Since, during the average contra evening, you will spend approximately 30 minutes swinging, surely it would be better to teach the dancers how to swing properly.

Apart from the slight variation in the position of one of your arms the swing should be symmetrical.  And nobody should be giving any of their weight to the other person. (I hate the term “give weight” – it is grossly misunderstood.)

I am quite happy to provide a gentle counterbalance to your mass, but please look after your own weight!

When teaching the buzz-step I always get the dancers to do it individually so that they learn to keep their own balance.  Too many dancers thinking that throwing their weight in some random direction will make the swing go faster – it won’t – only your feet can make the swing go faster.

Lots more at http://contrafusion.co.uk/SwingWorkshop.html

:-)

            Happy dancing,                         

                   John                                  

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

http://contrafusion.co.uk/KentCeilidhs.html for Live Music Ceilidhs                       

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

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

From: Angela DeCarlis via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: 21 November 2022 21:02
To: Alexandra Deis-Lauby <adeislauby@gmail.com>
Cc: Shared Weight Callers' Listserv <callers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] Re: How to have the beginners choose roles

I appreciate the care that goes into option #3, and also really like Becky's comment about some of the asymmetries that occur on the dancefloor as a result of the culture (i.e., that robins may encounter more twirling than larks). Another piece of cultural asymmetry I've encountered is that, in some communities, dancers are used to the dancer in the left-hand position carrying more of the weight in the swing — as a small person with bad joints, I find it more difficult to dance the left-hand role where this is a factor. Depending on how much time you have, reflecting on these differences in the roles' physicality seems like a kind and useful addition.