slew foot. Calypso pattern. Lock-L,
forward-R,
forward-L, -; Lock-R, forward-L,
forward-R, -;.
slide. Glide or scoot step. Stepping foot
maintains floor
contact.
slide across. Change sides with partner.
Both face same direction, pass behind girl.
Open position dance-line on-R: Cross-L in
front (girl cross-R
in front), side-R,
cross-L in front to
L-open dance-line, - ;.
slide forward and back. 8-count 6-step 2-
measure calypso
pattern. Double hitch with
bent knees. Slide to
step. Forward, close,
back, - ; Back,
close, forward, - ;.
slide polka. Closed position wall on-R:
Slide-L, - , close-R, - ; Slide-L, - ,
slide-R, - ;
Slide-L, close-R, slide-L,
close-R; Slide-L,
close-R, slide-L, hop-L
;.
Couple may «turn to closed position
center on measure-4
& progress dance-line
with opposite steps.
sliding door. Change sides.
Open position
dance-line on R
dance to L-open position
- pass behind girl:
Cross-L in front,
side-R, cross-L in
front to L-open
position dance-line,
- ; (pass in front
of man R, L,
R). Dance from L-open to
open position using
opposite footwork:
Cross-R, side-L, cross-R,-
;.
slip (slp). Blend from semi-closed to closed
(or banjo)
position. Semi-closed dance-
line on-R: Back-L
(back-R ¬L-turn face
center), back-R
(side-L ¬L-turn) to
closed (or banjo)
dance-line, - ;.
slip pivot. 2 step change to closed
position. Semi-closed on-R: Back-L (girl
back-R ¬L-turn), back-R (side-L ¬L-turn
to closed or
banjo),.
slow (S, slo). a. Slow step
= 1/2 note 4/4
time step. Example: Slow, - , quick,
quick;. b. Time = two 1/4 notes or one
1/2 note. c. Syncopated or samba rhythm
time = one
1/4-note. Slow, quick/quick,
slow, quick/quick;.
slow drag.
a. Slowly draw extended free foot
to weighted foot. b.
Night club honky-tonk
drunk lover
style. Extra close closed
position, wrap in
intimate embrace. Style
or appearance are
not objectives. Pleasure
to slow tempo music,
use 1-basic pattern
throughout the
dance. One-step and social
fox trot rhythms are
predominate. Dance
for a go, not for
show. Slow drag with
belly press or
rub. Dance for pleasure's
sake, to prepare for
the make.
slow lock. Forward, - , lock, - ;.
slp. Slip.
slur. Shortcut step with rounded pattern
corner. Failure to track. Violate rules
of turns and body
mechanics. Fake steps
and patterns.
slurred steps. a. Turn steps that violate
RULE OF TURNS step mechanics. b. Guaracha
rhythm wrong foot
turn. Closed position L-
turn box: Side-L,
close-R on heel 1/4 L-turn,
forward-R, - ; Side-R, close-L on ball 1/4
L-turn, - , back-R;. c. Steps with tracking
foot turns or
progression. d.
smooth dancing.
Dance HIGH, WIDE & HANDSOME.
Carry head and shoulders on even level
without bounce. Check for bounce: dance
alone in front of a mirror,
watch for up
and down
movement. Make a hand window with
thumb-tips touching,
palms open and fingers
up. Hold window at arm's length in front
of face. Look through window at far side
of the room and
dance. Window moves up and
down if head is
moving. Try smaller steps:
Check for bounce using smaller and larger
steps. See "bounce".
Smooth dancing is free of: jerks; quick
moves or direction
changes; sudden hand,
arm or body
moves. Smooth involves gentle
well-timed adjustments
and blends with soft
easy steps. Jerks are rough on partner.
