Thursday, January 4, 2018

I have decided to use a mailing list rather than this blog to discuss square dancing issues. If you send an email to the following email address I will add you to the list.

Here is a sample posting

Here is a sequence diagram that shows a formation where men arrive home ahead of the women after a Right and Left Grand. The men are usually requested to slow down or the women speed up. It also shows a formation where the men and women arrive home at the same time which is by far the more common situation   sequence diagram.

I have summarized all the blog entries for 2017 at http://puzzlecrowd.com:/sqdance/square_dancing_made_difficult.html. I will update the information there whenever I experience new calls.

I will occasionally transcribe square dancing CDs. The transcriptions can be found here

I will create sequence diagrams for most singing calls that I dance. See singing calls.

And here is a picture album of notable dances

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

EA Calls for October 26

Tom Manning called.

  1. Facing Couples Rule

    The Facing Couples Rule applies to the following calls
    1. Swing Thru
    2. Left Swing Thru
    3. Spin the Top
    4. Spin Chain Thru
    5. Spin Chain the Gears (seems possible)
    6. Spin Chain and Exchange the Gears (seems possible)
    7. Relay the Deucey (seems possible)
  2. Ocean Wave Rule

    In order for the Ocean Wave Rule to apply, the initial dance action of the call must start with a Box The Gnat, Pass Thru, or Right Pull By. In addition, the call must not be defined to have a different dance action from an Ocean Wave. For example, the call Circulate is defined from Eight Chain Thru and from Ocean Waves. It would be improper to call Circulate from Ocean Waves and expect dancers to dance it as a Step Thru based on the Ocean Wave Rule because they would naturally apply the definition of Circulate from Ocean Waves

    The Ocean Wave rule applies to the following calls
    1. Dosado
    2. Swing
    3. Right and Left Grand
    4. Weave
    5. Pass Thru
    6. Double Pass Thru
    7. Right and Left Thru
    8. Square Thru
    9. Box the Gnat
    10. Pass the Ocean
    11. Turn Thru
    12. Eight Chain Thru
    13. Slide Thru
    14. Pull By
    15. Load the Boat (from a Tidal Wave)
  3. From a static square
    1. sides Lead left
    2. Make a right hand star with the heads
    3. Turn the right hand star which will cause the sides to face into the middle where they detach from the heads and star left. Beau will detach first and go into center followed by belle. Opposite beaus touch hands first then the belles attach to complete the star.
    4. After the sides detach from the right hand star, the heads return to their positions and wait for the sides to finish the left hand star.
    5. Normally the sides stop turning the star once they get back to their (head) corner, but during a singing call Tom had them do another 180 degree turn so that sides got new corners.
  4. If you advance Grand Square 8 steps you will see that dancers become half-sashayed from the position they started out from. Tom used this fact to get dancers normal.
  5. Called Diamond Circulate from diamonds with center 2-faced lines. The dancers that would collide need to form a right-hand mini-wave as dictated by the Same Position Rule. This sequence diagram shows this type of diamond circulate followed by a call to Square Thru from ocean waves and doing a Right and Left Grand on the third hand.
  6. Called 1/2 Zoom (advance thumb half way to see the result)
  7. To Stir the bucket
    Ladies Chain 3/4
    Men circle (left) 3/4

    Note that the star right done during the Ladies Chain 3/4 turns clockwise and that a circle left also turns clockwise. Furthermore note that turning 3/4 clockwise is the same as turning 1/4 counterclockwise and that stirring the bucket rotates the square 90 degrees to the right (counterclockwise) which is all that is being done here.
    sequence diagram.
  8. Starting from static square
    Allemande Left with corner
    All 8 Spin the Top (girls star)
    Spread
    All 8 Spin the Top (girls star)
    Spread
    Right and Left Grand
    
