Stephen’s Square Dance Blog

The Desert Mainstreamers is a club that I really enjoy being part of. We’ve got a strong class this year and I’ve seen great inprovement among all participants. It is really a neat feeling when you see people start to feel comfortable with the square dance calls and how they are put together.

It is hard, with only 2 hours, to review all of the material that needs review and teach something new. I’ve pleaded with the club’s management to move graduation out a month, but they say the date is set in stone. I truly don’t understand this (especially when I see SO MANY other dates in the world slip) but I will do as they say. My caveat is that they can’t say that they’ve graduated the MS program. Any diploma must say something about Basics. Implying that they can dance Mainstream would be a lie.

I had to review a lot more than I thought… though, deep in my heart, I’m sure that I knew it would happen like this. I had a choice. Just teach new things, and avoid the review… or, cover it now. The responsible thing was to cover it now… it is one thing to be exposed to the calls, but another to learn and PRACTICE them. This, after all, how we improve. I must say, I have seen lots of improvement. One of my stated goals is to not just make new dancers, but make good ones.

It means that it takes longer, but I’ll wager that they’ll enjoy dancing a lot sooner and keep dancing longer over time.

My teaches included Shoot the Star (from an Allemande Thar… there is no other place) and Wheel and Deal. Seems to me that there was one other… but I’m not sure now. I’ll have to check my notes. I taught it at the end of the night, which I don’t like, but I do what I have to do. Ed Foote, a caller in Pennsylvania says that you should teach every call 3 times… that is teach it one week, then teach it again the next, and one more time the next. This is what aids retention. He may be right. It is all part of getting better.

So, it was a good session and I’m looking forward to the the next one.

Until next time, keep dancing!

Though I am a professional square dance caller, this is a personal note, not one about an experience based on a dance I’ve hosted. Though, I’m not sure there is a difference between personal and professional at this stage in my career.

On New Year’s Eve, Martha and I went dancing at a local square dance club because we a) wanted to go out, and b) wanted to go dancing. We had a nice time, but it was marred by a single issue. One woman I was dancing had no clue how to touch hands while on the dance floor. By “touching hands” I mean that she had a grip like a clamp.

I talk, over and over and over again, about touching in class. It is there for a reference. It lets you know where you are in your formation and provide some stability. You should never hold on “for dear life.” Gripping is not needed. If each dancer applies pressure, you’ll find there is enough feedback to manage your needs. I’ve met a number of dancers that REFUSE to touch hands. In my professional opinion, these dancers are the WORST ever. When I’ve asked why they don’t touch, the answer I get is, “I know where I’m going” or “I’m going where I’m supposed to be.” The trouble with that is that touching hands is not just about an individual need. Sometime, your hand touching is about helping others know where they are or where they need to be.

So, after finally being cured (or, at least pain free) of a nagging tendonitis problem, it is back and back in a major way. It started out when this woman wouldn’t let go of me during some move… probably a Swing Thru or a Spin the Top. My shoulder wasn’t happy at this moment either. I joke and say things like “she nearly pulled my arm out of the socket” but though that is an exaggeration, the pain/discomfort is real.

As a result, I’m going to have to find my tendonitis brace, take some OTC pain relievers, and if it gets worse, seek medical attention.

The question that it makes me ask is, how many people don’t go dancing because of stuff like this? I hope the number is small. But, with square dancing’s number as low as they are, even small numbers are easily noticed/felt.

Please, as you enjoy square dancing, take note of how you touch hands. And, be ready to change, should you find that you “hold on for dear life.” The dancers will be there. Trust them.

Until next time, keep dancing.

On Wednesday, Martha and I made the trek to Apache Junction for the Desert Mainstreamers’ lessons. Apache Junction is to be our new home, at least for a while since the Del Sol Recreation Hall has been sold.

