Hey all, Just wanted to reiterate, for the benefit of those who may be new to the list, that our practice is to edit the subject line ourselves so that it is descriptive of the message you are posting -- instead of saying "Re: Contents of Callers digest..." Thanks! Mark Widmer --- On Fri, 9/11/09, callers-request(a)sharedweight.net <callers-request(a)sharedweight.net> wrote: From: callers-request(a)sharedweight.net <callers-request(a)sharedweight.net> Subject: Callers Digest, Vol 61, Issue 8 To: callers(a)sharedweight.net Date: Friday, September 11, 2009, 12:00 PM Send Callers mailing list submissions to     callers(a)sharedweight.net To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit     http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to     callers-request(a)sharedweight.net You can reach the person managing the list at     callers-owner(a)sharedweight.net When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..." Today's Topics:    1. Re: Callers Digest, Vol 61, Issue 6 (Laur)    2. Re: Gender Swapping - When? (Robert Golder) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:22:40 -0700 (PDT) From: Laur <lcpgr(a)yahoo.com> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net> Subject: Re: [Callers] Callers Digest, Vol 61, Issue 6 Message-ID: <312951.94148.qm(a)web52905.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Good thought.? And I liked Jack's idea of how to incorporate this in the teaching if you had time. When partner changing, gender swapping, we should consider if the other person in the pairing is willing to dance with someone other than they said yes to.? I don't think you'd get that far in the workshop (partner swap) but it is a part of play. Sometimes at a weekend we'll have an occasional chaos line where anything goes, as I'm sure you have done/seen too.? Key for swapping is - know what your doing, and don't put an insecure or inexperienced person out there. Locally we do as was already noted at regular, and even special dances - watch the line and switch back if someone is a bit homophobic or if it will be confusing.? Knowing your community is key.? Or get to know the community you are visiting. The interesting thing is people don't get confused, or don't typically get confused, if its a pair of ladies dancing together, they deal with the position.? It's only when the genders are crossed that the eyes get crossed, or if its a pair of gents.? I think its a good thing to help newer folks stay familiar with the position rather than the role and rather see that than full protection from exposure.? If I see its a newer dancer when I approach another lady I say, I'm dancing as the gent as I approach, and then they are okay.? Sometimes newer male dancers ask me to twirl them or turn them so they can understand how it feels. Laurie --- On Fri, 9/11/09, Jerome Grisanti <jerome.grisanti(a)gmail.com> wrote: From: Jerome Grisanti <jerome.grisanti(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Callers] Callers Digest, Vol 61, Issue 6 To: callers(a)sharedweight.net Date: Friday, September 11, 2009, 9:36 AM Following up on Mark Galipeau's note: In a workshop, it may be good to offer a little context on when gender-role-swapping is appropriate (or inappropriate). For example, at most dance weekends your neighbors will welcome or at least understand. At many monthly dances, there are neighbors who may become confused either because they are new, rigidly devoted to traditional gender roles, or any number of other reasons. Some may even try to correct us (if they don't know us). Before swapping, I look ahead in the line to be sure that our next neighbors will be part of the "game" and not put off by it. (Mark indicates the idea of there being a time and a place for this, I merely offer an additional tip). --Jerome -- Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com For the good are always the merry, Save by an evil chance, And the merry love the fiddle And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers       ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:43:48 -0400 From: Robert Golder <robertgolder(a)comcast.net> To: Caller's discussion list <callers(a)sharedweight.net> Subject: Re: [Callers] Gender Swapping - When? Message-ID: <d5867c34373f0abbe776959251f66a16(a)comcast.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed On Sep 11, 2009, at 9:57 AM, Jack Mitchell wrote: Among the several methods of identifying dance roles without respect to gender, the most common in New England is the LCFD (Lavender Country and Folk Dancers) method pioneered by Chris Ricciotti in 1989 at the Jamaica Plain (MA) dance. Chris instituted the use of an armband for the person dancing the traditional gent's role, and no armband for the "barearm" dancer in the traditional lady's role. Orange surveyors tape has become the most popular material for this purpose at gender role free events. Although "bands" and "bares" are still the terms used to denote dance roles in place of "gents" and "ladies," sometimes the identifying mark is no longer worn on the arm. It may be a bright headband, or a clip-on rainbow ribbon adorning a shirt pocket; still, the meaning is clear as you approach a new couple within a contra set. Skillful role-free calling depends upon much more than convincing half your dancers to wear an armband. For those who are planning to participate in a workshop or otherwise experiment with role free calling, I can't stress highly enough the importance of going to the LCFD site at   http://www.lcfd.org/   Scroll to the "News and Articles" section and click on "Gender-free caller's manual and history" to download Chris Ricciotti's history of and instructions for role-free dancing. This is the most important resource that I know of. It includes popular contra dances written out with traditional calling terminology and role-free terminology side by side. Although popular within the gay and lesbian community, role-free dancing is available to and enjoyable for everyone. NEFFA's  first programmed role-free session, using armbands, took place in 1990, and these sessions have become a NEFFA tradition. There are distinct advantages for callers who become fully comfortable with dancing either role, even if you never call a specifically role-free evening of dance. For example, as you plan an evening program, you will find that you develop better sequences of dances to call. As you review a dance for possible inclusion in your program, you'll think more about how the dance choreography works for either traditional role. After calling a dance that emphasizes the lady's role, you'll be less likely to follow up with one or two more dances that make the women do all the work, but will instead make sure that the gent's role receives proper attention within the overall flow of dance. The discovery of many more advantages awaits the caller who looks further into this subject. ... Bob Robert Jon Golder New Bedford, MA ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)sharedweight.net http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers End of Callers Digest, Vol 61, Issue 8 **************************************