strathspey@strathspey.org:27736

Adam Hughes

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

Oct. 4, 2001, 1:38 p.m. (Message 27736, in reply to message 27723)

Hi Bob,

Intriguing.  What you have descibed, I would call an English Ladies' 
Chain, or a chain with a closed or power turn.  In contra I have always 
met women who prefer to dance an open chain, as is Scottish, but with 
the mans arm raise an the lady turning under his arm as in the Gay 
gordons.  The woman will normally lead the chain with her left arm, to 
show whether she prefers to dance the closed, open or turned variety. 
Usually, as Pat says, men I have danced with have moved into the ladies 
place and the turn is more to sway places than with the man acting as a 
pivot.

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

Adam