[Callers] Having settled the geography debate, lets move on to entomology

[Neal Schlein via Callers]

Funnily enough, I wrote a dance years ago called Crickets Contra.  It uses the same progression method (ladies turn, pick up the men, men hook and go 3/4 before whirling)---but its in reverse hands from yours.

Taking your joke seriously, I'm not certain about women/men on reversed sides, but there was a differentiation in some communities between ladies wheeling forward and backward for a standard couple.  Learned that from Larry Edelman, although I don't recall the other term. 
Neal

Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

<div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: Luke Donforth via Callers <callers at lists.sharedweight.net> </div><div>Date:06/20/2015  9:42 AM  (GMT-06:00) </div><div>To: Caller's discussion list <callers at sharedweight.net> </div><div>Cc:  </div><div>Subject: [Callers] Having settled the geography debate,	lets move on to entomology </div><div>
</div>The recent discussion about California versus Nevada twirls and all the related variants suddenly flashed through my mind when I was writing this dance:

Whipped Butter
by Luke Donforth
Contra/Becket-CW

A1 -----------
(8) Men allemande Left 1-1/2
(8) Neighbor allemande Right 1-1/2
A2 -----------
(8) Women allemande Left 1-1/2
(2) Women scoop partner for short star promenade
(6) Gents immediately hook right elbow with new gent (ladies let go), promenade 1/4 and butterfly whirl with partner (on home side, progressed)
B1 -----------
(16) Hey, women passing left shoulders
B2 -----------
(16) Partner gypsy and swing

The odd thing that's (to me) evocative of the previous name debate is the butterfly whirl. If the woman is on the left of her partner, but still moving forward, is it a butterfly whirl? Or some other species of lepidoptera? 

I'll admit, I tend to use butterfly whirl for any instance of side-by-side, facing same direction, both folks' close arm around around other's back, one person moving forward one person backing up couples turn in place but change facing. But possibly I'm short-changing the extensive taxonomy of Insecta. Think of all the variants we could come up with if we branched into beetles!

Joking aside, I hope folks find the dance programatically useful and enjoyable. I think contra dancing and calling is an organic process, and some variation in naming, calling, and styles is healthy and fun. I don't have different names for heys depending on larks or ravens start, or by which shoulder they start, but do use swat the flea to differentiate from box the gnat. But in either case I teach what I want to happen in the move. 

Take care,

-- 
Luke Donforth
Luke.Donforth at gmail.com
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