Grabs, late or forced twirls = rough
dancing. Watch other dancers and compare
appearance of smooth
gentle dancers with
bouncy jerky rough
dancers. A JERK is a
man who dances in a
jerky manner, especially
one who leads with
quick unexpected moves.
snap. a. Quick change of position. Snap to
semi-closed from
closed. b. Snap fingers.
snowball. 1-couple starts dance, when
whistle blows couple
splits, each partner
gets new partner
from the audience
(number of dancers
is doubled). Each
repeat split doubles
the number of
dancers until
everyone dances.
snuggle. Girl press close to man in wrap
position. She may
lay head on his shoulder.
social dancing. Social function free-style
couple dance. Limited floor space, crowded
conditions and
dancer knowledge inhibits
variety of patterns
danced. Couples often
dance in place or
progress only with
traffic flow. Remain alert, consider
presence and movement
of others. Excessive
twirls, kicks or
rear backs on congested
floors result in
collisions, kicks, bumps,
stomps and bad
feelings to/& from others.
Knowledge of 1-basic pattern in each
rhythm is adequate,
for most social dances.
Social foxtrot Slow,
- , slow, - ; Quick,
quick, rhythm
predominates at social
dances. The 1-step is a good 4/4 time
rhythm for
inexperienced dancers. The 1-
step is easy to
dance to fast tempos just
reduce step
length. When not familiar with
partners ability or
knowledge, start with
the basic foxtrot
use a single pattern. If
she dances the
pattern comfortably, try
turns. Limit number of patterns attempted
with partners of
unknown ability. Identify
a few compatible patterns
and enjoy the
dance. Avoid teaching or display of
knowledge. Dance in closed position to use
less space and
maximize lead control. If
progress is blocked,
dance in place to keep
time. Easy patterns: Forward, back, box,
L-turn box, turn. Save advanced patterns
for partners with
known ability.
social foxtrot.
See foxtrot. Time: Slow, -,
slow, - ; Quick,
quick,.
society. Syncopated 2-measure waltz
figure.
Forward-L, side-R/close-L, back-R; Side-L/
close-R, forward-L,
side-R/close-L;.
solo. Dance individually without
partner
contact.
solo roll. Roll without partner contact.
solo spiral. 1-beat 1-step solo «R-turn
(girl L-turn). Facing position wall on-
R: Thru-L «R-turn to face center (thru-R
«L-turn face wall),.
solo turn. Individual turn. Cue "Roll-6"
rather than
"Solo L-turn waltz".
sombrero. Modified banjo or sidecar
position. Highland fling, Hungarian swing
or bolero position.
sombrero wheel. Wheel in R- or L-sombrero.
son. Spanish for sound, or
musical sound.
Cuban song. Type of rumba.
son montuno. Medium tempo rumba.
sound. a. Uniform hall coverage with
high-
fidelity,
intelligible un-distorted voice
& music. Poor sound can ruin a dance. A
discerning person can
help optimize voice,
music and tone
control settings.
Room acoustics limit attainable sound
quality. Hard wall and ceiling surfaces
with high reflective
coefficients cause
high level echo
interference. Room
dimension ratios can
cause resonant
reverberations and
create echo chambers.
Sound absorbent material can modify ECHO
CHAMBERS. Directional speakers help, but
room modification is
best solution.
Long Hall acoustics may improve if
speakers are
directed across rather than
lengthwise to the
hall. Adequate volume is
obtained at a lower
speaker output level if
sound travels the
shortest distance. First
bounce echo time
delay is reduced when
sound travels the
shorter distance.
Recommended room dimensions ratios for
good acoustics
(Height x Width x Length):
a. 1 x 2.3 x 2.6 (or 3); b.
1 x 1.26 x
1.6 (or 3.3); c.
