Call Square Dancers Through Involved Mainstream/PLUS Choreography Formations

Succeed in Getting Square Dancers Through Mainstream and PLUS Level Choreography Formations

Short History of  Traditional Square Dance Calling

In order to get a clear visual of the history of square dance calling in America, you have to take a look at the important role of the dancing masters. From the early times of the first settlers until well into the nineteenth century, English dancing masters would travel from place to place: staying in an area for only a short amount of time before continuing to the next town or village. These itenerant dancing masters traveled from town to town in New England and they would approach the heads of the townspeople, and depending upon the attitude and acceptance of the ones in charge, the dancing masters would arrange to conduct a short set of lessons and put on a dance for the local townspeople to enjoy. The dances taught were English Minuets, Cotillions, and the newest Contra dances and the choreography sequences had to be memorized by the dancers.

This was a huge undertaking, teaching dance movements in a relatively short period of time, and this traveling lesson/dance helped spread the popularity of country dance all across the Eastern coast, and it fostered the very beginnings of American square dance.

As decades passed, the Cotillion, a dance done in a square formation with eight dancers became quite popular on a national level in the mid-eighteen fifties, and this style of dance spread and evolved across the country. The choreography was usually called by the fiddler in the band, who would spontaneously shout out combined dance moves and directions to the dancers. Cotillions were danced to traditional square dance music that was based upon Irish jigs and Scottish reels in regional locales that joined music with choreography.

So historically, the square dance caller has a long legacy tracing back from the formal approach of the local dance master with his teaching of dance to everyday people to sequences delivered by the fiddler/callers who had to prompt the dancers through the choreography at dances. As modern western square dance continues to progress post-world war two, square dance has further matured and developed into many geometric formations and movements that work within this same old traditional framework.

Modern Western Square Dance

Indeed, today’s square dance has evolved to become more complex, and over time, calling has become more involved. along with this change there is a monumental challenge for callers to render and provide highly interesting choreography that the dancers are able to execute with success. By creating variations using Mainstream or PLUS choreography and formations and then combining a few elements to “direct” the dancers through and resolve the set back to the home position or to the corner dancer in sequence can achieve just that.

One key to success in square dance calling comes from the following steps that will lead to calling fun dances with interesting choreography:

Write a Creative Choreography Sequence

First, start with a choreographic idea that you want to expand upon and work on creating five creative choreography sequences from start to finish that you will call during your dance in a “tip.” The third tip (or other later tips depending upon how much interesting ideas you want to render) of the dance is usually the best time to use your expanded choreographic ideas on the dancers. Come up with a couple of ideas that will be quite interesting and will more than likely put everyone on the dance floor on the same level of learning – some new variation or combination of an uncommon dance move. You will want the sequences to progress and become a little more challenging for the dancers to build the interest of the floor.

Personally, I like to use Folds and Cross Folds and Tag the Lines on Mainstream dance and at the PLUS level I might use Diamond Formations that are different or variations of Linear Cycle or Crossfire because these are good for strengthening dancer’s abilities. Spin Chain Thru’s are good too, because generally, dancers are a little weak on these moves. Callers need to focus on presenting these calls more often in their dance choreography programs and the general population of dancers will be better at dancing through these calls/moves.

Spend Some Time Writing Out Directional Key Words

Now here is the part that will lead to success in dancing on the floor, and thereby allow you to succeed as a caller. Take the five written sequences of calls for the tip and type the calls out in Microsoft Word then print the pages and put them in a notebook. Notebooks work best for square dance choreography for a lot of reasons. A notebook is portable. You can write in notes next to the choreography if you want to add a new idea or you have a note that you want to address later to make a change on a second edit.

Next, close your eyes and think about where you are moving to in the intricate parts of the calls, the ideas that you know will be a struggle for some of the dancers. Focus on words that will make it easier to prompt and create directions for all dancers to where they need to move to. Write the key words out on another piece of paper. Think about what words will help the dancers the most, for example, “work with the farthest person,” or “person facing in move here, person facing out move there” and write these down as well. Additionally, refer to the prescribed definition of the written description of the square dance calls to help you with key words to use.

Now you can use this page to add to your use of the choreography. These key words are AS IMPORTANT as the choreography itself in ensuring dancer success.

Practice Calling With Directional Key Words

The key words are the KEY to making the combinations of figures work well. The directionalization process needs to be delivered immediately after the call and it will take some practice to deliver this combination seamlessly with all important words and choreography married together.

As Always, It Is In The Timing!

Delivering the choreography and the key words together in a smooth and tight manner is great, but having your prompting work together with the music in great phrasing is really when this works most effectively. All of the dancing will be smoother and your presentation will encourage a relaxed and more executable set of directions that will lead to instilling more confidence within the dancers, particularly when some are not certain where they are moving upon dancing a particular call or set of calls.

Use a metronome or drum machine and practice with the choreography this way. Then try clapping your hands and practice the delivery of the calls without any accompaniment. It is combining the delivered square dance call with the directional key words into a timed musical phrase that makes the sequences within the tip more danceable. Since the dancers feel the beat of the music and the “in time” phrasing, they will more easily succeed in their dancing efforts.

Callers should not have to directly teach the moves for the dancers to execute, however, by directionalizing the choreography variations with key words you have taught the dancers without “workshopping” the moves.

And you will look like a modern dancing master of the twenty-first century!

Good fortune to you in all of your endeavors!

Shaun Werkele

303-250-4735

 

 

 

Mission Statement: The purpose of this post is to create a greater visibility of the square dance activity for future dance population growth on a national and local level. The information provided here serves as a source for square dance caller education training and perspectives on dance. Future articles will be developed to improve the programs of square dancing and how those learning to square dance call can help contribute to the preservation of both modern western square dancing and traditional square dancing and to aid in the growth of the square dance activity.