XPost: rec.folk-dancing, rec.arts.dance   
   From: mh@nixspam.com   
      
   > This is not to disparage the great contribution and enormous work that has   
   > been done to collect these videos, but I do want to give you this warning:   
   > these videos should only be construed as representative of that particular   
   > folk dance group on that particular night.  In no way have the videos been   
   > vetted for "authenticity" (whatever that may mean; maybe it means   
   > "conformance to the prevailing version").   
   >   
   > All I know is that I looked at the eight dances that I thought I knew and   
   > they varied from my recollection (and syllabi).   
   >   
   > There is no great replacement for learning a dance from a master teacher.   
   > Use them as a tool -- one data point -- when trying to reconstruct a   
   > dance.   
      
   That's clear and everybody understands that. And don't forget: what you   
   learn, is also a variant. For some dances there are dozens of variations,   
   even within a small region, not to mention world wide.   
   Nobody stated that those videos display the only allowed way to dance it.   
   It's a snapshot. For some of those dances you find multiple variants on my   
   website. And that's the beauty.   
   And better, then having to understand a written dance instruction...   
      
   Mario   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)