2 Dec
2010
2 Dec
'10
1:51 a.m.
On Wed, Dec 1, 2010 at 5:41 PM, Donald Primrose <limerickfarm(a)gmail.com> wrote:
The prompt "hands four from the top" should
always be said, I would
never assume, nor do the dances I call on a regular basis make that
assumption. The instruction.. Cross over when at the foot of the set..
I leave out of my walkthroughs.. and they have always figured it out.
On occasion when calling in a new venue and I see dancers
automatically lining up improper.. I call hand six, it keeps them
focused. I call many proper dances (chestnuts) in any given night
keeping the dancers connected to the music the dance and our shared
history.
I dunno. I'm happy to encourage them to automatically take
hands four -- it saves me the hardest part of my job if they
can organize without my prompting. When I do call triple
minors I just remember to start announcing hands six
early in the line-up phase.
Interestingly enough in San Diego, the dancer default
is to line up proper, even though it's unusual for a
proper dance to be called.
As for the original question, adding "ones cross over"
while they take hands four isn't time you could be saying
anything else, as people are still getting organized and
aren't in place for the first move of the dance.
I tend to talk about crossing over at the ends during the
beginner's session, rather than the first dance. Though if
they've heard it, they have some context as experienced
dancers are waving to them to trade sides.
-Chris Page
San Diego