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8.4: CHAIN REACTION
In the Advanced programs, Chain Reaction starts from a 1/4 tag formation -- the formation with a wave down the middle between two couples facing in. (This is the same formation from which you can do a Ping Pong Circulate.) The dancers in the center of the wave pass thru with whichever dancer on the outside they are directly facing. Then they Hinge with the other dancer from the outside couple (who didn't move). Meanwhile, the dancers from the end of the original center wave move 1/4 of the way around the square to line up with the people who did the Hinge. This results in a center star of four dancers with two mini-waves left over on the outsides. The star turns 1/4 while the people in the mini-waves Trade. Finally, the very center two and the very end two move up (in the same way as the very centers and very ends in Coordinate) to become ends of new waves, while the remaining four dancers Cast Off 3/4 to become the centers of those waves. Another reason that Chain Reaction is considered complex is that it can also be called from a "generalized 1/4 tag" -- formations that are similar to 1/4 tag but where the centers are in a two-faced line rather than a wave, and the outsides are in a mini-wave rather than a couple. These formations introduce additional possibilities for the kinds of hinges, trades, and star turning that must be done to complete the call. But these usages are not strictly speaking part of the A-1 program (or even A-2) -- most callers will not call Chain Reaction from these positions until C-1.
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