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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-GB link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'>Hi Read,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'> Sorry, I’m not convinced by the idea of galloping, especially as in the video you cite, where the feet are too far apart, the trailing foot isn’t tucked in and the demonstrator is bouncing up and down. I have seen people who learnt that way develop bad habits in their swing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'> I much prefer to get them to turn individually on the spot with the left leg tucked in behind and close, and with relaxed knees. I want them to learn what it really feels like and to develop their own sense of balance. This seems to develop a much smoother swing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'> Lots more details about how I teach a swing at <a href="http://contrafusion.co.uk/Contra.html#swinging">http://contrafusion.co.uk/Contra.html#swinging</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'> Of course if it is a one night stand and I am doing dances where the dancers spring apart at the end into their own line, then I don’t teach a buzz-step at all. I teach: join right forearms, gently hook you left hand just above your partner’s elbow, join left hands (again, a nice hook) underneath, then skip, walk, buzz or anything you like.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> Happy dancing, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> John <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>John Sweeney, Dancer, England john@modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent</span> <o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US> Callers <callers-bounces@lists.sharedweight.net> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Read Weaver via Callers<br><b>Sent:</b> 25 July 2018 23:47<br><b>To:</b> Caller's discussion list <callers@sharedweight.net><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Callers] Folk Festival - Easy Contra dances to teach Beginners<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Or don’t have them do a buzzstep—swings work just fine with a walking step. (If you’ve got moderately experienced folks mixed in, though, you may need to teach the buzzstep, since few moderately experienced dancers will do a walking swing even if asked to.)<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>If you do teach buzzstep, I’ve had the most success teaching it as a gallop <a href="https://youtu.be/5GmQ868ArAw?t=12">https://youtu.be/5GmQ868ArAw?t=12</a> ; I’ll take a group of 8 or so, holding hands, and have everyone gallop (clockwise, right/inner foot in front), then break it into two circles without stopping, then into pairs; then stop and show ballroom position.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Getting them into ballroom position for the swing and then teaching them to let go of the pointy hands works much better than “gents on the left, ladies on the right” for ending correctly.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Read Weaver<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Jamaica Plain, MA<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://lcfd.org">http://lcfd.org</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><br><br><o:p></o:p></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Jul 24, 2018, at 12:00 PM, John Sweeney via Callers <<a href="mailto:callers@lists.sharedweight.net">callers@lists.sharedweight.net</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Your next big problem is getting them to do a good buzz-step swing and finish with the man on the left, lady on the right. With large numbers of beginners there will some who get in wrong every time and break down the dance. I would practice that in a circle mixer like:<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/TheExchangeSwing.html"><span style='color:purple'>http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/TheExchangeSwing.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>or<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/VirginiaReelCircleMixer24.html"><span style='color:purple'>http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/VirginiaReelCircleMixer24.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div></blockquote></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>