<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>I kinda like suns and moons better than lots of the other alternatives, for the same reasons Susan lists. Also, there's Sun Dance and Moon Dance, by Robert Cromartie: gents swing in Sun Dance and ladies swing in Moon Dance. A precedence, perhaps?</div><div><br></div><div>-Amy<br><br><br></div><div><br>On May 29, 2015, at 8:00 AM, susanelberger via Callers <<a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><div style="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6171" dir="ltr"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6177">I have used suns and moons for years, and prefer them because they have one syllable each, sound completely different from each other, and are easy for the dancers to remember. I have never had any issue arise about gender bias from them. The conversation about which gems to use does seem a bit too overthought to me.</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6171" dir="ltr"><span><br></span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6171" dir="ltr"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6316">Susan Elberger</span></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6171" dir="ltr"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6315">Lowell, Massachusetts</span></div><br> <div style="font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font-size:16px" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6167"> <div style="font-family:HelveticaNeue,Helvetica Neue,Helvetica,Arial,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font-size:16px" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6166"> <div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6165"> <hr size="1" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6182"> <font size="2" face="Arial" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6170"> <b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6169"><span style="font-weight:bold" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6168">From:</span></b> Delia Clark via Callers <<a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>><br> <b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6322"><span style="font-weight:bold" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6321">To:</span></b> "<<a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>>" <<a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>> <br> <b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6324"><span style="font-weight:bold" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6323">Sent:</span></b> Friday, May 29, 2015 6:52 AM<br> <b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6308"><span style="font-weight:bold" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6307">Subject:</span></b> Re: [Callers] Jets / rubies genderfree terms redux: gems?<br> </font> </div> <div class="y_msg_container" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6309"><br><div id="yiv3362301470"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6310">Okay, this conversation, plus the lunch table at the Puttin’ On the Dance Conference in Ottawa are FINALLY getting me to give up clinging to moons and stars (the only non-gender term I’ve ever used, which I have liked with families and have found works well, but which I understand is too gender-y to be acceptable as the solution we’re looking for - dang!). I am herewith committing to trying out Jets and Rubies next weekend at a dance I’m calling for a wedding of two women. Will report back.<div class="yiv3362301470" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1432911097389_6311"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"><div><blockquote class="yiv3362301470" type="cite"><div class="qtdSeparateBR"><br><br></div><div class="yiv3362301470yqt9424849495" id="yiv3362301470yqtfd41407"><div class="yiv3362301470">On May 29, 2015, at 1:56 AM, P. Campbell via Callers <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" class="yiv3362301470" target="_blank" href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>> wrote:</div><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470Apple-interchange-newline"><div class="yiv3362301470"></div></div></blockquote></div></div></div></div><div class="yiv3362301470yqt9424849495" id="yiv3362301470yqtfd74290"><div><div class="yiv3362301470"><div class="yiv3362301470"><span class="yiv3362301470"></span></div><div class="yiv3362301470"></div></div></div><div><div class="yiv3362301470">I like jets & rubies (and have used the terms) for a number of reasons. (Don't like gems for same reason about confusion).</div><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"></div><div class="yiv3362301470">In a weird way, it's close enough to "lefts & rights" for me to have no trouble remembering who's who (with rubies starting with "r"), and, (apologies to those who might be offended), because it fits the same syllables for me as "gents & ladies" (which I use for historical dance) or "men & women".</div><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"></div><div class="yiv3362301470">For some reason I just can't get a feel for larks & ravens (I have an idea of why but not worth sharing), and I'm not at all comfortable using bands & bares.</div><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"></div><div class="yiv3362301470">For me, it's whatever will be the easiest for me to remember which side is which, and if my brain is wired to think of "jets" (black color) as more masculine and "rubies" (red color) as more feminine (so easier for me to link them to left & right), that's my mental visual process. (I tried apples & oranges once with a group of kids - it was terrible because I couldn't remember which was which side - I have to have some frame of reference).</div><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"></div><div class="yiv3362301470">I think one of the reasons I have trouble with larks & ravens is because of having learned a foreign language that has a gender for nouns, and I want to make larks the right side and ravens the left, but then the syllable structure doesn't work for me. </div><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"></div><div class="yiv3362301470">My 2 cents.</div><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"></div><div class="yiv3362301470">Patricia</div><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"></div><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"></div><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470">Sent from my iPhone<div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470">On May 28, 2015, at 3:51 PM, Alan Winston via Callers <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" class="yiv3362301470" target="_blank" href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>> wrote:<br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"></div><blockquote class="yiv3362301470" type="cite"><div class="yiv3362301470">
</div></blockquote></div></div><div><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470">
<br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470">
<div class="yiv3362301470moz-cite-prefix">On 5/28/15 12:30 PM, Ron Blechner via
Callers wrote:<br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470">
</div>
<blockquote class="yiv3362301470" type="cite">
</blockquote></div></div><div><div class="yiv3362301470yqt9424849495" id="yiv3362301470yqtfd56466"><div class="yiv3362301470" dir="ltr">For those interested in gender free contra dance
terms:</div><div class="yiv3362301470" dir="ltr">1. Do you like or dislike jets / rubies ?</div><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
Like. (I'm responding on personal preference alone; I'm aware of
some objections to this, which I don't personally share.)<br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470">
<br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470">
<blockquote class="yiv3362301470" type="cite"><div class="yiv3362301470" dir="ltr">
2. How would gems / rubies compare?</div>
</blockquote>
<br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470">
Less good, because the soft "ms" would make the call less clear.
Also, rubies _are_ gems, so this is confusing.<br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470">
<br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470">
-- Alan<br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470">
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<span class="yiv3362301470Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse:separate;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:auto;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px"></span><div class="yiv3362301470"><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470Apple-interchange-newline"><>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<>:<></div><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"></div><div class="yiv3362301470">Delia Clark</div><div class="yiv3362301470">PO Box 45</div><div class="yiv3362301470">Taftsville, VT 05073</div><div class="yiv3362301470">802-457-2075</div><div class="yiv3362301470"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" class="yiv3362301470" target="_blank" href="mailto:deliaclark8@gmail.com">deliaclark8@gmail.com</a></div><div class="yiv3362301470yqt9424849495" id="yiv3362301470yqtfd36550"><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"></div></div></div><div class="yiv3362301470yqt9424849495" id="yiv3362301470yqtfd25359"><div class="yiv3362301470"><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470"></div><br clear="none" class="yiv3362301470Apple-interchange-newline">
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