Taking to the floor (I'm not altogether with Simon!)

Ron Mackey

March 6, 2006, 12:52 a.m. (Message 44497)

I rather liked the rhythm of those dances.  In those days it was 
not, usually, a question of hopping into the car  and driving off.  Very 
often there was a walk, a train/bus journey (only 1 bus - if you were 
lucky!) and another walk even before one started dancing.  It also took 
longer to get ready for the dance what with coats and shoes and sashes 
and so we got there earlier and had time to start the social chit-chat.
	There were usually 16 -18 dances in a programme which left 
rather more time to socialise between dances and the halls closed 
earlier.  I remember having to curtail one programme as we were 
running a little late and the hall-keeper was exceedingly crotchety.
	Nowadays people feel short changed if they don't get 22 or 24 
dances in their evening.  Then they hop in their car and are home 
before one would have time to catch the train home.
	I liked that.  Mind you, the time I am talking about was about 
Book 15 -16?  :))

L. Friedman-Shedlov

March 6, 2006, 5:30 a.m. (Message 44503, in reply to message 44497)

On Sun, 5 Mar 2006, Ron Mackey wrote:
> 	There were usually 16 -18 dances in a programme which left
> rather more time to socialise between dances and the halls closed
> earlier.  I remember having to curtail one programme as we were
> running a little late and the hall-keeper was exceedingly crotchety.
> 	Nowadays people feel short changed if they don't get 22 or 24
> dances in their evening.

Sheesh!  The norm in North America is 16 to 18 dances, and if there are 
more, some people complain (I've never understood why -- if the program 
is too long for your endurance level, you can always sit a couple of 
dances out).  When I was in Scotland, I recall it was more 
usual to have 20 or more dances on the program, however, they usually did 
not brief (or recap!) dances, so it took less time to get through the 
program.

/Lara Friedman-Shedlov
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA


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Lara Friedman~Shedlov               "Librarians -- Like Google, but 
xxxx@xxxxxxx.xxx                       warm-blooded"
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