An occasional newsletter goes out to alumni of the Silver State Caller College. It discusses topics related to the art and science of calling square dances.
 

November 26, 2006  Developing choreo "Split Circulate 1-1/2"

Howdy!

Please feel free to forward this info to others. Do mention the fact that Doug Davis and I run a couple of good caller schools each year, and we can only do it if people participate! We appreciate your participation in the past and look forward to more in the future!

Today's musing is aimed mainly at experienced callers but hopefully all can follow along. Let's talk about a choreographic theme. Let's play with the idea from a normal 8-chain thru: Touch 1/4, Split Circulate Once and a Half. What kind of trouble can we get into and out of with this theme? Let the play begin!

Sequence #1, from normal 8 chain thru:

  Touch 1/4
  Split Circulate Once and a Half <... now we're in Diamonds>
  very center two girls trade <... for leftward flow, to reverse the spin>
  Boys Face In
  Extend
  Girls U-Turn Back <... now we're in normal facing lines>

then resolve it

Next, let's get just a little bit more involved:

Sequence #2, from normal 8 chain thru:

  Touch 1/4
  Scoot Back
  Split Circulate Once and a Half <... now we're in Diamonds>
  very center two Boys trade <... for flow, to reverse the spin>
  Girls Face In
  Extend
  Boys Run <... now we're in normal facing lines>

then resolve it

Next, let's get kick it up a notch with Sequence #3:

  Touch 1/4
  Split Circulate Once and a Half <... now we're in Diamonds>
  very center two Girls Trade
  Girls Swing Thru, while the
  Boys Box Circulate
  Boys Face In
  Extend
  Girls U-Turn Back <... now we're in normal facing lines>

then resolve it

Might as well kick it up another notch with Sequence #4:

  Touch 1/4
  Scoot Back
  Split Circulate Once and a Half <... now we're in Diamonds>
  very center two Boys Trade
  Boys Swing Thru, while the
  Girls Box Circulate
  Girls Face In
  Center Boys run around the End Boy
  New Center two Boys Hinge
  Girls, working through the set, Touch 1/4 (with a girl)
  End two Boys face in
  everyone Extend <... now you're in a column>
  Single File Circulate
  Boys Run <... now we're in normal eight chain thru>

then resolve it

You can keep going as long as you wish. Simply kick it up one notch each time. And if you ever wanna get WAY outside the box, do all of the above left-handed!

- - - - -

You can go as far with these concepts as you wish. Keep pushing checkers until you come up with various sequences your dancers might enjoy. Check for good body flow, proper hand usage, degree of difficulty, certain dancers not standing idle for long periods of time, etc.

The main point is, start out just a LITTLE bit outside the box. Then take the dancers a little bit more, then a little bit more, etc. Start normal, get a little bit strange, then get stranger, before you get a LOT strange. Always keep your sequences short, so that if they break down, they don't stay broken down for very long!

Let's talk about resolving. If it were me, I would sight resolve each sequence above ... because I know I can sight 'em out fairly quick. That's actually a worthwhile goal for everyone to strive toward. Using the "States of the Square Method", you should eventually be able to sight-resolve any normal setup in just 4 or 5 calls.

If you can't sight 'em out that fast, or even if you can, I recommend you push your checkers to find a quick resolve for each setup. When the dancers make it through your well-crafted choreo idea, it kinda spoils the whole effect if they must then endure 12 or 15 plain-jane calls to get to the corner. You want most of your dance to be well-planned flowing choreo, instead of fishing for the corner.

Resolving is merely a mechanical act which is necessary after each well-planned sequence. The choreographic theme is FAR more important than the resolve. So it pays to invest time into making the resolve short and sweet, so that most of your dance is "the good well-planned Scherious Schtuff".

Let's work through a couple of resolves with checkers, to make sure we're all on the same page.

If you start the first sequence from a Zero Box, and push your checkers through the sequence, hopefully you'll end up in lines like this. (If you do NOT end up like this, then either you or I made a checker-pushing mistake!)

G4v B1v G3v B2v

B4^ G1^ B3^ G2^

Look at the square. Both couples have their partner in the same foursome, therefore it's a State Two. I often like to resolve at home. Notice that Couple #4 is practically standing on their home spots. If they do a Star Thru they will end up at home. There are of course several ways to resolve this setup. Let's consider a few of 'em.