To be very honest, I didn’t have high expectations for the trip or the hall. I’m pleased to say that both were good, almost great AJ is another 10+ miles down the road, and it is during rush hour. However, with Martha, I’m HOV. That makes things much easier. Getting on 60 is still a royal pain and then getting over to the HOV lanes is not much easier. However, we made it with some time to spare.

The hall was quite delightful. It even has a STAGE! This may sound silly, but I like being able to see everyone. When squares break down, it is easier for me to get a handle on them and fix things. It is well lit and has nice square corners. For those that have been to Del Sol, you’ll know this to be funny because that room had one right-angle in the whole place. Egads it is hard to talk about squaring off to the walls when then went every which way.

We even had some new people… people from the RV park where we are now dancing. As a bonus, I got to meet someone whose name I’ve seen only on fliers, Jim Logan. I guess the running gag is that people at one time said “Jim Who?” So, it sort of stuck. Jim introduced himself and we had a nice little conversation. He calls at this park a couple days a week. Another caller, Don Spurgin, does too. Apparently, they get Wednesday nights off. Fortuitous for us.

The new people were nearly where we were, but we struggled some. I’m using the updated teaching order. (Sorta. I still think the teaching order needs some tweaks, so I jump around a bit too.) A couple of my new people like to “hedge their bets” and put both hand out and hope someone grabs the right one. So, if they’re back next week, I’ll have to put a stop to it. If the call is “Right and Left Thru” then, I think, it is logical to get the right hand ready.

It is funny/strange how people learn by doing a pattern. As I call, I use patterns to reinforce the teaching and then branch away from their comfort zone and try to broaden it. It amazes me to meet dancers that never get this variety. Though, the argument here is, “why mess with something that people enjoy?” If people are going to go on autopilot, what do they need me for?

I didn’t teach a lot and I didn’t review everything that I would have liked to review. Indeed, the truth is, I’ve given them enough material that I could do months worth of dances and get people comfortable. I wish I had that luxury. Instead, it is teach, teach, teach.

I reviewed, to great extent, Allemande Left to an Allemande Thar. I want people to be good at it. However, it is not a widely used call. I’m not even sure why it is even on the list. (I know why. Some caller or two has said, LOUDLY, that they use it EVERY DANCE and couldn’t call if it were gone. Bah! Humbug! The truth is, anyone could teach it in a single dance with a single application and have 100% success.)

I introduced “Box the Gnat” and “Wrong Way Grand.” Two more calls that take a lot of time to teach but don’t get used often in the real world. Seriously, how hard is it to say “Right and Left Grand the Wrong Way” and not get people to do what you want?

The big calls that I taught were Swing Thru and Run. I introduced Swing Thru last week from an Alamo Ring. (I wonder why I didn’t start doing it that way YEARS ago.) This week, it made an easy transition to parallel ocean waves. I had one woman (a new person to our group) that had some issues with when she got to the end of the wave and wanted to turn around, but everyone else got it. So, next week, I’ll review some more. (I hope she’s back.)

For Run, I stuck with same genders. That is, either Boys Run or Girls Run. Having a gender “target” makes life much easier for the teach. Later on in the sessions, I’ll work with Centers and Ends doing a Run. Also, for now, I teach it with the Centers doing the Run because of flow. Next week, I may have the Ends Run to be different.

Because of the Swing Thru, we have the introduction of Trade. For now, it is only from a mini-wave. It makes the action easy. It will also be easier, when I teach Partner Trade from a couple, to describe the action.

It was a good night and the trip home wasn’t bad. I think in the year that I’ve been here in AZ, I’ve seen a police car with someone pulled over nearly every time I get on 60. Maybe twice this wasn’t true. There were two cars pulled over on Wednesday. That, and with the photo enforcement zones, did slow traffic a few times. There’s a 10 MPH trigger on the cameras. If the speed limit is 65, you have to be doing 76 to trigger the camera. What does everyone do? They slow down to about 55. Ugh.

Until next time, keep dancing. (And doing the speed limit.)

Happy New Year!!! It is hard to believe that it is 2009.

