Thanks for your commentary, Erik. In regards to the direction of balances before allemandes, I agree for the most part, but I see one aspect you left out: eye contact. I know not everybody uses eye contact when balancing towards someone, just as not everybody uses eye contact in swings or allemandes, but many folks do, and I know folks who find the eye contact first with one person, then with another during a right-left (or left-right) balance to be not only very satisfying, but an important social component of the figure.
I have a tendency to look at dances in a very technical manner, when calling as well as when dancing or playing. I consciously try to let that go when it is unnecessary. When deciding on the wording to use for a dance, I try to consider whether it **really** matters to the momentum to specify what direction the dancers balance in, or to let them enjoy it as they will (coming from what may be a last bastion of hands-across-star-by-default, I do this for star grip as well). For a different point, if the balance before the allemande is by one hand only—instead of, say, from a wave—balancing toward-away-from the person often makes more physical sense than a half-supported forward-back. In regards to circles, circumference, and styling, I love the points you make. I enjoy when callers bring up (carefully selected) style notes for oft-ignored aspects of the dance, such as how radial distance affects speed (and, therefore timing) in not only circles, but allemandes and two-hand-turns. My recent crusade (to be a bit hyperbolic) has been "turning takes time" during down-the-halls. Time will tell how effective it is at alleviating line drift... On Sun, Aug 21, 2016 at 4:31 PM, Erik Hoffman via Callers < [email protected]> wrote: > There’s been a discussion on balancing forward & back, or right & left, or > starting the balance left, then right when the balance precedes a left > allemande. And there’s been a discussion on the timing of circles. Like, > does a circle left ¾ take 6 or 8 beats? And how long should a circle left > 1¼ take? > > > > *Balances & Direction* > > > > I think it was Cammy Kaynor who told me he always teaches, “Balance in the > direction you’re going to go.” This, as stated, is obvious in a box > circulate: you’re going to go forward after the balance. It’s also obvious > in a Rory O’More type balance: the balance is right, then left making that > right slide or twirl gratifying. And it’s the one place where we do teach > the left then right balance, to make that slide/twirl left so cool. Now, > consider the allemande: > > > > The initial motion of an allemande is forward. The connection of arms is > what turns the forward motion into a circular motion. It is not very > satisfying to balance right—tension in the left arm—then left—no tension in > the left arm—then go into an allemande left. But a forward & back creates > some loss of tension in both arms, then tension in both arms, and you can > even favor tension in the left arm facilitating a wonderful launch into > that left allemande. When doing this there is no need to alter our “normal” > right then left balance. Thus I’ve strongly adopted the above rule: *Balance > in the Direction you’re going to go*. And remember: the initial direction > of an allemande—any allemande—is forward. Thus following this rule yields > satisfying results whether the balance precedes a left or a right > allemande. I try to bring this up whenever I teach a dance. > > > > *Circles, Allemandes, & Circumference* > > > > Back in the old days (when I started dancing in the 1980s), callers could > and would give styling points. We did dances where, in 8 beats, we might > allemande left once, dances with an 8 beat 1½ allemande, and dances, like > Hull’s Victory, where we’d make it twice around in 8 beats. Some of us were > taught that we could get a good connection and give good weight by varying > the circumference of the circle we traveled. Keep arms wide, travel a > larger circle, and once around in 8 beats feels great! Pull in close, and > you can make it around twice in 8 beats. > > > > At times there has been discussion about how a circle left ¾, swing > someone is a 6, then 10 beat set of figures. I think of it as 8 & 8, but > let dancers do whatever they want. Then we have a circle left ¾, ring > balance, California twirl. The timing of this is definitely 8, 4, 4. > > > > It is easy to have a good connection, give good weight in a circle ¾, and > make it last 6 or 8 beats by expanding or contracting the circle. Aware > dancers will adjust to make the move fit the timing of the dance. Circle > left ¾ into a balance: make the circle bigger so the path is a bit longer. > Want that extra two beats of swing? Contract the circle, and get there > early… > > > > I do agree that a circle left 1¼ in 8 beats does not work well. So, make > the circle a bit bigger and turn it into a zesty 12 beats. > > > > Erik Hoffman > > Oakland, CA > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net > >