(a) R&L Thru, turn a quarter more until the girls connect, Boys Trade, Ferris Wheel, centers Sweep 1/4

(b) Star Thru, center two girls U-Turn Back, shake right hands with each other and Pull By, all four centers face in, you're home.

(c) Maybe I like this one best because it's so simple even though it doesn't end up at home: Touch 1/4, Walk & Dodge, Left Allemande

The point is, put a little time and effort and checker-pushing into your resolving. Then the resolve can be just as special as the pre-planned choreography.

I am -not- advocating that you write down a sequence and then READ the sequence to your dancers. Rather, UNDERSTAND your choreographic theme. UNDERSTAND your progression from easy to more difficult. UNDERSTAND the flow and nuances of each sequence. Then call it for your dancers, in an enjoyable way so that you (and most importantly, THEY) get a feeling of success.

Now let's look at example #2. Start from zero box, push your checkers through it, and you'll end up thusly:

G4v B1v G1v B4v

B2^ G3^ B3^ G2^

Looking at the square, no one has their partner in the same mini-square so it's a State Zero. Whenever you have a State Zero, SOMEBODY has to circulate to the other foursome. So:

  Pass the Ocean, Boys Circulate

Now we have a State One Square, so let's continue:

  Recycle, centers face In, you're Home

Push the checkers and see what other kind of getouts you can come up with. The more you push the checkers, the more knowledge you gain and the more fun you and your dancers will have.

- - - - -

We are not even close to exhausting this basic choreographic idea (Split circulate Once and a Half). I'm sure each of you will discover many more things you can do on this same theme. The main point is to start easy, then kick it up one tiny notch at a time! Give the dancers frequent doses of success, and everyone comes out a winner!

Happy calling!

Nasser Shukayr

PS - any mistakes in the above sequences were put there intentionally, for you to find.

December 6, 2006  Various ways to set up a Box Circulate formation

Hi Wendy!

Thanks for your nice e-mail message! You ask good questions! I'm gonna go ahead and copy this to the whole group! You wrote:

> Playing w/ some walk & dodge sequences. Thought I could
> do something fun w/ it. Is it legal/ok to have the ladies
> (hds or sides) Simply pull by and not finish w/ a courtesy
> turn??? Or better to do the R&L Thru and have the same
> ladies U-turn back?

I assume you're trying to get people into Right Hand Box Circulate formation. "Ladies Diagonally Pull By" is a perfectly acceptable way to do this. Or "Ladies Diagonally Pass Thru". It works. These two variations are actually Advanced (diagonal pull by, also known as "anything and Cross") and Challenge (diagonal Pass Thru, also known as Jaywalk) moves. But you can call 'em directionally at Mainstream. If you can call something directionally and if your dancers can dance it with enjoyment, then it's perfectly fine at any level!

R&L Thru and the Girls U-Turn Back ... I like it! I like it because it has "reverse flow" (counter clockwise) instead of the much more common clockwise spiral we constantly subject our dancers to!

No matter how cool of a way you find to get into a certain formation, you still wanna explore various other ways as well. To today's modern dancers, even the coolest setup soon gets old, if overused. So from facing couples, how else can you get to a Box Circulate? How about Touch 1/4? Or, from any kind of waves, Single Hinge? At Plus, do you like Single Circle Three Quarters to a Wave? The possibilities are endless! The main point is, push them checkers and discover various pleasant ways to accomplish the same results!

I appreciate your question. Glad to hear you're pushing the checkers and coming up with cool routines! If there were a shortcut, I'd tell you what it is. Unfortunately, I don't know of a shortcut!! The work we do now pays off in the future!

December 8, 2006  Developing choreo "Acey Deucey 1-1/2"

Hi Stoney!

GOOD QUESTION! I like the way you think!

Your setup: Zero Box, Slide Thru, Pass the Ocean, Acey Deucey once and a half

Your question: How to get out from there.

Quick answer: take your time! There is a lot of very good dancing you can do from that formation. We don't use this formation nearly enough! Let's play with it, explore it, enjoy it, learn from it, and use it! We're in no hurry!

First, look at the formation and tell me something you can do from there. I see several possibilities even at Mainstream. Remember the girls have just used their Left hand to do their part of Acey Deucey 1-1/2. So for good flow you want the next move to be right handed.

