On thumbs, while I certainly agree it's possible to use your thumbs to grip
others uncomfortably, I'd much rather see us teaching people how to dance
well and considerately with natural holds than tucking thumbs away.
Jeff
On Thu, Jul 18, 2024 at 5:23 AM John Sweeney via Contra Callers <
contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Hi Harris,
Julian and others have already given you some great points.
I never talk about weight. I refer to it as connection. See
https://contrafusion.co.uk/Contra.html#connection for more information.
Thumbs:
I have often thought of putting a sign on the door saying, “Leave your
thumbs here – you don’t need them for the dance!”.
Ask the dancers to make a Wrist-Lock Star – tell them to put their thumbs
on top so that they can’t grip.
Ask the dancers to hold hands in a circle – give them permission to tell
their partners or neighbours if they are gripping with their thumbs.
Swings:
See
https://contrafusion.co.uk/Contra.html#swinging for lots of hints and
tips.
Tell the dancers to get in a Ballroom-Hold ready for a Swing. Then ask
them to relax! It is amazing how much just this one concept can improve a
Swing.
Tell the dancers to get in a Ballroom-Hold ready for a Swing. Give them
permission to tell their partner where they are feeling pressure. There
are lots of common faults: ladies pressing on the back. Men gripping too
tightly. Hanging, clamping, gripping, leaning, etc. During a Swing you
never get time to mention it, even if you dared. Most people don’t realise
that they are causing their partner discomfort. Giving them permission to
share information can really help.
Allemandes:
See
https://contrafusion.co.uk/Allemande.html for some great tips and
quotes from the callers on this list.
The Allemande 1.5 times is the worst-performed move in contra dancing in
my experience.
Explain to the dancers that, although it may look like arm-wrestling, it
is not! In fact, if your hand moves towards your body you lose! Just
connect. Focus then on moving your feet quickly to get around. Increase
the tension as little as possible to counteract centrifugal force and to
keep the hands exactly half way between you.
Timing:
Circle three-quarters and Pass Through. The Circle is six steps, leaving
the last two for the Pass Through. Lots of people think they have to use
up all the music in the Circle then Pass Through at the beginning of the
next phrase, arriving late for the next move.
Down the Hall and Dixie Twirl or California Twirl: You only take four
steps down the hall.
I hope that helps.
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
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