We
should avoid the term “gypsy” in all ways, in my opinion,
not just as an official dance call. In some areas of the
world it is a racial slur akin to the N word. It has been
reclaimed by some Roma in the same way some lesbians have
reclaimed “dyke” but when a term is reclaimed, it can still
only be used by a member of the group. I can call myself a
dyke but you cannot, and a black person can use the N word
but I, as a white person, cannot. Since we are not all Roma
we need to avoid the term gypsy in the same ways we would
avoid other racial/ethnic/other slurs. I miss the term,
myself. There was a flirty quality to “gypsy” that “right
shoulder round” simply cannot connote. But if there were a
traditional term that used “dyke” in it, I would object, and
I need to show the same respect to other groups. So when I
call this weekend, it will be “right shoulder round”, tho in
the walk-thru I’ll also say something like, “don’t forget to
make a little joking-pretend-flirty eye contact as you go
around! That’s the fun of it!”
Becky
only slightly related question:
Why is it offensive to call a dance figure a
gypsy but not offensive to be a dance gypsy?
Mac McKeever