Here are 5 possibilities right off the bat:

Possibility #1: Wave of six, Single Hinge

Possibility #2: Wave of six, Swing Thru

Possibility #3: Very center two girls Hinge

Possibility #4: Very center two girls Trade, then run (left around a girl)

Possibility #5: In the wave of six, the boy run (right around a girl)

There are other possibilities as well. Your list of possibilities will differ from mine, and also from everyone else's.

Let's look at just possibility #1 above: Wave of six, Single Hinge. What can you do next? Then, what can you do after that? Again, the possibilities are endless. So, play with this combination for a while, to see what kind of cool stuff you can come up with. After you've played with that possibility, go back and play with Possibility #2 above. Then #3. Then make up more possibilities. Stoney, your one setup is enough to keep the checkers busy for HOURS!

Here's an important step, which we must not leave out: How difficult will your choreo be? Difficult sequences are okay .... IF they are arranged in some kind of progression. Develop a "feel" for which things are easy, which are moderately difficult, which are intensely difficult, etc. Then present them to the dancers in increasing order of difficulty. Don't start out hard then get easier as the tip progresses. That would be backwards! Start out with easy success, then build on it.

Anyway, from your setup, in the interest of time, in this e-mail let's explore just Possibility #1. I pushed my own checkers and came up with this: (I changed your Acey Deucey to Mainstream terms. I always like caller schools to be Mainstream. Plus is very easy to call. Mainstream makes ya' think!):

Your Setup: (Zero Box: Slide Thru, Pass the Ocean, Boys circulate once and a half, Girls Cast Off 3/4)

Getout#1:
  Wave of six: Single Hinge
  the center Two-Faced Line: Bend the Line
  the others: Face Your Partner (beside you)
  All: Forward and Back
  Star Thru
  Trade By
  Left Allemande

Here's another one: (bear with me on this -- the next four lines do NOT actually resolve):
  Wave of Six: Single Hinge
  Outer Six dancers: Boys Walk, Girl Dodge
  center Two-Faced Line: Girls Run (left around the Boy)
  Everyone: Left Allemande

OOPS! It works except the sides need to change places. If couples 2 and 4 swap places, it works great. Fortunately, we can make that happen! Just preface the whole shebang with a Sides R&L Thru. In other words, instead of starting at Zero Box, start at Across the Street Box. So here's our final masterpiece:

Setup to Across the Street: Heads Star Thru, Pass Thru, Star Thru, Pass the Ocean, Boys Circulate Once and a Half, Girls Cast Off 3/4

Getout:
  Wave of Six: single Hinge
  Outer Six: Boys walk, girl dodge
  center two girls: Run (left around a boy)
  Left Allemande

If that ain't cool then I don't know what is! :-) And we discovered this just by pushing the checkers for a little while through just one possibility from your starting formation. The more we push the checkers, the more fun we can have!

I gotta tell ya', there's just no substitute for pushin' them checkers!

Thanks for your intriguing question! Glad to see that you're doing homework for the purpose of entertaining the dancers! I know they'll appreciate and applaud your efforts!

All the best,

Nasser Shukayr

December 9, 2006  Developing a getout using Acey Deucey 1-1/2

Someone we know and love wrote:

> hi nasser how about this one z b wave acey ducey 1 and half
> couples hinge 2 face line bend line end boy run ends p trade
> cen slide thru pass thru rand l thru alemande

It's a good start, but it's got a few problems. Well hey, you DID ask. :-) Okay, it's not all that BAD, but let's look at it, and let's figure out where and why it can be improved.

Start: Zero Box Wave
Call: Acey Deucey Once and a Half
Discussion: Good call. Interesting formation. You have a right-handed wave a six with two lonesome boys. This is a good thing. (In Mainstream terms of course it's "Ends Circulate Once and a Half, centers Cast Off 3/4".)

Call: Couples Hinge.
Discussion: Can't do that from here. Surely you meant "Wave of Six, Single Hinge". Let's pretend that's what you really meant. So ...

Call: Wave of Six, Single Hinge
Discussion: Great call. To do the Acey Deucey 1-1/2, the girls used their left hand. For this call, everyone uses the right hand. Alternating hands ... that's ALWAYS good stuff.

Call: Two Faced Line, Bend the Line
Discussion: Great call. During the previous call, six of the dancers were active (doing the Hinge) and two were just standing there. For sure you wanna get those two idle dancers back into the action as soon as possible. This call does exactly that. So far you've got a great sequence going.

Call: End Boy Run, Ends Partner Trade
Discussion: You're making that poor guy run in a circle. A 360 degree circle, by itself, is tolerable. However, what did they poor guy do just BEFORE this call? He just finished a Single Hinge (90 degrees of a circle). And just before the single hinge, he just finished another 90 degree arc (the last part of his Circulate Once and a Half). Let's add all those arcs: 540 degrees of continuous clockwise turning. That's overflow, big time. So let's fix it. You can simply call "Outside Girl, U-Turn Back" to get 'em where you want 'em. Overflow problem solved.

Call: Centers Slide Thru, Pass Thru
Discussion: This is okay. Normally, I like to use Star Thru instead of Slide Thru, unless there's a hand-usage problem (in which case use Slide Thru). But in this sequence the previous call (Bend the Line) and the next call (Pass Thru) are no-hands calls. So I recommend Star Thru instead of Slide Thru. I suppose I just don't trust ancers to dance without hands for long periods of time. :-) Calls with hands (such as Star Thru) give you tighter, more stable formations than no-hands calls (such as Slide Thru). Still, your way is -not- wrong. In theory, dancers should be able to dance long sequences with no hands. In actual practice, they cain't. :-)

Call: R&L Thru, Allemande
Discussion: Hand usage is "marginal". I'm not sure I would call R&L Thru, Left Allemande. (How about you, Doug, or anyone else who's reading this? ) :-) R&L Thru ends with a left hand. But the left hand is not really "tied up" after R&L Thru, so this usage is okay. Here's what I mean by "tied up". Think about where people's left hands are, at the end of a R&L Thru. The left hands actually end up in front of people's bodies. So this works. As long as the hand does not end up BEHIND people's bodies, that hand is available. So R&L Thru, Left Allemande is okay, even though I wouldn't personally call it. Hmmm, maybe I should call it more often. :-)

Here's the sequence we end up with:

Zero Box wave, Acey Deucey 1-1/2, Wave of Six Hinge, centers bend the Line, other Girl U-Turn Back, centers Star Thru, Pass Thru, R&L Thru the outside two, Left Allemande.

Good sequence. In fact, GREAT sequence. And to top it off, it's short enough to be memorized and used as a sweet getout module. Way to go! Thanks for sharing it!

Okay, Stoney has given everyone this sequence as a Christmas present. Who's gonna be the first to give Stoney a cool sequence in return?

Nasser "Ho Ho Ho" Shukayr

December 11, 2006  Smoothing out "Acey Deucey 1-1/2"

Hi Dean!

It's great to hear from you, and I appreciate your comments! I mostly agree with your assessment.

You wrote:

> I am not trying to be critical for being creative or
> sound negative, but I am not crazy about this call. I do
> use it (after lots of prep and build up ) the biggest
> problem I have is I find I need to prompt the wave of 6
> to do what I want.

You're exactly right: dancers often resist a strange formation. It goes completely against their concept of what's "normal".

> For example I usually say "in the wave of 6 swing thru"
> etc. etc. As you said you have two lonesome people hangin'
> out there and need to get them back in the action. I have
> found that even after I do something for them then I have
> to get em out of this ...

I mostly agree, except for the part about "I -have- to get 'em out of this". We spend an awful lot of time and effort getting people INTO weird setups and getting people OUT of weird setups. But we spend almost no energy on letting them DANCE in weird setups. So nowadays I'm not in that much of a hurry to get people out of things. There's a lot of good dancing to be found inside weird setups. Anyway, continuing with what you wrote:

> ... by telling the lonesome man or out facing girl to do
> something. Say, after... "in the wave of 6 single hinge",
> then in the 2 faced line bend the line, now back to the
> out facer.. you U turn back, or run. I guess the biggest
> problem I have with the whole thing is I spend to much
> time talking and explaining what I want and trying to get
> out of it rather than calling. I also don't think it
> provides for smooth dancing.

I agree completely. There's a kind of calling I refer to as "Pick Calling". That's where you pick out just two dancers, have them do something, then pick another two, have them do something, etc. For example:

  Just the outer two boys, U-Turn Back
  Just the very center two girls: Hinge
  The other two girls: Face Right
  The centermost boys, Face Left
  Everyone: Watch the outermost two girls watch you watch them trade

It's a drag! People would much rather dance than watch! "Pick Calling" is never good (even though sometimes it's necessary). It always better to have dancers moving rather than standing around.