    sequence diagram.
  9. Square Thru and on the third hand do something. I guess, in principle, the "something" could be anything that could be done from parallel waves (or a tidal wave). Tom called the following three "something"s
    1. Right and Left Thru
    2. Touch a Quarter
    3. Double Pass Thru
  10. Created facing diamonds from a Relay the Deucey. To see how, open Relay the Deucey and advance the thumb to the 6. The girls are in a left-hand wave there. The boys are circulating to their end positions. If the girls freeze and the boys finish, the dancers will be in facing diamonds.
  11. Created a wrong-way thar from a right-hand tidal wave: sequence diagram
  12. Created a wrong-way thar from a static square without doing an Allemande Left. Dancers did a partner Trade once and a half instead: sequence diagram.
  13. Everybody Cross Run from ocean waves is the same as Trade the Wave. They are not always equivalent because Everybody Cross Run can be called from 2-faced lines.
  14. Spreads are normally done by centers of waves (e.g. Follow Your Neighbor and Spread) or by the leaders of tandem couples (e.g. Cloverleaf and Spread). But a dancer in neither of those positions can Spread if the caller designates them to do so (e.g. sequence diagram).
  15. Square Thru 2.5 results in same wave that the dancers are in at the third hand.
  16. Created an offset line. See sequence diagram.
  17. Peel Off can be called from columns. #3 dancers are leaders even though they are facing somebody. After a Peel Off, leaders become ends and trailers become centers.
  18. Singing call: sequence diagram
    heads pass the ocean
    follow your neighbor
    boys run
    star thru
    pass thru
    trade by
    touch a quarter
    follow your neighbor
    spread
    boy run around corner and keep her
    promenade
    
    home (men now have original corners as partners)
    heads pass the ocean
    follow your neighbor
    boys run
    star thru
    pass thru
    trade by
    touch a quarter
    follow your neighbor
    spread
    boys run
    you take her hand and promenade that ring
    
    home (men now have original opposite ladies as partners)
    4 ladies chain
    4 ladies star back home
    when you meet your partner do paso
    allemand thar, boys back up into a backup star
    slip the clutch
    left allemande
    come back and swing
    you take your lady and promenade that ring
    
    home (men still have opposite ladies as partners)
    heads square thru 4
    touch a quarter
    scoot back
    hinge
    fan the top
    recycle
    boy walk, girl dodge
    girl walk, boy dodge
    girls fold
    swing that man
    promenade
    
    home (men have original right hand ladies as partners)
    heads star thru
    california twirl
    step to a wave
    spin chain and exchange the gears
    boys circulate
    boys do their part of a recycle
    swing that corner
    promenade
    
    home (men now have their original partners back)
    left allemande
    all 8 spin the top
    spread
    all 8 spin the top
    spread
    right and left grand
    

Monday, October 23, 2017

EA Calls for October 19

Tom Manning called.

  1. Called Spin Chain and Exchange the Gears from a Tidal Wave: sequence diagram.
  2. Flutterwheel from sashayed lines. Boys have to bring a girl back.
  3. Here is the CallerLab definition of Centers In
    Starting formation
    Completed Double Pass Thru, Eight Chain Thru. More generally, a Couple with their backs to the center of the set, each center dancer directly looking at an outside dancer.

    Dance action
    Without changing facing direction, the outside dancers step away from each other to make room for the center dancers, who step forward to end between them.
    Note that a single Couple has to have their backs to the center of the set. It does not say if that couple is an end or not. So Tom took advantage of this ambiguity and called Centers In with mini-wave ends and centers facing out: sequence diagram

    Another remarkable thing about this tip segment is the various formations that the dancers pass through. Some don't have names. Also each Cast Off 3/4 was unusual. In the first one half the dancers were couples and half mini-waves. In the other, all dancers were mini-waves but half had right hands joined and the other half had left hands joined.

