[Callers] Role term survey responses

[David A Kaynor via Callers]

I’ve yet to personally encounter a request for terminology usage with which I can’t comfortably work.  If an organizer(s) wants me to use “jets” and “rubies”, I’ll do it.  

Absent such a request, I usually state that my own use of the terms “gent” and “lady” has to do with choreography, not biology, and anyone can dance either role.  I often say, “In your partnership, whoever wants to dance the lady’s (gent’s) role stand on the right (left)”, and, in walk-throughs, “whoever’s being the lady (gent) ______ (chain; allemande left; pass right shoulders; dos-a-dos; etc., etc.)”.

Experienced dancers often contradict this advisory when they insist that a couple who haven’t crossed while waiting out at the end do so.  In most instances, I believe the intent to be helpful, rather than homophobic.  

At family dances, when setting up a basic longways dance, I’ve long referred to one line as the “wolves” and the other as the "bears”.  The animated howling and growling which usually ensue feel compatible with a light-hearted party atmosphere free of restrictive expectations and prejudices.  I often wind up using the terms throughout the event. 
  
I like “global terminology” a lot and use it whenever practicable during a “regular” contra dance evening.  However, I do find locally accepted and familiar role identifiers to be greatly helpful to the teaching/learning process in some circumstances.  

I think a lot about the belief that replacing the “gent” and “lady” everywhere would result in more people contra dancing.  I suppose we’ll never know unless we try.  I’m not sure why I’m not yet sure I want to.

David Kaynor


 
> On Feb 13, 2017, at 10:30 AM, Aahz via Callers <callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> 
> On Mon, Feb 13, 2017, Read Weaver via Callers wrote:
>> 
>> As far as I know, all of the ongoing gender-free English country
>> dances use a different system, "global terminology." It's based on
>> current position rather than role, and so doesn't have to use a
>> substitute for gents/ladies. There are a small number of dances for
>> which it's awkward, though I've had callers present me with something
>> they couldn't figure out the global terminology for and I've usually
>> been able to, usually resulting in easier teaching and calling than
>> the gendered version. There was one ongoing contra dance decades ago
>> that used a similar system.
> 
> You have any examples?  Both the original and the converted version?
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