Tips for Better Dancing

How to Pass Proper Shoulders

Whenever you Pass Through with someone, always pass right shoulders. Never pass left shoulders.

Learn Definitions

Try to understand the definition of a call rather than just memorizing a position. If you understand the definition, you will be able to do the call from any position. But if you have only memorized one position, you will be lost if the call is used form any other position.

When a call is presented, it is often taught by telling the boys to something and the girls to do something else. However, the definition of a call almost never involves a person's gender, but rather, is written for the outsides to do something and insides to do something else, or the left-hand person does one thig and the right-hand person does something else. The definition is what you want to remember, not the particular teaching set-up that was used.

If Your Square Breaks Down

Get to Facing Lines! You can do this by squaring your set and then have the head couples slide to the right to form normal facing lines. The caller will see you and eventually give a call that you can pick up and continue dancing. You may not wind up with your original partner but you are dancing and that is the name of the game.

How to Avoid Breaking Down

Believe the Caller

Often dancers will stop cold if a caller tells them to do something and they do not understand why. Just do as the caller says.

If You Hear a Call You Don't Know

Do not give up and quit. In many cases, the caller will tell you how to do the call after he or she has said the name.

If You Want to Help Someone Who is Lost

Use hand signals. An effective method is to point to the spot they should be occupying. If you talk, you could cause yourself and others in the square to miss hearing the caller give the next call.

If You Are Positive You have Done a Call Correctly, Do Not Let Someone Make You Change Your Position

This will keep the square going.

Keep the Set Small

Touching hands immediately after each call is one way to accomplish this. Large sets break down much more often than small ones.

If You Become Completely Lost

Do Not Turn Around

This will make it difficult for someone behind you to help you recover. It is much easier to guide someone into place by guiding them from the back.

Turn Your Head in All Directions to See Where You Go

If someone says to turn around or you can see that you should turn around, then do it. Otherwise, retain your facing direction and let someone guide you into place.

Do Not Wander Around