    Here is the segment showing the formations that the dancers are in after each call.

    sides Touch a Quarterbox circulate between facing couples
    boys Zoomsame
    girls Pass Thrufacing couples between mini-waves
    centers Square Thru 3back to back couples between mini-waves
    Centers In3 and 1 lines (3 dancers facing out)
    Cast Off 3/43 and 1 lines (3 dancers facing in)
    all 8 Circulate3 and 1 lines (3 dancers facing out)
    centers Run3 and 1 lines (3 dancers facing in)
    centers do a Walk and Dodgeinverted lines, ends facing in
    with whatever hand you have Cast Off 3/4inverted lines, ends facing in
    centers Past the Oceanright-hand diamonds
    ends Face In1/4 tag
    Extendright-hand waves
    same sex Tradesame
    centers Tradesame
    boys Runlines facing in
    Pass Thrulines facing out
    Wheel and Dealdouble pass thru
    centers Slide Thrustatic square
  4. Called Centers In from an eight chain thru formation
  5. Called Follow Your Neighbor from a 1/4 tag formation. All dancers did the trailer's part and Cast Off 3/4 to right-hand waves. This was followed immediately by another Follow Your Neighbor
  6. Called Wheel and Deal from a tidal line. Note that if the two lines stepped forward this would be the familiar lines facing out formation where Wheel and Deal is usually called from. This results in two-faced lines. Called Wheel and Deal again on the two-faced lines to get an eight chain thru formation.
  7. Called the Advanced call Single Wheel without naming it.
  8. Called Tag the Line from a tidal line
  9. Had t-boned couples Circulate: sequence diagram.
  10. Called half of a Walk and Dodge: sequence diagram.
  11. Created connected offset boxes by Sweeping a Quarter after Recycle: sequence diagram.
  12. Did a Wheel and Deal from connected offset boxes: sequence diagram.
  13. Half a Trade the Wave forms a tidal wave
  14. Called Left Track 2.
  15. Called Square Thru 4 from an ocean wave. This is an example of the Ocean Wave Rule.
  16. Singing call:

    sequence diagram.

    Here are the calls (lines in red mark change of partners)
    home
    circle left
    allemande left to an alamo style
    boys run to the right
    boys run to the left
    girls run to the right
    girls run to the left
    right and left grand
    promenade your partner
    
    home
    head square thru 4
    touch a quarter
    follow your neighbor
    spread
    follow your neighbor
    spread
    follow your neighbor
    half a spread
    swing the corner lady
    promenade
    
    home (men now have their original corner as a partner)
    sides square thru 4
    touch a quarter
    follow your neighbor
    linear cycle
    right and left thru
    half sashay once and a half
    boy turn around
    swing that girl and promenade
    
    home (men now have their original opposite lady as their partner)
    circle left
    left allemande
    turn partner right
    4 men star by the left inside
    home you go, turn your partner by the right
    left allemande
    promenade
    
    home
    sides square thru 4
    touch a quarter
    follow your neighbor
    spread optional
    explode the wave
    chase right
    swing
    promenade
    
    home (men now have their original right hand lady as a partner)
    sides left square thru 4
    when you meet your corner, left touch a quarter
    girls you go in with a left hand and follow your neighbor, boys flip and roll to a normal wave
    swing thru
    boys run right
    girls trade
    couples trade
    wrong way promenade
    
    home (men now have their original partner back)
    "4 boys promenade the right way around
    "get back and swing her upside down
    "join hands and circle left
    l/a
    "weave
    
  17. Singing call:

    sequence diagram.

    Here are the calls (lines in red mark change of partners)
    home (original partners)
    circle left
    left allemande
    all 8 spin the top
    wrong way right and left grand
    pull your partner by
    left allemande
    promenade
    
    home (original partners)
    heads square thru 4
    step to a wave
    spin chain and exchange the gears
    boys circulate
    boys cross fold
    swing corner
    promenade
    
    home (partners are now original corners)
    heads square thru 4
    touch a quarter
    follow your neighbor
    left swing thru
    girls run
    ferris wheel
    centers veer right
    centers veer left
    corner swing
    promenade
    
    home (partners are now original opposite ladies)
    all the boys to the middle, join hands, circle to the left
    get home, girls jump in, everybody circle left
    left allemande
    turn your partner right
    left allemande
    weave around tonight
    find your orginal opposite girl (to fix a broken square)
    swing
    promenade
    
    home (partners are original opposite ladies)
    sides square thru 4
    touch a quarter
    scoot back
    hinge
    girls trade
    recycle
    veer left
    ferris wheel
    centers veer left
    centers veer right
    veer right
    boys trade
    promenade
    
    home (partners are now original right hand ladies)
    sides square thru 4
    spin chain and exchange the gears
    boys circulate
    boys cross fold
    swing
    promenade
    
    home (partners are now original partners)
    all the girls go to the middle join hands
    circle to the left inside
    at home, boys jump in, everybody circle to the left
    4 men star by the right
    go once around
    left allemande
    weave the ring
    

Friday, October 20, 2017

EA Calls for October 12

Jerry Story called.

  1. Dancers worked with diagonal boxes in a sashayed 1/4 tag formation. As long as the dancers remain in the boxes they started from, they remain square with the walls even though the dancers moved diagonally during the call. Here is a Dive Thru diagonally that shows that centers are the ones that twirl. See sequence diagram.

    However, if the call creates a formation in which the dancers move out of the box they started with, e.g. ocean waves, that formation would probably no longer be square with the walls. See sequence diagram for an example of this phenomena.
  2. Set up a diagonal box formation in an unusual way. See sequence diagram
  3. Got dancers into connected offset boxes, played with them for a while, then got dancers back into parallel waves and finished with all eight Spin the Top. See sequence diagram.
  4. Here is "finish a Ferris Wheel" from connected offset boxes: sequence diagram. To get the dancers in position to finish a Ferris Wheel, the dancers did a Walk and Dodge.
  5. Here is "finish a Ferris Wheel" from diagonal boxes: sequence diagram. Note that to get the dancers in position it is necessary to do a Pass Thru rather than a Walk and Dodge.
  6. In general, any call that can be made from a box can be called from disconnected offset boxes or diagonal boxes.
  7. Jerry had dancers working with connected offset boxes followed by working with diagonal boxes and some dancers got confused as to what kind of box they were supposed to be working with. Jerry later said that he had made a mistake calling those two kind of boxes so close together. It is not the caller's intent to entrap the dancers into making a mistake.
  8. Called a left Dosado 3/4 with the segment ending with the men doing a back flip and a half twist. See sequence diagram. And click here for a back flip and half twist demo.
  9. Called Ferris Wheel and Roll.
  10. Jerry made up a call he named "Inside Out Chase Right": sequence diagram.
  11. Called Explode and Cross Fire. This works because the Explode put dancers into facing lines before doing the "Anything" part. See Explode and Partner Trade for an example. And once the dancers are in facing lines they can do a Crossfire.
  12. Called Mixed Up Right and Left Grand. Half the boys are moving counterclockwise and half are moving clockwise. Same for the girls. See sequence diagram.
  13. Called Diamond Circulate from left hand diamonds with right-hand centers. Jerry told us to resist the temptation to pass left shoulders which seems more natural. Dancers should pass right shoulders. It's a simple rule that prevents collisions and confusion.
  14. Called Single Circle 3/4 to a Wave.
  15. Called Lead Left from lines facing out and then finish a Ferris Wheel: sequence diagram.

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Calls from Jerry and Joe's Weekend

Jerry Story called and Joe Saltel called.

  1. 1/2 Chase Right and Roll. It appears that all dancers can roll: sequence diagram.
  2. After a Veer Right, all dancers would turn right on a U-Turn Back instead of turning toward their partner: sequence diagram.
  3. Examination of the infamous back flip and a half twist which seem to be called when a mini-wave needs to converted into a couple. This sequence also calls lead right and lead left from unusual positions.
    s/sq4
    tq
    ws
    r/l
    "finish a ferris wheel
    sq3
    l/tq
    ws
    l/l
    "finish a ferris wheel
    c/tq
    "box circulate twice
    "with a back flip and a half twist
    
    sequence diagram.
  4. Spin Chain Thru from alamo ring
    l/a " alamo style
    "I want you to squeeze the right hand, we are going to start with the right and do a spin chain thru from here.
    "Everybody turn half by the right
    "With the left hand cast off 3/4
    
    sequence diagram.
  5. The following demonstrates the importance of remembering who your partner is: sequence diagram.
  6. Called a Wrong-Way Left Allemande: sequence diagram. A regular Left Allemande ends with the men ready to do a Right and Left Grand or a Promenade (counterclockwise direction). A Wrong-Way Left Allemande ends with the men in position to do a Wrong-Way Right and Left Grand or a Wrong-Way Promenade (clockwise direction).
  7. The A2 level has a section on All 4 couples and all 8 versions of other calls. These were called by Jerry and Joe
    1. All 4 couples Swing Thru
    2. All 4 couples Single Circle to a Wave
    3. All 8 Fan the Top. Like All 8 Spin the Top except initial trade is not done
    4. 4 couples Right and Left Thru
    5. All 4 couples Ping Pong Circulate. When starting from a static square, the couples get into a Wrong-Way Thar like that of All 4 couples Swing Thru. When starting from a Wrong-Way Thar, original partners step straight forward out of the Wrong-Way Thar and Trade.
  8. An All 8 Spin the Top was preceded by a Box the Gnat: sequence diagram.
  9. From a static square
    heads Star Thru
    Sides Face
    Grand Square (initially everybody backs up)
    
  10. 
    Explode and face your partner
    left bg and roll
    
    Here is the definition of Box the Gnat
    Dancers step forward, join and then raise their right hands. The lady steps forward and does a left-face U-Turn Back under the raised joined hands, as the man walks forward and around the lady while doing a right-face U-Turn Back. Each dancer ends in the other’s starting position.
    With suitable modifications left Box the Gnat is
    Dancers step forward, join and then raise their left hands. The lady steps forward and does a right-face U-Turn Back under the raised joined hands, as the man walks forward and around the lady while doing a left-face U-Turn Back. Each dancer ends in the other’s starting position.
    Unless Roll is called afterwards, you can ignore the handedness of the call without breaking the square since dancers end in the same positions either way. sequence diagram.
  11. Had girls Zoom, boys Ping Pong Circulate: sequence diagram.
  12. sides face, Right and Left Grand (not Grand Square!) from static square.
  13. Man #1 promenade, swing your partner. Rare example of when an individual dancer is named.
  14. Explode and roll.
  15. Called a Coordinate with no trades. I think the boys (who moved to ends) missed the flow more than the girls.
  16. Half Sashay while promending half way. I guess you can do it anywhere along the way.
  17. Wrong way sides promenade half way. I wonder how Vernon would do this?
  18. Called Acey Deucey from diamonds.
  19. Put centers out. Gets you every time.
  20. Called Crossfire from t-bones: sequence diagram.
  21. Called "R I in" instead of "Run"
  22. Since a Bend the Line results in a line it can be called multiple times in a row. This sometimes causes bending fatigue in the dancers.
  23. side ladies chain to the right
    this means that the side lady goes to the head lady on her right
    pulls by and does a courtesy turn
    sides right and left thru
    side ladies lead dixie style
    ping pong circulate
    center two boys hinge
    those in the head position, you are going to work long and pass the ocean
    so pass all the way thru the diamond
    and then face and step and join right hands
    so girls you have a medium diamond, a distorted one, but its medium
    girls diamond circulate to the next spot
    those in the big wave grand swing thru
    the centers cut the diamond
    and the others hinge and roll
    centers explode the wave
    centers run around the ends
    dance forward and come on back
    box the gnat
    girls get ready with the left and fan the top
    linear cycle
    pass thru
    wheel and deal
    girls zoom
    centers veer left
    centers bend the line
    
    sequence diagram.
  24. Called Load the Boat from a tidal wave.
  25. From a static square called
    heads rollaway
    sides are normal
    head boys center Teacup Chain
    
    So both the head boys and the side girls will be starring in the center but never with each other.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

EA Calls for Sept 28

Jerry Story called

  1. Called Heads face, Grand Square from sashayed couples. The fact that the couples are half-sashayed and the heads face should have no affect on the execution of the call unless dancers are really used to doing it from normal couples with sides facing. Dancers need to be aware of two things:
    1. Which way is in. During Grand Square each dancer spends the entire time in one quadrant and shares the quadrant with another dancer. When it is time to turn, it is toward the quadrant at right angles to you.
    2. After turning 3 times, at the next turn opportunity, the dancers reverse their direction in instead of turning.
  2. From a static square, the following two calls return the dancers to their original positions
    Heads Circulate twice
    Heads Circulate twice
    
    In each case, the first Circulate is a Pass Thru and the second one is a Partner Trade
  3. Called 3/4 Double Pass Thru for dancers in a double pass thru formation. This ended in a 3/4 tag formation.
  4. This sequence diagram demonstrates several unusual calls: adjacent men cross folding and double pass thru with no one. It ends with a Triple Trade which is an Advanced call (Jerry called it Center 6 Trade).
  5. Called "put your lady in the lead" but did not call Dixie Style to a Wave next. Instead these calls were made
    1. Girls Swing Thru
    2. Girls Square Thru 3
    3. Girls Single Circle to a Wave
    4. Double Pass Thru
  6. Split Circulate once and a half from facing lines results in the same formation as Pass the Ocean
  7. Called Cut the Diamond from diamonds with points facing out. The points had to move in to get out of the way of the centers and to get in position to do a partner trade (since they are facing in the same direction. sequence diagram.
  8. Boys circulate counter clockwise in a Right and Left Grand and clockwise in a Wrong Way Right and Left Grand. This means that in a half-sashayed square a Right and Left Grand will have the boys pulling their corners by instead of their partners (see sequence diagram) which is the case in a normal square. A Wrong Way Right and Left Grand from a half-sashayed square will have the boys pulling their partners by first.
  9. Called Dixie Grand from a double pass thru formation
  10. Called the following sequence from a static square
    Heads Lead Right
    Everybody Veer Right (not Veer Left!!)
    Leaders Chase Right
    Trailers Circulate
    
    sequence diagram
  11. Called the following sequence from right-hand columns (note that only half the dancers are doing a track2 and that it is called from columns instead of completed double pass thru).
     lead 2 track 2
     the others circulate
    
    sequence diagram
  12. Called the following from an eight chain thru formation
    Right and Left Grand
    When you meet your partner alamo style ...
    Swing Thru
    Girls run right
    Girls run left
    Girls do a back flip and a half twist at home and bow to your partner
    
    This requires that the last left Pull By be replaced by a turn similar to what is done in Allemande Left to an Alamo Ring. In both cases the men are moving counterclockwise and the women are moving clockwise and they use their left hand to turn. Here is the sequence diagram.
  13. Called Acey Deucey, girls go once and a half to an ocean wave. The girls must have been in the centers. This forms a diamond.
  14. Created a three and one diamond: sequence diagram.
  15. Called the A1 call Partner Tag
  16. Called Peel Off and Roll. Emphasized that dancers should reestablish hand holds to decompress the square.
  17. Called left Swing Thru from right-hand ocean waves. The centers (who are holding left hands) have to trade first.
  18. From a static square, this calls created t-boned boxes
    
    Then he called Walk and Dodge: sequence diagram followed by Load the Boat.
    
  19. Called U-turn once and a half followed by Wrong Way Right and Left Grand. Body flow meant the the half U-turn was away from the partner: sequence diagram.
  20. Called Lead Right from eight chain thru formation and from a facing lines formation. You always end back to back with the dancers you are facing when you start the call. See Lead Right.

Thursday, September 28, 2017

EA calls for Aug 31

Jerry Story called

  1. From the home square Allemande Left to an alamo wave. Men are facing in, women are facing out. If men Run right they move in a counter clockwise direction and the women slide in a clockwise direction. If women then Run right they continue in the clockwise direction and the men continue in the counterclockwise direction when they slide. This is important for the flow. Also note that these are the directions that the men and women go in when they do a Right and Left Grand. Boys Run right, Boys Run left has the same flow.
  2. The following sequence is incorrect because the dancers in the left-hand star would have to use their left-hand on consecutive calls.
    From the home square
    Head go in an make a left-hand star
    Turn it until you meet your corner and Left Allemande
    
