|
Restart Tutorial
Table of Contents Tutorials Home |
14: SOME VERBS THAT APPLY TO ONE COUPLE
Now let's look at a few actions that can be done by a couple (two dancers standing side by side).The two dancers can switch places with each other by doing a Rollaway. The dancer on the right starts turning toward and in front of the dancer on the left, still holding hands at first. That dancer continues to turn, while the dancer on the left starts moving sideways, to the right, without turning, until the two dancers are facing each other. At that point they drop hands, and switch to the other hand. The dancer who was originally on the right keeps turning, and the dancer who was on the left keeps sliding over sideways to the right, until they have switched places.
There are several ways that a couple can turn around to face the other way, while still maintaining their relative position (same dancer ends up on left). Wheel Around means that they simply turn as a unit, to their left, while still holding hands, until they are facing the opposite direction (180 degress).
A Courtesy Turn is similar -- the dancers still turn around as a unit, they still turn to their left, but they hold on to each other in a special way. The dancer on the left (usually a boy) will place his right hand on the back of the other dancer (usually a girl). The dancer on the left will be holding his left hand out in front of them, with his palm up, while the dancer on the right puts her left hand on it, palm down. So they move as if the boy is helping the girl turn by guiding/pushing her, but it should be a very gentle "push". In general, in square dancing, each dancer is responsible for his/her own action and should be providing the bulk of the energy needed to move from place to place using his/her own feet.
The two dancers in a couple can also do a Partner Trade. They each walk in a small "semi-circle", toward each other, into each other's spot, passing right shoulders as they go. They each turn exactly 1/2 (180 degrees). Again, they end up in the same relative position, just turned around as a couple.
| PREV | NEXT |