strathspey@strathspey.org:28009

Martin.Sheffield

RE: Lead up - which hand?

Nov. 1, 2001, 6:31 p.m. (Message 28009, in reply to message 28005)

>Eric asked:
>
>"Why do we have a strong tradition of RHJ when LHJ is more elegant and gives
>better contact with your partner?  
>Should not tradition aim to promote the
>best choreography?  

Full agreement with you, Eric.

Pat:
> in SCD today the lead
>is RHJ unless otherwise indicated, 

except when the dancer is using his head, thinking about what he is doing,
where he is going and and  what he will be doing next. In this case, he
will of course give the most appropriate hand for the comfort and elegance
of the couple (for example, LH when, after dancing up, he will have to help
his partner across to face her 1st corner; nearer hands when they are going
to cast symmetrically, etc).

Alas, many dancers don't appear to think for themselves: 
"If miss M said right hand, then it must be right hand!" is the lazy way of
finding an answer.

Fyreladdie:
>I do agree it would be more pleasing to see a left hand lead 
>but those are not the instructions.  There are a good many dances 
>that require different hand leads that are seemingly awkward and less
graceful. 
>It is, for whatever reason, what the devisor wanted. 

I very much doubt whether we have any evidence about what the devisers of
older dances wanted. And in the early SCDS books, no indication was given
about which hand.

(Book 1: page 1:  1st cp "lead down the middle and back again."
page 2:  "All three lead up the middle."
page 10: "All four lead down ..."

So don't try and tell me that, in the twenties, "lead" meant "with RHJ."

To prepare for today's poussette, NHJ would be quite logical (but changing
hands is hardly a cause for anxiety). In the more distant past, however,
the dances that now call for poussette, could well have been performed with
crossed hands (therefore lead up with RHJ) or even waltz hold (lead up with
gent's hand round his partner's waist).

A little imagination goes a long way.



Martin,
 in Grenoble, France.

 http://perso.wanadoo.fr/scots.in.france/scd.htm
              (dance groups,  events,  some new dances ...)