10 Oct
2011
10 Oct
'11
2:04 p.m.
Of course, Bill, your point begs the question, if everyone has switched
sides, is this not also a proper dance? That's a question we are trying to
answer I suppose. Do there exist traditional dances where all the men face
the left side of the hall and the women the right? And were those called
improper? I, myself, don't know the answer to this question.
-Dave
On Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 8:58 AM, David Lawrence Harvey <
dave(a)nycbarndance.com> wrote:
Fair enough. I'll concede this point, too.
On Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 6:52 AM, Bill Baritompa <
staf186(a)ext.canterbury.ac.nz> wrote:
Hi,
The following extract supports proper and improper as referring
to the 'correct' side of the longways formation (Dave: if everyone is
improper,
there is still no mixing of the sexes :-) ).
Cheers, Bill
---
The country Dance Book Cecil J. Sharp Part VI.
http://openlibrary.org/books/**OL7093066M/The_country_dance_**book<http:…
In Playford's time, the top of the room was called the
Presence, alluding to the dais upon which the spectators
-were seated. The expression "facing the Presence" means,
therefore, facing up, i.e., toward the top of the room ; while
back to the Presence means facing down, toward the bottom
of the room.
A Longways dance is one in which the performers take
partners and stand in two parallel lines, the men on one side
opposite and facing their partners on the other, those on
the men's side facing the right wall (i.e. the wall on the right
when facing the Presence), those on the women's -
side the left wall.
The disposition of the dancers in a longways dance is said
to be proper when the men and women are on their own
sides; and improper when the men are on the women's side-
or the women on the men's.
---
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