OK, I don't usually enter these discussions because, although I find reading the posts interesting, by the time I see them, every possible opinion has already been expressed, with approximately equal vehemence on all sides, and as a result I don't usually feel that I have much to add. However, in this case I'll chime in that I agree with Eric, that the interlocking thumbs is rather nice, at least for those who can tolerate it. For one thing, it is how I learned to dance, and it feels more "right" that way. For another, it provides (in my opinion) a more firm connection between the dancers. (Here, Larry Jennings' description - in Zesty Contras - of what he called a "zesty" dancing style comes to mind.) But, as I point out in my beginners' sessions, some people - I am married to one - prefer not to have their thumbs involved, so they will come to you "without a thumb showing"… so, take what they give you and work with it. No big deal.
Someone pointed out that the interlocking thumb grip doesn't fit their style of dancing, because (I gather) they do a lot of spinning, or something. That's fine, don't use the interlocking grip. In fact, please don't. No big deal. My main point is that personally, I would find it a loss if the interlocking grip went away entirely. I enjoy using it with others who know how to use it. On Feb 17, 2014, at 9:00 AM, [email protected] wrote: > Send Callers mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [email protected] > > You can reach the person managing the list at > [email protected] > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Callers digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Dances with three or more allemandes (Michael Fuerst) > 2. Re: Dances with three or more allemandes (Michael Dyck) > 3. Re: allemandes (Russell Frank) > 4. Re: Dances with three or more allemandes (Jerome Grisanti) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2014 09:43:11 -0800 (PST) > From: Michael Fuerst <[email protected]> > To: Caller's discussion list <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [Callers] Dances with three or more allemandes > Message-ID: > <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > > Thanks you Joy and Les for the suggested dances. ? ? > Does anyone have additional suggestions? > I think what I had in mind are dances where everyone allemandes 1 1/2 at > least once plus allemande 3/4 or more at least one additional time > ? > Michael Fuerst ? ? ?802 N Broadway ? ? ?Urbana IL 61801?????? 217-239-5844 > > > > On Sunday, February 16, 2014 10:25 AM, Aahz Maruch <[email protected]> wrote: > > On Sun, Feb 16, 2014, Erik Hoffman wrote: >> On 2/15/2014 10:32 PM, Aahz Maruch wrote: >>> On Sat, Feb 15, 2014, Michael Fuerst wrote: >>>> >>>> I should have said thumbs an wrapped around the other's hand. >>>> Interlocked was the wrong. >>> >>> <whew> I do know people who believe that interlocked thumbs are >>> correct, and I've been on a campaign to discourage the practice. ;-) >> >> So, Aahz, why do you want to eliminate it? I'm talking about the >> thumbs up as guideposts, fingers hooked around the others hand, a >> hook, not a grip, wrists straight, fingers curved. Is it just the >> safety issue? I play music. I teach music. I worry a lot about my >> hands! I have things I do to protect myself, and I don't let people >> grab and grip, or bend my wrist in some painful way. > > Oddly enough, as has been pointed out here, you are a somewhat large-ish > man -- that means your personal safety requirements are not necessarily > what's appropriate for the general dancer population. > > So yeah, it's pretty much all about safety from my POV.? Any kind of > spinning move out of allemande or wave risks yanking the thumb.? And > actually, my concern is more about waves than allemandes: the grip is > mostly the same for both and the spinning half-sashy is pretty much > standard these days. > > I have no idea what you mean by "guideposts", though; from my POV either > the thumbs are interlocked or they're not.? (If each person's thumb can > touch the other person's webbing between thumb and forefinger they're > interlocked.) > -- > Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? http://rule6.info/ > ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? <*>? ? ? ? ? <*>? ? ? ? ? <*> > Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2014 10:46:27 -0800 > From: Michael Dyck <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Callers] Dances with three or more allemandes > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > On 14-02-15 10:18 AM, Michael Fuerst