strathspey@strathspey.org:44477

Steve Wyrick

Re: Taking to the floor (I'm with Simon!)

March 5, 2006, 9:08 a.m. (Message 44477, in reply to message 44476)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx wrote:

>   At our recent Burns
> Ball I briefed a section and found that I was sometimes cueing the band to
> play its own identifying "announcement" of eight bar after there were already
> sets formed in front of me, having still given them the breathing time that
> they 
> needed between dances.  As I mentioned when this was discussed recently, even
> with the "premature" formation of sets (which I personally refuse to
> necessarily consider as such), I see it as positive enthusiasm for the
> dancing, almost 
> always carried out in polite and orderly fashion, hardly ever with folks
> mowing down others as they rush to the top.  So why on earth not?  I'm
> definitely 
> with Simon on this.

I've fiddled for several dances recently when this situation has occurred
and as a musician I find it uncomfortable and a bit embarrassing playing an
introduction for a dance when sets are already formed up in front of me; it
seems pointless, and I worry that we took too long between dances or
something.  I also have tried to look at this behavior positively and chalk
it up to dancers' enthusiasm but really, it seems to me to just be bad
manners since we've all been taught not to take the floor (and certainly not
to form up sets) until the dance was announced.  However if the MCs approve
of the behavior, what are you going to do...
-- 
Steve Wyrick -- Concord, California