Having said that, some of the tippity-top advanced and challenge callers can create material which keeps everyone constantly moving and flowing, even at the super-high levels. Jeanna and I danced to one of 'em last night. So we know that mind-bending choreo which still flows well is at least possible!

> I also don't and wouldn't use it more than once or twice
> per night.

I agree.

> There is a well known national caller who I like and
> dance to lots, but he spends to much time in my opinion
> doing just this, cuing the dancers to do something weird,
> like in your disconnected diamond circulate, or in your
> big box... xyz etc. Maybe he's trying to direct dancers
> thru an Advanced or Challenge call. Like I sometimes
> direct plus dancers thru 6x2 Acey Deucy or Transfer
> the Column. I guess you get my drift.

As a dancer, I would enjoy the variety ... occasionally! Any variety done too often ceases to be variety.

> As I said I use Acey Deucy 1 1/2 but it takes to
> much explaining to get out of it. Just my input.

I appreciate your input. I hope you'll try it again and instead of focusing on getting out of it, focus on the timing and dancing.

For example, instead of Acey Deucey 1-1/2, I almost always use:

   Ends Circulate Once and a Half, Centers Hinge

Now WHY did I have the centers hinge instead of Cast Off 3/4? Because both positions will finish at about the same time, ready for the next call. And I try to give 'em the next call before they finish the previous one.

Here's a neat and quick getout I like to use from Across the Street Box wave: (i.e. Heads Pass the Ocean, Extend):

Set up the formation:

  - Boys Circulate Once and a Half, Girls Hinge

Dance a bit once you're in the formation:

  - Wave of Six, Swing Thru
  - Four Boys, Diamond Circulate
  - Wave of Six, Swing Thru

Get out:

  - Boys who are in the wave, Run Right
  - Very center two Girls Hinge
  - Four Girls, Diamond Circulate, twice
  - Four Boys, Big Diamond Circulate
  - everyone Bend the Line
  - You're Home

You can also use this routine as a bucket-stir. Just change the two Girls Diamond Circulates to one, and leave out the final Boys Diamond Circulate.

It's not always possible for all material to dance smoothly. There must be balance between puzzle-solving and dancing. Today's dancers enjoy successfully making it through a well-crafted puzzle. We need to balance that with "Wind In Your Face" dancing. Whenever timing is sacrificed for puzzle-solving, it needs to be counter-balanced with an overabundance of good, well-timed dancing.

Thanks once again for sharing your comments!

Nasser

Dean asked me to send this to the group.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Hi again Nasser,

I have been playing with and using 1/2 tag. This is one that doesn't seem to get much use. So If you will indulge me here are Figs I can come up with and some I use, Once again feel free to share. Of course there are endless possibilities

From ZL Ps Thru, Whl & Dl, D. P. T, Cent. in C/O, 3/4, Ps Thru 1/2 Tg, ( check your wave) Girl Trd, Recy V. L. B t L = ZL

Hd Ld Rt, V. L. Cup Circ. ( Mainly for flow ) 1/2 Tg (Check your wave) Ctrs Trd, Swg Thru, Grl Run, Ps Thru, 1/2 Tg (check your wave) Ctrs Trd, By Run, R&L Thru =ZL

At Plus

Hds Sld Thru & Spr Ps Thru, 1/2 Tg, Acey, Lyn Cyc, Ps Thru 1/2 Tg, (check your wave) Ctr Trd, Hin 1/4 Acey ( Check your wave) By Run, Frs Whl Ctr Sq3 Al.

In my way of thinking this seems to be OK because the flow and traffic pattern doesn't go the same direction all of time.

Input? Feed Back?? From one or all.

Dean

Nasser...I've not heard this figure done..maybe because it gross...maybe
because of flow but I thought it was a little different..

Heads Square Thru 4
Dosado
Swing Thru
Boys Run
Ferris Wheel
Centers Veer Left and
Half Tag the Line
Centers Face Left
Swing
Promenade Home

Lloyd

- - - - - -

Nasser's comment - good figure. Slightly unusual use of Half Tag. I like it! The figure times out a little slow (39 beats until the Swing, whereas 44 beats until the Swing is preferred). But hey, what's 5 beats between friends? :-) Seriously though, if it were me, I'd figure out a way to make it time out better. How about replace the Heads Square Thru with some kind of equivalent which takes longer to do?

