04 November 2018
Cascade Crossfires Newsletter #6
11/05/2018
Dear Friends,
Great dancing Monday night! I do enjoy Monday nights.
We are progressing nicely through the Plus list. The challenges that I see people having are not touching hands, turning too much or not enough, or not knowing where they are in the square.
Touching hands is important. If you did not learn to do this in your Mainstream class, learn it now right quick. It is as important for you as it is the rest of your team. Touching hands helps with the other two issues I mentioned. It especially helps you know where you are in the square.
Lots of people tend to under turn or over turn on all kinds of calls. Square dance calls are designed to end facing square with one wall or another. If at the end of a call you are facing a corner, you went too far or not far enough. Be curious!
If you are not familiar or comfortable knowing where you are in a square, start observing yourself. You are either going to be on the right side of a couple, the left side of a couple, facing in, facing out, in the center of a line or wave, on the end of a line or wave, a leader or a trailer. And it only takes 2-4 steps to change what position you are in the square. This is one of the “mental gymnastics to stave off dementia” parts of square dancing. Once you learn them and you get the habit of touching hands your body will know.
Have a great rest of your weekend!
Happy dancing,
Susan
Week #6
6. Linear Cycle (from waves only for the Plus Program): Starting formation - Parallel Ocean Waves or Four (4) Dancer Waves to be either right or left-handed.
(For programs other than Plus, allowable formations include any formation in which the end and adjacent center can single or partner hinge. This is a three part call.)
Part 1. The ends and adjacent centers HINGE.
Part 2. Those facing out FOLD behind those facing in and all dancers will then move forward in a DOUBLE PASS THRU action.
Part 3. If the hinge is right- handed, peel right; if the hinge is left-handed, peel left to end as facing couples.
From a right-hand hinge, all will pass right shoulders. From a left-hand hinge, all will pass left shoulders.
LINEAR CYCLE – 8-10 steps.
14. Explode The Wave (From waves only): Starting formation - Any 4-dancer ocean wave.
Everyone releases handholds, steps forward and turns a quarter in (90º) to face the adjacent dancer and right hand pull by that person, to end as couples back-to-back.
EXPLODE THE WAVE – 6 steps
17. Peel The Top: Starting formation - box circulate or Z-Formation.
The lead dancers PEEL OFF as the trailing dancers step straight forward and take adjacent hands; everyone then does a FAN THE TOP.
PEEL THE TOP – 6 steps
Great dancing Monday night! I do enjoy Monday nights.
We are progressing nicely through the Plus list. The challenges that I see people having are not touching hands, turning too much or not enough, or not knowing where they are in the square.
Touching hands is important. If you did not learn to do this in your Mainstream class, learn it now right quick. It is as important for you as it is the rest of your team. Touching hands helps with the other two issues I mentioned. It especially helps you know where you are in the square.
Lots of people tend to under turn or over turn on all kinds of calls. Square dance calls are designed to end facing square with one wall or another. If at the end of a call you are facing a corner, you went too far or not far enough. Be curious!
If you are not familiar or comfortable knowing where you are in a square, start observing yourself. You are either going to be on the right side of a couple, the left side of a couple, facing in, facing out, in the center of a line or wave, on the end of a line or wave, a leader or a trailer. And it only takes 2-4 steps to change what position you are in the square. This is one of the “mental gymnastics to stave off dementia” parts of square dancing. Once you learn them and you get the habit of touching hands your body will know.
Have a great rest of your weekend!
Happy dancing,
Susan
Week #6
6. Linear Cycle (from waves only for the Plus Program): Starting formation - Parallel Ocean Waves or Four (4) Dancer Waves to be either right or left-handed.
(For programs other than Plus, allowable formations include any formation in which the end and adjacent center can single or partner hinge. This is a three part call.)
Part 1. The ends and adjacent centers HINGE.
Part 2. Those facing out FOLD behind those facing in and all dancers will then move forward in a DOUBLE PASS THRU action.
Part 3. If the hinge is right- handed, peel right; if the hinge is left-handed, peel left to end as facing couples.
From a right-hand hinge, all will pass right shoulders. From a left-hand hinge, all will pass left shoulders.
LINEAR CYCLE – 8-10 steps.
14. Explode The Wave (From waves only): Starting formation - Any 4-dancer ocean wave.
Everyone releases handholds, steps forward and turns a quarter in (90º) to face the adjacent dancer and right hand pull by that person, to end as couples back-to-back.
EXPLODE THE WAVE – 6 steps
17. Peel The Top: Starting formation - box circulate or Z-Formation.
The lead dancers PEEL OFF as the trailing dancers step straight forward and take adjacent hands; everyone then does a FAN THE TOP.
PEEL THE TOP – 6 steps