[Callers] Re: Agency and Language

Thanks for bringing this up David.  It's confounded me for 30 years and I've dealt with it during the walkthru with careful teaching.  My preference is to have the dancer "rolling" being active (and not passively "rolled" by another person.)It will be interesting to see what others say. DonnaEmail: dhuntdancer(a)aol.com Cell:  215-565-6050 On Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at 01:40:43 PM EDT, David Harding via Contra Callers <contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: I've been a bit troubled for years by the call "roll away" (with or without a half sashay).  It's usually taught as though "roll" was an active verb, something that one dancer, most often the lark, does to the other dancer.  Perhaps it would be more balanced if "roll" were treated as an active verb, so the roll is something that the dancer making the 360 degree turn does with the assistance of the partner who does not spin.   -David On 9/2/2025 11:40 AM, Jerome Grisanti via Contra Callers wrote: I was chatting with a caller mentee about language that gives one dancer more agency than another, and how to make such choices more neutral (i.e., all dancers should have agency). For example, "larks/gents, raise your partners hand" to initiate a California twirl. Rather, use "partners, raise your joined hands..." What other examples have y'all heard in the wild of best (and worst) practices? Thanks! — Jerome Grisanti  Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com "Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe _______________________________________________ Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net _______________________________________________ Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net