This was my third Black and White Ball for the Ramblers. They told me that I’ve become a “tradition” and I can’t tell you how warm and fuzzy that made me feel. Square dancers have always been like an extended family to me, and the Ramblers (and Heads to the Center) are no exception. What a fun dance!

I started my travels early in the morning. My flight was at 8:00 a.m. and, like every airport, they insist you be there two hours early. That was just too much, so, I made it there about an hour and a half early. Still a 5:00 a.m. wake up call is too darn early. I finished packing and Martha took me to the airport. (No, she couldn’t come this time. The Ramblers covered my airfare, but with the condo in Seattle still unsold, we didn’t have the $$$ for airfare for her. We’re putting the condo back on the market in a few weeks. Please pray for us.)

The flight was fairly painless. One grumpy father was taking his anger out on a fight attendant. I’m not big on drama, but I was wondering if he was going to be ejected from the plane. A couple crying children, but they were far enough away that they didn’t bother me. I took the time in the air to organize some notes and listen to some new music that I’d recently purchased.

I was met at the airport by Jenni and her wicked-cool VW bus. We ran a few errands and was treated to a delightful Thai lunch. Jenni and Tami and I talked about life, square dancing, and Disney. Does it get better than that?

Oh, before I forget… there was still snow on the ground! When I left Tempe, it was in the mid 50s and sunny.

At 5:00 I was calling for Heads to the Center. H2TC (my acronym, not theirs) had some new students of Advanced so I was asked to limit my program to A1. That took some prep, but I was ready. At the end of my 90 minute set, I did a full A2 tip. Nothing crazy hard, but I try to have some creative/interesting material handy. Lots of faces, some familiar and some new. Some of my Puddletown friends came down from Seattle and there was a contingent from Eugene. It was so good to see everyone.

6:30 to 7:30 was a potluck. If anyone went away hungry, they were doing something wrong.  I don’t usually eat while I’m calling. Getting some crumbs stuck in my throat makes for an unpleasant evening, but I was sure to drink lots of water to avoid issues.

7:30 to 10:00 was the dance. We really didn’t discuss how the evening would run, but they had new students there so I ran tips in this order… Beginner, Mainstream, Plus. Lather, rinse, repeat.

My first tip of the evening, I took from the Jerry Story and Tony Oxendine playbook. I started with a singing call, did a little patter, and did another singing call. All of it was kept very upbeat. Since it is the New Year, it is a great time to do Auld Lang Syne. I followed the patter with “Dancing on a Saturday Night.”

It was a high-energy dance all night. I did try to slow it down a few times, but it never really did lose its intensity.

One of my most often requested songs was “A Friend Like Me” it is from the Disney movie, Alladin, and it really moves. I’m so used to having to remove things like Dosado to make the timing work out that I found that they were getting home after their Promenades 2-4 beats early! I added a “Up to the Middle with a Cowboy Yell” two times to fix the timing.

As an aside, you’ve not lived until you hear 5 squares of people yell, in unison, “Who the Heck Stole My Horse!” What a kick!

One of the dancers, Bob, asked if I’d play his CD with Round Dancing on it. I did, and it was… in a word …awful. The cues were fine, but the voice was hard to distinguish from the music. So, I pulled some easy Phase 2 cue sheets out of my bag and added one Round Dance between each tip for the rest of the night. It worked out MUCH better. I’ve got to add some more contemporary Phase 2 music to my bag of tricks.

It was a great night. One of the dancers, Shawn, put me up for the night, treated me to breakfast, and took me to the airport! Thank you!

It was a great evening, and I loved it! Another big thank you to my hosts, Jenni, Tami, and Shawn. I so appreciate you shuttling me around and feeding me. You’re the best.

Until next time, keep dancing!

It’s been busy the past couple of weeks, and I’ve not updated my blog as I should have.

After my dance on the 13th in Cottonwood, stuff did happen, I just didn’t write it down. Here’s what happened in a nutshell.

