Although I basically agree with Yoyo, I state it slightly different:

The direction of a balance should always consider what happens after the balance. Note that the direction of movement of an allemande is forward. Then (from physics) the connection of the hands accelerates the forward motion into a circular motion. But recognizing that the initial direction of motion in either a left or right allemande is forward. Thus, following a wave balance with any allemande suggests a forward and back balance.

~Erik Hoffman

   Oakland, CA

From: Callers [mailto:callers-bounces@lists.sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Yoyo Zhou via Callers
Sent: Wednesday, November 8, 2017 1:03 PM
To: Maia McCormick <maia.mcc@gmail.com>
Cc: callers@lists.sharedweight.net
Subject: Re: [Callers] Balancing LEFT in a wave?

For flow, it depends what comes after the balance. If it's followed by an allemande left, you'd be better balancing left. Allemande right: balance right. Walk forward: balance forward and back. Box circulate: right and back.

But getting dancers to balance left - except as the second half of a Rory O'More-type figure - is hopeless, in my experience. It's my vote for "hardest move in contra dancing".

So I'll say "balance forward and back" in such circumstances.

Yoyo Zhou

On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 11:07 AM, Maia McCormick via Callers <callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

Recently called a dance with an allemande R into long waves, balance wave, allemande L. Because of personal preference, I taught the balance as "balance left, then right", but cuz I didn't teach it all that clearly, the dancers defaulted back into balancing right first, and enough tricky stuff was happening in the dance that I didn't wanna correct them in flight.

I'm just wondering: do others agree that a balance left makes more sense / flows better in this context, or is this a weird personal preference? In your opinion, does the flow of the balance left outweigh its potential unidiomaticness?

Cheers,

Maia

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