strathspey@strathspey.org:8362

Jennifer_Sawin

Re[2]: Mairi's Wedding -Reply

July 31, 1997, 4:53 a.m. (Message 8362, in reply to message 8323)

Norah wrote: >>... what about ... showing consideration for others in 
     the set?... if, as Elaine has pointed out, the dancers aren't really 
     capable but are putting them in anyway, or are catching other dancers 
     by surprise and putting them off balance, was it really worth it?<<
     
     Goes back to earlier threads on this topic.  Miss Manners says: "Be 
     gracious and supportive of your beginners, if you want them to stay 
     long enough to become experienced!!"  (really more like enlightened 
     self-interest, when you think about it.)  
     
     I think I may have mentioned this before, so apologies in advance for 
     redundancy, but contra dancers have a similar problem:  What new 
     dancers SEE are all the flourishes and extra twiddles that the 
     experienced folks throw in.  What they really CAN'T see are body 
     weight changes, balance, posture, giving weight with arms (partly 
     because these things are really hard to see if you aren't a dancer, 
     and partly because all the twiddles are distracting), etc.  So they 
     end up thinking (incorrectly) that the twiddles ARE the dancing.  
     There aren't classes for contra dancers, so there's nothing to 
     counteract the misconceptions.  End result - folks who are flinging 
     their partners and themselves (dangerously) around the floor with 
     little control.  No wonder many folks (Peter Price - you listening?) 
     have given up contras as too risky!  Hate to see that happen to SCD!
     
     Jenn ("let's remember, be careful out there") Sawin