Re: [Callers] American with Style - Contra Callers

11 Mar 2012

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  Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2012 10:08:08 -0400
 From: Bronwyn Woods &lt;woods.bronwyn(a)googlemail.com&gt;
 To: "Caller's discussion list" &lt;callers(a)sharedweight.net&gt;
 Subject: Re: [Callers] American with Style
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   I'd
like to see the phrase "good contra dancers use a buzz-step swing"
 changed--I'd say really good contra dancers sometimes use a buzz step
 and sometimes use a walking step, depending on the choreography or
 music; medium-good contra dancers use a buzz step for all swings.  

 Would other people like to comment on that one?  
 Most (but not all) people I've seen either use the buzz step or the
 walking step rather than switching between them.  But some of my very
 favorite partners use a walking swing. If they dance with a nice
 smooth swing, I often can't tell the difference when I'm dancing with
 them unless I look at their feet.  I would be very hesitant to say
 that "good contra dancers use a buzz step".  It is true, at least
 where I dance, that _most_ dancers use the buzz step.

 -Bronwyn 
I'm an advocate of promoting a walking swing to beginners.  It helps cure the tendency
for new dancers to think you have to bob up and down.  Also then they don't have to
think about it at all and eye contact with their partner is a bit easier.

	John