[Callers] Boys and Girls

[Rich Sbardella via Callers]

Jeremy,

Perhaps this is a partially generational concern.

In the MWSD community today, there is much role swapping among dancers.
Most often ladies are dancing the gents' role.  The terms boys and girls,
are roles much like ladies and gents in the contra scene.  Although I call
fewer MWSD events these days, in 25 years have never encountered
opposition, or even concern about these terms at a MWSD event.  Many out
dated gender specific terms are used in the activity as well, for example,
lads and lassies, and ruffles and beaus.  All these terms are part of their
dance "tradition".

The MWSD community is generally much older, and does not have problems with
these traditional dance terms.  As noted the terms are often selected to
fit within the rhythm and rhyme of patter.  As a caller who calls to both
MWSD and contra communities, I am trying very hard to eliminate boys and
girls, and it is very hard.  It is like speaking a new language language,
and having no time to think about what comes next.  It all happens so fast.

As most of the MWSD community ages out, perhaps gender terms will become a
concern, but I do not see that happening any time soon.

Rich Sbardella
Stafford, CT




On Mon, Sep 26, 2016 at 7:26 PM, Angela DeCarlis via Callers <
callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> I imagine that the conversation must be much more complex in MWSD given
> the tradition of patter.  As I understand it, oftentimes the decision of
> which term to label each role is determined by what might best rhyme with
> the following call, or by how many syllables you have time to say.
>
> While it's probably a much more ambitious endeavor -- and one which I'm
> sure as a contra dance caller I have very little grasp of -- I would say
> that many MWSD communities are ready to handle a role-term change, but that
> it would take exceedingly creative and experienced callers within that
> tradition to help determine what those might look like.
>
> Good luck!
> Angela
>
> On Mon, Sep 26, 2016 at 7:19 PM, Jeremy Child via Callers <
> callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>> Hi
>>
>> This is for the MWSD callers amongst you.
>>
>> There has been much discussion on this group about the terms used for the
>> two roles in contra dance.  I do not propose to resurrect that here, I
>> mention it to emphasise that many feel the terms used to be important, and
>> that we should be moving away from any gender connotation in them.
>>
>> MWSD uses Ladies, Gents, Men, Women, Girls, Boys - all highly gendered.
>> Is it time we changed these?  If so, how?  In theory with Callerlab it will
>> be easier, but I suspect they would strongly resist such a change, since
>> the "maleness" and "femaleness" of the roles (e.g. skirt work) is such a
>> fundamental part of what MWSD is.
>>
>> Thoughts?
>>
>> (Apologies to those to whom this is all gibberish)
>>
>> Jeremy Child
>> www.barndancecaller.net
>> www.genderfreedance.net
>>
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>>
>
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