Talking About Curves

Campbell Tyler

Message 53005 · 8 Jul 2008 21:35:28 · Fixed-width font · Whole thread

>Patricia wrote:

>I've long felt that the Gypsy and Half-Gypsy were overdone in ECD, both in
.quantity and quality.......I do find myself cringing when I see new
Scottish dances incorporating these
>figures. There's a vagueness about them that seems not in keeping with the
>crisp phrasing I like so much in SCD, and there is a sultriness about them
.now that seems incompatible with the lightheartedness of country dancing in
>general.

Here in Cape Town we don't experience any other dance form. ECD, Contra
Dancing, Ladies Step, Ceilidh dancing and Old Tyme are all foreign to us.
Irish is the only other dancing that we come across, quite a threat to
Highland here. So Gypsy etc means nothing to me. Pat says that new SCDs
are incorporating them. Are they called something different in SCD? Can
you give me an example of SCD dances containing these figures?

And on a broader note, does anyone think that we are heading towards BCD
(British Country Dancing)? As is happening in so many other endeavours of
life, do you think we shall all eventually migrate to one uniform grey
monotone? Or will SCD always be different, going its own way and not
absorbing or being absorbed?

Campbell Tyler
Cape Town

PS I now have to consciously "reply all" to ensure my contribution goes to
everyone. In the previous version I just replied and it automatically came
up with strathspey. Is this a feature or a bug? Is it common to others?