Square Dance Teaching Points
Mainstream
Rich Reel 19 Jun 2002
Unsorted Teaching Ideas
[L.Q] "look at that center wave" Ext
accepted usage: [AW] TrnTh
FanTp: start w/ E fancing the same way to collide. is a push cast legal?
TrnTh and Scoot are similar
if push Ca3/4 went the wrong way, the fix is to Trd (to look back in)
teach Clovr: Zoom
DixiS: teach R.PBy and LT1/4 individually first
[LO] "think which way you go on BendL. Now go the other way" Ca3/4
[TL] Ca3/4
SHing C-Cir (helps learn to see formation for A8Cir)
buzz Swing: propel yourself around a pivot point like a scooter
walk Swing: angle hips out and walk forward around each other
Wk&Dg "Keep facing the same wall, (he) walks, (she) dodges"
Mainstream Teaching Points
Clovr Cloverleaf
Lead(er)s Only Cloverleaf
Centers of line (looking out) Cloverleaf
"go stand behind the others"
teach: "a precise version of Separate"
"trace the edge of a 4 leaf clover"
"like taking the on/off ramps of cloverleaf highway interchange"
"on each side, dancers start in tandem, one behind the other
and remain in tandem, with the same person in the lead
throughout the call."
"the person that starts in the lead, stays in the lead with
the same person behind them all the way"
cue: "start by moving away from each other"
"no passing on the off ramp!"
TrnTh Turn Thru
from facing dancers
from ring or after LH star
after Alamo SwThr
from Wave
LTrnT Left Turn Thru
from LH Wave
Turn {designated} by the Right/Left
teach: (facing dancers) "come back to the same spot, facing the other way"
"Turn Through is short for TURN half, step THROUGH"
"end but-to-but with that one"
"like AL with R-H"
"think of it as an Allemand Right, if there was such a thing"
[SS]: H-TrnTh SepA1 A-TrnTh E-Fold AL <at home> --Andy Shore 4/99
cue:
8ChTh Eight Chain Thru
8Chn# Eight Chain (#)
Eight Chain 2, 4, 6, 8
Eight Chain 1, 3, 5, 7
after Do Sa Do
sashayed
from waves
teach:
cue:
PsTTC Pass to the Center
mixed with Dive Thru (shoulder pass different for center beau)
from Waves
teach: "PasTh, and if you need to, Trd to face the center"
cue: "PasTh and the NEW outsides PtrTr"
SpTop Spin the Top
from tidal waves
starting normal ending sashayed
from facing couples
from LH waves
Left Spin the Top from facing couples
teach: "everyone Trade 1/2 by the outside hand, drop hands,
new centers Ca3/4 while new ends move up 1/4 around
the Casters, hook on the end to make a new wave"
"you end with the same person you started with"
"this call changes the axis of the wave 90 deg"
pre-cue: "sqeeze outside hands" esp. from [L.W]
cue: "ends move up in your own wave" esp. from [TW]
sound effect: "189!"
CtrIn (Put) Centers In
CtrOu (Put) Centers Out
from 8 Chain formation
(Put) Centers Out
teach:
cue:
Ca#/4 Cast Off #/4
3/4
1/2
1/4
not after CtrIn
Push Cast
Arm Turn
Forearm Grip
Arm turn as used in definitions
Cast Off as used in definitions
Styling: arms akimbo
teach: "like a swinging gate - center is gate, end is a gate post"
"center moves forward, ends back up slightly"
"like Clovr - AWAY from the center"
"note which way your left shoulder is aiming - Cast R 3/4"
cue: [F] "Cast left 3/4"
[LO] "Cast away 3/4"
Wk&Dg Walk and Dodge
from #1 waves
from mixed sex waves
from columns
from columns of 6
from Alamo Ring - All 8 Walk And Dodge
{designated} Walk, {designated} Dodge
BW.GD Boy Walk, Girl Dodge
GW.BD Girl Walk, Boy Dodge
Use BW.GD in normal Wk&Dg situation before calling BW.GD from [L] or [B]
B-WalkA Singing call: Boy Walk Across; Swing & Promenade
teach: "This probably should be called Walk Or Dodge since you do
one or the other, not both"
cue: "noone changes the wall they are facing throughout this call"
"Stay in your box of 4"
SldTh Slide Thru
from 8 chain formation / lines
from waves (after Swing Thru)
from [0TW] after SpTop
sashayed
facing same sex
from [L], ending in magic column
before same sex SldTh, call B/G-FwdBk
pre-cue: "facing same sex"
cue: "G holding L hands, B holding R hands"
from [B], ending in inverted lines
teach:
cue:
Fold Fold
centers
ends
out-facers
from waves ... Z formation
Matrix call concept
Slush calling (i.e. when to adjust)
teach:
cue: "look 'em in the nose"
G-Fold "behind the B behind"
XFold Cross Fold
centers
ends
teach:
cue:
DixiS Dixie Style to a Wave
from normal lines
from 8 chain formation ending in LH tidal wave
--DTrak --DixiS On the Double Track (Single File)
teach: "side step away from the partner next to you and work in
the single file column in front of you"
Boys in the lead
4LDixiS "to an Alamande Thar"
teach: "R.PBy, LT1/4 (which feels like T1/2)"
pre-cue: "put the lady in the lead..."
