New subject: ID Dance

18 Mar 2025

There used to be a strong community tradition about the flow of waltzing at
contra dances.  It was fast around the outside and stationary in the
middle.  You could do a nice Viennese, flying around the outside of the
hall with no trouble, except in the most crowded of halls.  You could do
tricks galore standing virtually still.  You could do everything in
between.  There were a lot fewer collisions, despite some
much-faster-moving dancers.  Halls were at least as crowded as they are
today.

Today, that's a near-impossibility in many halls.  There tends to be a
slow-circulating middle, but there isn't the former gradient of speeds
outside of that zone that increases options while reducing collisions.
It's all just a slow-moving mass, and people are so focused on their
partners that collisions are common.

I think everyone's enjoyment would increase if we followed four simple
considerations:

a) If someone passes you on the inside, you are a slower-circulating couple
and should move closer to the middle,
b) If you pass someone on the inside, you are a faster-circulating couple
and should move farther out,
c) Moving counter-flow or wagging strongly sideways (much more than just a
side-by-side promenade) in the traveling ring are no-nos,
d) Both partners really need to look out for others all the time and
protect each other from collisions, elbows to the face, etc.  This is not
just the lead's job, especially if they're being considerate and moving
backward for a substantial portion of the time.

I hope this is on-topic for this group.  Callers are the evening's MCs, but
they usually don't have much to do with waltzes, other than to announce
them.  However, what I'm talking about here would probably come about if
callers a) announce it and b) include it in their waltz lesson, if they
hold one.  And maybe c) discuss it with dancers and organizers.

Happy(ier) waltzing!

--jh--
Joe Harrington
Orlando

bringing back waltz line of direction