Just recently I was asked by a gentleman (my partner in the dance) to wait
for him for the star promenade (being one of those ladies who started
across the set). After several practice rounds, I had to agree that it was
more "satisfying" to make the connection with him on my side of the set and
travel with him through the promenade across and then the BF twirl.
However, we had some room up and down the lines. There were times when I
had to dodge the oncoming lady from the neighboring 4-some which made the
Star promenade less fun for me.
In the future if I'm dancing a contra dance I would probably decide to
"wait or to go" depending on how crowded the hall was. BTW, if I'm dancing
a
Star Promenade in a square I wait to be scooped up by my partner since
there are no opposing ladies to bump into.
Donna Hunt
In a message dated 2/8/2012 7:01:23 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
meedwards(a)westendweb.com writes:
I have been reading these complaints about ladies who start across the set
with great interest, having hitherto been one of those ladies. I'll
certainly try not to be one in the future... BUT
BUT the reason is that there is NO ROOM for the star promenade until you
get past the lady coming at you from the opposite direction in the next
set. Shall I give the gentleman a satisfying bit of whirling and get myself
clocked by the oncoming lady's shoulder? Shall I hang back and make us
late? Or shall I go forward and be there when the gentleman gets there?
ALSO - many times the gentlemen are late in deciding what to do, or they've
run into traffic, so they're often not there at the moment you should be
starting that portion of the promenade. Beginning across the set before
the gentleman gets there is usually simply another attempt to stay with the
music.
After listening to you all, I would be remiss in not attempting to hold
back and wait for the gentleman to come pick me up. I shall do so
henceforth, earnestly and in good faith, and I shall report my injuries, if
any, to my shoulder or to my sense of timing, to you in the future.
M
E
On Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 5:28 PM, Marlin Whitaker <marlinw(a)gmail.com> wrote:
What Amy said. Hear, hear.
It is very unpleasant to arrive at the spot where I am supposed to meet a
lady to start a star promenade but find her already part way across the
set, so I have to chase her to try to catch up with her. Usually that
happens in time for the butterfly whirl, but that's too late to have the
"satisfying, connected" star promenade that Alan is looking for.
-- Marlin
On 02/08/2012 12:55 PM, Amy Cann wrote:
> Hmmm. I agree with everything below except for:
> As to the star promenade/butterfly whirl,
the non-allemander* should
be
>
> moving before the person he/she is going to promenade with gets there. *
> This may be true in some cases, but I think the caller needs to be
careful
> here - I would choose
> "be ready to be swept up"
instead.
> I have very clear memories of dancing the
inside part of a star
promenade
> and having a VERY unsatisfying time of it, just
like in the original
post.
> The main problem? The outsides kept
"helping" me by starting to walk
round
> the star before I got there and really latched
on.
> It didn't feel like a mini, gentle,
star-shaped game of crack-the-whip,
it
> felt like a bunch of outsides promenading around
a little track while
the
> insides trotted to catch up, their inner hands
hooked together in a
tangle
> that had no functional purpose.
> Bleh.
> The ones that felt the best were the ones that waited until my arm was
> truly around their waist, and then *hung back a little* .
> When dancing the outside, it felt to me
that "giving weight behind
myself"
> made it work best.
> Just my two cents.
> Oh, and BTW:
> calling Amy Cann's "Sweet
Music" (*great* dance),
>
> Nope. :)
> I mean, yep, it is a great dance, but --
> Amy Kahn, rhymes with "John",
lives in western NY and wrote the dance
> "Sweet Music".
> Amy Cann, rhymes with "Dan", lives in Vermont and wrote the tune
> "Catharsis" and the dance "High Five."
> Cheers,
> Amy
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--
As you set out for Ithaka, pray that your journey be long, full of
adventure, full of discovery...
May there be many summer mornings when, with what pleasure, with what joy,
you enter harbors you're seeing for the first time.
~Constantine Cavafy, "Ithaka" 1911
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