09 December 2018
Cascade Crossfires Newsletter #11
12/10/2018
Dear Friends,
Congratulations! We have danced, at least for one night, all the Plus calls.
Have we learned them completely? Absolutely not! We have covered the basic definitions of all the Plus calls. There are several that can start from different formations that you will run into dancing in the Puget Sound area. We will begin to cover all of those in January.
Some of you have asked about what is next after lessons are officially over at the end of January. Workshops!!! We will continue to have workshops on Monday nights through the end of July. (There are a couple of exceptions like Memorial Day weekend) Workshops will give you an opportunity to build up your floor time. It will give us an opportunity to explore more of the variations that you might run into in your dancing life. And it is just plain old more fun dancing on Mondays!
I hope that everyone survived the windstorm Friday night with little damage. The Samena Squares ended up cancelling their dance due to no power in the hall. I’ve been in that hall when someone turned out all the lights. It is a big black cave. A HUGE thank you to all that came to dance! On our way home one major street was blocked off with caution tape and flares, so there was a tree down somewhere.
Don’t forget that there are Plus dances Friday night with the Fidalgo Fogcutters at the Skagit Valley Grange in Sedro Wooley and Saturday night with the Cascade Crossfires at the Juanita Community Club. Both clubs would appreciate your support.
See you all on Monday!
Happy dancing,
Susan
Week #11
12. Follow Your Neighbor: Starting formation - Box Circulate.
Dancers facing in release hands with the person next to them (their "neighbor") and step straight forward, join adjacent forearms with the one they meet, and turn three-quarters (270º) to become centers of a new wave. At the same time, the dancers facing out follow their "neighbors" by moving forward in a three-quarter looping turn (270º), turning towards their "neighbor" to finish adjacent to their "neighbor" as the ends of the new ocean wave.
When done from right-hand boxes, the dancers facing in turn by the right hand and the dancers facing out loop around right-face, to finish in a left-hand ocean wave. When done from left-hand boxes, the dancers facing in turn by the left-hand and the dancers facing out loop around left-face, to finish in a right-hand ocean wave.
FOLLOW YOUR NEIGHBOR – 6 steps
22. Grand Swing Thru: Starting formation - Tidal Wave or Ocean Wave of Six Dancers.
Those who can turn by the right one-half (180º), then those who can turn by the left one-half (180º). If "right" is not specified preceding the command to Grand Swing Thru, it is understood to be a right- handed Grand Swing Thru. If Grand Left Swing Thru is required, it must be specifically called - "Grand Left Swing Thru", in which case, those who can turn by the left one-half (180º), then those who can turn by the right one-half (180º).
GRAND SWING THRU – 6 steps
24. All 8 Spin The Top: Starting formation - Thar Star (stationary or in motion), Wrong Way Thar (stationary or in motion), Right & Left Grand Circle. TIMING – 10
If started from a Thar Star or Wrong Way Thar, any motion is stopped, the handholds forming the center star are released, and each center dancer and the adjacent outside dancer Arm Turn one-half (180º. Those now in the middle Star three-quarters (walking forward), while the new outsides move forward one-quarter around the perimeter of the circle to join hands with the same person again in a stationary Thar Star or Wrong Way Thar formation.
If started from a Right & Left Grand Circle, everyone turns by the right halfway (180º) with the dancer they are facing, then completes the call as above (new centers Star left three-quarters, etc.). The ending formation is a stationary Wrong Way Thar.
From a Right & Left Grand Circle, the command All 8 Left Spin The Top has everyone turn by the left halfway with the dancer they are facing and complete the call as above, ending in a stationary Thar Star formation.
ALL 8 SPIN THE TOP – 10 steps
26. Chase Right: Starting formation - Two Couples Back-to-Back.
Each right-hand dancer does an exaggerated Zoom action, moving into the position previously occupied by the right-hand dancer behind him, to finish facing in the same direction as when he started the Zoom action. (The net result is the same as if the right-hand dancer had done a right face U Turn Back & Box Circulate twice). The left-hand dancer follows ("Chases") the right-hand dancer by doing a Box Circulate two positions. The call finishes in a Box Circulate formation.
