richgoss(a)comcast.net wrote:
I don't consider a triplet to be an "unusual" formation. I like
them.
You can like unusual formations, but triplets at contras are unusual
everywhere I've danced. As in, fewer than one out over every fifty
dances is a triplet.
newcomers don't know the figures are unfamiliar.
It's all unfamiliar
to them.
People will say things like "triplets/squares are hard for newcomers"
because they see newcomers struggling on them and getting frustrated,
but that's usually misleading. For the most part unusual formations
are harder for *everyone* because they need to pay more attention and
not just go as they're used to. The caller won't be as practiced and
will use words that aren't as consise and illustrative as they would
for a contra. The regular dancers will be less able to help the
newcomers by simply getting the dance right the first time, and may
make things worse by thinking they have it right when they don't. The
newcomers may not know the figure is unusual, but they will be getting
less support from the other dancers.
Jeff