strathspey@strathspey.org:44052

Chris1Ronald

Too Many Rules? (was Eccles Rant - No Answers?)

Feb. 2, 2006, 6:28 p.m. (Message 44052)

Martin wrote:   "Too many rules.
And you wonder why the  younger generation is not too keen on SCD?"
 
I know what you're saying Martin.  But I'm not sure one  has to call it 
"laying down rules".  I'd prefer  "suggestions".  I believe there may have been a 
tendency in  the past (you still see sometimes) to lay down rules - to say  you 
OUGHT to do this or that.   Thankfully, most teachers do seem  to avoid such 
expressions, but rather to try to suggest a  reason, such as it's safer, or 
more helpful to your partner or other  dancers, or "This what I prefer", or "It 
may seem peculiar, but if you go  dancing in other places, this is how you'll 
probably see it done",  etc.    
 
The article in the Scotsman that we were discussing last year talked  about 
us as being "fastidious" in our dancing.  I've been thinking about  this, and 
if I'm honest, I suppose you could say we are fastidious in the  sense that we 
get pleasure from completing a dance accurately, with good  phrasing and 
covering, etc.  The fact that RSCDS-style dancing  offers this type of pleasure is 
one of the reasons we're keen on it.   I doubt we really want that to change.  
I'm inclined to think that many of  us have graivitated to this style because 
we like the order and precision.   Isn't this why so many dancers in our 
style are librarians, accountants,  engineers, mathematicians, etc.?  
 
So far as newer dancers and young people are concerned, some will enjoy our  
precision and others will not.  We hope that the ones who do enjoy the  style 
will keep dancing with us.  Bearing in mind Martin's  admonition, perhaps we 
need to take more care to let the style speak for  itself, and certainly avoid 
saying things like "you ought to do this" and  "ought not to do that".   And, 
as Jim Healy said in the 'Scotsman'  discussion, avoid tut-tutting when newer 
or younger dancers go wrong or when  dancers let their hair down a bit.  
 
My ha'pence worth,
 
Chris.