24 Aug
2016
24 Aug
'16
8:03 a.m.
On 8/23/16 8:10 PM, Don Veino via Callers wrote:
Following this logic, where an on-time arrival is
essential out of a
star it would be best to make it hands-across (H-A). In a H-A star,
folks can use a similar arm angle adjustment to vary the star
circumference (and resulting speed). Due to the configuration, there's
less opportunity to gently* influence star speed with the pack
saddle/hand-on-wrist form.
BTW, in dances featuring a star where a pair drop out I mention
there's no need to shove your opposite away at disengagement -
centrifugal force will gently take care of it once you let go of them.
This is a curious bit which only seems to happen in this case - I've
never received a parting shove when an "everybody" H-A star breaks up,
but there's always someone in the line doing it in the drop out variant.
*
I find that a lot - maybe most - gents in the SF Bay Area will do a push
off on dropping out of a hands-across star, and since I'm expecting it I
kind of like it and offer a rigid-enough arm to be pushed off from.
On the other hand, it's a very small minority of gents who'll push off
from a star promenade, and I wish it were more. (There's a lot of 'em
who'll just drop the allemande hand once they've picked up the lady
they're promenading with, and then the figure is really, really
unsatisfying.)
-- Alan