I get the impression that “men/ladies” is a common set of terms in the UK. I believe it’s less commonly seen as acceptable here in the US, as the two words are not parallel. In the early days of the Second Feminist Movement (mainly the 1970s) I seem to recall feminists objecting to the common practice of saying “ladies” rather than “women,” on the grounds that it downplayed their biology and hid them behind a mask of gentility. (This may be behind the objection of some female dancers and callers to the use of “ladies” even in conjunction with “gents.”) Of course “gents/ladies” and “men/women” are the parallel sets among commonly used terms. (At least “men/girls” is almost never heard these days.)

Tony Parkes

Billerica, Mass.

New book! Square Dance Calling: An Old Art for a New Century

(available now)

From: John Sweeney via Contra Callers <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 9, 2023 10:33 AM
To: 'Shared Weight Contra Callers' <contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>
Subject: [Callers] Re: Gentlespoons/Ladles (from Rompin' Stompin')

I also have many male dancers who don’t want to do ballroom-hold swings with other men.

I always recommend the Double Allemande Swing: https://youtu.be/Ue0yCtjjbGs?t=107

I have offered this hold to countless men and ladies on both sides of the Atlantic and it always works easily and well.

BTW When relevant I use Men and Ladies – I think the words are much clearer than the alternative gendered terms.

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