[Callers] More substitute terms for the g-word

[Delia Clark]

I just wanted to report in that I used “look-see” today with a group of K-8 elementary students and I thought it worked fabulously! They really understood the point of the move much better than the random g-word, and it was so cute to watch them intently and playfully gazing at each other as they went around. One of the band members particularly called out that she noticed my new language and thought it was brilliant and a big improvement. 

Obviously this is a group with little to no prior associations or names for the move, so no baggage. It was just a great name that worked, at least with that younger crowd and their parents/teachers.

I mentioned the problem to the band that someone on this list raised about not offending blind dancers with words referring to eyes and seeing, but they pointed out that we say “right hand turn” which would be equally unfair to a dancer missing an arm, and they felt that wasn’t a reason not to use it, as there are many ways of “seeing”.



> On Mar 16, 2018, at 1:00 PM, Ron Blechner via Callers <callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> 
> I also use "face-to-face", which I learned from Eric. I've heard Steve Z-A and Lisa G switch to these terms, at least where I've heard them call.
> 
> I also use "right shoulder round" when it's a multi-caller event and that's what people like. We agreed to this for Flurry Festival last month, and it worked well all weekend with thousands of dancers.
> 
> I want to also echo that anything that sounds too much like g*psy is going to rub at least some people the wrong way. I also thought jets/rubies was a winner, and I've acknowledged that too many people think jet is a problem.
> 
> In dance,
> Ron Blechner
> 
> On Thu, Mar 15, 2018, 12:00 AM Eric Black via Callers <callers at lists.sharedweight.net <mailto:callers at lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:
> I’m still bemused and befuddled that not so many years ago, this dance move was decried because of perceived forced invasion of personal space. People did not want to be told that they had to make eye contact when they were not comfortable with it, that they did not like being told to flirt with people they did not choose. Some of us callers told dancers that the eye contact was optional, that the essential part of the move was that it was a face-to-face do-si-do, no spins or twirls, just moving around each other.
> 
> Now the argument against the name of the move has completely lost all ground on that front.
> 
> For some years I’ve used “face-to-face”, teaching it with the memorable description “imagine a short gold chain joining the rings in your noses”.  Eye contact is optional, and not directed; dancers will or will not make eye contact as they choose.  In private communication with a young caller who is very vocal in various discussion fora I said there was no need to attribute the term to me. Maybe I should have insisted.
> 
> I’ve tried “right [left] shoulder round” with favorable reception. 
> 
> ANYway, if we’ve been making progress in removing real or perceived invasions of personal space, and gender issues, why regress in order to change the name of a dance move to make progress in removing real or perceived ethnic slurs?
> 
> And no, “spiral” is out of the question. It’s a different move that includes changing the distance between the dancers, whereas the move under discussion does not.  English dancers know the difference.
> 
> Eric Black
> eric at eric-black.com <mailto:eric at eric-black.com>
> 
> 
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Delia Clark
PO Box 45
Taftsville, VT 05073
Office/mobile: +1-802-457-2075
deliaclark8 at gmail.com
www.deliaclarkconfluence.com



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