I come from the world of MWSD where choreography is seldom credited from the microphone. Not sure I ever heard anyone, except Dick Leger, give credit for a routine except occasionally a cued round dance, or a very occasional specialty dance. Dick Leger inserted traditional dance routines into his MWSD program, and often noted that he "stole" from callers like Roger Whynot. In MWSD callers often borrow routines that are inserted into a hash tip or a singing call, and thus they sound, and feel different with each caller. Many books are published with 64 step dance routines, and seldom is the origin of the routine listed. Calling and dancing is folk art, and I understood it a courtesy, not a requirement, to note who wrote the dances. Am I wrong in this understanding? If I were writing a book, or publishing a journal, then I would make every effort to find the author of a routine and give credit. As I dance more contras, I sometimes write the sequences down, but I seldom know the names, or the authors, of the dances. I have asked callers if they would email the list of dances to me and several have said yes, but only Dudley Laufman, actually followed through. (Thanks Dudley.) Should I not call a dance until the name and author are clear?
Rich ________________________________
