16 September 2018
Samena Squares Newsletter #1
09/20/2018
Dear Friends,
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! We are so glad that you have joined us!
I send an email newsletter after each class. I try to include a few tidbits about square dancing, history, styling, helpful hints, and upcoming dances.
The newsletters will also include a brief definition of each call that we learned that week. The definitions include the name of the call; a brief description of how to do the call and the number of steps in takes to do it. These are reminders of how you do a particular move. I would encourage you to give them a quick read before you come the following Thursday night.
Modern Western Square Dancing has been the Washington State Dance for 38 years. Square dancing is the American dance. You become a square dancer with the first Bow to your Partner and Circle Left. Once you learn the calls on the Basic/Mainstream list (those are the calls we are learning now) you can dance anywhere in the world. Square dancing is always called in English.
This year, Susanne Jones, a new caller in our area, will be working with me during class. Sometimes she will be observing. Sometimes she will be dancing. Sometimes she will be calling.
Here are two dates that I want you to put on your calendar immediately –
Dates to note:
Friday, October 5, 7:30 – 10:30 p.m., First Friday Fun Fest hosted by the Whirlybirds with Dave Harry, caller. The hall is The Hayloft, 15320 35th Ave W, Lynnwood. Cost is $7/person. This is a dance for new square dancers. It will be an opportunity to dance the calls that you know to another caller. It will be an opportunity to meet other new square dancers too. Go ahead and mark your calendars for the first Friday of each month from now until May. Save the date for New Year’s Eve too! (more on that later)
Friday, October 26, 7:30 – 10:00 p.m., Halloween Hoedown New Dancer Dance hosted by the Samena Squares. I will be calling. The dance is in our hall, the Juanita Community Club. Cost is included with your lesson fee. This is a Halloween dance. Costumes are encouraged. We will be dancing the calls that you know at that time. Other new dancers from other clubs will come to dance with us.
Resources:
The Samena Squares have a great web site – http://www.samenasquares.org. Thank you to Jim Hunt, our Webmaster. There is a button “Just For Students.” There you will find these weekly newsletters as well as a list of dances that you can go to. I will share more information about these as we go along.
I also have a web page – http://www.callersusan.com. There is a tab “Samena Squares,” where you will find these newsletters.
I will be sharing more resources in the coming weeks.
Below you will find the definitions of the calls we danced last Thursday. Don’t worry if you think you don’t remember how to do them. I will re-teach all of these calls this Thursday night before we add any new ones.
This Thursday, September 27, is another open night. Feel free to bring friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, etc. to class.
Please remember, there is a Jazzersize class using the hall before us. Their class gets out at 6:45. We should not be in the hall before then. As it gets darker, and colder and rainier either I, or one of the club officers will open the back door to the kitchen. Feel free to come in that way for quiet conversation until the Jazzersize class is finished.
You have started on a fun adventure that will bring you new friends and new places to visit to dance! See you Thursday night!
Happy dancing,
Susan
Week #1:
Dancer naming:
i. Couple: Two people standing side by side; for universal understanding of square dance commands the dancer on the left dances the Boy/Man part of commands, the dancer on the right dances the Girl/Lady part of commands.
ii. Heads, Sides: Head couples have their back to or face the caller/music; Sides are the other two couples.
iii. Couple Numbers: Couples are numbered as follows, #1 back to caller, #2 to their right, #3 to the right of #2 or face the caller, #4 to the right of #3.
iv. Boys, Girls: Actual Boys and Girls or those dancing the Boy/Girl part of the call.
1. Circle Left & Right: Join hands in a circle and move left or right as indicated; circles can be made with 2 or more people. CIRCLE LEFT & RIGHT – 8 dancers full around, 16 steps; 4 dancers full around, 8 steps.
2 a. Forward & Back: Join hands in a line and move forward 1 step, touch and move back 1 step. FORWARD & BACK – 4 steps.
3 a. Dosado: With person you are facing, step slightly left, walk forward to pass right shoulders, slide back to back, back up past left shoulder, slide to face to face start position. DOSADO – with corner/partner 6 steps, across square – 8 steps.
5. Promenade Family:
5 a. Couples: With partner walk together counter-clockwise to home position; right hands joined over joined left hands. PROMENADE – couples full around 16 steps.
6. Allemande Left: Turn toward Corner, left arm turn 180 degrees, let go and step through, end back to back with Corner, facing Partner. ALLEMANDE LEFT – 8 steps.
8. Right and Left Grand Family:
8 a. Right & Left Grand: Start facing Partner, take right hands, walk by, offer left hand to next, walk by; continue alternating hands to the 5th hand (should be the dancer you started with). Boys are going counterclockwise; Girls are going clockwise. RIGHT & LEFT GRAND – 10 steps.
