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<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Thank you, Cynde, for your reply.</FONT> <FONT
face=Arial>It was very informative and I agree with you. </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>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.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>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".</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>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. </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>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.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>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. </FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>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.</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial>Richard</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT face=Arial></FONT></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>In a message dated 8/5/2006 3:01:33 A.M. Central Daylight
Time, cynde@twistercom.fi writes:</FONT><FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000><FONT size=1>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.</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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<DIV><FONT size=1>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,<EM>
to be fun.</EM> The caller was laughing the dancers were laughing and it
didn't continue throughout the day.(but will be fondly
remembered)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>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 <EM>manners</EM>? 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.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Dancing is one thing, stampeding for the blue light special
is something competely else.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Cynde, dancer dependant on caller</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=1>----- Original Message -----
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><FONT
size=1><B>From:</B> </FONT><A title=mailto:M0220sr@aol.com
href="mailto:M0220sr@aol.com"><FONT size=1>M0220sr@aol.com</FONT></A><FONT
size=1> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=1><B>To:</B> </FONT><A
title=mailto:squaredancing@rbnsn.com
href="mailto:squaredancing@rbnsn.com"><FONT
size=1>squaredancing@rbnsn.com</FONT></A><FONT size=1> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=1><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, August 05,
2006 9:16 AM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><FONT size=1><B>Subject:</B> [Squaredancing]
Whatever happened to being a polite dancer?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT color=#000000>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Lines: Pass Thru, Wheel & Deal</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Lines: Pass Thru, Bend The Line</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Wave: Swing Thru, Centers Run, Bend The Line</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>(or any call where the dancers temporarily break contact
then remake contact before turning to another position)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>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.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>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. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>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.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>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. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>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!" </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>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"?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>I doubt if I am the only member of this
group who has some pet peeves about what happens in a square.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Whatever happened to being the polite dancer? Thank
goodness that the number of the type of people described above are
in the small minority.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Thanks for letting me get one item off my
chest.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1>Richard</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=1></FONT> </DIV></FONT>
<P><FONT size=1></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
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