Some people are also uncomfortable flirting with people of the opposite gender, as well. Or people who are older or younger, or who knows what. I don't think choosing dances based on assumptions about who's comfortable flirting with whom makes any sense. Instead, as callers (and, perhaps more importantly as organizers), it's important to foster a community where everybody understands that it's important to respect others' boundaries. Flirty dances are those where there is an option, not an obligation, to flirt.
I don't think people newcomers who are uncomfortable with flirting (or with flirting with somebody of the same gender or whatever) are really bothered by, say, having to touch somebody by the hand for 5 seconds during an allemande. If something's making them uncomfortable, it's how the other person doing that allemande chooses to behave that does so, not the dance's choreography. -Dave On Wed, Apr 3, 2013 at 12:10 PM, Janet Bertog <ja...@bertog.com> wrote: > Some people are uncomfortable being forced to flirt with a person of the > same sex. Some people are not uncomfortable. Those people who are not > uncomfortable are free to dance with same sex partners if they choose, but > it is their choice. Forcing people into a situation where they are > uncomfortable makes them stressed and unhappy, which can translate to the > people around them and increase the overall general stress of the room. If > you are in a gender-free dance then the assumption is that you will be > dancing with whoever, but most dances are not gender free. > > Janet > > > -----Original Message----- > From: callers-boun...@sharedweight.net > [mailto:callers-boun...@sharedweight.net] On Behalf Of Aahz Maruch > Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2013 11:43 AM > To: Caller's discussion list > Subject: Re: [Callers] Suggestions for particularly flirty contra dances? > > On Wed, Apr 03, 2013, Janet Bertog wrote: > > > > In my experience these dances increase the stress level, I would > > recommend against calling them. > > Could you expand on that? > -- > Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 > http://rule6.info/ > <*> <*> <*> > Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > call...@sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > call...@sharedweight.net > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers > -- David Casserly (cell) 781 258-2761