9. Left/Right Hand Star: Indicated dancers step to the center of the formation to join the designated hand in a loose star; walk forward to starting position of next call. It is often a full turn but can be fractionalized. LEFT/ RIGHT HAND STAR – 4 dancers full around 8 steps.
10. Pass Thru: With person you are facing step ahead passing right shoulders. STOP as soon as you pass by. Ends back to back. Same as 1/2 DOSADO. PASS THRU – 2 steps.
11. Half Sashay Family:
11 c. Ladies In Men Sashay: In any circle of Boy/Girl couples with the Boy on the left and Girl on the right circling left, the Girls step forward, the Boys step to their left and the Girls step back to a new empty place. If the dancers are circling right, it is the opposite. Can also be done from a line. For variety, the call can be Men In Ladies Sashay. LADIES IN MEN SASHAY – 4 steps.
15. Courtesy Turn: Girls (or right hand dancer) sticks out left hand in front palm down, places right hand on hip or does skirt work; Boys (or left hand dancer) offers left hand palm up to Girl, place right hand gently on back; gently guide her forward, while backing up, turning as a couple to face opposite direction or the center of the set. COURTESY TURN – 4 steps.
16. Ladies Chain Family:
16 a. Two & Four Ladies Chain: Two (or four) Girls step toward the center to make a RIGHT HAND STAR; turn 1/2 way; offer left hand to opposite Boy for a COURTESY TURN; end as a couple facing the center of the formation. When the Girls start moving toward the center the Boys take a step to their right to be in correct position for COURTESY TURN. TWO & FOUR LADIES CHAIN – 8 steps.
18. Lead Right: Directed couples (Heads, Sides), with a couple handhold, will walk forward as a couple to face the couple to the right. LEAD RIGHT – 4 steps
19. Veer Left/Right: Moving as a couple, slide left or right as directed, maintaining facing direction with a small forward motion as well. VEER LEFT/RIGHT – 2 steps.
20. Bend The Line: Couples, as a unit, turn 90 degrees to face center. Like folding a piece of paper. Each End moves forward to meet the other End. The Centers need to back up a little to accommodate. This creates new lines facing in. As a couple, you will ALWAYS be facing the other couple that was in your line. BEND THE LINE – 4 steps.
21. Circulate Family:
21. a. Named Dancers Circulate: Named dancers can be Boys, Girls, Centers or Ends. The indicated (active) dancers move along their circulate path to the next position. NAMED DANCERS CIRCULATE – 4 steps.
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! We are so glad that you have joined us!
I send an email newsletter after each class. I try to include a few tidbits about square dancing, history, styling, helpful hints, and upcoming dances.
The newsletters will also include a brief definition of each call that we learned that week. The definitions include the name of the call; a brief description of how to do the call and the number of steps in takes to do it. These are reminders of how you do a particular move. I would encourage you to give them a quick read before you come the following Thursday night.
Modern Western Square Dancing has been the Washington State Dance for 38 years. Square dancing is the American dance. You become a square dancer with the first Bow to your Partner and Circle Left. Once you learn the calls on the Basic/Mainstream list (those are the calls we are learning now) you can dance anywhere in the world. Square dancing is always called in English.
This year, Susanne Jones, a new caller in our area, will be working with me during class. Sometimes she will be observing. Sometimes she will be dancing. Sometimes she will be calling.
Here are two dates that I want you to put on your calendar immediately –
Dates to note:
Friday, October 5, 7:30 – 10:30 p.m., First Friday Fun Fest hosted by the Whirlybirds with Dave Harry, caller. The hall is The Hayloft, 15320 35th Ave W, Lynnwood. Cost is $7/person. This is a dance for new square dancers. It will be an opportunity to dance the calls that you know to another caller. It will be an opportunity to meet other new square dancers too. Go ahead and mark your calendars for the first Friday of each month from now until May. Save the date for New Year’s Eve too! (more on that later)
Friday, October 26, 7:30 – 10:00 p.m., Halloween Hoedown New Dancer Dance hosted by the Samena Squares. I will be calling. The dance is in our hall, the Juanita Community Club. Cost is included with your lesson fee. This is a Halloween dance. Costumes are encouraged. We will be dancing the calls that you know at that time. Other new dancers from other clubs will come to dance with us.
Resources:
The Samena Squares have a great web site – http://www.samenasquares.org. Thank you to Jim Hunt, our Webmaster. There is a button “Just For Students.” There you will find these weekly newsletters as well as a list of dances that you can go to. I will share more information about these as we go along.
I also have a web page – http://www.callersusan.com. There is a tab “Samena Squares,” where you will find these newsletters.
I will be sharing more resources in the coming weeks.
Below you will find the definitions of the calls we danced last Thursday. Don’t worry if you think you don’t remember how to do them. I will re-teach all of these calls this Thursday night before we add any new ones.
