[Callers] Gate vs Hand Cast

[John Sweeney]

Hi Don,

              I think that the default definition now is that the pivot point is at the joined hands, but diverse choreography means that it can be anywhere in order to achieve the desired effect.

 

              For example in Bob Isaacs’ March of the Triplets, the second pair of Gates have to move sideways while rotating, to make room for another couple to fit in line between the two Gates.

 

              It is often worth clarifying who is doing the Gating and what the destination is.

 

              I agree that choreography interpretation can be a challenge.  I have never understood dances like Devil’s Dream and Beaux/Boys of Oakhill where the dance finishes with a Right & Left Through, so that the couples are in line, but starts with a completely different configuration.  All the dancers have to move from lines into a new position in zero time.

 

              I strongly suspect that dances like this were originally Two Changes of Rights & Lefts; the dancers could use the final Pull By Left to get to their new position.  The addition of the Courtesy Turn really messes the choreography up.  Or maybe it was just lousy choreography :-)

 

            Happy dancing,                          

                   John                                   

                                    

John Sweeney, Dancer, England   john at modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574                          

http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs                                

http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent                                          

 

From: Callers <callers-bounces at lists.sharedweight.net> On Behalf Of Don Veino via Callers
Sent: 13 October 2018 22:53
To: Caller's discussion list <callers at sharedweight.net>
Subject: Re: [Callers] Gate vs Hand Cast

 

Thanks for all the replies and details! I only have one of Larry's books, mine (G&T if I recall correctly) has just a supplemental glossary.

 

I was stuck on the idea of a gate having a person serving as a post, now I understand the definition has gone to a shared/equal move. Gate it is.

 

I don't have any examples at hand, but such a change in meaning/practice (around a person - > around a pair's center) could impact the feeling of prior choreography. I think I read something recently where an argument was being made that modern folks approaching traditional material with current move interpretation may be causing them to not flow as well as they did with contemporary interpretation, negatively coloring dancer reception of the material.

 

-Don

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