Great point. Hard to naysay vigor and enthusiasm in dancing, yet I get hurt that way too sometimes. Guess all a caller can do is encourage respect and attention.
-------------------- Lindsay Morris CEO, TSMworks Tel. 1-859-539-9900 [email protected] On Tue, Feb 18, 2014 at 10:46 AM, Linda Leslie <[email protected]>wrote: > Dear George, > I am so glad that you brought up this issue. I have noticed it, too, and > also see that the whacking has become a prelude to a balance (yikes!) for > some dancers. It will be interesting to hear from callers how we might > approach this challenge. For me, although I have no particular arm or > shoulder problems, I simply don't like the gesture. Usually I do say > something like "a gentle connection works better for me", or a related > sharing. But I have also used the "ouch!" with success. > > I wonder if it comes from "high five"?? > Linda > > > On Feb 18, 2014, at 9:12 AM, George Mercer wrote: > > I guess this is tangential to the hands/allemande discussion, but it has >> been a source of personal pain for me for some time. Over the past decade >> or so more and more people, many of them pretty good long-time dancers >> (both men and women), have approached me for an allemande with a >> percussive >> force akin to a punch or slap. Wham! I have a variety of hand/arm issues >> and the percussive impact of the initial allemande contact sends a jolt >> all >> the way up to the shoulder. I have been forced to hold my hand/arm back >> until the last second (when the force has dissipated) or even set it up so >> the other dancer whiffs past my hand altogether. When did whacking >> someone's hand for an allemande become acceptable or appropriate? This >> may >> not be a problem for others, but for me it has the same result as the >> death >> grip, bent wrist, thumb wrench, and other allemande problems -- pain. >> Thanks. >> >> >> On Tue, Feb 18, 2014 at 7:45 AM, Lindsay Morris <[email protected] >> >wrote: >> >> Don's photo illustrates the "OSHA-approved" grip I mentioned. It's not >>> the >>> intuitive thing to do, so callers would do well (IMHO) to promote it. >>> >>> Jonathan, the "thumbs-up" position is different, and puts one at risk of >>> injury or just awkwardness (like, when a new dancer grabs my thumb with >>> their whole hand- ick). >>> >>> "Hand manners" in general would be a good topic - and how callers can >>> promote good ones. >>> >>> -------------------- >>> Lindsay Morris >>> CEO, TSMworks >>> Tel. 1-859-539-9900 >>> [email protected] >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Feb 17, 2014 at 10:03 PM, Don Veino <[email protected] >>> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>> >>> [Lots of other posts trimmed...] >>>> >>>> Similar to a previous comment, and knowing one size does not fit all, I >>>> >>> try >>> >>>> to preface any "style points" with a fellow dancer with "it would help >>>> me >>>> if..." and then describe or show my desired interaction behavior. Puts >>>> >>> the >>> >>>> issue totally on me and makes it sound like I'm asking a favor of them >>>> to >>>> adjust to my needs, not correcting them -- if it leads to further good >>>> >>> form >>> >>>> from them generally thereafter, so much the better. I've not had a >>>> >>> negative >>> >>>> reaction to this since I started doing it. >>>> >>>> BTW, for allemandes I use a connection that I picked up somewhere in my >>>> contra travels (which sounds a lot like some of he best practices >>>> >>> described >>> >>>> to this point). I find this to be fairly common where I dance. As a >>>> >>> picture >>> >>>> is worth a thousand words, here it is (note I'm torqued slightly in >>>> these >>>> due to holding the camera with the other hand for the photo -- the >>>> normal >>>> connection is neutral and unstressed but results in good weight): >>>> >>>> >>>> https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3My2DFMxZpOb3g1MVJWSS1lOGc/ >>> edit?usp=sharing >>> >>>> >>>> -Don >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Callers mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>> Callers mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >> Callers mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers >> > > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/callers >
