If there is a "standard" in hey dances, then Flirtation Reel is the gold standard. It is a perfect blend of aesthetics and ergonomics. It works because the body WANTS to go in the right direction, and the soul follows.
I have just returned from calling a little community dance of 1/3 experienced dancers and 2/3 beginners, much as Linda described. Of course we danced Flirtation Reel. Committed to memory for use at a moment's notice, Flirtation Reel is at the top of my list of dances that are accessible to newcomers, but reward my experienced folks on the floor for hanging in there. ... Bob On Feb 18, 2012, at 9:06 PM, Linda Leslie wrote: > Wow! I didn't know that there was a "standard", either, Beth! I use > Flirtation Reel all the time with new dancers for a bunch of reasons (I am > not talking about a ONS; rather a community dance that has a good mix of > newer dancers and those who have danced before). For me, the direction of the > passes has everything to do with the graceful flow of movement written into > the dance by the choreographer. Such flow is what I look for in a dance worth > calling. The dancers certainly get this, too; if not at first, they will pick > up on it eventually! > Linda > > On Feb 18, 2012, at 2:43 PM, [email protected] wrote: > >> LOL, I once had a caller berate me for using Flirtation Reel as a dance to >> teach beginners (this was a beginner's workshop at NEFFA, they really were >> beginning something.) He rather emphatically said "how could you use a >> non-standard hey as a teaching tool?" Until then I hadn't realized there was >> a standard vs. a non-standard hey. Actually I still don't think there is. >> >> I don't remember who the caller was, but I do remember the comment <G>. >> >> I also once had a dance organizer inform me "Do not teach a hey in the first >> half of the evening." There are so many other moves that people think are >> easy that are actually quite difficult for new folks: right and left through >> for example. Banning a hey seems a bit arbitrary, but I assume the dance had >> a bad experience at some time. >> >> Beth >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Linda Leslie >> Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 11:24 PM >> To: Caller's discussion list >> Subject: Re: [Callers] Heys for new dancers >> >> >> On Feb 17, 2012, at 7:55 AM, barb kirchner wrote: >> >>> >>> i like teaching "the ladies' pattern". ladies walk the same path >>> (turn left, end on right) for a promenade, right and left through, >>> ladies chain, and hey. they're kinda used to looping out a little, >>> because in the first three figures, they're actually walking around a >>> person - easy enough to get the concept of walking around a ghost from >>> there. >>> >> Certainly useful techinique, if heys you will be using for the evening are >> right in the center, left shoulder at the ends. Flirtation Reel is a good >> example of Left shoulder in the center, right shoulder at the ends. Most >> dancers don't have trouble with this difference, but I have occasionally >> had dancers be a bit surprised that heys can and do vary. >> Linda >> > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers
