"Lead," "Follow," and Techno Contras

4/23/2012

From http://youtu.be/fObawDvUAPg

As someone who usually dances the follow's role, I've noticed something interesting and I'm not sure if my experience is unique or not: at most traditional contra evenings I go to, I might end up dancing lead (not switch, where we trade, but straight-up lead) once or twice in the evening, tops. When I've gone to techno contras, on the other hand, I've ended up dancing lead a bit more often. I'm not sure if this is a matter of there are fewer people at the average techno contra than the average traditional contra I've been to (and so it's more likely that there's a gender imbalance and more available people who dance the "lady" than the "gent" roles) or if something else is at work.

On the other hand, my partner, who usually dances lead, reports that he usually has zero problem finding partners and that they're usually lining up to dance with him and that the only time he ends up dancing follow is when he dances switch.

It is also worth noting that usually these dances where I've seen this are not billed as gender-free, so it may just be that I'm in a minority of women who are willing to lead (and hopefully do so reasonably competently). I've had several really fun dances as both a lead and as a follow (and plenty of fun ones dancing switch), so it's certainly not a complaint, merely a trend I've noticed. Maybe it's just that more people who dance the "lady" role end up at techno contras where we've headed (mostly the mid-Atlantic)?

Anyone else find this or see something I'm missing? Or, for that matter, find the opposite to be true?

Perry

4/22/2012 08:53:41 pm

One thing that I'd like to point out. It is OK, in my view, to use the terms "lady" and "gent" and consider them not genders but dance roles. I hate the terms "lead" and "follow". The reason for that is that contra dancing is not couples dancing, where the gent always leads and the lady always follows. There are MANY situations where the lady leads. I just got back from NEFFA and participated in one session called "Women in Charge Contras". Here are some moves encountered in that session: a right and left through with the lady on the left. A gent's chain with the gent on the right. Ladies picking up men for a star promenade/butterfly whirl. Ladies rolling away gents. I can understand the desire to use gender titles and try to designate the dance as gender free - but I just don't like "lead" and "follow" because they are kind of misnomers. Just a thought. And I know - I didn't answer your question, did I? ;)

Ryan (blogger) link

4/23/2012 05:42:44 am

Perry: I see your point on the words being roles rather than references to the actual gender of the dancers, but I respectfully disagree with you on the bigger picture. "Lady" and "gent," while traditional, are loaded words, and frankly I suspect they're part of why more people -- especially men, I find -- aren't willing to dance the "other" role without explicitly being at a gender-free event (even if it would make them better dancers to do so from time to time).

To speak to your specific example, I think it's neat that someone led that workshop at NEFFA, but how many of the moves in that workshop are usual in contras? (For example, in five years of contra dancing just about every weekend, I don't think I've ever seen or danced a right and left through with the lady on the left or a gents' chain with the gent starting on the right. The other ones I've seen a few times, but maybe this is a geography-limited experience thing. Any callers who might be watching this thread, you are more than welcome to change that the next time you call Glen Echo, MD.)

The gender free contras have sometimes used "bands" and "bares" but I can't say as I'm a fan of that nomenclature personally, as they sound rather alike to me (and what about people who want to dance switch, changing roles back and forth during a given dance?).

This does seem to be an ongoing issue, though: if "lead" and "follow" are misnomers and "lady" and "gent" are loaded, what might you suggest as an alternative naming scheme?

Perry

4/23/2012 11:50:05 am

I dunno - there was a gender-free dance also at NEFFA and I didn't wear any armbands and neither did my partners, but I definitely agree that "arm bands" and "bare arms" are too close. I do see how "men" and "women" are loaded" terms but they do appropriately define the roles. We still say "ladies chain" and "men allemande left" and know that whoever is playing that role does the move.

Ryan (blogger) link

4/23/2012 01:32:06 pm

I guess that may be the big question here -- do the dancers define the roles, or do the roles define the dancers?

Peter

5/3/2012 04:58:44 pm

I'm going to call sampling error. I have been to techno/crossover contra dances that were gender imbalanced in both directions.

I noticed at the first Contra Sonic in the Annex, there were more gents available to dance toward the end of the evening than ladies. The gents were more open to partnering with other gents than usual, though. I would chalk that up to the rigid traditionalists skipping techno contra events, leading to a more open and adventurous audience.

More notably at Glen Echo, I have been to a couple of Sunday night dances where there was a lot of forcing people into figures and barking orders, while I didn't notice that at the Contra Sonic dances. I wouldn't be surprised if ladies were avoiding the regular dances in favor of the more chill Contra Sonic experience.

Ryan link

5/5/2012 09:21:45 am

Interesting comparison between two of the DC series -- I hadn't noticed that as much but I'll take a look next time I go dance on a Sunday. I don't see it a whole lot at the Friday dance, but then it also has a longer lesson and a higher regular percentage of new people.

dest/jess(ie)/etc.

5/4/2012 12:48:06 pm

Two thoughts.

First, as regards the issue of nomenclature--I respect anyone's desire to use any term for the roles they darn well please. Personally, however, i typically use "lead" and "follow" because they more closely resemble what i usually see without implying limits to me that i'm not prepared to accept. Leads don't always lead (which i define as initiating flourishes or other variations), but most variations and flourishes are designed to be done from a lead position. Follows don't always follow, but they usually do. By comparison, i feel like a lot of men (particularly older men) of my acquaintance have a harder time with the idea of dancing "the ladies part" than they might do "dancing follow". Of course this doesn't include the guy at my dance who gets all squidgy about any move that causes a male dancer to touch his torso, but your mileage may vary. The point is that i'm less worried about follows feeling like they're not allowed to lead or leads thinking they have to lead everything and more worried about men and women thinking that there's only one acceptable dance part for them and they should only dance the other in case of necessity.
As for dancing both roles more often at techno events: In my experience, i tend to dance lead more often when i'm in amongst other dancers my age and younger. Many (not all) of the dancers i know of my parents generation aren't as comfortable with dancing a nontraditional role as i am, so they only do it if there aren't enough of the other role and they *really* want to dance. I dance lead for that reason too, but i also dance lead because i want to keep my hand in as it were, or because there's a follow i like dancing with. That expands things some. Additionally, i find that i can be a bit pickier about follows i'll lead than i am leads i'll follow. As a lead, my arm wears out quickly if i dance with a follow who doesn't give good arm (which i've found to be more problematic among experienced dancers of my parents' generation), and i love leading follows that will let me play a little (to the extent that i know how). A also usually end up asking others to dance when i lead and being asked when i follow. So i typically choose follows that are either very good or so new that i'm actively concerned with getting them dancing. With leads, by contrast, i typically only refuse if A. i've been dancing with them a lot and i don't want to be exclusive, or B. i've found their dancing so frustrating or their demeanor so off-putting that i can't be pleasant while dancing with them. This includes the ones where i think "Ok, normally, yeah, but right now i just don't have the energy to be there for them in the way they need."
As a result, i'm more likely to look for same gender partners at a techno contra where there are often more follows of the sort i most enjoy.
As an additional note, i know i more frequently dance lead when i'm out of town; my dance often has extra men who all want to dance lead, and i've met a lot of dancers who book their friends heavily and all but ignore anyone they don't know well. As a result, i'm more likely to hunt farther afield when i'm away from my home crew, which is often true at a techno contra.

Ryan link

5/5/2012 09:18:00 am

I am generally in agreement with you, Jess, but I really wish I knew how to program the option to give a standing ovation to your first paragraph.

Comments are closed.

"Lead," "Follow," and Techno Contras

Author

Archives

Categories