On Wednesday, December 17th, we had another lesson at the Mainstreamers. It went well, but we’ve lost a few people. I’m not sure if they’re gone for good, or if it is just the holidays interfering. I suspect one couple is gone for good. They were not happy with the speed of the class. They’ve danced in the past and wanted a refresher. However, we have some brand new students, and I’m not going to rush though things. I also, like the US Marine Corps, won’t leave anyone behind. So, we work on things as needed. I’m sorry to lose anyone, especially strong dancers. However, I won’t sacrifice the the good of the whole for anyone.

One issue that people were complaining to me about was that they wanted to have a full Mainstream program dance after the lessons. I’ve got no problem with it, but it is hard when everyone leaves. I was taking the heat for it as it appeared I was closing shop, however, as soon as lessons are over, everyone leaves. I can’t blame them, they’re tired. Eventually, we’ll have more workshop type sessions. Though, I run all of my lessons (almost) like mini dances. I do lots of singing calls and review as needed. I’ve seen some dancers that say they’ll come back when lessons are over. However, I know they could use the review as much as the students need the teach time.

The 18th (Thursday) was to be my day to call for the Valley Single Squares. However, their president called me the week before and asked me if I’d give the dance back to Chuck Meyer as he’d called the Christmas dance for the past 19 years. Truth is, I really wanted to do the dance and planned for it, but I acquiesced. I’ll do an extra dance in January, I think. My big disappointment was that they waited until the week before to ask me.

December 23rd: We moved the next two Mainstreamers’ lessons to Tuesdays because of the holidays. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve were on Wednesdays, so this would let us continue without having two weeks off. Two weeks off would have been the kiss of death. As it was, there were a number of no-shows, but we had enough to dance through the lessons. No one stayed for an angel tip/set. Also, we learned that we were losing our hall. The Del Sol reception hall is being sold. Word on the street is that it is owned by a husband and wife that are getting a divorce. He, apparently, wants his half of their estate sooner than later. Bummer.

On December 29th, I filled in for the great Dale Dockery at the Bucks and Bows lessons. It is a real privilege to do this because it is a great class. I follow his teaching order which is unique to him, and he has three designations, Red, Green, and Black. Red has been taught. Green was taught last week. Black has yet to be taught. So, I touched on the Red, Reviewed the Green, and introduced some of the Black. While giving the students a break, I was talking to the club members about what it would take to make square dancing strong again. A variety of opinions, several of them opposing. I’ll present them in my blog as time goes on.

December 30th, at the Desert Mainstreamers, we had almost two squares. Hot dog! One of our angels, Tobia, she joined the club, so a big welcome to her! They’re still working on a place to dance, but it looks as if we’re going to Apache Junction. It is “only” ten miles further down the road. However, it is 10 miles in rush hour and on one of the busiest freeways in the metro-Phoenix area. Wish me luck!

December 31st, the last day of 2008, was not a day that I taught a lesson or called a dance. Instead, I updated my blog’s software, and then Martha and I went dancing. We got to dance to one of the best callers (I think) in the world, Jerry Junck. Jerry has an amount of control over his dances that I find amazing. He keeps a floor moving, no matter how strong it is, has a nice variety of music, and he connects with people when they’re not dancing. Jerry also has an almost supernational control over the speed of the floor. Some callers go non-stop through their material. Other callers watch the slowest dancers on the floor and make others wait. Jerry, somehow puts just the right amount of pause and motion together to make an amazing dance experience. It was a lot of fun.

So, that takes us up to 2009. Hard to believe. Saturday, I’m headed to Portland to call for the Rosetown Rambers and the Heads to the Center. It will be fun. I’ve started putting together material for it. I work on it some more tonight and tomorrow.

I’m supposed to be calling for the Puddletown Dancers in May. This is in Seattle, so I’m trying to figure out a way to make ends meet by finding a dance to call on either side (preferably both) of that date. It is the second Saturday in May, the 9th.

Until next time, keep dancing!