On 1/3/2013 6:22 AM, Louise Siddons wrote:
I would suggest that the transition between ECD and contra
demonstrates an increase in the lead-follow characteristic of the
dance that is analogous to the increase in lead-follow characteristic
between contra and, I don't know, polka. (I would also suggest that we
can trace a decrease in lead-follow characteristics through
20th-century dance forms all the way to hiphop, if we look for it --
but that's getting off-topic.)
And then I went off-topic in that direction in a way which didn't engage
with this point.
I am still not sold on the idea that
basic-model-figures-without-aftermarket-options have *significant* bias to
the gent's role being leader and the ladies role being follower in a way
analogous to couple dancing, and I think
ideally everybody helps everybody else.
However, I cannot remember *ever* attending a regular contra dance where
there were no aftermarket options on display.
The lived experience of contra dancing - avoiding the argument about
the esssential nature of contra dance, which
clearly has plain-on-the-face-of-it answers which are different for
different people in this argument - has more
couple-dance type lead-follow than does the lived experience of English,
and less than a swing dance or a waltz party.
So I agree with you here, although that doesn't change my position that
"lead/follow" are bad choices for the roel names.
-- Alan
