strathspey@strathspey.org:29273

Patricia Ruggiero

Moving out of the way. Was: Strathspey Setting

Jan. 25, 2002, 5:03 a.m. (Message 29273)

Priscilla wrote, in response to Marjorie's remarks about English dancers
moving out of the way:

"You ae describing the ways I was taught to dance in squares, contras,
English, --- and Scottish (by Miss M herself)"

May I offer the opposite view?

I learned ECD in the mid-80s, from an Englishman, in Washington, D.C., and
he did not teach such movement.  My husband learned ECD in the 70s from
Barbara Harding (still teaching, in northern Virginia), who herself had
learned from May Gadd, and Barbara does not teach that.  More recently, the
noted British caller Colin Hume admonishes against such pronounced movement.
We observe that practice becoming ever more common, including at Pinewoods;
we refrain from doing it ourselves, seeing it as drawing attention away from
the active dancers and as cluttering the clean line of the set.

If it is absolutely necessary to move, then we make the minimum, most
discreet movement.  One situation that seems to require some movement from
the supporting dancers is when the two men, starting from their own side,
cross through the two women and cast back to each other's place, and then
the two women do as much.  There usually isn't room for the casting dancers
to fit between the standing dancers of adjacent minor sets.  See "Juice of
Barley" for an example of this.  As supporting dancers we take a small step
to the side to allow the active dancers to pass by, and then take a small
sidestep back to place.

Pat
Charlottesville, Virginia USA