[Callers] "Pushy Males" Was "Women's Experience"

Perry got me thinking that much of this may well be due to the culture of particular dances. My experience has been that there are more flourishes and "in" moves at dances that are considered to be "hot" dances. In my formative dance years, the late 70s through the early 80s, some dances were ones that people would travel more than an hour to in order to dance at what was perceived as a higher level. Dances where such dancers congregated at tended to have fancier moves than the local dances. Dancers at most local dances weren't as likely to use fancier moves, other than a twirl during a courtesy turn. As a caller, I have tried to keep an eye on dancers who were using a lot of fancier moves. I am all for having fun. My concern was that they not interfere with the fun of the other dancers or the flow of the dance. A dancer who twirls his partner too many time to be ready for the next figure is not an advanced dancer. Then there was the male dancer who was referred to as "squish" due to his sweaty flannel shirts. Women often asked me to have him change his shirt. I don't mind a few flourishes as long as they don't take away from the enjoyment of the other dancers. I would hope that dancers would take the needs and feelings of the other dancers into consideration. Dancing is supposed to be fun, not a competition. John B. Freeman, SFTPOCTJ