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Rules of Square Dancing Square Dance Angels
I. BE ON TIME FOR CLUB AND CLASSES: In square dancing, one late couple or person may mean that three other couples or seven people must sit out. In planning an evening's program, the caller leans heavily on the first and last tips to pace his dance.
ll. DON'T LEAVE EARLY: By leaving early, you are telling the other dancers and caller that you did not have a good time at the dance. The "wind-down" tip is just as important as the first or middle tips. Plan to spend the complete evening when you come.
lll. BE A THOUGHTFUL DANCER: Personal cleanliness is important in square dancing. Use your DEODORANT. Don't forget to use something to sweeten your breath (mouth wash, chewing gum, etc.). Don't drink. Your coordination must be at its very best.
lV. GET INTO SQUARES QUICKLY: When the caller announces to square your sets, join the square nearest to you that needs a couple. If you are looking for a square, raise your hand as you move across the floor. If your square is not full, raise your hand with as many fingers extended as couples are needed. If two or three couples are squared up and do not have a hand up, it indicates that they are waiting for someone who has promised to dance with them. Do not try to square up with them without asking. Do not arrange squares more than once in an evening. It is best not to arrange a square at all. Do not get on the floor and expect the caller to find you a partner.
V. BE A GOOD LISTENER: Talking during the course of square dancing is distracting to you and especially others. It makes it difficult for others in the square to "catch" the instructions and hear the music. Remember there is room for only one teacher at a time. You can help others best by being in the correct place at the correct time. Pointing or a hand motion is always the better way to direct someone that is going in the wrong direction.
Vl. BE A COURTEOUS DANCER: Always introduce yourself and your partner to others in the square if you don't know them. Thank them for dancing with you after the tip.
Don't use extra twirls and kicks that interfere with others in our square.
It is considered "bad manners" to pass a square needing dancers in order to fill another.
Even more important, beware of the unpardonable sin: never leave a square once you have joined it until the tip is over. If you must leave in an emergency, try to fill your spot with a substitute. By all means, tell the others why you must leave.
Vll. BE A COOPERATIVE DANCER: It might be said that square dancing is an activity where everyone is responsible for everyone else's happiness. A square is not made up of eight individuals working independently, but rather in one unit with no individual person attempting to show off or be a star. The real pleasure comes when each person does his share making the square run smoothly.
Vlll. TAKE IT EASY: Don't overdo. Square dancing can be strenuous exercise. If you are too tired to dance, sit out. It is usually best to remove yourself from the hall or to the rest room--not the coffee room. Sometimes you can learn a great deal just by watching and listening. Be considerate. If another dancer is watching and listening, don't insist upon talking. Square dancing is a social event but not a place to socialize during tips or rounds even if you are not dancing.
lX. BE A FRIENDLY DANCER: "Friendship is square dancing's greatest reward." Take the opportunity to get acquainted with others in the square. Make it a point to dance with as many different dancers as possible each evening. It has been said that "Square dancing is friendship set to music."
X. ENJOY YOURSELF--HAVE FUN: Come to the dance expecting to have a good time and you'll have it. Come to the dance with the attitude that it is the caller's job or someone else's job to show you a good time and chances are you will have a poor evening.
When you applaud at the end of a tip, you are thanking the caller and the other dancers in your square, but you are applauding yourself also for a good job well done.
DON'T FORGET "A SMILE ON YOUR FACE HELPS YOUR FEET WORK BETTER."
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Compiled by Tom Gray---Agreements that help prevent confusion. At least, they do if everyone follows them.
CIRCLE RULE: If Circle is called without a direction ("Heads lead right and circle to a line" or "Face your corner, circle up two" or "Join hands and circle"), the circle is always to the LEFT.
PASSING RULE: whenever two dancers are walking towards each other and are about to collide, they shift slightly left, pass RIGHT shoulders, and continue. Sometimes called the Right Shoulder Rule
SAME POSITION RULE: Whenever two dancers are walking towards each other and are required to stop in the same position, they join right hands in a mini-wave, sharing the position.
ACTIVE DANCER(S) RULE: Sometimes called Working Dancer(s). If couples or positions are designated active, they remain active for the following calls until another couple or position is named. Dancers not designated are 'not working' or are 'inactive' Thus, 'Heads pass thru, u-turn back, square thru two' all refer to heads; the sides are inactive during this sequence.. Another example: '#1 man lead right, circle up three, go once around, u-turn back, circle up three' The 'u-turn back' call refers only to the active dancer, the #1 gent.
FACING COUPLES RULE: Some calls done from facing couples require the dancers to first step into a momentary right ocean wave (unless it is a left-hand call, eg. "Left swing thru", in which case the dancers step into a momentary left ocean wave) before completing the call. Examples of such calls are Swing Thru; Fan the top; Spin the top; Spin Chain Thru. For beginners and new dancers, the caller may cue the parts, for example, "Heads lead right, step to a wave, swing thru" or "Pass thru, make a wave, fan the top"; but for Mainstream or more experienced beginner dancers the call will be, "Heads lead right, swing thru" or "Pass thru, fan the top".
