[Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer?

Tue Aug 8 12:18:44 EDT 2006

Richard brought up a good point. If you have people that cannot dance 128
beats per minute what do you do as a caller.
You have 1/2 of the floor that wants to go 128 beats per minute or faster
and others that cannot go that speed because father time was not nice to
them.
Do you slow the dance down so that the slowest dancer can dance? Or do you
only use 48 beat figures so that they can keep up?
I angle for a club and you are lucky to be able to do a 48 beat figure. If
you tried to do the full 64 beat figure the floor would break down. Some of
the people there can go full speed and they get board. Before long all of
the dancers that can dance full speed leave and don't come back.

I was at Nasser's dance this weekend and he did  " I'm so excited".   Well
when he did it like he was board the energy in the square went down.
when he delivered it when he was excited the energy in the square was high.
So the way a caller delivers a tip helps the dancers get excited and move.

Robert E. Morris

                      M0220sr at aol.com                                                                                                     
                      Sent by:                    To:       Squaredancing at rbnsn.com                                                       
                      Squaredancing-bounce        cc:                                                                                     
                      s at rbnsn.com                 Subject:  Re: [Squaredancing] Whatever happened to being a polite dancer?               

                      08/05/2006 06:53 AM                                                                                                 
                      Please respond to                                                                                                   
                      This list for                                                                                                       
                      discussing all                                                                                                      
                      aspect of MWSD                                                                                                      

Thank you, Cynde, for your reply. It was very informative and I agree with
you.

We have several elderly people in our club who can no longer dance faster
than the standard 128 beats per minute. If a caller generally plays his
records (patter or singing call) faster than that, these elderly dancers do
well just to get through a tip without breaking down the square they are
in. You can see it in their faces that they are having trouble: faces red,
breathing hard, etc. But the caller often has no idea that he is causing a
lot of stress for people in the squares before him/her. He/she is calling
what he/she feels is a good dance, keeping the dancers "up" and happy.  It
isn't until a member of the club comes up and asks that the speed be
reduced due to whatever the conditions are in the hall that changes are
made.

Whenever I'm in control of a dance (primarily rounds now, not calling) and
I see rowdy behavior on the floor I know other people see it as well...as
far as our club is concerned.  I rarely have to say anything to someone
being rude, there are several other people in the club who I have seen
talking quietly and in a very diplomatic manner to someone who has been
pushing or being rude. Usually it is taken care of and the aggressive
person eventually finds out that his/her manners are not welcome and "calm
down".

I was speaking primarily (and I didn't say that) of when we go on vacation
or to a special dance out of town. There, you have dancers from many
different places and, yes, it would likely be difficult to "control" their
behavior unless they cause a bad problem like hurting someone or cause the
beginnings of a fight in a square. We are supposed to be having fun, after
all.

I've known Nasser for years. He is a great caller and provides a wonderful
evening of square dancing. His "creativity in delivering material" is well
known throughout the world. If you have never been to a dance where he is
calling, you should make every effort to attend the next one if he is in
your area.  Some people like him, some don't. You just can't like everybody
and that's fine.  We're entitled to our opinions.

No one should have to leave a dance because of an injury inflicted by
someone else in a square. If that aggressive person is not taken aside
(maybe by someone who knows him/her well) and asked to cease the rude
actions, then it's likely that other kinds of trouble and bad feelings will
happen sometime during the evening.

Our activity is supposed to promote fun and fellowship and generally does.
We can't let that periodic instance of someone who wants to dominate their
actions over others spoil an evening of fun. But let a friend of that
person or a club officer handle the situation for the best solution to the
problem.

Richard

In a message dated 8/5/2006 3:01:33 A.M. Central Daylight Time,
cynde at twistercom.fi writes: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

 _______________________________________________
Squaredancing mailing list
Squaredancing at rbnsn.com
http://rbnsn.com/mailman/listinfo/squaredancing_rbnsn.com

******************************************************************************
This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or
confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, 
and is protected by law.  If you are not the intended recipient, you should
delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments and
are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this
communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited.

Thank you.