25 Apr
2013
25 Apr
'13
12:46 p.m.
I generally tell dancers (depending on the kind of balance itself and what
comes before and after) to step-step forward (or right or left) and
step-step backward (or left or right). I say nothing at all about stomping.
As a dancer I do a variety of balances. After years of messing up the
kick right and kick left balance that I originally learned in square dance
(I often kick in the wrong direction--ouch), I looked for other ways to do
it so I wouldn't hurt anyone. As a general rule, I don't stomp. It's too
hard on my joints, although I do confess to having done it when I was
younger. I have heard callers tell beginners workshops that the whole
point of the balance is to make noise. I have occasionally engaged the
caller explain that the tradition is much different, with little success.
I view the balance as a nice way for the dancers to punctuate the rhythm,
but it is not about noise...or shouldn't be. Thanks, George
On Wed, Apr 24, 2013 at 11:46 AM, John Sweeney <info(a)contrafusion.co.uk>wrote;wrote:
There have been a number of references to balances
always involving a
stomp.
I was under the impression that there were lots of ways to balance, many
of which don't involve a stomp. I usually teach "balance to the
right-2-3, to the left-2-3".
I did notice more stomping than I was familiar with at The Flurry this
year, just step right, stamp left, step left, stamp right.
Is stomping now the standard across America?
What do YOU teach as the footwork in a balance?
See
http://www.izaak.unh.edu/dlp/NorthernJunket/pages/NJv05/NJv05-01/NJv.05.
01.p13.htm for 50 variations of the balance.
Thanks.
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
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