OCEAN WAVE RULE: Some calls normally done from facing couples (R & L Grand, R & L Thru, Box the Gnat, Square Thru, Slide Thru, Pass to the Center, etc.) can be called from waves; or calls normally done from facing dancers (eg. Turn Thru) can be done from miniwaves. Some callers will preface one of these calls with a cue to warn the dancers of the unusual position. ("Rear back, Right and Left Grand" or "Single Hinge, Listen, now! Box the gnat")
ARM TURN RULE: if an arm turn (or any other move involving an arm turn, such as Shoot the Star) is called with no qualification, it is turned half-way around. Thus, "Turn your partner right" is a half turn to face in the opposite direction to where you started; but "Turn your partner right, three quarters" is a turn almost back to the starting position (tip: count walls!)
CIRCULATE RULE: Directed (active) dancers move forward along the circulate path to the next position. This may involve "flipping" or reversing your direction in order to follow the path and continue moving forward. Some teachers use a hula hoop or chalk line to emphasize this.
PALMS RULE: Normally, the man holds palms up, ladies palms down. This applies to circle, promenade, etc. However, in a same-sex couple, the right-hand dancer (belle) holds palms down, the left-hand dancer (beau) holds palms up. In a BBGG ring, the person with a man on the left and a lady on the right will find that RULD (Rule #11) works.
STAR RULE: Both men and wome are to use a palm star when moving forward. Men are to use a packsaddle or box star when moving backwards, but women use the palm star forward and backwards. There is no reason for this but tradition, and there is a growing trend for men to use the packsaddle in any star. One gent said, "Give me ONE way to do it and do it that way ALL the time!" K.I.S.S. 11. RULD RULE - This is not official or accepted by any square dance or caller organization. Many dancers are pushing for a "Right Up Left Down" handhold. That is, all dancers hold right hand palm up, left hand palm down, regardless of sex or position. This "KISS" handhold would simplify everything from "circle left" to all-position and "arky" dancing.
RIGHT IN FRONT RULE: When two couples are moving into the same space, the couple on the right goes in front. Although it is usually taught as a part of specific calls, this is a general rule. In Wheel and Deal from facing-out lines, the right-hand couple goes first and is in the center of the resulting DPT formation. Wheel and Deal from facing in-lines results in a CDPT formation, with the right-hand couple outside. When Lead Right is called from facing-in lines, the result is a Trade By formation with the right-hand couple in front facing out and the left hand couples inside facing each other.
FIRST FOOT RULE: In ballroom dancing, the man always starts a move (or "break") with the LEFT foot and the woman always starts with the RIGHT foot. This is the case in Rounds too. You don't really have to worry about footwork in Square Dancing (thank God!) because it's basically just walking. However, I have found that this rule works just fine from the man's point of view. I can't tell you about the ladies' steps!
T. Gray
Publisher of The Shepherd's Guide for Central Alberta
Local agent for Monument Shop
1-800-829-6906 (Alberta, Canada)
This article may be reprinted with no further permission from the authors and/or publications. Permission has been granted in advance for the reprinting with the stipulation that credit be given to the contributing author/publisher.
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"They are the wonderful people who,
Introduce Square Dancing to others,
Bring others to Square Dance Classes,
Aid the Caller/Teacher by filling the squares
so that all class members may dance"
When you become a class angel, there are some simple rules to remember:
BE ON TIME - You may be the cause of three other couples sitting out during a teaching tip.
BE OBSERVANT - Make sure that every student is in a square during the teaching tip. BUT don't wait for them to square up - Invite them to your square.
LET THE CALLER RUN THE CLASS - Don't take it upon yourself to start splitting couples. When it is time to break up a group or separate a couple, the caller will indicate this by his or her teaching methods.
DO NOT TALK IN THE SQUARE when the caller is giving instructions. Learning to listen to the caller's commands requires concentration. No person can listen to two persons at a time. All should be listening to the same caller.
DANCING STYLES - Some dancing styles that dancers have adopted are out of place in class. Basics should be kept in pure form. The proper Do Sa Do, hand and arm holds, a quick touch to acknowledge position, and no short cuts will ensure new dancers of the proper position for the next call.
ANGELS ARE HELPERS, NOT PUSHERS - Students must learn to react to each command. To gently guide someone is fine, but we accomplish nothing for the student if he or she has been pushed through an action and doesn't know what was supposed to be done. Angels' action should be firm but gentle.
LET THE CALLER KNOW if a dancer has not grasped the concept of a call after a reasonable time. The caller can review the call during the next tip. It is not a good idea to "teach" a call during a break. The student needs the time to relax and clear the mind. What if you teach it wrong?
DRESS FOR STUDENTS - Do not encourage students to "go right out" and buy square dance clothing. As you know, women's clothing can be expensive. Their first dance will be soon enough.
DO NOT TAKE DANCERS TO DANCES THAT ARE ABOVE THEIR DANCING EXPERIENCE - You will be surprised how many times club members tell students "Come on, we will pull you through." This will discourage many new dancers. Your caller will let them know when there is a dance at their experience level. Now is your chance to join them where both of you can have fun together.
FRIGHTENED - Square dancing is a frightening experience. Keep that in mind at all times with new students even after they "graduate". Every time a mistake is made, they think they caused it.
DANCE WITH THEM - Do you want to keep the new students in your club? Then you must dance with them, talk with them during breaks, encourage them. One of the biggest complaints heard from new dancers is that they are not sure the old club members want them.