strathspey@strathspey.org:27839

Rudge, Janet

RE: Pre-Booking (was Cribs)

Oct. 10, 2001, 2:50 p.m. (Message 27839, in reply to message 27790)

Richard wrote
 << I have a new policy which I share with anyone I book a dance
with (other than the first and last for my favorite lady of course):  Yes
let's book a dance, and yes let's look for each other during the prior
dance, and yes let's try to get over to one another for the dance, BUT.. if
anyone stops us in between and asks for a dance before we can hook up, then
we accept, and thus avoid appearing rude or hurting someone's feelings.>>

If I had pre-arranged a dance with someone, I think I would be a bit miffed 
if, when I went to find them, I found them making up a set with someone 
else instead!  Especially if that then left me unable to find a partner.

Richard also wrote
 <<  And yes I admit to having been seen at times scurrying across the
dance floor determinedly with my head down and eyes averted.>>

If one has to hurry to find one's next partner before someone else asks
them to dance, this means having to dump one's last partner straight after
the bow and curtsey and dash off.  I think it's nice to be able to amble 
off the floor having a chat with the person you've just shared a dance 
with, without the pressure of having to start looking for a partner for 
the next one.

Having said that, at the dances I go to, there are only a very small 
number of people who feel they need to book their partners early on for 
most of the dances on the programme.  Most of us use a relaxed approach of 
"Are you free for this dance?  No?  Well, let's do XXXXXX instead."  
This only results in having 4 or 5 dances at the most prebooked during an 
evening (and those are usually only arranged 2 or 3 dances ahead of time), 
but once they're booked, they're booked.

Jan Rudge

Beaconsfield, UK
RSCDS London Branch