11 Oct
2016
11 Oct
'16
6:49 p.m.
On Oct 10, 2016, at 1:34 PM, Read Weaver via Callers
<callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote, in reference to
wrist-hold stars:
When I’m teaching, I make the point that it’s pretty
much the only move in contra where you _shouldn’t_ give weight even though you could—human
wrists being neither strong nor flexible in that direction. And that if someone behind you
is uncomfortably giving weight, you can just let go and turn it into a single file for
yourself, since you’re not giving weight to aid the circle's momentum anyway.
In a wrist-hold star, I think it feels best if everyone,
(including the person behind me), does give at least a *little*
weight--maybe not enough to achieve any significant transfer
of momentum around the star, but enough so that there's some
sense of connection rather than each dancer just laying their
hand like a dead fish on the wrist ahead. The amount of
"weight"/force needed to get a such a feeling of connection is
much, much smaller than the amount involved in carrying even a
typical ten-year-old child in a "four-handed seat" of the sort
shown on page 4 of this document;
http://adminopsnet.usc.edu/sites/default/files/all_departments/FireSafetyEm…
Of course, if someone has a weak or injured wrist, the other
dancers should give consideration for that priority over their
own preferences about just how strongly connected they'd like
the star to be.
--Jim