New subject: !RE: How to Call a Petronella Turn?

25 Nov 2012

Oh, come on, folks. One of the contra dance traditions has been a small set of named moves
and, for the most part, directional names for any new moves. So, for example,  we say,
"Pass through to an ocean wave," instead of "Pass the ocean." Please,
please fight any tendency to give obscure names for moves. If it is not descriptive, it is
not appropriate. And since I have never met Allen Ortep, I am quite sure that an
"Allen Ortep turn" would say absolutely NOTHING to me as a dancer. (Even if I
did know him, I suspect it would not tell me much. Seeing it in the dance below implies to
me that he thinks quite highly of himself, but it does not tell me how to dance. And I was
doing the two's variation in Petronella which uses a left turn back in the early 80s.
Nothing new there.)

Part of what caused a huge problem in the evolution of Modern Western Squares was the
introduction of many newly named figures in the early 60s. Every caller wanted to invent
the next great move. It moved the activity into a realm where you must take all those
lessons and keep dancing regularly to remember all the fancy names.

Keep it simple, keep it folk, keep it welcoming.

Beth Parkes
-----Original Message-----
Subject: Re: [Callers] How to Call a Petronella Turn?

Things change slightly with this dance by Allen Ortep......

Allen Ortep's First Contra Becket Counter Clockwise                       

A1      Star left
        Right and left through on right diagonal

A2      Long lines forward, on the way back, partners roll away with a 1/2 sashe
        Circle right 3/4, pass through along set by left shoulder
           to meet couple passed during the right and left of A1

B1      Balance and swing this neighbor.

B2      Allen Ortep turn (balance in a circle, then move as an individual
           to the left one place in the circle while twirling counterclockwise)
        Partners swing.