This Thursday, September 27, is another open night. Feel free to bring friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, etc. to class.
Please remember, there is a Jazzersize class using the hall before us. Their class gets out at 6:45. We should not be in the hall before then. As it gets darker, and colder and rainier either I, or one of the club officers will open the back door to the kitchen. Feel free to come in that way for quiet conversation until the Jazzersize class is finished.
You have started on a fun adventure that will bring you new friends and new places to visit to dance! See you Thursday night!
Happy dancing,
Susan
Week #1:
Dancer naming:
i. Couple: Two people standing side by side; for universal understanding of square dance commands the dancer on the left dances the Boy/Man part of commands, the dancer on the right dances the Girl/Lady part of commands.
ii. Heads, Sides: Head couples have their back to or face the caller/music; Sides are the other two couples.
iii. Couple Numbers: Couples are numbered as follows, #1 back to caller, #2 to their right, #3 to the right of #2 or face the caller, #4 to the right of #3.
iv. Boys, Girls: Actual Boys and Girls or those dancing the Boy/Girl part of the call.
1. Circle Left & Right: Join hands in a circle and move left or right as indicated; circles can be made with 2 or more people. CIRCLE LEFT & RIGHT – 8 dancers full around, 16 steps; 4 dancers full around, 8 steps.
2 a. Forward & Back: Join hands in a line and move forward 1 step, touch and move back 1 step. FORWARD & BACK – 4 steps.
3 a. Dosado: With person you are facing, step slightly left, walk forward to pass right shoulders, slide back to back, back up past left shoulder, slide to face to face start position. DOSADO – with corner/partner 6 steps, across square – 8 steps.
5. Promenade Family:
5 a. Couples: With partner walk together counter-clockwise to home position; right hands joined over joined left hands. PROMENADE – couples full around 16 steps.
6. Allemande Left: Turn toward Corner, left arm turn 180 degrees, let go and step through, end back to back with Corner, facing Partner. ALLEMANDE LEFT – 8 steps.
8. Right and Left Grand Family:
8 a. Right & Left Grand: Start facing Partner, take right hands, walk by, offer left hand to next, walk by; continue alternating hands to the 5th hand (should be the dancer you started with). Boys are going counterclockwise; Girls are going clockwise. RIGHT & LEFT GRAND – 10 steps.
9. Left/Right Hand Star: Indicated dancers step to the center of the formation to join the designated hand in a loose star; walk forward to starting position of next call. It is often a full turn but can be fractionalized. LEFT/ RIGHT HAND STAR – 4 dancers full around 8 steps.
10. Pass Thru: With person you are facing step ahead passing right shoulders. STOP as soon as you pass by. Ends back to back. Same as 1/2 DOSADO. PASS THRU – 2 steps.
11. Half Sashay Family:
11 c. Ladies In Men Sashay: In any circle of Boy/Girl couples with the Boy on the left and Girl on the right circling left, the Girls step forward, the Boys step to their left and the Girls step back to a new empty place. If the dancers are circling right, it is the opposite. Can also be done from a line. For variety, the call can be Men In Ladies Sashay. LADIES IN MEN SASHAY – 4 steps.
15. Courtesy Turn: Girls (or right hand dancer) sticks out left hand in front palm down, places right hand on hip or does skirt work; Boys (or left hand dancer) offers left hand palm up to Girl, place right hand gently on back; gently guide her forward, while backing up, turning as a couple to face opposite direction or the center of the set. COURTESY TURN – 4 steps.
16. Ladies Chain Family:
16 a. Two & Four Ladies Chain: Two (or four) Girls step toward the center to make a RIGHT HAND STAR; turn 1/2 way; offer left hand to opposite Boy for a COURTESY TURN; end as a couple facing the center of the formation. When the Girls start moving toward the center the Boys take a step to their right to be in correct position for COURTESY TURN. TWO & FOUR LADIES CHAIN – 8 steps.
18. Lead Right: Directed couples (Heads, Sides), with a couple handhold, will walk forward as a couple to face the couple to the right. LEAD RIGHT – 4 steps
19. Veer Left/Right: Moving as a couple, slide left or right as directed, maintaining facing direction with a small forward motion as well. VEER LEFT/RIGHT – 2 steps.
20. Bend The Line: Couples, as a unit, turn 90 degrees to face center. Like folding a piece of paper. Each End moves forward to meet the other End. The Centers need to back up a little to accommodate. This creates new lines facing in. As a couple, you will ALWAYS be facing the other couple that was in your line. BEND THE LINE – 4 steps.
21. Circulate Family:
21. a. Named Dancers Circulate: Named dancers can be Boys, Girls, Centers or Ends. The indicated (active) dancers move along their circulate path to the next position. NAMED DANCERS CIRCULATE – 4 steps.