Re: [Callers] unwelcome behavior

Thank you JoLaine for this post. The issue of lifts, dips, and other aerials is a difficult one. These moves are often crowd-pleasers and ad excitement to the dance experience. Unfortunately they also make the hall less safe for everyone. Even in swing and ballroom dance venues these moves are regarded with caution because they require some training to be done safely. They also require a degree of physical strength and fitness that excludes some of the people who regularly attend contras, including the elderly who heal more slowly from injury. My concern is that lifts and dips at an open public contra dance send a cautionary message to many older folks and others who have physical issues. At a venue where first-timers are encouraged to join in without any separate training--and learn by watching others--such moves signal that anyone is free to attempt this kind of dancing,. This makes the venue an unsafe one for folks with common limitations that contras can normally accommodate. I know people who avoid venues where such moves are done because they are concerned about injuries that could keep them from working for a period of time, or worse. Personally, I will often stop swinging when someone next to me attempts one of these moves. For the safety of my partner, and myself, I try to back off and give these folks some of the extra room they need to do such moves safely. Obviously this impacts my own enjoyment of the dance. I want to encourage young people to attend our dances. But these newcomers need to understand that their actions can exclude others. Someday they, themselves, might grow older and I would hope that they too feel welcome at our dances even when they can no longer do these crowd-pleasing moves. I would love to hear how other dance communities have dealt with this issue. - Greg McKenzie