[Squaredancing] Re: Calling for a Deaf Person

[Mike Gormley]

Kenritucci at aol.com wrote:

> A local club is going to be having a totally deaf person attempt to 
> take lessons this year. They asked me if I could solicit any ideas out 
> there of callers/clubs who might have attempted to do this and how it 
> was handled.
>  
> Has anyone ever attempted this?
>  
> Thanks,
>  
> Ken

The first thought I would have is if he can hear a "little" to use a 
hearing enhancement system tuned strictly to the callers voice.

The second thought I have is to keep the choreo to set figures such as 
done in Eastern Square Dancing.  The deaf dancer could then be in the #4 
position of the square and know what to do by watching the others first.   

If  Modern Western Square Dance movements are used, try standard 
figures.   Advise the deaf dancer in advance the figure to be used 
before it is called.  The figures could be numbered.   The dancer and 
the caller  would memorize the figure number.  The dancer could square 
up in the number 2, 3 or 4 position of the square, so he could glance 
over to the caller for "hand signal" of the next figure to be called.   
The signal would be given during the Promenade Home.

Maybe there is  some way to take a radio transmitter keyed to the Beats 
per Minute  of the music,  and transmit it to the receiver worn by the 
deaf person.  The difference is the receiver would be like a vibrator 
attached to his body.   He could then "feel" the beat and "dance away".  
If a cell phone can vibrate as a ringer, why can't any such receiver 
vibrate in 128 pulses per minute?  Or maybe the signal could be a small 
LED light tied to the BPM attached to his glasses.

I know the later part of this message is a little wild, but I am 
brainstorming.  Maybe my Son, the inventor, can come up with something.

Mike Gormley
Florida Keys
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://rbnsn.com/pipermail/squaredancing_rbnsn.com/attachments/20060927/f6e75f7c/attachment.html>