03 October 2010
Samena Newsletter #4
10/08/2010
Dear Friends,
What a fabulous few days of October sunshine! I hope you have been able to get out and enjoy it.
It was a good class last week. A few people were not able to be there. No worries! I will reteach/review all the new moves the next class. We will be learning new moves each week so it is important to be at class if at all possible. If you miss a week, come early the following week and Larry and I can walk through the new moves with you before class starts.
This week we will have square dance booklets for you. I will say more about them in class.
See you tomorrow night,
Susan
Week #4:
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.
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.
21. Circulate Family:
21. a. Named Dancers Circulate: Named dancers can be boys, girls, centers or ends. The indicated (active) dancers move along the circulate path to the next position. NAMED DANCERS CIRCULATE – 4 steps.
21. c. Couples Circulate: As a couple move to the next couples place in the square; if you are looking at someone’s back step straight ahead; if you are looking out of the square as a couple move around the corner to the place of the next couple. COUPLES CIRCULATE – 4 steps.
24. Star Thru: Starting with facing dancers (boy & girl), boy’s right hand and girl's left hand form a momentary arch. The girl ducks through the arch while the boy slides past the girl crossing behind her. Each turn a quarter in the direction of their joined hands. End as a couple side by side. STAR THRU – 4 steps.
29. California Twirl: With the joined hand of your partner, raise hands to form a momentary arch. Turning towards each other the girl goes through the arch (under) while the boy steps across behind her to become a couple facing the opposite direction. CALIFORNIA TWIRL – 4 steps.
30. Dive Thru: Inside couple raise joined hands to form an arch while the outside couple ducks through the arch into the center. The archers step forward and immediately CALIFORNIA TWIRL to face back in. DIVE THRU – diving couple, 2 steps; couple facing out, 6 steps.
I. Emergency call: If someone should fall down in your square, immediately have the other seven dancers join hands stretch out to as big a circle as you can and raise your joined hands as high as you can. This will signal the club officers and the caller that something happened.
J. Lost squares: All squares will occasionally break down. The causes can be numerous. A few examples are not hearing the caller, talking in the square, forgetting how to do a call, dancing above your ability, losing your concentration and focus. When your square breaks down, make lines of four facing. This is a sign for the caller. Try to do this in 4 or 5 beats of music. The caller will signal an opportunity to rejoin the dancing with “Lines of four, up to the middle and back,” or an equivalent.
This week: Chain Down The Line, Star Promenade, U-Turn Back, Backtrack, Square Thru
What a fabulous few days of October sunshine! I hope you have been able to get out and enjoy it.
It was a good class last week. A few people were not able to be there. No worries! I will reteach/review all the new moves the next class. We will be learning new moves each week so it is important to be at class if at all possible. If you miss a week, come early the following week and Larry and I can walk through the new moves with you before class starts.
This week we will have square dance booklets for you. I will say more about them in class.
See you tomorrow night,
Susan
Week #4:
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.
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.
21. Circulate Family:
21. a. Named Dancers Circulate: Named dancers can be boys, girls, centers or ends. The indicated (active) dancers move along the circulate path to the next position. NAMED DANCERS CIRCULATE – 4 steps.
21. c. Couples Circulate: As a couple move to the next couples place in the square; if you are looking at someone’s back step straight ahead; if you are looking out of the square as a couple move around the corner to the place of the next couple. COUPLES CIRCULATE – 4 steps.
24. Star Thru: Starting with facing dancers (boy & girl), boy’s right hand and girl's left hand form a momentary arch. The girl ducks through the arch while the boy slides past the girl crossing behind her. Each turn a quarter in the direction of their joined hands. End as a couple side by side. STAR THRU – 4 steps.
29. California Twirl: With the joined hand of your partner, raise hands to form a momentary arch. Turning towards each other the girl goes through the arch (under) while the boy steps across behind her to become a couple facing the opposite direction. CALIFORNIA TWIRL – 4 steps.
30. Dive Thru: Inside couple raise joined hands to form an arch while the outside couple ducks through the arch into the center. The archers step forward and immediately CALIFORNIA TWIRL to face back in. DIVE THRU – diving couple, 2 steps; couple facing out, 6 steps.
I. Emergency call: If someone should fall down in your square, immediately have the other seven dancers join hands stretch out to as big a circle as you can and raise your joined hands as high as you can. This will signal the club officers and the caller that something happened.
J. Lost squares: All squares will occasionally break down. The causes can be numerous. A few examples are not hearing the caller, talking in the square, forgetting how to do a call, dancing above your ability, losing your concentration and focus. When your square breaks down, make lines of four facing. This is a sign for the caller. Try to do this in 4 or 5 beats of music. The caller will signal an opportunity to rejoin the dancing with “Lines of four, up to the middle and back,” or an equivalent.
This week: Chain Down The Line, Star Promenade, U-Turn Back, Backtrack, Square Thru