Posted on 07/10/2024 11:48:51 AM PDT by 7thson
I would like to run something by my fellow Freepers.
Swing dances were held about every Saturday evening, from 8 PM to midnight, by three dance troupes in the area. Usually, the groups that hold these events provide a 1-hour lesson – teaching the basic steps. At 9 PM, a band comes on the stage – swing, jazz, or rockabilly – and those that pay their money get to dance until midnight. Some good bands play there, and I was fortunate at one time to dance and listen to the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
One of the groups that sponsor the dances is Gottaswing. Gottaswing is a Swing dance organization, started and run by two individuals some years back. They not only sponsor the Saturday evening dances, but also provide classes for beginning and intermediate dancers.
I have been thinking about going back and this Saturday – 13 July – Gottaswing is sponsoring the event and sponsoring the event for next Saturday – 20 July. So anyway, I looked up their website for updates and came across their Frequently Asked Questions. Within the FAQ, is their Code of Conduct. A couple of statements in their Code of Conduct got my attention. Specifically, this - …everyone feels comfortable, safe, and has fun. And this -
Our dance community’s doors are open to everyone, and all should be treated with respect. Don’t use language or actions that would make anyone feel less welcome or safe; defer to a person’s preferred gender pronoun>. Refer to dance roles as “lead” and “follow” rather than gendered terms; For those unfamiliar with the terms “lead” and “follow” – the lead is usually male and the follower is usually female.
I am going to email the two owners of Gottaswing and ask a couple questions.
One – what occurred that a warning of using “preferred pronouns” must be issued to patrons?
Two – will those that want certain pronouns used for themselves, will they tell me what pronoun they want used or am I left to guess?
Third – for those of the LGBTQ community, will they identify themselves as such?
Once I receive an answer to my questions, I will post an update.
Thank you for reading.
I just recently started dancing with my senior friends in Las Vegas. It’s referred to as “lead and follow” here, and having done years of ballet as a child, it didn’t raise red flags for me and makes more sense when thinking of a troupe. It’s one of the few places I have issues with changing the terms.
I danced regularlyat glen echo for about 20 years from the early 1990’s to around 2015. Then irregularly after that. then with covid I quit altogether and moved from inside the beltway to leesburg. ... which is a little inconvenient for glen echo.
For the first 10 year I went swing dancing on saturday nights. for the second ten years, I went contra dancing on friday nights and sometimes on sunday nights. some sunday afternoons, I waltzed.
My wife and I were friends with a dance instructor. She did dance classes, and hosted several dinner dances a year, including a black tie New Years Eve dinner dance with a live orchestra.
Also, the Naylor Vinyard in Southern York (PA) county had monthly dances with live 1940s style orchestras in the summers until Mr. Naylor passed away in his late 90’s or early 100’s.
We also joined a dance club that held monthly dances.
Then the pandemic hit, and we stopped going out to dances, and last year my wife had knee surgery, and that put an end to our dancing. Also, the pandemic put an end to our dance instructor’s dances and dance lessons. The last I heard she got married to a motorcyclist, and is now motorcycling around the country.
I admit that I miss the dancing, but one must set one’s priorities.
I may not have been precise in my post. What I would like to know, is what is driving the use of specific pronouns? Let’s be blunt - stating that citizens are required to use specific pronouns are only for a specific group of citizens - the LGBQT community. Are those of the LBGQT community being denied service or entry to any establishment? Why are establishments declaring they are LGBQT friendly if no one is being denied service? What about myself? What if attempting to make me conform to the inanity and insanity of referring to a singular individual as they or us, or refering to a man as she or a woman as he, offends me? Do I then have the ability to ask for an apology? Can I sue if I feel that by forcing me to conform to speaking in a nonsensical manner offends me? Will I be denied service or entry if I refuse to participate in the insanity? Will I be denied service if I refuse to even recognize, converse, or respond to any individual? Or is the use of pronouns and the “right” to be offended only allocated to a particular community of citizens? If I show up at the ballroom wanting to address as thou, and someone refuses or scoffs at me, can I then have that individual removed from the ballroom?
There are generally more women than men at dance events. As a result, some women take up leading so they will get to dance more often. We have all four permutations, in differing percentages.
The dance community tends to regulate itself and its conduct. If someone is a jerk, they won’t get to dance much, even if they’re a good dancer.
Give your partner the best 3 minutes you can. Enjoy yourself. They’ll want to dance with you again.
I’m partial to “Your Y-ness”, but it rarely comes up.
Throw your partner over your head : )
The Explosion Rockets - Guitar Boogie
https://youtu.be/DtRjgrNPfVU?t=134
A more elegant dance
Fly Me To The Moon - Frank Sinatra - Wedding Dance - Pierwszy Taniec//Dance Zone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ly5OUkty7w
Ah, a rhetorical question. What bothers me was noticing the news anchors over a decade ago started using bad grammar- “so and so, she/ he, blah, blah, blah.” It made me want to scream and I couldn’t stand to listen or watch. When the mentally ill crowd insisted on special pronouns, it became clear that it had been planned social engineering, preparing for it.
Sorry, I misunderstood your intent. I’m 74, and I’m just as confused as you are. I usually use the pronoun that seems to accurately describe the individual. If he or she is offended. so be it. But, I’m retired and don’t need to worry about it.
I agree. When one of them says “indexes” when they mean “indices, I usually yell at the TV.
If they mention the pronouns thing, I wouldn’t darken the door.
They say, “…everyone feels comfortable, safe, and has fun.” I guess that “everyone” doesn’t include YOU. They’re offending YOU to kowtow to the freaks and perverts. Just MHO.
Sounded like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy......Don’t know if they’re still around or not.
We’re in the same boat. I am also retired, a widower, and with no one to answer to, I feel free to say what I want, when I want.
The print news media is just as bad.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.