1 x 1.6 x 2.5. Good
fidelity sound
amplifiers should provide
10-times average power required to cover a
hall with a single
tone. The complex
nature of combined
music tones and voice
waves produce
instantaneous peak power that
exceed small
amplifier and speaker capacity
and cause
distortion. Much electrical
power output is lost
to speaker conversion
efficiency. Do not confuse sound power
(speaker output)
with electrical power
(speaker input)
ratings. Sound power
required for various
indoor operations:
SOUND POWER SOUND POWER
ROOM VOLUME
VOICE & MUSIC CONCERT MUSIC
CUBIC FEET
10,000,000 8 80
1,000,000 2 20
100,000 0.5 10
10,000 0.007 0.7
(distance/sound power):
1000 ft/12 watts;
700 ft/10 w; 400 ft/5 w; 230 ft/1 w; 120
ft/0.5 w; 70 ft/0.1 w;
40 ft/0.05 w; 20
ft/0.01 w; 7 ft/0.001 w.
Typical capabilities of a 40 watt
amplifier connected
to speakers of various
efficiency ratings:
Speaker Sound
Room Outdoor
Efficiency Power
Volume ft3 Distance
-20 db
0.4 w 100,000 120 ft
-10 db
4.0 w 5,000,000 400 ft
-6 db
10.0 w
10,000,000 700 ft
-3 db
20.0 w
b. Provide and set-up the sound system
(speakers,
microphones and amplifier/s) for
a dance .
space. Space requirements for a dance = 15
to 20 square
ft/person, or 25 to 30 square
ft/couple.
Teaching space is important. Dancers
learn better with
adequate floor space.
Demons need space for dancers to see and
identify
directions. Small dance spaces
(dens, kitchens,
patios, etc.) produce
abrupt direction
changes in one or two
steps. A couple facing dance-line may
suddenly face an adjacent
wall after taking
1-step forward. A turn to face reverse can
confuse a dancer who
abruptly faces wall.
Diagonal positions are confusing in small
quarters where
direction perception changes
abruptly without
intent.
Small space breeds conversations among
couples. Small floors enhance socializing.
Cross conversations between dancers thrive
when dancers hear
remarks of others. The
entire group can
hear another dancer's
wisecracks. Such distractions hamper group
attention, learning
and performance.
Distractions are amplified and learning
slows when dancers
feel frisky, full of
life and
mischief. Reasonable discipline
is needed to achieve
a significant degree
of progress. Dancers use sight cues when
in doubt, and are
confused by directions on
walk-thrus
and dances in small spaces.
Large dance floors and reasonable
formality improve
teaching environment.
Large floors may space couples too far
apart & confuse
sight cue addicts. Source
couples are often
less convenient. Source
may be on far side
of circle & face opposite
direction. An even spaced full circle
helps group teaching
because each dancer
senses and quickly
reacts to the flow of
the circle.
Spanish arms. 8-step wrap & unwrap
figure.
Butterfly face center on-R: Rock apart-L
(girl -R) face both
hands joined, recover-R
Q'R-turn arch joined lead hands L to her-R
(recover-L Q'L-turn) face dance-line, slide
across pass behind
girl side-L/close-R (-R/-L)
wrap position
dance-line, side-L Q'R-turn
face wall (side-R
Q'R-turn) both face wall
man behind girl both
hands joined; In place-R
(in place-L Q'R-turn
unwrap face reverse)/
close-L (in
place-R), in place-R (in place-L
Q'R-turn face man) butterfly center,;.
Spanish
circle. Dance in rows and lines.
Lines progresses through
lines. If line
faces a wall it
turns to progress in
opposite direction.
Spanish
line. Akimbo position,
hand/s on
hip/s elbow/s
extended from sides, stand
tall, head high.
Spanish
waltz. Waltz style.