wrote: >> >> So I am asking for dances which have at least three, and preferably four >> allemandes > > Searching my personal collection, I find: > > 6 allemandes: > "Al's Half a Heyday" [Al Olson] (but 2 are only 1/2) > > 5 allemandes: > "Jeffro's Tree" [Don Flaherty] > "Chuck the Budgie" [Rick Mohr] > "Remember the Alamo" [Gene Hubert] (but 4 are only 1/2) > > 4 allemandes: > "Two Whos in the Middle" [Al Olson] > "Chichester House Reel" [Steve Zakon] > "Dr Brown's Prescription" [David Kirchner] > > 4 allemandes, one of which is only 1/2: > "Coal Country Contra" [Ron Buchanan] > "Eric on Mondays" [David Kaynor] > "Al's Answer" [Al Olson -> David Kaynor] > "Hey in the Middle" [Tom Hinds] > "Thinking of John" [Erik Hoffman] > "Hull's Surprise" [Tom Hinds] > > 4 allemandes, two of which are only 1/2: > "Batja's Breakdown" [Tom Hinds] > "Ben's Spinoff #3" [Gene Hubert] > "Ben's Spinoff #2" [Gene Hubert] > "Southern Swing" [Steve Zakon] > "Fuller Park Fantasy" [Paul Balliet] > "Sunday on the Green" [Jim Kitch] (circle mixer) > > -Michael > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2014 11:40:45 -0800 > From: Russell Frank <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Callers] allemandes > Message-ID: > <CABSg-QF9RQavoNX5h_yaQCb12pwX3YeKRri=w26nsmewk-t...@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > Allemandes are my most frequent subject for rants, so I'll weigh in here > (briefly) as a very experienced dancer/ inexperienced caller. As a dancer, > the thing I have found most helpful personally is to make sure to keep my > hand well away from my chest and at least somewhat to the side. This allows > me free movement and gives me room to adjust to whatever the other person > may be doing. If I want to give more or less weight, I can use my bicep, > without straining wrist and fingers. (I also need to take larger steps or > walk faster to get around.) I'm not sure anything an ordinary caller says > can help much at this point, but pointing out that the arm should be > extended seems non-controversial and might help. > > At least in theory, I'm in favor of using thumbs as guideposts, because > they almost guarantee a good hand alignment (in my opinion), which is hard > to achieve otherwise. Disengaging the thumbs is an option, but it often > doesn't happen in the heat of dancing. In practice, I understand the need > to dance defensively, but the avoidance of thumbs has created some awful > habits. > > Russell Frank > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2014 20:09:41 -0600 > From: Jerome Grisanti <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Callers] Dances with three or more allemandes > Message-ID: > <cad6snus+koxrp5v3f_k8o805gzdbsklmcz79_f_jrajfu3b...@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > Aahz wrote to Erik: > >> >> I have no idea what you mean by "guideposts", though; from my POV either >> the thumbs are interlocked or they're not. (If each person's thumb can >> touch the other person's webbing between thumb and forefinger they're >> interlocked.) >> > > I believe most dancers can make a distinction between holding your hand in > a position (e.g. with interlocking thumbs), and gripping based on that same > position. How can we best communicate that difference? > > I ask people to feel the connection through their entire arm, and their > entire body, and I avoid the term "grip" as well. Also, I find that when > the music is faster than people are comfortable with, they tend to grip > more -- so before asking the dancers to change I might first start with the > band or other factors. > > I also remind dancers that they will eventually let go of the hand > connection they've made, and to make sure they allow other dancers to leave > them comfortably. > > Also, Lindsay spoke of saying "ouch," adjusting the offending hand, and > saying "sorry, carpal tunnel." This has the benefit of making it about him > -- "this is what works for me" -- moreso than making it about the other > person -- "you're doing it wrong." Hard to do in a short time without > practice, but worth practicing that attitude as a dancer so you can > communicate quickly and effectively. (Upon re-reading, this does appear to > support scripting comments for common quandaries). > > --Jerome > > -- > Jerome Grisanti > 660-528-0858 > http://www.jeromegrisanti.com > > "We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least > once." > -- Friedrich Nietzsche > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > > End of Callers Digest, Vol 114, Issue 33 > **************************************** >
