Samena Squares Newsletter #1
09/15/2011
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the Samena Squares! We are so glad that you chose to join us!
After each Thursday session, I will send out an email newsletter. I will include a brief summary definition of the calls that we learned new that night. I will also list the calls that we will learn the following week. In a couple of weeks, you will receive a book with complete definitions as well as pictures and diagrams.
Everyone learns in different ways. If you learn by reading, you will find the books and definitions helpful. If you learn by watching, listening, or doing, you may find reading the books ahead of where we are confusing. Don’t do it! Wait until you have learned the call.
Use the list I send as a way to refresh your memory before coming next Thursday night.
Occasionally, I will include other tidbits about square dancing. This week a bit of history: Square dancing is the American folk dance. Square dancing is popular around the world. You can square dance almost anywhere, most recently in Russia. Square dances are always called in English.
This week I want to give you a couple of online resources. The Samena Squares have a great web site – http://www.samenasquares.org. Thanks 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. There will be more about these in the next few weeks.
I also have a web page – http://callersusan.com/index.html. There is a tab “Samena’s New Dancers,” where you will find these newsletters.
Below you will find the definitions of the calls you danced last Thursday night. Don’t worry if you think you don’t remember what we danced. I will re-teach all of the calls that we danced Thursday night before we add any new ones.
Don’t forget that next week is another open enrollment week. Feel free to bring friends, family, co-workers, etc. to class.
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, Couple Numbers: Head couples have their back to or face the caller/music; Sides are the other two couples; Couple numbers – #1 back to caller, #2 to their right, #3 to the right of #2 or face the caller, #4 to the right of #3.
iii. Boys, Girls: Actual Boys and Girls or those dancing the Boy/Girl part of the move.
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. Forward & Back: In a squared set for heads or sides, it is 3 steps and touch then back 3 steps. FORWARD & BACK – 8 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.
5 b. Single File Promenade: Specified dancers walk single file counterclockwise inside the square or where indicated by the caller. SINGLE FILE PROMENADE – 4 dancers inside to home – 8 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.
8 b. Weave the Ring: Same as RIGHT AND LEFT GRAND without hands. Hint: pass same shoulder as the hand you would be using. WEAVE THE RING – 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. End back to back. Same as 1/2 DOSADO. PASS THRU – 2 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.
23. Grand Square: (32 beats of music) Each individual dancer tracks the four sides of a square in their quadrant on the floor. Command is “Sides Face, Grand Square.” GRAND SQUARE – 32 steps.
Next week: Courtesy Turn, Couples Circulate, Ladies In Men Sashay, Ladies Chain
Welcome to the Samena Squares! We are so glad that you chose to join us!
After each Thursday session, I will send out an email newsletter. I will include a brief summary definition of the calls that we learned new that night. I will also list the calls that we will learn the following week. In a couple of weeks, you will receive a book with complete definitions as well as pictures and diagrams.
Everyone learns in different ways. If you learn by reading, you will find the books and definitions helpful. If you learn by watching, listening, or doing, you may find reading the books ahead of where we are confusing. Don’t do it! Wait until you have learned the call.
Use the list I send as a way to refresh your memory before coming next Thursday night.
Occasionally, I will include other tidbits about square dancing. This week a bit of history: Square dancing is the American folk dance. Square dancing is popular around the world. You can square dance almost anywhere, most recently in Russia. Square dances are always called in English.
This week I want to give you a couple of online resources. The Samena Squares have a great web site – http://www.samenasquares.org. Thanks 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. There will be more about these in the next few weeks.
I also have a web page – http://callersusan.com/index.html. There is a tab “Samena’s New Dancers,” where you will find these newsletters.
Below you will find the definitions of the calls you danced last Thursday night. Don’t worry if you think you don’t remember what we danced. I will re-teach all of the calls that we danced Thursday night before we add any new ones.
Don’t forget that next week is another open enrollment week. Feel free to bring friends, family, co-workers, etc. to class.
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, Couple Numbers: Head couples have their back to or face the caller/music; Sides are the other two couples; Couple numbers – #1 back to caller, #2 to their right, #3 to the right of #2 or face the caller, #4 to the right of #3.
iii. Boys, Girls: Actual Boys and Girls or those dancing the Boy/Girl part of the move.
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. Forward & Back: In a squared set for heads or sides, it is 3 steps and touch then back 3 steps. FORWARD & BACK – 8 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.
5 b. Single File Promenade: Specified dancers walk single file counterclockwise inside the square or where indicated by the caller. SINGLE FILE PROMENADE – 4 dancers inside to home – 8 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.
8 b. Weave the Ring: Same as RIGHT AND LEFT GRAND without hands. Hint: pass same shoulder as the hand you would be using. WEAVE THE RING – 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. End back to back. Same as 1/2 DOSADO. PASS THRU – 2 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.
23. Grand Square: (32 beats of music) Each individual dancer tracks the four sides of a square in their quadrant on the floor. Command is “Sides Face, Grand Square.” GRAND SQUARE – 32 steps.
Next week: Courtesy Turn, Couples Circulate, Ladies In Men Sashay, Ladies Chain