I call Balance, and Spin to the right.  A spin is executed with no hands held.  
In Contra, we have a number of moves and flourishes in which twirl means 
connected by hands and either swapping places or turning one person with the 
joined hand.  So I think it avoids confusion to say spin when we mean for hands 
to disconnect during the move.  So this applies to Rory O More spins too.  
Likewise, since all parties are moving the same direction in a petronella spin, 
there is no swapping going on, but rather a counter-clockwise shift around the 
ring. Save swap for moves where people are literally trading places.  I have 
heard and used both prompting patterns.  
Best wishes on your calling journey.
Andrea N. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 23, 2012, at 3:10 PM, Maia McCormick <[email protected]> wrote:

> So I had my first introduction to contradance through my school, taught by
> student callers who had been taught by student callers before them, etc. I
> was first taught to call a Petronella as... a Petronella. And then as I
> started going to more outside dances and started reading up on the practice
> of calling, I heard the move more and more just called as "balance the ring
> and spin to the right" or "balance the ring and spin to swap."
> 
> So, esteemed caller-folk, I ask you: how do* you* call a Petronella Turn?
> By name, or with some other turn of phrase? Do you have any sense how
> widespread either of these conventions are? Why not just call a Petronella
> a Petronella? If you call it by description rather than by name, do you
> generally put the entire call together (e.g. "BALance the RING and SPIN to
> the RIGHT") or break it up ("BALance the RING... and SPIN to the RIGHT" so
> that "spin to the right" ends up coming on beats 3 & 4, just before the
> actual spinning occurs)? Any thoughts are welcome!
> 
> Cheers,
> Maia
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