Calling Party - ohmgosh!

We didn't quite have a quorum for dancing, so Wade and Bob and I started out by looking at some dances and talking about how to teach various moves. We assumed a "usual" Childgrove mix of mostly experienced dancers, but with enough new people that some of the moves would have to be taught.

I mentioned that "Right and Left Through" seems to stymie new folks, so we talked about ways to make it simpler. Bob offered his method of helping new ladies figure it out, which is to reach pretty far around the person he has just given his right hand to so he get his partner's left hand before she has a chance to wander off, then do the usual backing up so she has a shorter distance to travel. It's a bit harder to help an inexperienced man :-), so we will often have to walk all the way around him, fishing for his left hand and helping him turn that last little bit back into the set.

We also talked about the square-through, and the difficulties presented by the words "right" and "left" and by the contra-jargon word "minor set", and came up with "give right hand to your partner (if it's your partner), balance...and pull by. Turn back in and pull by your same sex neighbor. Turn back in and meet your partner. Balance....and pull by, then turn back in and pull by your same sex neighbor and go on to the next." (Does that work?)

We marveled again at the news that in a hey for four, the loop on the end takes up just as much time (four counts) as the walking across does. Doesn't seem right, somehow, but it is...

I learned some especially interesting things about "box the gnat" and "California twirl." We ladies may complain about people trying to break our arms when they are new at those moves, but I discovered that I had been contributing to the bad habit that can lead to pain by lifting the new guy's arm for him and walking under. Apparently the secret to a safe and successful box the gnat is for the two hands to start DOWN, and only after the turn is under way to lift the arms up. I don't think there are words to describe how to do it. You probably have to demo it.

It was a surprisingly interesting discussion. We had all learned these moves years ago, but revisiting them from the caller's perspective was instructive.

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