Accentuate
movements on sways
and turns.
speaker. Electro-acoustic device to convert
electrical audio
frequency energy to sound
waves. Speakers have low efficiency
conversion
factors. A significant amount
of power is needed
to convert electrical
energy into sound
energy. Conversion
losses range between
-6 and -20 db. A -6
db efficiency
speaker produces 10 watts of
sound power output
for 40 watts electrical
input power. A -20 db speaker uses 40
watts electrical
power input to produce 1
watt of sound power
output. A speaker with
a large magnet &
cone surface has high
efficiency at low
frequencies, but lacks
flat frequency
response. Several
electrically matched
speakers operated at
low input power per
speaker provide greater
efficiency than a
single identical speaker
driven with high
power input.
Speaker input power rating is the
electrical energy
that may be fed to a
speaker without
driving the voice coil
beyond design limits. Exceeding rated
input power results
in distorted sound and
possible cone and/or
coil damage. Input
power can cause
output to exceed power
output rating. Power capacity of multiple
identical speakers
is additive if hooked
in series, parallel
or combinations thereof.
Speaker input impedance should match (equal)
amplifier output
impedance for maximum un-
distorted sound
output.
Phase multiple
speakers to produce
additive sound waves
at equidistant points.
Opposite phases fed to multiple speakers
results in sound
wave cancellation (dead
spots) at
equidistant points. Speakers
spaced significant
distances apart with
identical phasing
produce dead spots at
various frequencies
and distances from
speakers. A single speaker sound set-up,
does not have wave
interference from other
speakers. Reflected wave interference
(echoes) produce
similar problems. Speaker/s
& location/s are
best determined by experiment.
Hall acoustics influence set up location/s,
types and numbers of
speakers. No best
solution fits all
halls.
Locate speakers higher than dancer's heads
for a direct sound
paths. Aim speaker
pattern/s for full
floor coverage within
speaker half-power
points.
A quick check for hall acoustic quality:
Stand at various spots, loudly clap hands
together one time
& listen for echos.
spectators. Ideal teach/learn environment
= 1-teacher to 1-student, isolated in a no
window bare wall
room. 1/1 student to
teacher ratio and
absence of other objects
or people provides
minimum distraction and
best
concentration. Spectator presence
makes students
uneasy and nervous (floor
fright). Especially if spectator/s are
experienced
dancers. Spectator noise and
talk distract and
interfere with music &
instruction. Presence of other students or
dancers is less
distracting if the group
listens.
Student floor fright involves the self
conscious blockage
that occurs when someone
looks over your shoulder
as you write, type
or solve
problems. Awareness of anothers
presence increases
tension, nervousness,
slows thought
processes and increases error
rates. Hesitation of actions may result
from anticipation of
comments. Relatively
simple problems
become difficult, time
consuming and full
of errors. Spectator
presence interferes
with the recognition-
recall-response
process and disrupts memory
cycle channels. Reduce stress and anxiety
by removing the
interference source.
Students are more comfortable and learn
better without
observers.
Spectator presence causes experienced
dancers to be
self-conscious, but is
beneficial at
exhibitions. Knowledge of
being watched causes
experienced dancers to
improve posture and style. They exert
extra effort to
impress spectators. Hams
(Exhibitionists) enjoy showing off and
dance better for
audiences. Experienced
hams may have
learning problems in the
presence of an
audience.
spin (spn). Solo turn in
place w/o progression or partner
contact. Usually a full turn. Think of a top, spinning in
place. Spin is a 3-step in place turn,
not a
pirouette. Pirouette = spin on the
ball of 1-foot. b. Spin turn = a closed
position couple's
turn pattern.
spin and double twist. Spin & twist & twist.
spin and twist. a. 2-measure waltz/foxtrot
R-turn. A combined spin turn with a hook
behind and unwind
twist. Closed position
reverse on-R: Spin
turn to closed position
dance-line on-L; and
`twist': Hook-R
behind-L (forward-L
to banjo), unwind ride
on-L ball (forward-R
dance around & unwind
man), step-R in
place face dance-line
(side-L) to closed position dance-line;.
b. 2-measure R-turn pattern. A 1-measure
spin turn pattern
followed by: Hook-R
behind, unwind on-L
a full R-turn, - ;
weight may remain
on-L or be transferred
to-R on beat-3.
spin and twist and twist. 3-measures. The
2-measure spin and
twist pattern followed
by a second hook and
unwind measure.
