11 Apr
2013
11 Apr
'13
1:40 p.m.
I was just at a calling practice last night and someone called a dance with
a gents swing. There was a pretty good consensus that it was awkward and a
bit stressful (sound familiar?). Those who were for it used terms like "we
can watch them squirm" which I disagree with.
Half the couples had guys in the ladies role, and there was no problem with
that, so take homophobia out of your quiver of arrows.
AFAIK it's a non-traditional element being added to a traditional folk
dance form. It's not well defined, so awkward. A caller could say that
#2's take the ladies position in the swing, but a caller at the next dance
could say the reverse... so still not well defined.
As a caller, the job is to facilitate an enjoyable dance, not make a point
of deliberately poking people's stress buttons.
As a traditional folk dance form, contra dancing is not static, but
evolution should come from the "folk," not self appointed social attitude
police.
On Thu, Apr 11, 2013 at 8:31 AM, Andrea Nettleton <twirly-girl(a)bellsouth.net
wrote:
For those who complain that in a same sex swing they
are unsure who will
play the (lord I hate these terms for contra) lead and who the follow, it
is dead easy for the caller to control that. Just designate say the number
one same gender role person as the "lead" and the two as follow. You can
still offer a symmetrical swing, but there can no longer be the excuse of
confusion.
Andrea