strathspey@strathspey.org:27751

Patricia Ruggiero

RE: Contr(a/y)/Square, etc.

Oct. 4, 2001, 11:45 p.m. (Message 27751, in reply to message 27736)

Adam wrote:

"The most interesting difference for me is that the Contra dances will say
Ladies' chain where the Scottish dances would say half Ladies' chain."

The terminology may be regional.  In the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.,
the way I'm used to hearing it phrased during a walk-through is: "ladies
chain over"; then, if the figure is to be repeated back to place, the caller
says "ladies chain back."

It is not uncommon, if the caller says only "ladies chain" during the
walk-through, that the women will pause, not automatically assuming that
they are to chain back, because very often they don't.

Once the track is established, the phrase "ladies chain" is a sufficient
call for either possibility.

The phrase "half ladies chain" certainly eliminates all doubt in this
regard.  At least I've never seen that only half the women execute the
figure while the other half stand still....

Pat