cue: "R.PBy, LT1/4 puts the Boys in the middle of a L-H wave"
"make a L-H wave with the Boys in the middle of it"
SpChT Spin Chain Thru
new ends Circulate on the outside
new ends U-turn Back (and Circulate)
from alamo ring
from thar
ends clap
teach:
pre-cue: "sqeeze outside hands" esp. from [L.W]
cue:
Tag Tag the Line (all the way)
TagI Tag the Line face In
TagO Tag the Line face Out
TagL Tag the Line face Left
TagR Tag the Line face Right
ending in [M]
Tag the Line; Face R, etc.
omitting the word "Face" e.g. Tag The Line Right
teach:
cue:
LTag Left Tag the Line
teach:
cue:
FaceI Face In
FaceO Face Out
FaceL Face Left
FaceR Face Right
"face the wall to your R"
Face the Music / caller
{designated} Face (each other)
Face your partner; SldTh with them, etc.
alternate wording "Turn R" or "1/4 R"
teach:
cue:
(turn to) Face {direction} / {designated}
1/4 (Advanced)
teach:
cue:
1/2Tg 1/2 Tag
immediately followed by Scoot Back
from LH 2 face Line
Left 1/2 Tag
teach:
cue: "and we're looking for a wave", "each wave", "find a wave"
"hit the breaks" (esp. after lots of flowing choreography)
L12Tg Left Half Tag
Scoot Scoot Back
from #1 / #2 waves
mixed sex 'scooters' - setup by preceeding w/ familiar call T1/4, 1/2Tg, etc.
centers only from [W] or [F]
from columns (not Triple Scoot - obsolete Plus)
sound effects
1/2 Scoot (Back)
teach 'leaders' and 'trailers' terms then use in explaination
[L.W] ("The Hand Of Destiny") "Raise your right hand (should be free).
Say along with me: I do sollumly swear, NOT to use this hand.
Now raise left hand. THIS is the hand of destiny.
teach:
cue: "and the Boys go" or "Girls go in"
from unusual formations say: "look across" Scoot...
FanTp Fan the Top
from facing couples
sashayed
Left Fan the Top from facing couples
teach: "Drop hands. (New) centers Ca3/4 while (new) ends move up 1/4
around the Casters, hook on the end to make a new wave"
"You end with the same person you started with"
"This call changes the axis of the wave 90 deg"
"It's like SpTop without the Spin"
pre-cue: after SHing or T1/4: "get a wave" / "find a wave" / "each wave" / "wave"
"starts in the middle"
"centers sqeeze hands"
from facing couples: "think about a wave"-FanTp
[TW]: "each wave of 4"-FanTp
"hang on G"-FanTp
cue: "centers 3 and the ends move"
"new centers 3/4 (get a wave)" (RLT)
"centers hang on, ends up...and a" (RLT)
"G cast (to get somethin' tidal)"
"G left 3, the B move up"
"G left, B up"
SHing Single Hinge
Hinge - use only with a designator e.g. C-Hinge - otherwise be sure to say "single" Hinge
LHing - by the Left hand Hinge
"Hinge 1/4"
teach:
cue: "and the centers connect"
"and we're looking for a wave"
"Can you give me a wave?"
"...a wave all the way across"
Cpl.H Couples Hinge
note: "As Couples Hinge" is an Advanced call
confusion: some hear 'Couple' and think 'Partner Hinge' (an Advanced call)
teach:
pre-cue: "Don't anyone let go"
cue:
Recyc Recycle
from tidal waves
from RH waves
sashayed
from LH waves
easy success from [W]/[L.W] (all arrangements): E-Cir Recyc
teach: "starts in a wave of 4 - look at the people in your wave"
"ends keep hands with the centers and start to take a step forward"
"C-UTurn (toward the ends) A-WhlDl"
"ends can give the centers gental pressure to get them
to turn around and give you their other hand, then
as a couple WhlDl to face the other couple nose to nose"
"centers will turn a total of 360 deg - a full turn around -
almost in place"
cue: "Boys Recyc her"
[5W]: "Girls be assertive, Recyc HIM!" --Andy Shore
zero: --Recyc --Sweep --PsOcn
--Recyc --StepW C-Trd