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Asymmetric Resolve Techniques

Rich Reel   last updated 31 Jul 2008

These techniques are useful for writing cards or for sight resolving a very small number of squares, perhaps only one or two.  If your intent is to recover from dancer errors with more than one square, you may have to say something like "in this square only . . ."

Minor Fixing

A Boy and Girl get Switched

Call to get the switched dancers together (as partners in a wave or line).  Avoid using any gender-dependent calls otherwise you might end up switching one of these dancers with someone else.  Call easy to help insure things don't get worse, for example keep as much of the floor as possible dancing in standard arrangement.

If switched dancers are a couple and everyone is in facing lines...

Try to get the switched dancers as a sashayed couple with everyone else normal in Facing Lines.  Then call...

If in waves...

Get the switched dancers as partners in (together at one end of) a R-H wave then call:  Boys-Run    (or)

Get the switched dancers as partners in (together at one end of) a L-H wave then call:  Girls-Run

Then call...

If opposite-gender switched dancers are facing each other...

 

Two Same-gender Dancers are Switched

 

Key Couples Become Opposites

This is the typical sort of asymmetry you would get if the wrong couple went in front on a Wheel And Deal.

Handy Module: Rotate Parallel Waves 90 Deg
FASR preserved
R-H waves rotated C.W.   L-H waves rotated C.C.W.

Single Hinge  Centers Trade  Split Circulate  Centers Trade
- or -
Split Circulate  Centers Trade  Single Hinge  Centers Trade
- or -
Centers Trade  Single Hinge  Centers Trade  Split Circulate
- or -
Centers Trade  Split Circulate  Centers Trade  Single Hinge

 

Complete Recovery Methods

These techniques are for resolving that hopeless square with multiple mistakes (just for the fun of it!) -or- for sight resolving after calling truly asymmetric choreography.

To resolve a randomly asymmetric square, it will be necessary to memorize, or write down, the original squared set home position for at least 6 dancers.  (The 2 dancers not being memorized should be opposite gender)

 

Same-gender Waves

To sight call using this method, you will need to know which dancers (all 4) are heads AND which dancers (all 4) are dancing as boys. (or sides / girls: 6 dancers total)

Starting Formation

First off, get a formation that you can work with.  Get them out of Diamonds, etc. into some kind of general line and call Tag The Line  Face In

Girls and Boys in their own half of the square

Call whatever it takes to get all the boys in one half of the square and all the girls in the other half.  Example: (after Pass The Ocean) "Have the boy nearest the water cooler and the adjacent girl Trade by the Right"

Tip -- Avoid using any person's name or identifying characteristic at all costs unless you know them extremely well!  Many people have deep rooted insecurities, and as a caller, you may be perceived as broadcasting a weakness or inadequacy to that dancer's friends.  I've heard reports of people leaving square dancing because the caller used their name over the mic.

Same gender R-H Waves

Get them into R-H waves and keep all boys in one wave and all girls in the other.

Head / Side Symmetry

Now call to each wave individually if necessary to get heads together at diagonal opposite ends of the two waves.  (and the Sides have no other place to be except together at the other end)
       H>  S>
       <H  <S
       S>  H>
       <S  <H
(Advanced only) You might find it easier to get Heads (or Sides) together in the center in both waves then call Out Roll Circulate.

Now call:  All 8 Circulate  Boys-Run (right)  <pause for flow>  All dancers should be facing the same direction.   If they happen to end facing away from you, call Partner Trade.  (Say "howdy!")  You might have them bow to an audience if you have one.

Last step:  Bend The Line.  The square is symmetric - Resolve normally.

Summery

How does this work?

Since heads and sides where opposite each other across the square, All 8 Circulate puts head boys with head girls and side boys with side girls.  Boys-Run makes normal gender couples.  (You could accomplish the same thing using L-H waves, call Girls-Run (left)  to get normal gender couples)  All dancers will be facing the same wall.  From here, Bend The Line makes facing lines with symmetric arrangement which then makes the whole square symmetric.

 


Credits

  • Getting boys together and girls together to do asymmetric resolve -- Rob French
  • Getting head/side symmetry, and using Out Roll Circulate to achieve it -- Dave Wilson

     


    See more of my site! - click here   Richard Reel   Hayward California USA