strathspey@strathspey.org:1335

David Newitt

Re: FTWK dances

March 17, 1995, 12:16 a.m. (Message 1335)

> From xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxxxxxx.xxx-xxxxxxxxx.xx Thu Mar 16 12:01:30 1995
> R> 
> Regarding the FTWK (For Those Who Know) dances in SF, I recall a ball
> in Boston a few years ago when two of the dances on the programme were
> clearly marked in the booklet:  "These dances will not be briefed".
> I wonder why they don't do that anymore?  Any Boston dancers out
> there in the know?
> 

I can't speak for Boston, but my feeling in SF is that the pendulum has
swung towards being extremely beginner friendly and avoiding elitism at all costs.
Tis a shame, I think, since I've never known a beginner who got upset
at there being a couple FTWK dances. They are fun to watch (see - experienced
dancers mess up too!) and provide something to look forward to.

Another possibility is the dissappearance of a 'repetoir' - dances everyone
learned reasonable early and were done often enough to be remembered. 
David Mostardi mentioned that Gen. Stuart's Reel was the most popular
dance on our Ball programs, yet I remember being at a large dance a couple
years ago, in a set of intermediate dancers (all > 1year experience), and
even with a briefing more than half of the dancers had to be helped
considerably throughout the dance. Several of them did not remember
ever having done the dance before.

The Contra dance community here has gone as far as possible in this direction,
in that I don't believe most contra dancers actually KNOW any dances.
Does this trend bother anyone else? Is it inevitable in an active, growing
dance tradition?

-david newitt