strathspey@strathspey.org:27875

Priscilla M. Burrage

Re: Pre-Booking

Oct. 13, 2001, 8:47 p.m. (Message 27875, in reply to message 27873)

On Sat, 13 Oct 2001, Malcolm Brown wrote:

> Whilst at a dance anyone has the right to dance with whoever they like, mass
> pre-booking does seem to me to cause more problems than it solves.

I have often felt that mass pre-booking is done by insecure dancers or
those married to insecure dancers.

> As a non-booker

I book one dance with my hisband, but if he came dancing more often, I
probably wouldn't. . .

I also book a dance with a disabled dancer, on crutches or with a cane. (I
pick the dance.)  So often these wounded dancers are there just to
remember and listen to the music.  Having someone to say a few words
to or smile at adds to their limited pleasure.

This year at the boston Ball, I booked one dance.  I had walked diagonally
across the hall to where Maurice Whitby was sitting, and, knowing he
NEVER booked, asked him if he had any strathspeys free.  He replied that
he was seriously debating doing one fast dance and would I consider
Australian Ladies.  so a few dances later, we did AL.  I'm so glad.  A
lasst dance with an old friend now deceased and that dance was one written
by another old friend also deceased.


> Why can't we spend a bit more time at dances when we are standing as
> supporting couples to look around, see who is sitting out, and then make an
> effort to ensure that they have a partner for the next dance, (by asking
> them)?

Back when women never asked men to dance with them, I found that the dance
"down the middle and up" was ideal for finding a partner for the next
dance.  On the way down, smile at your partner while dancing in  to
take hands; next as you are both going down the center, look past him to
the third man with a broad smile;  ditto man number four.  On the way back
up, you can usually manage to smile at the third man again, and at the
second man.  I found this system quite reliable.  And I feel sure that my
partner ws using the same figure to assess his possibilities for the next
dance. . .


Getting back to the point made by Malcom, we can not only ask the dancers
sitting out, but we can continue to dance with them -- and in a few
years, find ourselves married to them.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Priscilla Burrage       Vermont US
(xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xxx)