Finish a spin and twist pattern in contra
banjo on-L: Hook-R
around in back of-L R-
turn ride-L to
unwind, - , close-R (Girl
dance around man to
unwind him: Circle
forward-R, -L, to
closed position;);.
spin maneuver. 3-steps 1-measure, combined
maneuver (girl spin).
SPIN cues girl to
solo spin. MANEUVER cues man to maneuver.
Simultaneous solo actions ended in closed
position. Start open position dance-line
on-L free foot
pointed forward: Side-R ¬R-
turn face wall
(back-L on ball «L-turn face
reverse), side-L
¬R-turn face reverse
(recover-R ¬L-turn face wall), close-R
(side-L ¬L-turn face dance-line) to closed
position reverse;.
spin overturn. 3-step 1-measure SPIN TURN
exceeding « turn.
spin to a chair. Solo spin turn followed by
a lunge to chair
position.
spin turn (spn trn). Closed position 3-step
1-measure 1/2 R-turn pattern with little
progression. SPIN cues dancers to turn in
place like a
TOP. a. Closed position
reverse on-R: Back-L
(Forward-R) 1/4 R-turn
closed position
center, side-R (side-L) on
ball 1/4 R-turn
closed position dance-line,
recover back-L
(recover forward-R) end
closed position
dance-line;. Step-2 a
HOVER step.
Freed foot extended on spot
for a recover step. Step-3 a RECOVER step,
therefore SPIN TURN
= a closed position R-
turn hover
pattern. b. Spin turn a 1/2
turn PIVOT-2
followed by a recover. Closed
position reverse
on-R, pivot-2 and recover:
Back-L 1/4 R-turn face center, side-R 1/4
R-turn
face dance-line, recover back-L;.
spin twist. Spin and twist.
spin under-turn. SPIN TURN of less than «
revolution. Turn less than normal.
spiral. a. 2-beat 1-step « to full solo
turn on ball of
stepping foot. b. Unwind
after a hook. c. Turn & leave free foot
crossed in
front. Side-L ¬R-turn leave
free-R crossed in
front of L.
split count or beat. a. 1/8-note time
duration. b. Half the time allocated a
step or non-step
foot action. c. Time
represented by the space
or count before
and after an oblique
(/). Example: 1, 2,
3/&, 4;. The 3 and the "&" each
represent
half a ¬ note beat.
spn. Spin.
spoken terms.
Dancers learn and gain
familiarity with
terms and meanings by
hearing and speaking
them aloud as they
dance steps and
patterns. Speak terms
aloud and talk-walk
through actions before
dancing. Speak terms as steps & patterns
are danced. Combine words & thoughts with
actions to associate
terms with actions.
Mental-physical associations increase
familiarity. Intimate knowledge of terms
is used to round
dance and are essential to
dance with or
without cues.
spot (spt). In place. No
progression.
spot cue.
Cue only phrases or patterns where
memory problems
exist for a majority of the
dancers at no-cue
clubs.
spot pivot. Pivot
without progression.
spot spin. Spin without progression.
spot turn. Turn without progression. a.
Solo BUZZ turn. b. Rock turn or basket-
ball turn: Rock, - ,
thru turn, - ; Thru
rock, - , turn away,
- ;. c. Free-style
studio term for a
solo circle pattern. d.
1-measure 3-step rumba solo 3/4 to full
turn. Open position dance-line on-L: Rock
forward-R ¬L-turn
face center (girl
forward-L R-turn), recover-L ¬L-turn to L-
open position
reverse, close-R ¬L-turn
facing position
wall, - ;. b. 1-measure
5-step cha-cha solo full turn pattern: Open
position dance-line
on-L: Rock forward-R
¬L-turn face center (girl Forward-L ¬R-turn
face wall) back to
back position, recover-L
¬L-turn to L-open position reverse, in
place R/close-L ¬
turn to facing position
wall, in place-R;.
spot twirl. Twirl without progression.
s, q, q,. Slow, - , quick, quick;.
