Flutterby™! : I think that I can muster up a little 2013-05-17 23:26:14.960298+00

I think that I can muster up a little

2013-05-17 23:26:14.960298+00 by Dan Lyke 10 comments

I think that I can muster up a little soft shoe gentle sway, 'cause I feel like dancin'. All weekend. Off to Stumptown Stomp in Guerneville.

Damn, I'm sore. Ended up dancing a passable "girl" at the "Mainstream" level when we ended up boy heavy, though I need to work on being twirled. But mostly dancing "boy".

Also learned to not trust Taminations when it suggests that some variants of "Plus" level calls are only called in "A" or better tips.

And I'm getting better at cues, but I've apparently also got a (good) reputation as being a very gentle dance leader, so I need to make sure that my cues are always hints and not blatant shoves.

Having been shoved and injured and given up contra in response, I certainly appreciate a gentle leader. There should be mandatory training. There were two blatantly rough leaders at the Chattaboogie dance weekend a couple years ago that I'm trying hard to forgive.

#Comment Re: made: 2013-05-20 15:08:13.31139+00 by: meuon [edit history]

The hard core Contra dancers refer to them as "left" and "right" positions, and I've danced "switch" quite a few times. Once with a big burly redheaded guy that was a blast, we kept swapping places which confused people a little, he'd put on girlish moves and giggle. We were both laughing so hard we made a lot of mistakes. Contra dancers are resilient though.. hard to really mess up their heads.

One of the "Rough Leaders" Nancy refers to is better referred to as an "arrogant prick with anus/cranial inversion syndrome" whome avoids me for good reasons.

Yeah, one of the things I try to not do is ever actually grab a hand. I can provide a hook in case someone wants to generate some torque off of me (and having my weight in a place where it can both support the people just passing by and the people who want a boost is a delicate balance), but only actually grip as a signal (Charlene mentioned that several dancers were giving a double-squeeze right before the home position when the girls are rotated, and that's helpful).

And also as challenging is styling: Aside from the people who don't like to be twirled or spun there are at least 3 different ways to turn someone, two do-sa-does (and three different options in a place where a do-sa-doe might happen), trying to negotiate those things in split seconds executing moves is challenging.

Oh - don't get me started on the guys who think every girl wants to spin like a top! I didn't mind spinning, but some of them seemed to think it was a competition sport. And at least one was evil about spinning me more when I asked for less. No really does mean no, boys...

And the guy who shoved me did it as a correction to my direction, and he was actually in the wrong - not only in shoving me, but also in that I was going the right direction already. Unfortunately I had some good momentum going and I'm still overcoming the effects of his shove. Not the least of which is I will not dance contra again - not in an open group, anyway. Which is a sad thing, but there you have it.

The guy Meuon's referring to is the only person I actually punched while contradancing. And he wasn't the one who shoved me - come to think about it, contra may not be for me on multiple levels...ha...tho' I do think the punching story is pretty funny and will tell it to you one day if you'd like ;-)

Wow. I totally can't assume a spin. Heck, I don't even assume duck-under for a 180° move like a California Twirl; and it's amusing that some of the people who grab a hand and spin under are 6'+ 250lb+ bears, and some of the dancers who'll just tap your fingers and finish the move on their own are 5'2" tiny femmes.

well, any story I think is better in person! Maybe you and Charlene should come for a visit again! We were hoping to be out in that area this fall, but I can't get enough time off work for Mike to tack on a few days to my trip to San Diego, so I'm just there and back without any time to spare, sadly. I dream of taking him on the Story Book Canal at Disneyland - my favorite ride. ;-)

So...this guy Meuon's referring to, who unfortunately for everyone just sort of puts off sleeze/slime vibes, snapped his fingers at me -- no, it's been a long time... he might have whistled like you would to a dog -- to get my attention during a dance. Either way, he snapped or whistled and I asked him to please not snap or whistle at me like I was a dog. He did it again, right in my face and probably thinking he was being funny, but I was not amused. I told him that if he did it a third time I would punch him. He did. I did.

I have four brothers and they taught me how to punch. I hit him just inside and below the shoulder and he grabbed his arm and whined like a baby. (I'd say he whined like a girl, but that isn't really appropriate, is it?)

I gave him fair warning, so I tried not to feel badly. I figure I could have threatened something much more damaging.

Meuon was in another line and didn't see it and when I told him about it his first reaction was to hurt him again, but then he decided I'd already handled it and he just kept his eye on him.

After that, the guy was always sure to stay in a different line that I was in and that was fine with me.

My parents did not whistle or snap for us or at us and, obviously, doing so bothers me. I had a boss snap his fingers at me. Once. I didn't hit him(!)...but I told him I'd walk out on the spot if it happened again. If I see parents snapping or whistling at their kids it makes my skin crawl. Somehow a long distance whistle to call everyone in is okay - although we had a dinner bell for that and knew what time to be home - but if they're within earshot or yelling distance, it just bothers me.

I have been peripherally following some of the Yet Another Perl Conference community meltdown alluded to by John Anderson in the "big dongles and forking repositories" thread, and been thinking again about membership in communities, and working for change from within the community vs going and finding another community.

Oh, and yes we should find a way to get together. I owe family in Ohio a visit this summer, so not sure yet when...