Re: [Callers] Non-Alternate Formats

Thanks for the answers, Alan. Alan wrote "If you play it like a contra dance tune, you won't get an English dance out of it." Ah - but I don't want an "English dance" - I just want a dance that is fun :-) so I would ask the band to funk it up or play any tune they like. And I have no objection to adding twirls in "English" dosidos. I really don't believe that the 17th and 18th century dancers were as staid as some people would have us believe. I have studied the history of many dance forms and constantly see improvisation and innovation - these are all living traditions. I also don't believe that the dances were done only to specific tunes, except for the ones that have a really strong connection to the dance or are strange lengths. Too many elements get fossilized by people who think that it should only be done the way they learnt it 50 years ago. Your "Trash English" (or xEnglish - eXtreme English - as some people are trying to re-brand it) sounds great - some of us have been doing it for decades! Shame that we need to pigeon-hole dances - it is much more fun just to do everything :-) Happy dancing, John John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574 http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent