strathspey@strathspey.org:27790

Lee Fuell

Pre-Booking (was Cribs)

Oct. 8, 2001, 10:33 p.m. (Message 27790)

My limited observations of pre-booking have mostly involved older 
dancers.  Was this once common and considered proper ballroom 
etiquette?  I agree that in today's culture, this appears elitist and 
exclusive, but are we just dealing with a generation gap?  If so, it 
will die out (no morbid pun intended...) on its own.

Patty and I have taken to pre-booking some dances with each 
other (never more than a very limited number on a program, 
though!).  We were originally taught that the accepted practice was 
to dance the first and last dance of a program with one's  
spouse/significant other/date, and all other dances with others.  On 
this list, I have seen this modified to first, last, and one "special" 
dance.  However, we are finding that the first dance of a program is 
often an "easy opener" that is not as interesting as later dances, 
so we often don't dance this one together.  We prefer instead to 
pick a more interesting dance later in the program that we wish to 
share with each other.  Finishers are usually good, but sometimes 
we'll trade this one off for another if there's a second dance 
somewhere else on the program we wish to do together.

One practice that complicates this approach that I wish masters of 
ceremonies would not do is have a grand march lead right into the 
first dance of the program.  This locks everyone into dancing the 
first dance with their grand march partner, usually one's significant 
other.  I much prefer a grand march that ends with applause for the 
musicians, a clearing of the floor, then a call to form sets for the 
first dance.

So, is this form of limited pre-booking also socially frowned upon, 
or within the accepted envelope of ballroom etiquette?

Lee

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Date sent:      	Mon, 08 Oct 2001 13:51:12 -0400
From:           	Lara Friedman-Shedlov <xxxxxx@xx.xxxxx.xxx>
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Subject:        	Re: Cribs