[Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer?

[Cynde Sadler]

Do you think a caller could/should/would remind people now and then of this? I know I have been to dances where the callers call too quickly, double speed or two or three calls in a row causing 'dancers' to race through -everyman/woman for him/herself to get to the final position before the next set of calls are blurted.(even though the music is the same!) If you ask me, even if three calls are given at once the music should still dictate how many beats each call takes, wouldn't it?. The above mentioned just causes 'dancers' to become charging buffalos to the amusement(?) of the caller(?) I certainly don't find it amusing when it happens too often and without humour.
We had a guest caller, Nasser Shukayr, come recently and call an unusual dance with odd calls causing  a mild chaotic scramble. This is NOT what I'm taking about. This was welcome silliness and a lot of fun, as it was intended, to be fun. The caller was laughing the dancers were laughing and it didn't continue throughout the day.(but will be fondly remembered)
Richard, as a caller you are in charge, if you see dancing you don't like could you not prompt, encourage, force them (as often as it takes) away from these bad habits and teach them about dancing and manners? I like twirling but I don't like my shoulder and elbow in a sling for the rest of the week or my feet (even ankles!) stomped on either! (funny, that) I'm sure most dancers really want to dance well.
Dancing is one thing, stampeding for the blue light special is something competely else.

Cynde, dancer dependant on caller
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: M0220sr at aol.com 
  To: squaredancing at rbnsn.com 
  Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 9:16 AM
  Subject: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer?



  Lines:  Pass Thru, Wheel & Deal
  Lines:  Pass Thru, Bend The Line
  Wave: Swing Thru, Centers Run, Bend The Line
  (or any call where the dancers temporarily break contact then remake contact before turning to another position)

  What happens on that last call of the three examples above?  Somebody turns in a small space to make the turn and somebody takes longer steps to make the arc of the turn to finish in the ending position.

  When dancers are taught, they are generally (hopefully) told that whenever they come to a position adjacent to someone else that they make hand contact.  

  If this is true, then why is it that some dancers who are in the position to do the small turn usually forgets that they are dancing with at least one or two more people who they will come into contact with them?   What do they do? They forget to take the hand of the person next to them who has just finished doing that Pass Thru or Run figure and they...by themselves...turn to the ending position and the other person has to play "catch up" to end in position next to them.

  Don't you think this is kind of rude on the part of the person who left the other person "in the dust"?   These people are so worried that they will not be position to do the next call that they forget that they are dancing WITH seven other people. I've seen these same types of people get big frowns on their faces when they are promenading, getting real close to the couple in front of them as if to push them out of the way so they can get home to do their "end of promenade" swing, hip bump, hands clap, etc.  

  I was always taught that a lady is not twirled if she doesn't want to be twirled. She initiates the twirl, not the man.  Do they still teach that in class so a lady's arm is not wrenched or hurt so badly that she has to go home?  Is it that some aggressive male  wants to twirl and thinks, "Darn it, you are going to twirl or I'll break your arm!"  

  As to the above scenario, don't you think that the person who is going to make the small "inside" turn do the following:   He/she should wait for the person that did the Pass Thru with them or the Run around them remake contact with them  before they initiate their turn?  Are they dancing by and for themselves or are they "working with the team"?

  I doubt if I am the only member of this group who has some pet peeves about what happens in a square. 

  Whatever happened to being the polite dancer?  Thank goodness that the number of the type of people described above are in the small minority.

  Thanks for letting me get one item off my chest.

  Richard



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