[Callers] Re Swinging

Jeff said: "Something needs to be holding the two of you together. The gent has his right hand on the lady's back." Yes - that is what is holding you together. Why do you need more? = = = = = = Digression = = = = = Jeff actually said "ladies' back" - yes, I do dance with two ladies at once - you can see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE6Iu6Fh6bw and so yes I do sometimes have my hands on ladies' backs :-) = = = = = = End of Digression = = = = = Jeff continued: "If the gent is strong and the lady light, that is sufficient." I firmly believe that both parties should be responsible for their own weight and balance. If the lady is in control of her balance then why is the lady's weight or the man's strength relevant? I have danced with ladies twice my size and had a delightful light swing, and I have danced with ladies half my size and had to support their weight in a painful matter. It is not about weight it is about balance. "If the lady additionally has their left hand on the back of the the gent's right shoulder, then the lady is doing more of the holding together and the gent can do less." Centrifugal force is not that great - if you are in balance the pressure is tiny. = = = = = = = = = = = Greg said: ".one figure that is pretty unique to contra dance. It's called the 'buzz-step swing.'" My mother learnt it in Galway, Ireland as a girl from her grandfather nearly 100 years ago. She taught me in the 1960s. I am told that the Scottish call it "birling". Of course if you mean "contra dance" as an American pronunciation of the French "contre danse" meaning "country dance" then I guess it is a reasonable statement. But if you mean modern American contra dance series (as opposed to Irish, Scottish, ceilidh, ECD, International, etc.) then I would disagree :-) Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events, Instructional DVDs and Interactive Maps http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent