Hi David,

              Re arm around waist: I was just suggesting that, in the same way that people can Swing in multiple ways, people can help someone around the corner in different ways. I guess what I meant was not that the arm around the waist would be called a hand cast, but that it has the same effect, and will be suitable in some situations.

              “#1s Cast Down & Lead Back to Place” is not a progression.  There are countless things that can happen after a Cast, so I don’t believe it implies progression.

              Where the pivot point is depends on the choreography, for example, in http://contrafusion.co.uk/Dances/TheDolphinsF8.html I want the #2s to be the pivot point.

              The words will always need to be understood in context, so as long as the caller makes it clear what they mean then all will be well.  If I am calling a Wilson dance from 1816 with the original words and I say, “Allemande” then what I want the dancers to do is a Dosido.  But I would definitely have to make that clear! (Unless I was calling the Upton-on-Severn Hankie Dance to people in the know – then they would do the Dosido when I called, “Allemande”!)

Hopefully Amy now knows more about Gates than she ever wanted to! :-)

            Happy dancing,

                   John                      

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

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