Samena Newsletter #3
10/01/2010
Dear Friends,
What a fun class last Thursday! You are all doing so well!
Some of you were not able to be there for various reasons. No worries! I will review all the new calls that were taught at the next class. If you are absent a week just come early the following week and we can walk through the new calls before class then review them with everyone in a square.
Last week was the last open enrollment week, however, a few people have indicated that they have friends that are interested in joining us. So, if you have friends or family who would like to square dance, please bring them this Thursday. We will get them dancing with us!
Some of you were able to come to the Friday night Fun Fest. It was a great turn out. Lots of squares! I hope you will ALL plan to come to the Samena Halloween Dance. It is a fun dance! The next Fun Fest is Friday, November 5.
Have a great week! See you Thursday! Don't forget...you can still bring friends!
Happy dancing,
Susan
PS. I have put ALL the calls that we have learned in this newsletter. Please note calls are in numerical order.
WEEK #3
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 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 a. Forward & Back: Join hands in a line and move forward 1 step, touch and move back 1 step. FORWARD & BACK – 4 steps.
2 b. 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.
4. Swing: Dancers step toward each other in ballroom dance position; leaning back slightly, walk around each other; the boy ends facing the direction of the next call; the girl rolls out to dance position on his right side. SWING – 4-8 steps at callers discretion.
5. PROMENADE FAMILY:
5 a. Promenade: 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.
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.
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. Right/Left 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. RIGHT/LEFT HAND STAR – 4 dancers full around 8 steps.
10. Pass Thru: With person you are facing step ahead passing right shoulders. STOPas soon as you pass by. End 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 in small of back, palm out; Boys (or left hand dancer) offers left hand palm up to girl, place right hand on her right hand; 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 couple facing center of formation. While girls are staring 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 befacing 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: Review of all calls taught, Right and Left Thru, Couples Circulate, Named Dancers Circulate, California Twirl, Dive Thru.
What a fun class last Thursday! You are all doing so well!
Some of you were not able to be there for various reasons. No worries! I will review all the new calls that were taught at the next class. If you are absent a week just come early the following week and we can walk through the new calls before class then review them with everyone in a square.
Last week was the last open enrollment week, however, a few people have indicated that they have friends that are interested in joining us. So, if you have friends or family who would like to square dance, please bring them this Thursday. We will get them dancing with us!
Some of you were able to come to the Friday night Fun Fest. It was a great turn out. Lots of squares! I hope you will ALL plan to come to the Samena Halloween Dance. It is a fun dance! The next Fun Fest is Friday, November 5.
Have a great week! See you Thursday! Don't forget...you can still bring friends!
Happy dancing,
Susan
PS. I have put ALL the calls that we have learned in this newsletter. Please note calls are in numerical order.
WEEK #3
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 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 a. Forward & Back: Join hands in a line and move forward 1 step, touch and move back 1 step. FORWARD & BACK – 4 steps.
2 b. 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.
4. Swing: Dancers step toward each other in ballroom dance position; leaning back slightly, walk around each other; the boy ends facing the direction of the next call; the girl rolls out to dance position on his right side. SWING – 4-8 steps at callers discretion.
5. PROMENADE FAMILY:
5 a. Promenade: 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.
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.
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. Right/Left 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. RIGHT/LEFT HAND STAR – 4 dancers full around 8 steps.
10. Pass Thru: With person you are facing step ahead passing right shoulders. STOPas soon as you pass by. End 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 in small of back, palm out; Boys (or left hand dancer) offers left hand palm up to girl, place right hand on her right hand; 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 couple facing center of formation. While girls are staring 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 befacing 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: Review of all calls taught, Right and Left Thru, Couples Circulate, Named Dancers Circulate, California Twirl, Dive Thru.