  3. Squares breathe. For example if the heads do a Square Thru 4, the sides back up slightly to give them room and then move back in when they are done. Keeping square tight with hand holds established makes responding to calls easier and reduces mistakes.
  4. From Burlson's Square Dance Encylopedia
    ... many times a movement is cued by the caller. In other words, he will give the command and follow by telling what is to be done.
    Sometimes the cue precedes the call as the "take a peek" that precedes the Trade the Wave or Explode the Wave calls. Jerry recommended that we should not become dependant on cues like this because all callers may not use them.
  5. If the dancers that end up in the centers of the two-faced lines formed by a Coordinate turn a quarter more, diamonds will be formed
  6. Because Acey Deucey can be called from many different formations because of the universality of the trade and circulate moves. A circulate can be done by any arrangment of the end dancers and a trade can be done by any arrangement of the center dancers.
  7. In a Chase Right or Left the chasing dancers form are lined up halfway through the second circulate such that the caller can ask them to Swing Thru and then Extend to finish the call.
  8. Swing Thru can be fractionated, e.g. Swing Thru once and a quarter (normal Swing Thru and then a Hinge) or Swing Thru three quarters (ends and adjacent centers trade, then the centers Hinge).
  9. Box Circulate involves only the center dancers. E.G., if heads Touch a Quarter from a static square and then Box Circulate is called, only the heads Circulate. It is probably incorrect to just call Circulate in this case.
  10. "Centers Square Thru until you find you corner"
  11. From 1/4 tag formation (used by Ping Pong Circulate)
    Swing Thru once and a quarter will form center box (t-boned lines)
    Centers Walk and Dodge (centers will be back to back)
    Centers Cloverleaf (will form a double pass thru formation)
    
  12. After calling Recycle from Right-handed Waves, dancers ended in Eight Chain Thru formation facing their partners It is not uncommon to call Right and Left Grand from this formation and Jerry began to do so with the raised voice that he often uses for that call. But then at the last minute he said Thru instead of Grand. After the Right and Left Thru then he called Right and Left Grand. Was he trying to trick the dancers or did he realize at the last minute that the Right and Left Grand would have proceeded in the wrong direction and that the Right and Left Thru would fix that. We may never know.
  13. A similar thing happened at another dance. The caller called Centers In and the dancers reflexively hooked arms but the next call was Bend the Line instead of Cast Off 3/4
  14. Called a Right and Left Grand but called Box the Gnat instead of Promenade at the end of it
  15. Went over Relay the Deucey from a left-hand wave. Note that the last Cast Off 3/4 is done with the right hand since the final formation is left-hand waves.
  16. Allemande Left, Alamo style
    "With your right hand we are going to do a Spin Chain Thru
    "Trade with the right hand
    "With the next girl go left 3/4
    "Boys with your right hand star halfway across to your corner
    "Turn her left 3/4
    "And balance with your partner alamo style
    
    Note that the Trade, Cast Off 3/4, Trade, Cast Off 3/4 of a regular Spin Chain Thru are done in the correct order.
  17. From static square
    Everybody half sashay
    Everybody turn to face your partner which is actually your corner now 
    
    This indicates that dancer on man's left is his corner, dancer on womans right is her corner?
  18. Scoot Back once and a half. To see what happens drag thumb of Scoot Back half way. Note that the trailers go in and do a half trade or a hinge.
  19. Go to Scoot Back. Look at the right-hand waves. If the caller calls center Scoot Back. the ends don't move. If the caller calls everybody Scoot Back, everybody moves. Note that if the caller alternates calls to center Scoot Back and everybody Scoot Back, the center dancers do a left Scoot Back for the first call and a right Scoot Back for the second call.
  20. First part of Crossfire is centers trade and ends fold. This puts dancer in Z formation which is a position to do a Peel Off
  21. If heads Pass the Ocean in a static square, the girls are in a Z formation. You can do a Peel the Top in this formation. Therefore the girls can do a Peel the Top in a 1/4 tag formation. And then the boys can adjust themselves to be points of a diamond: sequence diagram
  22. Here is an example of Peel the Top producing diamonds from t-bones: Peel the Top