In regards to the misuse of pronouns, I suggest practicing the use of "they/them" to refer to dancers when you call at dances that use Gents/Ladies or other gendered terms. For example, "Ladies turn by right until you're facing your partner, swing them." Another option is to practice not using pronouns (e.g. "swing your partner"). A traditional dance will likely be much more forgiving (or not notice) any accidental references, and you'll be more practiced for when you are calling gender-free dances.
I personally prefer to minimize over-the-mic explanations about why and how the dance has been strictly gendered. I think most people are aware that almost everything has been gendered, and that large portions of society have been shifting toward a more fluid and accepting culture. If people are not aware, it would take more than an announcement to provide them with sufficient information, and making a speech tends to focus people on the tensions involved with change instead of just enjoying the dance. If there's a need to make a statement, I just briefly acknowledge that the dance has previously used gendered terms, state what I plan to use, and get the dancing started. I usually check in with people during breaks to see if there are any issues or tension that would call for a brief announcement over the mic. When I'm not calling, I have more time to talk to people in depth, listen to their concerns, and provide more insight.
I find that the various terms currently being bandied about (Larks and Ravens, Jets and Rubies, etc.) create an additional level of confusion for both experienced and new dancers. Not only do you have to process in a split second WHAT to do, you now also have to process which role is yous. If you're going to call dances in which it matters (e.g.,contra dances, rather than beginner-level community dances where it doesn't matter which role is on the right or left), then I prefer Reds and Yellows for R and L terms that relate to the right and left positions. (I know, yellow doesn't START with L, but the double L in the middle serves the purpose). I then use red and yellow wrist-bands as visual cues. Red on the right wrist for the person on the right; yellow on the left wrist for the person on the left. It's cheap and easy to buy a skein of yarn in each color, and cut them up into appropriate lengths. It's then easy to say upfront that if the wrist-bands are next to each other (on your joined hands), you're on the wrong side and need to quickly switch, assuming you want to dance the same role consistently, because switching is much more challenging. I don't have hard data, but my personal experience is that the visual cue makes a BIG difference in response time for all dancers, and there is a higher level of success, and therefore fun.
We have been offered a Barn Dance / ONS gig for a somewhat large LGBTI community in the UK. This will be at a Queer Festival. However we are well aware of the issues of the use or misuse of pronouns especially for those folk undergoing transition. What terminologies do folks here advise? Participants would be non-binary genders. Partners could be the same gender or of a different gender. The concept of 'male' or 'female' would not apply; and certainly not the terms 'men' and 'women.' Thanks - CJB
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Half Door Step Dancing - Dance Off
This is long standing Irish tradition. The top of a half-door would be taken down and placed on the ground should an accomplished step dancer visit a cottage.
In the UK canal narrowboat people would dance on an upright beer barrel or table top with beer in the glasses at the four corners.
Australian foklorist Banjo Patterson mentions a step dance competition on a half-door at the end of an Outback horse race meet in his tale the Outback Marriage.
And there is a reference to an Australian bullock drover in Queensland having his dancing board strapped to the side of his cart for dancing on at that night's camp entertainments.
Sent via WeTransfer is a clip from a recent Irish half-door dance off.
Download link
https://we.tl/DYvktLBj2l
RTÉ Archives Arts and Culture Door Dancing Dance Off.mp4
CJB
With the broad definition of a jig being a step dance in any rhythm here is the only clap dance filmed in Ireland. Veteran step dancer and flautist Michael Tubridy tells me that he remembers it in his youth, and is still known but rarely seen.
Download link
https://we.tl/kKDkMEtT1S
Chris B.
I'm in Germany, and I'm speaking for the next few days at a Conference run by the European Callers and Teachers Association.
Several of my sessions are about Contras, and speaking to the Contra Coordinator as we drove to the hotel I realised we had very
different ideas about what a contra is. I say it is an American (or American-style) dance, longways duple or triple. He classes
three-couple dances (such as Ted's Triplets), four-couple dances and circles as contras. He even classes my dance "Sting in the
Tail" as a contra. This is for two three-couple sets side-by-side and involves siding into line, set and turn single. I would
regard this quite definitely as "Playford"-style, and I think Americans would categorise it as English. But what is a contra? I
know the hot-shots would say that it's longways duple improper or Becket with a partner swing and preferably a neighbor swing, but
is that your definition? What about an early American dance such as "The Young Widow" - is that a contra? Can a dance in waltz
time be a contra? I think of a contra as mainly danced to reels or jigs, though I know there are a few to slip-jigs. Within
reels I would include marches and American hornpipes, which are smooth, but not English hornpipes which I would dance to a
step-hop. And not Strathspeys. I would say contras are done to a walking step, apart from the swing which is often a buzz step.
But do you agree with me?
Answers fairly quickly please!
Colin Hume
Email colin(a)colinhume.com Web site http://colinhume.com
English Dance Song - Winter 1993 p. 19
DANCE STYLE
In discussing the teaching of "Playford Style," here are some quotations which ought to be more widely known.
" ... How some would dance as though they did but walk;
And some would trip, as though they were lame,
And some would mince it like a sparrowhawk;
And some would dance, upright like any bolt;
And some would leap and skip like a youndg colt!"
Nicolas Breton. 1602
"...the strangeness and diversity of steps used by each dancer according to their fancy..."
Andre Lorin, 1680s, describing the English style which he had witnessed at court, in the towns and in the country.
“Tho' my designe is not to l'll\ design‘ is not to mark any steps in Country Dances, being willing to leave the dancers ye liberty of composing the same as they please ..."
Raoul Feuillet / John Essex, 1970
(Country dancing) "is become ... the favourite diversion of all t=ranks of people from the court to the cottage in their different manners of dancing.
Kellom Tomlinson, 1720
"The figures are always the same and without any fixed steps. The whole aim of these contre-danses is for the performers to twist and turn their bodies, to stamp their feet as if they wore sabots, and to assume attitudes contrary to decorum."
Pierre Rameau, 1725
So -- What is, or was Playford Style?
IAN CUTTS
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OCR typo -
“Tho' my designe is not to l'll\ design‘ is not to mark any steps in Country Dances, being willing to leave the dancers ye liberty of composing the same as they please ..."
Raoul Feuillet / John Essex, 1710