^
square. a. Waltz term for the BOX. b.
Square dance 4-couples starting/home
formation. Each couple forms 1-side of a
square. Heads = facing couples with backs
to front and/or rear
of hall. Sides =
Facing couples with backs to sides of hall.
Couple-1 = couple with backs to front of
hall. Couples number counter-clockwise.
square dance. 4-couple dance of square,
circle, lines, and
columns formations and
combinations
thereof. Start and frequently
return to
home/starting SQUARE formation.
square dance dropouts. A couple explained
reasons for quitting
square dancing after
lessons. Reasons included: Caller taught
too many people (15
squares), "He didn't
have time to show
`our square' what to do.
We always squared up with our friends. An
older dancer from
another square once asked
the wife to dance
with him in another
square. He said he noticed she did not pay
attention to the
caller, and her square
always talked and
joked instead of
listening. The caller taught something new
every night. There wasn't much dancing.
When something was learned the caller
started teaching
something else. It was
boring listening to
the caller talk about
baths, B.O., eating
onions and not
drinking. We always had a few drinks prior
to lessons, it never
bothered us. They
never danced after
lessons. The crowning
blow came when the
caller wanted "six
dollars" to
graduate. The $6.00 included
two club name
badges, that could be bought
any place for thirty
cents each (wonder
where?). The $6.00 included a graduation
dance & club
membership. The caller wasn't
interested in the
dancers, just the money
he could make off
them. Lessons were fun,
but they saw through
all the talk, customs
and practices. They wasted time and money.
square dance guidelines. Listen to the
caller. Dancers can't understand and/or
respond to commands
that aren't heard.
Refrain from talking during a dance.
Talkers can't listen while talking. Talk
distracts other
dancers and interferes with
command reception.
Learn
and dance the correct number of
steps for each
figure. Counting is not
needed after dancers
gain an an insight of
figure related
footwork. Figures flow and
dance smoother with
knowledge of steps and
musical
phrases. Take small steps in time
with the beats. Emotional and physical
musical motivation
are best enjoyed with
on-beat
dancing. Maintain good posture,
stand tall, head
high. DANCE HIGH, WIDE
and HANDSOME. Keep individual balance.
Partner is not a counter-balance or crutch.
Support body weight without hanging on
partner. Dance smoothly without bounce or
jerk. Omit kicks and rear backs,
especially on
crowded floors. Be gentle,
never shove, pull or
push others. Use
gentle hand actions
without grabs, grasps
or clings. Twirl gently, the man only
provides hand
contact for the girl, she
does not need
help. Arch lead hands high
to twirl so the girl
wont stoop, squat or
duck her head. Resist temptations to move
or step backward.
Backing may cause a step
upon or bump into
another dancer. Keep
square size small,
to permit small steps
and reduce
rushing. Review the Square
Dance Indoctrination Handbook. Subscribe
to and read a square
dance magazine.
square dance level. Level of difficulty of
a round dance. A
dance that requires only
knowledge of a few
basic patterns. One
that may be learned
or danced without round
dance lessons. Round that can be taught to
square dancers in 5
to 10-minutes. A one-
step rhythm or
walking mixer.
square dance rest break. A rest break
provides caller and
dancers with a rest
period between
square dance tips. Breaks
vary in length to
suit caller and club
members. Square dancers should consider
the break and
determine desired length. A
5-minute break is short for most dancers.
Handshakes, thanks and separation of a
square after a tip
may take up to 2-
minutes. Breaks permit time for: a drink
of water; cup of
coffee; sitting; smokes;
potty trips; talk.