Such as: Heads R&L Thru, Rollaway, Star Thru ... then pick it up from the Dosado onward.

Good figure!

- - - - -
Commentary from Ron Markus

Ron Markus sent the reply below.

Hi SSCC Alums,

I really feel strongly that a caller should be very careful with figures like veer left, 1/2 tag. Now and then you can "get away with it". But the flow is really awkward. You send all four people to the left, and then have all four change directions immediately to the right. For real dancer success with that combination, a caller would have to be sure that dancers could execute a basketball turn ( a little RD lingo there) type of action to really make it comfortable.

I agree with Nasser that it's a "neat" idea. But as callers we should be careful with choregraphy that's too "cute"

Just my thoughts

Ron

- - - - -
Commentary from Doug Davis

Doug Davis sent this in:

How about replacing the face left with, Centers Cast Off 3/4 and Extend? Although the timing is real tight I like the flow better.

It is a cool figure.

Doug

Hi Lloyd!

Catching up on some pre-Christmas e-mails!

You wrote:

> I was playing with the idea of first couple/second couple...
> this is kinda cool and always catches the dancer with an
> interesting get out..

Yep! Try this singing call figure: Heads Square thru, Dosado, Swing Thru, Boys Trade, Boys Run, Bend the Line, pass Thru, Wheel & Deal, DPT, First Couple go Left, Next couple go LEFT, Promenade

> I got to call a dance with Larry Tausch last night (Thur) in
> Hammond..

I don't know him. However, every time you get to call, it's good, no matter what! I learn something new every time I get to call!

> check this little sequence...
>
> Heads Touch 1/4
> same bunch Walk and Dodge
> Veer Left

OUCH!

Veer Left works better with sideways flow toward that direction, such as:

R&L Thru, Veer Left

... or ...

Flutterwheel, Sweep a 1/4, Veer Left
... or ...

Recycle, Veer Left.

So, give 'em some flow. How about Step to a Wave, Girl Trade, Recycle, Veer Left. Of course this will affect the eventual resolve, because it affects where the dancers are.

Edited to add: after reading the rest of your figure, I see you want a surprise getout. So come up with a smooth flowing equivalent for Veer Left at this point. How about

Step to a Wave, Recycle, Step to a Wave, Girls Run, Tag the Line, face Right

> Ferris Wheel
> Double Pass Thru
> First Couple Go Left Next Couple Go Right
> got lines..go forward up and back
> Pass Thru
> Wheel and Deal
> Pass Thru

You might wanna say "Centers Pass Thru". Yeah, the dancers are SUPPOSED to KNOW it's only the centers who CAN pass thru. Yet what they're supposed to know and what they DO know are two different things!

> Right and Left Thru
> Centers U Turn Back

Unusual. I like it!

> Centers Box the Gnat

Unusual. I like it!

> Double Pass Thru
> First Couple Go Left Next Couple Go Left
> Promenade Home

Good figure! The last one you sent in generated a few dozen e-mail replies. This 'un oughtta be good for a few hundred more. :-) Keep 'em coming!

> Share with me the set up for a dixie grand if you don't mind..

Here's how I recognize it by sight:

Starting DPT. Center Couples are Paired. Outside Couples are NOT paired. If you were to call "Double Pass Thru, Leaders Partner Trade, Left Allemande" it would work.

That's what I want to "SEE" before I call Dixie Grand.

However, if I "SEE" the same thing but the DPT, Leaders Partner Trade, Left Allemande would -not- work, then you can call "Centers Square Thru but on the Third Hand, Dixie Grand".

Maybe some of the other sight callers will share what they "SEE" for Dixie Grand.

I hardly ever call it by sight. I dunno why. It's easy to call by sight. But more often, I use Dixie Grand in a getout module.

Zero Box, Pass to the Center, Dixie Grand.

Or, even simpler: Zero Box, Pass Thru, Dixie Grand

Or: Zero box: Swing Thru, Boys Run, Couples Circulate, Ferris Wheel, Dixie Grand

Across the street box: Swing Thru, Boys Run, Ferris Wheel, Zoom, Dixie Grand.

