<p dir="ltr">A lot of people, including newer dancers or dancers who are just plain shy, have difficulty with eye contact. I have stopped teaching the Gypsy as locking eyes with a person, and instead stress looking at the person. In this way the people who want to look at their eyes will naturally think to do so, and the people who don't are not being forced to do so.</p>
<p dir="ltr">That's including the word eyes in the move itself is a problem. It is the same problem of telling people that they have to smile. There are a million reasons why a person may be enjoying themselves and not smile, perhaps if they're just focusing. Or, god forbid, a person might not have to enjoy themselves in your presence, and we should never expect somebody and tell them to smile.</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Oct 25, 2015 12:56 PM, "Joy Greenwolfe via Callers" <<a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div style="word-wrap:break-word">I once had someone explain the gypsy as not trusting someone enough to take their eyes off of them (!), so I agree that the underlying meaning can be problematic, to say the least. Other moves have historical meanings too, but Gypsy as a term is more pejorative than, say, Allemande, which references traditional German folk dance hand holds. <div><br></div><div>I like Michael's suggestion for <b>"eyes." </b>When teaching, it could be described as "walk around holding eyes," which is similar to how I already describe it (holding eyes instead of hands). Then during the dance, the call could be shortened to "eyes" or "hold eyes." Something like "Ladies hold eyes" seems to roll off the tongue with a good rhythm. Or maybe "Ladies by the eyes?" <div><br></div><div>Melting could still be melting. Not sure how I'd fix my gypsy chase move, though. </div><div><br></div><div>There is also the issue of avoiding similar directions that would confuse the dancers, such as in a Mad Robin where you are encouraged to hold eyes with the person across from you, but not actually rotate around them. Maybe we need an alternate descriptive/evocative term, like the way a Mad Robin is sometimes called Sliding Doors. </div><div><br></div><div>A single orbit? Eyes single? Star single? Hands off? </div><div><br></div><div>I'm also curious about thoughts about to what degree we might explain the change to dancers. From most of the dancers' perspective, it may be "if it ain't broke, don't change it." We might get push-back from dancers exasperated with what seems to them like an arbitrary term change. Maybe if the term is more descriptive, they won't notice as much. "Holding Eyes" works for me. </div><div><br></div><div><div>Just some thoughts. </div><div><br></div><div>Joy Greenwolfe</div><div>Durham, NC<br><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On Oct 24, 2015, at 7:45 PM, Michael Barraclough via Callers wrote:</div><br><blockquote type="cite">
<div>
Flirting - I try not to suggest that<br>
Name - not worried what we call it<br>
Suggestion - I sometimes call it 'eyeballs'. It works well.<br>
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td>
-- <br>
Michael Barraclough<br>
<a href="mailto:michael@michaelbarraclough.com" target="_blank">michael@michaelbarraclough.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.michaelbarraclough.com/" target="_blank">www.michaelbarraclough.com</a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
-----Original Message-----<br>
<b>From</b>: Martha Wild via Callers <<a href="mailto:Martha%20Wild%20via%20Callers%20%3ccallers@lists.sharedweight.net%3e" target="_blank">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>><br>
Reply-to: Martha Wild <<a href="mailto:mawild@sbcglobal.net" target="_blank">mawild@sbcglobal.net</a>><br>
<b>To</b>: Caller's discussion list <<a href="mailto:Caller's%20discussion%20list%20%3ccallers@sharedweight.net%3e" target="_blank">callers@sharedweight.net</a>><br>
<b>Subject</b>: Re: [Callers] Advice about "gypsy"<br>
<b>Date</b>: Sat, 24 Oct 2015 15:36:40 -0700<br>
<br>
I can see from this discussion that there is definitely merit in giving this move a different name, though I had never thought of it as a derogatory term before. I rather like the idea suggested in a previous post of "eddy" because it is short and to the point and sounds different from other calls. "Walk all around your neighbor/partner" is fine for a walkthrough and as a description, but not very good for a quick reminder when you'd rather be calling a lot less.
<br>
<br>
Another move that one would have to rename is the "gypsy star". I have personally always called the move "gypsy star" as "star wrong" - mostly because if I say "gypsy star" there is always at least one couple in the crowd that starts to gypsy and swing (eddy and swing?) instead of doing the star. "Star wrong" is also short and to the point and emphasizes the oddity of the star - two people backing up and two going forward. It seems to get the job done.
<br>
<br>
Martha
<br>
<br>
<br>
On Oct 24, 2015, at 1:42 PM, Rich Sbardella via Callers wrote:
<br>
<blockquote type="CITE">
In square dance, the call "walk all around your left hand lady" is very close to a right shoulder gypsy, and "See Saw is a left shoulder walk around. A left shoulder Dosido is no longer called a See Saw, but a Left Dosido.
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="CITE">
Walk all around your nieghbor or partner, and see saw your neighbor or partner, may be able to replace the gypsy without generating any new terms.
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="CITE">
Rich
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="CITE">
Stafford, CT
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="CITE">
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="CITE">
<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="CITE">
On Sat, Oct 24, 2015 at 2:52 PM, Richard Hart via Callers <<a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net" target="_blank">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>> wrote:<br>
<blockquote>
I always describe a gypsy as being just like a dos à dos, but face to<br>
face, instead of back to back.<br>
<br>
As that is the case, why not use French again. As "dos à dos" means<br>
back to back, why not use "face à face" which means face to face?<br>
Pronunciation would probably be difficult for those who don't speak<br>
French, so it would probably become "facey-face" for many.<br>
<br>
On Sat, Oct 24, 2015 at 10:08 AM, Don Veino via Callers<br>
<<a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net" target="_blank">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>> wrote:<br>
> Before I respond directly, I ask that all of us posting what I expect to be<br>
> many replies to trim post quotes to just the pertinent bits (particularly<br>
> those reading the "digest" version).<br>
><br>
....<br>
> Curiously enough, I'd raised this naming issue with a group of callers (and<br>
> dancers glommed on) at a house party recently. An area caller had tried<br>
> rebranding the Gypsy as an Orbit, which this group rejected due to the<br>
> existing usage & meaning for that term. One participant was of Romani<br>
> heritage and expressed pride at the existing term and satisfaction at it<br>
> being used for such a nice dance move and would feel loss were it to be<br>
> renamed. I don't mention this to make excuses for anything that might offend<br>
> but rather to show that there are many possible perspectives. I'd since<br>
> thought of other possible names and came up with these:<br>
><br>
> Swirl - gentlest, unfortunately similar to "twirl" in sound<br>
> Cyclone - too "violent", encouraging abandon?<br>
> Vortex - distinct in sound, 2 syllables and short when spelled out.<br>
><br>
> Sorry you find yourself in this situation. We know your actual intent was to<br>
> bring happiness, not offend.<br>
><br>
> -Don<br>
><br>
_______________________________________________<br>
Callers mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net" target="_blank">Callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net" target="_blank">http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net</a>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="CITE">
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="CITE">
_______________________________________________<br>
Callers mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net" target="_blank">Callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net" target="_blank">http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net</a>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
<pre>_______________________________________________
Callers mailing list
<a href="mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net" target="_blank">Callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>
<a href="http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net" target="_blank">http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net</a>
</pre>
</div>
_______________________________________________<br>Callers mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net" target="_blank">Callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a><br><a href="http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net" target="_blank">http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net</a><br></blockquote></div><br></div></div></div></div></div><br>_______________________________________________<br>
Callers mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Callers@lists.sharedweight.net">Callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net</a><br>
<br></blockquote></div>