Anyone else HATE dancing?

[marshlander]

Time for a bit of an admission. Although I generally speaking don't like dancing I have a soft spot for Scottish Country Dancing (please don't kill me). This is a bit of a problem if you are gay because its a gender specific form of dancing and people who 'cross-dance' without 'cross-dressing' just confuse everybody and neither me not any man of mine is going to cross-dress.

I run a ceilidh band and have NO qualms about encouraging same sex couples to dance together. I'm sure there must be others, but I don't think I am aware of any other gay callers.

If you want to dance with other men, morris, molly, rapper and longsword are great fun and can demand every bit as much precision as SCD if you get involved with a good side.

[fredv3b]

I run a ceilidh band and have NO qualms about encouraging same sex couples to dance together. I'm sure there must be others, but I don't think I am aware of any other gay callers.

I have often danced with female same-sex couples (not Lesbians AFAIK, just that not enough lads wanted to dance) and my personal experience has been generally one of confusion, trying to remember which of the ladies were, for the purposes of the current dance, actually gentlemen. Its OK so long as its a dance with a small set that stays together, but my favourites were all of the progressive variety.

Anyway its all a little academic as my bf has absolutely no interest in SCD whatsoever.

If you want to dance with other men, morris, molly, rapper and longsword are great fun and can demand every bit as much precision as SCD if you get involved with a good side.

I had to Google those!

[marshlander]

I have often danced with female same-sex couples (not Lesbians AFAIK, just that not enough lads wanted to dance) and my personal experience has been generally one of confusion, trying to remember which of the ladies were, for the purposes of the current dance, actually gentlemen. Its OK so long as its a dance with a small set that stays together, but my favourites were all of the progressive variety.

Women have always paired up at country dancing events, but I find men increasingly willing to do so, particularly younger ones. Older ones seem to need to have imbibed a certain amount of social oil first I try hard to think of ways of calling dances that do not refer to men and women, but it is not always easy, or indeed possible. Describing positions rather than dancers e.g. first corners/lines/couples, inner/outer, left and right seems to work in many cases. Frequently a pair of women will stand and argue with each other about who is the man until I state the obvious that neither of them is.

Anyway its all a little academic as my bf has absolutely no interest in SCD whatsoever.

What a pity!

[fredv3b]

Women have always paired up at country dancing events, but I find men increasingly willing to do so, particularly younger ones.

Even out in the Fens, my how the world changes!

I try hard to think of ways of calling dances that do not refer to men and women, but it is not always easy, or indeed possible. Describing positions rather than dancers e.g. first corners/lines/couples, inner/outer, left and right seems to work in many cases.

Well Bravo for that. I have to say that the difficulties of confusion are not helped by the fact that I require to imbibe a little 'social lubrication' to get me out on the dance floor.

[marshlander]

Even out in the Fens, my how the world changes!

Honey, out here we'll dance with anything. You should see me with a broom

[sox-and-the-city]

Funny you should all be having this conversation. I recently avoided the unoiriginally entitled 'Gaylidh' (Ceilidh put on by the LGBT society at our uni) not because i'm opposed to Ceilidhs, or Country Dancing i actually very much like them. Nor am i opposed to gays, i'm rather fond of them too, but to me combining the two is just mixing two completely different pleasures. It'd be like having a glass with half rioja and half cava. Yuck. Totally unnecessary, and quite ruinous to both. It's the one place where i think the rules and traditions have a standing so important that i frown very heavily on same-sex couples of any gender.

With women it CAN be acceptable if there is a desperate shortage of men, but not if there is a man standing (and thus not dancing). There is, literally, NEVER a shortage of men at such events and thus the whole two-men-dancing-together thing is just a total nono.

It's just not what country dancing is about.

Now before anyone calls me narrow minded or whatever i'd just like everyone to remember my arguments is EVERY other discussion we've ever had ever.

[marshlander]

Funny you should all be having this conversation. I recently avoided the unoiriginally entitled 'Gaylidh' (Ceilidh put on by the LGBT society at our uni)

I tried for years to get some interest in a gayleidh where people could dance without fear or embarassment with the partner of their own choice. Albert was a supporter of the idea, but it never happened. And, damn, I thought I invented the term

...not because i'm opposed to Ceilidhs, or Country Dancing ... It's the one place where i think the rules and traditions have a standing so important that i frown very heavily on same-sex couples of any gender.

...and thus the whole two-men-dancing-together thing is just a total nono.

It's just not what country dancing is about.

Now before anyone calls me narrow minded or whatever i'd just like everyone to remember my arguments is EVERY other discussion we've ever had ever.

Spoken like a Scot! Where else in the world can one find a written set of rules, nay laws, for traditional dancing? SCD is the antithesis of social folk dance.

I'm sometimes asked to play for events where there will be a lot of Scots. It is far too easy to get into deep trouble by accepting such gigs I generally steer well clear and leave those to people who know what they are doing.

I've never seen an English band attempt to play for an Eightsome Reel without at least one member of the band getting lost.

[sox-and-the-city]

Spoken like a Scot! Where else in the world can one find a written set of rules, nay laws, for traditional dancing? SCD is the antithesis of social folk dance.

Hardly, the ruels are there to KEEP it social. You dance with someone, you move on and dance with someone else. If you like someone you can dance another with them later. And in between dances you can get shitfaced.

Also i notice you omit the most important part of my point about the two men thing being a nono. A short reminder that there is literally never a shortage of men. That's the kind of paraphrasing that gets magazines like OK! and Hello! into so much trouble (though personally i think they should just be hung for their disgusting misuse of the humble exclamation mark. It's practically treason and i'm sure the queen would agree with me).:tongue::tongue::tongue::tongue:

It's maybe a wise choice, as you HAVE to get a ceildh right where Scots are concerned. The celtic soceity here put on AWESOME ceilidhs, with proper awesome bands who know EXACTLY what theyre doing, and some of the improv medleys they can put into the traditoinal dances are to die, i mean, proper awesome :biggrin::biggrin: Though i'm sure you and your band are more than capable of handling anything.

[Low__x]

I dance like a white bitch with epilepsy.
Coot God Almighty,

I can't dance for shit.
All I know how to do is shake my ass in a really hot way.
That's it.
And I can maybe..
swirl my hips.
BUT THAT'S IT!

Shitt, I feel ya, mann.
:c

[Dan1089]

I for one do not appreciate your language Low_x.GS might encourage freedom of expression and its up to you to carry that out in a non-offensive manner.