[Callers] Wrist-Lock Stars

[Jerome Grisanti via Callers]

I agree with Chet that Louisville's default star is hands-across, although
weekend festivals in nearby cities tend toward the millstone star. I avoid
the terms wrist-lock or even wrist-grip star, as I prefer the fingers to
lay atop the adjoining wrist without using the thumb to "grip" in any way.

The Midwest where I dance/call now is pretty solidly wrist-star territory
(St. Louis, Columbia MO, Kansas City, Lawrence). When I call one-night
events (parties, weddings), I dictate hands-across stars, but when calling
for an established contra community I ask for the default.

--Jerome


Jerome Grisanti
660-528-0858
http://www.jeromegrisanti.com

"Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power
and magic in it." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

On Mon, Oct 10, 2016 at 3:31 AM, John Sweeney via Callers <
callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> Hi all,
>         I have been to contra dances and festivals all over America and
> everywhere I have danced everyone automatically uses a wrist-lock star
> (unless the caller has specified hands-across because of the subsequent
> choreography).
>
>         But I am constantly challenged in England by people claiming that
> wrist-lock stars are not the standard in America.
>
>         When I go to somewhere like The Flurry and see 600 people from all
> over the country all doing wrist-locks it seems to me that it must be the
> standard way of doing things.
>
>         And obviously it has been common in America for a long time; this
> video is from 1964 in Northern Vermont and shows wrist-lock stars:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZubTju7g_s
>
>         So, are there still significant communities that don't use
> wrist-locks?
>
>         Is the wrist-lock the de facto standard?
>
>         Thanks.
>
>             Happy dancing,
>                    John
>
> John Sweeney, Dancer, England   john at modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802
> 940 574
> http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs
> http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
>
>
>
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