Hi Austin,
I’ve always found balances in lines to be fun. Yes, it is a different
feeling from a Wave Balance, but so is a standard Petronella Balance. The
whole line spinning together is great as well.
I can’t agree that the “ideal” Wave Balance is Right/Left. That is
only true when the next move is something like Allemande Right. If the next
move is Allemande Left then you end up too close together for a satisfying
Allemande; in that situation Balance Left/Right is much more satisfying. And
if the next move is to move forwards to a new Wave (i.e. Extend) then a Balance
Forward/Back gives a much more satisfying help to your forward momentum.
I wish more callers would specify which way to balance! When they
don’t and the dancers are balancing the wrong way, then I tend to do it
Forward/Back; Forward/Back works well whichever direction you are going in next.
Regarding terminology, Balance and Set are synonymous. See Ralph A
Piper’s article “50 Variations of the Balance”: “the term balance superseded
the term “setting” to partners or corners”. In my experience when people do a
Petronella Balance, some go Step-Stamp and some go 1-2-3. They are both
included in Ralph’s document. My understanding is that Contra Dancers in the
1950s liked to do a different balance each time they did a Balance & Swing down
the line, showing off how clever their footwork was. The older term was
Foot-It, which I generally assume to mean, “Fill the rest of the music with
fancy footwork to impress your partner”.
As Larry Jennings says in “Zesty Contras”:
“Balance: Dance most any appropriate way for four counts; use your freedom and
fit your mood. ... It is left to the dancers, perhaps with advice from the
caller, to move forward and back, or to move from side to side.”
In this figure I would advise the dancers to move side to side, going
to the right first. When they get used to it I am sure dancers will make
something of the move.
So when I use the term “Set” in my notes I could equally well have said
“Balance”. :-)
Happy dancing,
John
John Sweeney, Dancer, England [email protected] 01233 625 362 & 07802 940
574
http://www.modernjive.com for Modern Jive Events & DVDs
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk for Dancing in Kent
From: Callers <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Austin Paul
via Callers
Sent: 18 October 2018 19:53
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Callers] Oval Petronella critique
Regarding the Oval Petronella figure:
Admittedly, I haven't tried dancing it, but it doesn't seem that appealing.
Most of the satisfaction I get from a balance comes when two dancers are both
moving towards or away from a shared handhold and can share weight accordingly.
Think of your ideal balance in ocean waves of 4: step right, step left. Now
contrast that with a wave balance where your neighbor steps the wrong way
first, meaning the two of you move in the same direction: that shared handhold
loses all its energy. It's very underwhelming.
If the balance is done in long lines with everyone moving the same way, then
the hand hold lacks energy. (As an aside: LLFB doesn't even tend to get the
good handhold energy it deserves). I did notice John Sweeney called it "Long
Lines Set Right & Left" on his website, and not in fact a Balance, which seems
much more accurate. Not wanting to get into the issue(s) of wanting contra
dancers to appreciate "setting" and other figures from ECD, I see it devolving
into a hokey 4-beat 'shuffle' on the floor.
Granted, that's one opinion. I'm sure others disagree.
Best,
Austin
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