Check time intervals
from when music
stops till a majority of
the dancers
settle. Callers also like to
chat with dancers
and have refreshment.
Take longer breaks on hot humid nights,
than on cool
evenings. Shorten breaks when
dancers are keyed
up. A caller may time
break lengths based
on the number of tips
planned for the
evening and the amount of
time scheduled for
the dance. Nominal time
for a tip is 8 to 15
minutes. Longer tips
discourage some
dancers and those with
breathing
problems. Such dancers like
frequent rest
breaks. Dancers with problems
may over-extend
themselves on long tips,
rather than excuse
themselves from a
dancing square. Long tips with short
breaks may result in
dancer sit-outs to
obtain adequate rest
periods. Short rest
breaks with a large
number of dancer sit-
outs help if the
floor is overcrowded, by
reducing crowded
floor conditions.
8 to 10-minute breaks are a compromise
for: caller; dancers
who dance all tips; &
those who like to
rest and visit. 10-
minutes allow time
for a smoke. 10-minute
breaks between
10-minute tips permits 3-
tips/hr = 8-tips in
a 2« hour dance night.
Caller may have difficulty maintaining an
8-tip per dance schedule. He is popular
and dancers want to
talk with him and vice
versa. Time passes quickly when talking.
Talkers may not know when to hush. Breaks
can last for
20-minutes or longer if caller
is engrossed in
conversation.
A round dance cuer
can time and limit
breaks to 5 to
10-minutes. Start a record
shortly after the
caller ends a tip and
leaves the
stand. Music invites round
dancers to the floor
and reminds square
dancers the rest
break is in progress.
Hopefully round dancers circle in «-minute.
An average round dance record playing time
is 2-minutes
(72-measures at 36-measures
per minute = 2
minutes). Two 2-minute
rounds can be played
in 4-minutes. 4 to 5-
minutes playtime for
2-rounds plus 3 to 5-
minutes floor change
time = 8 to 10-
minutes. The round dance cuer
may start a
square dance record
immediately after
round-2 is finished.
It tells dancers and
caller "The
rest break is over. It is
square dance
time." Square dance music
helps a caller end
conversations. Dancers
start to fill
squares before the caller
reaches the
stand. The floor is often full
when the caller is
ready to start. He
spends less time
coaxing dancers onto the
floor. I often time rest breaks with 2-
rounds dances at
7-minutes.
Some non-round dancers object to 1-round
during rest
breaks. They may be vocally
belligerent to
2-rounds between tips. They
complain that round
dancers use up too much
square dance
time. Such objections are
usually unfounded
and seldom based on fact.
15 to 20-minute round dance interludes are
too long and should
be shortened to 10-
minutes or
less. Objectors would feel less
imposed upon, if
they compared break times
with and without
rounds. Compare break
durations. Or compare the number of square
dance tips per night
at dances with and
without rounds.
Check facts before accusing
round dancers of
infringing on square dance
time. Most objectors don't know the
durations of tips or
rest breaks with &
without rounds.
Square dancers who round dance enjoy
dancing during rest
breaks when the dance
floor is otherwise
idle. Dancers who
prefer an idle floor
to tolerating rounds
are selfish.
Time rest breaks to suit caller, night
and crowd.
square dance steps. Each square dance
figure has a
specific number of steps.
Smooth flow requires use of the proper
number of
steps. Fewer steps result in:
rush and wait, or
stop and go dancing;
rough adjustments
and transitions during
and between
positions & patterns; off-beat
steps. Too many steps result in off-beat
dancing.
Some figures/dances were written without
due regard for step
choreography and do not
provide beat
correlation. Some patterns
may be completed
with fewer steps from 1-
position compared to
another. End position
of 1-figure and
start of the next influence
the number of steps
and may permit omission
of 1 or more steps.
Handbooks list the number of steps for
figures. 4-count or step figures: Courtesy
turn;
pass thru; star
thru; cross-trail; etc..