CHASE RIGHT – 6 steps
Congratulations! We have danced, at least for one night, all the Plus calls.
Have we learned them completely? Absolutely not! We have covered the basic definitions of all the Plus calls. There are several that can start from different formations that you will run into dancing in the Puget Sound area. We will begin to cover all of those in January.
Some of you have asked about what is next after lessons are officially over at the end of January. Workshops!!! We will continue to have workshops on Monday nights through the end of July. (There are a couple of exceptions like Memorial Day weekend) Workshops will give you an opportunity to build up your floor time. It will give us an opportunity to explore more of the variations that you might run into in your dancing life. And it is just plain old more fun dancing on Mondays!
I hope that everyone survived the windstorm Friday night with little damage. The Samena Squares ended up cancelling their dance due to no power in the hall. I’ve been in that hall when someone turned out all the lights. It is a big black cave. A HUGE thank you to all that came to dance! On our way home one major street was blocked off with caution tape and flares, so there was a tree down somewhere.
Don’t forget that there are Plus dances Friday night with the Fidalgo Fogcutters at the Skagit Valley Grange in Sedro Wooley and Saturday night with the Cascade Crossfires at the Juanita Community Club. Both clubs would appreciate your support.
See you all on Monday!
Happy dancing,
Susan
Week #11
12. Follow Your Neighbor: Starting formation - Box Circulate.
Dancers facing in release hands with the person next to them (their "neighbor") and step straight forward, join adjacent forearms with the one they meet, and turn three-quarters (270º) to become centers of a new wave. At the same time, the dancers facing out follow their "neighbors" by moving forward in a three-quarter looping turn (270º), turning towards their "neighbor" to finish adjacent to their "neighbor" as the ends of the new ocean wave.
When done from right-hand boxes, the dancers facing in turn by the right hand and the dancers facing out loop around right-face, to finish in a left-hand ocean wave. When done from left-hand boxes, the dancers facing in turn by the left-hand and the dancers facing out loop around left-face, to finish in a right-hand ocean wave.
FOLLOW YOUR NEIGHBOR – 6 steps
22. Grand Swing Thru: Starting formation - Tidal Wave or Ocean Wave of Six Dancers.
Those who can turn by the right one-half (180º), then those who can turn by the left one-half (180º). If "right" is not specified preceding the command to Grand Swing Thru, it is understood to be a right- handed Grand Swing Thru. If Grand Left Swing Thru is required, it must be specifically called - "Grand Left Swing Thru", in which case, those who can turn by the left one-half (180º), then those who can turn by the right one-half (180º).
GRAND SWING THRU – 6 steps
24. All 8 Spin The Top: Starting formation - Thar Star (stationary or in motion), Wrong Way Thar (stationary or in motion), Right & Left Grand Circle. TIMING – 10
If started from a Thar Star or Wrong Way Thar, any motion is stopped, the handholds forming the center star are released, and each center dancer and the adjacent outside dancer Arm Turn one-half (180º. Those now in the middle Star three-quarters (walking forward), while the new outsides move forward one-quarter around the perimeter of the circle to join hands with the same person again in a stationary Thar Star or Wrong Way Thar formation.
If started from a Right & Left Grand Circle, everyone turns by the right halfway (180º) with the dancer they are facing, then completes the call as above (new centers Star left three-quarters, etc.). The ending formation is a stationary Wrong Way Thar.
From a Right & Left Grand Circle, the command All 8 Left Spin The Top has everyone turn by the left halfway with the dancer they are facing and complete the call as above, ending in a stationary Thar Star formation.
ALL 8 SPIN THE TOP – 10 steps
26. Chase Right: Starting formation - Two Couples Back-to-Back.
Each right-hand dancer does an exaggerated Zoom action, moving into the position previously occupied by the right-hand dancer behind him, to finish facing in the same direction as when he started the Zoom action. (The net result is the same as if the right-hand dancer had done a right face U Turn Back & Box Circulate twice). The left-hand dancer follows ("Chases") the right-hand dancer by doing a Box Circulate two positions. The call finishes in a Box Circulate formation.
CHASE RIGHT – 6 steps