[Callers] Re: preference for dancing with opposite gender?

When people ask me which of Larks and Robins is "the man", I answer as follows: "Lark" is the role which is traditionally called "man". You're welcome to dance whichever role you like, and many people have a role preference. I think it's important to say that the role is traditionally *called* "man", not to say "is traditionally danced by a man". People have always danced on both sides, for a variety of obvious reasons. I'm not going to belabour this point when talking to someone like the above, but I do choose my words carefully. I don't think it's appropriate for someone to insist that they dance a particular role because of their gender (etc), but I do think it's fine for someone to have a role preference, and such a role preference is often borne of experience, and many people's experience includes being pushed into a particular role because of their gender or apparent gender, and that's their dance identity now, and if they want to keep it I think that's fine, I just think that it should not have a gendered name. So I'm quite happy to help them to translate. I do too, and I like to think that any such person overhearing an exchange like the above would think "wow, that's weird that someone thinks that whether you're dancing Robin or Lark depends on your gender, how silly." And doesn't afterwards remember which role had which alleged gender association. regards, ajr, dancing in and near Toronto, Canada