Okay, that's nice, but what does it all MEAN? It means two things:

(a) Modules RULE, and
(b) I've done my homework. :-)

Recognize, of course, that Dixie Grand does not hafta -always- be followed by left Allemande! That's a whole 'nother topic: stuff you can call after Dixie Grand other than Left Allemande!

Thanks for sharing! I'm gonna send this to the whole group. Y'all be good, over on the other side of that ocean!

Nasser and Jeanna, currently in England

Howdy!

I'm forwarding various comments which arrived during the past several days. Yeah, I know it's a lot. But I tried to hold it down for ya' during the pre-Christmas period. Whenever you hold something back, eventually the floodgate's gotta open up again. That "eventually" occurs today. :-) Enjoy!

Nasser "keep them cards and letter comin'" Shukayr

----#1---------------------

  Subj: Stoneys Figure
Date: 12/13/2006 8:17:42 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: Ray Rhea

Hi Nasser, I used this figure From parallel ocean waves as boys circulate once and one half and girls cast off three quarters. Then wave of six swing thru. Single boys move to the end and very center boys run. Wheel and deal and get out from here. Worked very nicely. Also R&L thru and ladies do a U turn back works very well as long as you prompt them that the ladies turn around in place and towards the man they are with. I liked both of these ideas.

----#2---------------------

  Subj: Another approach to Lloyd's figure
Date: 12/15/2006 2:41:27 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: Ron Markus

Hi Nasser and Doug,

OK Here's modification three - Hds Prom 1/2 (8), Pass the Ocean (4), Extend (2) for total of 14 (or les, depending on how accomplished the dancers are, i.e., do they keep the squares small like they are supposed to).

Then continue with

Swing thru (6)
Boys run, Ferris Wheel (10)
Centers Veer left, half tag (6)
Cast off 3/4, extend, (8)
Boys run, promenade (22)

Should come out to 66. However, I believe that since the half tag, c/o 3/4's extend flows so very smoothly, fewer than the normal 12 beats would really be necessary to accomplish that last series of calls (1/2 tag thru extend).

I'll give the figure a try this way at my next dance. Will let you know how it works out.

Ending # 2 was too long to work out to 64. That's for sure. My intention there was to give our Alums an idea (food for thought) as to a way that I use sometimes to fill in at the end of a figure the ends in a zero box wave when theres beats left to make up the 64 allotted. If necessary only a part of that ending can be used. For example, Boys run, promenade ; Boys run, swing the girl next to you (careful with that one), promenade ; boys run, girls fold, boys turn back, swing, promenade ; Boys run, Boys fold, Dosado, Swing and promenade; Lots of possibilities all depending on the number of beats you have to work with at the end of your figure for the singing call. BTW, I think it should also be pointed out to our Alums that a singing call that uses 64 beats without a promenade home is OK every now and then as well. Just because "they all have a promenade home" doesn't mean that one without a promenade home can't be used now and then.

For example, in ending #3 (XB wave, boys run, trade twice, promenade) the total beats are 76. But if you omit the promenade (18 beats) and prom 2 steps, face in, clap, clap clap, you're home. Wouldn't use it all night, but every now and then - Why not ?

Pass it on to our Alums if you want.

Please keep the thread going. This is great stuff. Hope the alums are enjoying this as much as I am.

----#3---------------------

  Subj: Re: SSCC Alumni figures, from Dean Black
Date: 12/15/2006 6:24:59 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: Stoney Hollcroft

hi dean I like that stuff ill have to use it thanks stoney

----#4---------------------

  Subj: Re: SSCC alumni - singing call figure from Lloyd Alexander
Date: 12/17/2006 11:47:20 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: Stoney Hollcroft

hi nasser

I worked on this z box, scootback 1 1/2, wheel and deal, pass to center, square thru 3, allem left

----#5---------------------

  Subj: figure we've been discussing
Date: 12/26/2006 11:33:04 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: Ron Markus

Hi Nasser,

Well, I've called the figure at a few dances in the last week or
so and if you leave out the dosado, it really times and dances
a lot more smoothly than I thought.

10 Heads Square Thru 4
 6 Swing Thru
 4 Boys Run
 6 Ferris Wheel
 2 Centers Veer Left
 4 Half Tag
 6 Cast Off 3/4
 2 Extend
Swing & Promenade (22-24 beats)