strathspey@strathspey.org:27759

Bryan McAlister

Re: Cribs (was Re: Square dancing.)

Oct. 5, 2001, 10:53 a.m. (Message 27759, in reply to message 27744)

In article <xxxxxxxx.xxxxxx.-xxxxxx.x.xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx>, Miriam L.
Mueller <xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx> writes
>Adam Hughes wrote:
>. . . I mentioned Pilling as an example of the worst case since if people
>
>could understand that, surely they'd have no trouble at all with mere 
>words...
>
>Ah, no, Adam. Pillings are symbols, and my mind wraps around such symbols
>differently from words. Many dancers are comfortable with one but not the
>other. And then there's the eyeglass factor: I can distinguish pillings
>without my glasses, but cannot read the printed words.
>
>Attended a beginners' class once where the teacher displayed a large
>chart of the pillings for the dances she was teaching. As she taught a
>figure, or walked through a dance, she would point to the pillings
>representation. Classic teaching technique: visual as well as auditory
>and kinetic presentation. Great class.
>
>Miriam Mueller, San Francisco

Excellent.  I find Pillings symbols generally to be clear and
understandable and to date have not come across the many errors that are
always raised by those who don't like Pillings.  
I do agree that there are instances where P. doesn't completely explain
the transition from one figure to another but I am annotate my copy as I
resolve such points.

When I first went to classes I was rebuked by the teacher for reviewing
the Pillings  notes for each dance after we had danced it.  I don't have
any respect for a teacher with that attitude.  As a musician I am
accustomed to symbols and would never start to play the Dashing White
Sergeant by referring to a text which went - longish D, repeat, short D,
short E short Fsharp etc.

Pillings actually contains the solution to a lot of dancers problems
with the instructions for dances but teachers MUST try to teach them how
to use the symbols.
Bryan McAlister B Arch RIBA ARIAS
Web page www.bryanmac.demon.co.uk
Email xxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxxxx.xx.xx
Mobile phone 07801 793849
FAX number - 0870 052 7625