhaps there is a gap in the market .

Recently there was a thread about where the young people are and some suggested it was lack of welcome and tolerance that put them off. I did not think to include about how to welcome novices to a dance.
Is this a thread in its own right?
FloraG