09 October 2011
Samena Squares Newsletter #5
10/13/2011
Dear Friends,
It was good to see everyone Thursday night. Fran and Joyce (from the week before) are not going to be able to continue with lessons this year. They are going to plan to join us next year.
On my website (www.callersusan.com) there is a tab for “Square Dance Writings.” There you will find an article for New Dancers by Ed Foote from a newsletter from 1981. Ed shares some helpful tips for new dancers. Here is the direct link – http://callersusan.com/blog-2/index.html
Don’t forget if you miss a class or have questions about anything that we have learned you can come early to ask questions or find out what you missed. I am usually set up ready to go by 7:15 p.m.
Don’t forget the Samena’s Halloween Student Level Dance is less than two weeks now. It’s Friday, October 28, from 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. I hope we will see you there.
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
Happy dancing,
Susan
Week #5
7. Arm Turns: Turn designated dancer by the indicated arm to next call; let go. The turn is 180 to 360 degrees. ARM TURNS – same as ALLEMANDE LEFT.
11. Half Sashay Family:
11 a. Half Sashay: Dancer on the right steps to their left; dancer on the left takes a small step backward slides behind the dancer on the right, step forward into the other dancer’s place. Dancers change places without ever changing their facing direction. HALF SASHAY – 4 steps.
12. Turn Back Family:
12 a. ‘U’-Turn back: One of the self-explanatory calls, turn around in place to face opposite direction. If you have a partner beside you it is friendlier and nicer to turn toward your partner, sometimes this is left and sometimes it is right. ‘U’-TURN BACK – 2 steps.
12 b. Backtrack: Designated dancers roll out (away from center) and walk around the set in opposite direction until next call; the others continue in the direction they were going. BACKTRACK – 2 steps.
16. Ladies Chain Family:
16 b. Two & Four Ladies Chain 3/4: Same as above except the turn is 3/4. Can be called with other fractions. TWO & FOUR LADIES CHAIN 3/4 – 10 steps.
16 c. Chain Down The Line: Starting position is a two-faced line with the girls in the center holding right hands; girls trade with the right hand (the star part); offer their left hand to the boy for a COURTESY TURN; while girls are trading boys take a step to their right to be in correct position for COURTESY TURN. CHAIN DOWN THE LINE – 8 steps.
26. Walk Around The Corner: Dancers face their corners. Walking forward and around each other while keeping right shoulders adjacent, dancers return to their original position, with their backs toward their corner. WALK AROUND THE CORNER – 8 steps
27. See Saw: Each dancer walks forward and around the partner keeping left shoulders adjacent, then steps forward to face the corner. This is not a DOSADO. SEE SAW – 8 steps.
Next week: Separates (Separate to Line, Separate Into the Middle), Split Two, Square Thru, Circle to a Line
It was good to see everyone Thursday night. Fran and Joyce (from the week before) are not going to be able to continue with lessons this year. They are going to plan to join us next year.
On my website (www.callersusan.com) there is a tab for “Square Dance Writings.” There you will find an article for New Dancers by Ed Foote from a newsletter from 1981. Ed shares some helpful tips for new dancers. Here is the direct link – http://callersusan.com/blog-2/index.html
Don’t forget if you miss a class or have questions about anything that we have learned you can come early to ask questions or find out what you missed. I am usually set up ready to go by 7:15 p.m.
Don’t forget the Samena’s Halloween Student Level Dance is less than two weeks now. It’s Friday, October 28, from 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. I hope we will see you there.
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!
Happy dancing,
Susan
Week #5
7. Arm Turns: Turn designated dancer by the indicated arm to next call; let go. The turn is 180 to 360 degrees. ARM TURNS – same as ALLEMANDE LEFT.
11. Half Sashay Family:
11 a. Half Sashay: Dancer on the right steps to their left; dancer on the left takes a small step backward slides behind the dancer on the right, step forward into the other dancer’s place. Dancers change places without ever changing their facing direction. HALF SASHAY – 4 steps.
12. Turn Back Family:
12 a. ‘U’-Turn back: One of the self-explanatory calls, turn around in place to face opposite direction. If you have a partner beside you it is friendlier and nicer to turn toward your partner, sometimes this is left and sometimes it is right. ‘U’-TURN BACK – 2 steps.
12 b. Backtrack: Designated dancers roll out (away from center) and walk around the set in opposite direction until next call; the others continue in the direction they were going. BACKTRACK – 2 steps.
16. Ladies Chain Family:
16 b. Two & Four Ladies Chain 3/4: Same as above except the turn is 3/4. Can be called with other fractions. TWO & FOUR LADIES CHAIN 3/4 – 10 steps.
16 c. Chain Down The Line: Starting position is a two-faced line with the girls in the center holding right hands; girls trade with the right hand (the star part); offer their left hand to the boy for a COURTESY TURN; while girls are trading boys take a step to their right to be in correct position for COURTESY TURN. CHAIN DOWN THE LINE – 8 steps.
26. Walk Around The Corner: Dancers face their corners. Walking forward and around each other while keeping right shoulders adjacent, dancers return to their original position, with their backs toward their corner. WALK AROUND THE CORNER – 8 steps
27. See Saw: Each dancer walks forward and around the partner keeping left shoulders adjacent, then steps forward to face the corner. This is not a DOSADO. SEE SAW – 8 steps.
Next week: Separates (Separate to Line, Separate Into the Middle), Split Two, Square Thru, Circle to a Line