I’ve yet to personally encounter a request for terminology usage with which I can’t comfortably work. If an organizer(s) wants me to use “jets” and “rubies”, I’ll do it.
Absent such a request, I usually state that my own use of the terms “gent” and “lady” has to do with choreography, not biology, and anyone can dance either role. I often say, “In your partnership, whoever wants to dance the lady’s (gent’s) role stand on the right (left)”, and, in walk-throughs, “whoever’s being the lady (gent) ______ (chain; allemande left; pass right shoulders; dos-a-dos; etc., etc.)”. Experienced dancers often contradict this advisory when they insist that a couple who haven’t crossed while waiting out at the end do so. In most instances, I believe the intent to be helpful, rather than homophobic. At family dances, when setting up a basic longways dance, I’ve long referred to one line as the “wolves” and the other as the "bears”. The animated howling and growling which usually ensue feel compatible with a light-hearted party atmosphere free of restrictive expectations and prejudices. I often wind up using the terms throughout the event. I like “global terminology” a lot and use it whenever practicable during a “regular” contra dance evening. However, I do find locally accepted and familiar role identifiers to be greatly helpful to the teaching/learning process in some circumstances. I think a lot about the belief that replacing the “gent” and “lady” everywhere would result in more people contra dancing. I suppose we’ll never know unless we try. I’m not sure why I’m not yet sure I want to. David Kaynor > On Feb 13, 2017, at 10:30 AM, Aahz via Callers > <callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > > On Mon, Feb 13, 2017, Read Weaver via Callers wrote: >> >> As far as I know, all of the ongoing gender-free English country >> dances use a different system, "global terminology." It's based on >> current position rather than role, and so doesn't have to use a >> substitute for gents/ladies. There are a small number of dances for >> which it's awkward, though I've had callers present me with something >> they couldn't figure out the global terminology for and I've usually >> been able to, usually resulting in easier teaching and calling than >> the gendered version. There was one ongoing contra dance decades ago >> that used a similar system. > > You have any examples? Both the original and the converted version? > -- > Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/ > <*> <*> <*> > Help a hearing-impaired person: http://rule6.info/hearing.html > _______________________________________________ > Callers mailing list > Callers@lists.sharedweight.net > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net