8-step figures: Do-sa-do;
walk around the
L-hand lady; two ladies chain; spin the
top; see-saw; R-
& L-thru; etc.. 16-step
figures: grand
square; do paso; spin chain
thru; etc..
Count the number of steps for figures at
the next dance. Step on each beat. Space
step length to reach
target position on the
last beat, ready to
step on the beat-1 of
the next figure.
square size.
Adjust square size for comfort.
Publications recommend that opposite
couples be 7 to
10-feet apart. 10-feet
separation between
opposite couples is too
large for comfort
under most conditions.
A 7-foot square requires smaller steps and
reduces
rushing. Step length should be
just long enough to
reach target position
in the designated
number. Large steps
cause dancers to
reach target positions
ahead of time, and
wait for the next
command. 16-steps are allocated to
promenade around the
square. A 7-foot
diameter circle
promenade requires 16 each
17" steps. A 10-foot circle promenade
requires 16 each
24" steps. Close the
circle to 6-feet,
and girls can promenade
with small
14" steps. Small steps and
reduced travel speed
are preferred.
4-beats/steps are allowed to cross to the
opposite side of a
square. Four 20" steps
cross a 7-foot
square. Four 30" steps are
needed to cross a
10-foot square. 30"
steps are too large
for most dancers,
especially at fast
tempos. Keep steps
uniform in size and
long enough to reach
the target position
on beat. Avoid long
and tiny step
combinations.
Keep small 6-foot squares. The distance
between a human's
walking step footprints
is approximately one-footlength. Use the
girl's one-footlength or smaller steps.
Inactive dancers back apart to provide
space inside the
square for active couples.
Guage dance step
length. 12" steps or
longer create added
effort and problems.
Dance smooth with small steps. Man should
use the girl's step
size. Adjust steps
accordingly. 20" steps require twice the
speed and energy of
10" steps. 24" steps
@ 140-beats/minute tempo = 3.18 mph. 12"
steps @
140-beats/minute = 1.59 mph dancer
velocity. Square size influnces
step size,
and reflects on
dance quality. Small
squares improve
dancing and comfort.
square stoppage.
Square break down beyond
recovery. Caused by 1 or more dancers
being out of
position. Good manners call
for a quick
smile. Next form 2-facing
lines and be ready
to respond at the first
opportunity. Dancers may return to home
positions to
restart. But facing lines
provide more chances
to resume dancing.
Facing lines do not always pair dancers
with original
partners, but provide more
dancing. Smiles friendly acknowledge the
breakdown. Lines establish a re-start
point. Excuses, explanations or analysis
of the breakdown are
improper. A dance can
be over by the time
8 dancers say what they
can about the
breakdown. Get on with the
dance, postpone
discussion for later.
Don't offend others. Save analysis and
help for those who
seek counsel. Leave
teaching to the
instructor. Avoid being a
self-appointed
authority who identifies the
culprit of each
stoppage. Placing blame is
a self-serving act.
Have you ever been blamed as a square
stopper? Could you hear the caller and
react to commands
better while being
accused? Did it speed re-start of the
square? Has the square stopper ever
accused you of
causing the breakdown?
Stop fewer squares: listen to the caller;
use small steps;
keep small squares;
refrain from talk;
avoid distractive
antics; swing &
twirl only as directed; Let
others dance their
parts, avoid directing
the square, leave it
to the caller; keep
good balance; move
at a smooth rate.
Good manners are more important than a
dance.
st. Start.
st pos. Starting position.
staccato. Tango music.
Distinct breaks
between notes.
stagger. Stagger walk: Forward-L cross-L
over R, -, forward-R
cross-R over L,-;.
stairs. 1-measure 4-step merengue pattern,
style close steps
with lame leg. Closed
position dance-line
on-R: Forward-L, close-
R, side-L, close-R; or Side-L, close-R,
forward-L, close-R;.