[Callers] Politically Correct?

[Rich Sbardella]

Folks,

I began this discussion as a simple question with no intention of creating
a debate on gender terms.  I simply wanted to know if the lyrics ,in the
context of a traditional song, were going to cause offense to any contra
dancers.  I think I had my answer early on.

If we choose to continue this conversation let's do it with respect for
each other, but I believe conversations like this are best held in face to
face round tables.  Emails make it hard to feel the emotion of the writer,
and to see that writer as a person, who too, deserves much respect.

Without pontificating, I do want to say, in my few short years in the
contra community, ALL the callers I have met have treated the dancers, and
each other, with great respect.  We have a lot more in common than we have
as differences.  We must remember traditions within dance communities
vary.  Our way is just one way.

Now, as a caller who often calls singing squares, I find that changing the
words of a popular song, changes the way dancers respond to that square
 They expect certain words and changing them leaves many feeling cheated or
disappointed.  Try changing the song Marianne to say "All day, all night,
my Caroline" and you will know what I mean.  IMHO, it is better not to use
a song than to change the tag line significantly.  (In MWSD the tag line is
the lyric that is sung during the 16 step promenades, and it is most often
the most common, or repeated lyric in the song.)

Thanks for all your thoughtful responses.

Rich
Stafford, CT





On Wed, Mar 28, 2018 at 1:12 PM, Dorcas Hand via Callers <
callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> Louise has hit the nail on the head: "I’d love everyone to dance for the
> pure joy of it, but the idea that we can get “back” to that place, rather
> than move forward to it, is a myth." Me too (yup), and there is no easy
> path to get there. We must keep talking - just like in the broader world of
> politics. Talking does/can get frustrating and circular, but it also opens
> minds and keeps people thinking about how to be together better.
>
> Meanwhile, together let's forge a path - maybe of many sortof parallel
> lanes - to move forward to dancing in joy.
> Dorcas Hand
> Houston
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Callers <callers-bounces at lists.sharedweight.net> On Behalf Of
> Louise Siddons via Callers
> Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2018 10:49 AM
> To: callers at sharedweight.net
> Subject: Re: [Callers] Politically Correct?
>
> I have a friend who danced for the pure joy of it until he got sick of
> being asked why a black man wanted to contra dance. I dance with more,
> purer joy now that fewer men “offer” to split me up from my girlfriend when
> we join a line together.
>
> I’d love everyone to dance for the pure joy of it, but the idea that we
> can get “back” to that place, rather than move forward to it, is a myth.
>
> Louise.
> www.scissortail.org
>
> > On Mar 28, 2018, at 4:43 PM, Jeffrey Spero via Callers <
> callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> >
> > Can we just get back to dancing for the pure joy of it?
> >
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