[Callers] Genderless calling

[Cara Sawyer via Callers]

This is THE BEST email strain ever.

On Mon, Jul 31, 2017 at 6:25 PM, Donald Perley via Callers <
callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> I think the tags were key.  My worst experiences were when gender is
> not mentioned, and people have
> no reminder of which role they are dancing.
>
> On Mon, Jul 31, 2017 at 12:59 PM, Amy Wimmer via Callers
> <callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >
> > I recently had the opportunity to call a contra to a group of rank
> beginners
> > in a difficult situation: outdoors, on sloping concrete, without
> > amplification for either myself or the band, to people not expecting a
> > dance, with a band mostly unfamiliar with either contra or fiddle tunes,
> who
> > had no opportunity to practice or choose tunes. It was a staff party
> with a
> > barnyard theme. Granted, this particular good of people is accustomed to
> > being spontaneous and silly at times, most are in their 20's, and it's a
> > liberal, accepting group.
> >
> > The organizers wanted to use the terms "cows" and "chickens" instead of
> any
> > other usual terms for dancers. When they arrived at the party each person
> > chose a name tag with either a cow or a chicken on it. They didn't know
> it,
> > but this determined which role they'd play in the dance. I arbitrarily
> chose
> > to "put the chicken on the right, because the chicken is always right."
> (I
> > keep chickens, and they ARE always right)
> >
> > There was not time for much of a lesson, either. It'd have been much
> easier
> > if everyone had joined the dance at the beginning. All said, just about
> > everyone had a really great time, myself included. The band was hyped up
> to
> > try another dance evening later in the week, though that never
> materialized.
> >
> > I never mentioned gender in any way. That part just seemed to not matter.
> > They were dancing with their friends. It didn't matter that they weren't
> > experts or even very good.
> >
> > I was heartened and encouraged to try something like this again, perhaps
> > with more widely used dancer terms.
> >
> > -Amy
> >
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> >
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-- 
Cara V. Sawyer
M.M. French Horn
~~
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