A New Approach to Teaching SD
Note: This document is a Work in Progress and
should be read as such
Principles:
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It should be fun, and feel like Dancing
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The teaching order is determined by the positions from which the moves are done
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Certain moves from later programs are taught early as they help in teaching some of the Mainstream moves
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Moves are taught in sets of 4 people for as long as possible
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Moves are taught from all positions and in both hands, if not at the same time then close together
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The definitions are constatly emphasised
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Circle moves (e.g. Allemande Thar) are left to last
Background
My local club had 16 people start a beginners
course, and by the end they had 4 left. This didn't seem right
to me, so I looked at the way it was taught - in particular I looked
at what people find easy to learn, and what they find difficult, what
sort of environment helps people learn, and what things can cause them
not to learn, or not to come back.
Whilst there is huge variety and everyone learns
differently, there were some common factors.
In my experience the thing that causes beginners
most problems is what formation the move is done from and who they’re
doing it with (essentially the same thing, since one determines the
other).
This approach teaches the moves in fixed sets of
4 people. This eliminates the things that cause
beginners most problems: what formation is it done
in (it’s the one you’re in), who’s my partner (it’s the person next to
you) and who am I doing the move with (it’s the 4 people in your set).
In terms of the environment, I found five things
to be important:
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People to want / be prepared to learn (marketing & selling)
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An approach that builds on knowledge, reinforces learning, and doesn’t introduce too much new stuff at once
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It to feel like dancing (so people are having fun)
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The right atmosphere (no fear, social occasion, respected workshop leader)
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A sense of achievement and learning that is recognised by the dancers (and reinforced by the workshop leader)
Formation
Rather than teach in Squares, I teach as much as I can in two couple sets, using a Contra Dance formation known as Becket. There is more detail about this including the extensive benefits here: http://barndancecaller.net/ContrainSD.html
Teaching Order
In order to limit the number of new concepts at
the beginning, moves are taught in one fixed formation at a time, and
only when that has been exhausted is a new formation introduced.
The first formation is facing couples, the next is Couples
facing out, then box circulate and so on. I have
deliberately left “whole square” moves such as Thar until last because
I believe that introducing a formation that cannot be built on at the
beginning is counter-productive. All the main 4
person formations can be seen as extensions of the others, whereas a
square bears no relation whatsoever to the other formations.
The full teaching order is:
Facing couples
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Ladies chain, F&B, stars, circles, Flutterwheel, R&L Thru, Promenade, DoSiDo, Box the Gnat
Couples facing out
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Pass Thru, Partner Trade, Cal Twirl, U turn back, Turn Thru
Box Circulate
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Use Ladies (or Gents) U turn back for transition
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Box Circulate, Partner Trade, Scoot Back, Zoom
Transitions between Facing Couples and
Box Circulate
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Walk and Dodge, Run
Half Sashayed and Same Sex Couples (all
moves)
Changing Direction
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Slide Thru (from normal couples teach as "pass thru, quarter in" – but be careful not to let it get too ingrained before doing it from 1/2 sashayed couples), Star Thru, Sweep a Quarter, Fractional Circles / Stars
Ocean Wave
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Use Hinge from/to Box Circulate for transition
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Swing Thru, Trades
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Transitions between Ocean Waves and other
known formations
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Cast off 3/4, Chain down the Line, Step to a Wave, Pass the Ocean (Teach as "Step to a wave, Lock It"), Dixie Style, Half Tag,
Two Faced Lines
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Getting into: Veer L/R, Tag the Line, Run
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Getting out of: Bend the Line, Veer, Tag the Line, Fold, Half Tag, Chain down the Line, Run
Warm up Circle (once introduced, done at the beginning of every session)
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Circle Left & Right, Dosado, LHT, RHT, Swing, Box the Gnat, Turn Thru, Right and Left Grand, Weave the Ring
Crossing
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Cross Run, Cross Fold, Recycle (use an alternative definition: "Hinge, [split] Circulate, 1/4 in")
Moves requiring more than 4 people, but not necessarily 8
This sections covers moves that only require a multiple of 4 people. They are done in Becket lines but with all dancers taking part in a "Grand Set"
The next section is the first point at which the dancers see a square!
Introducing Squares and 4x2 Boxes
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Split 2, Circle to a Line, plus recap on moves such as
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- Dive Thru, Put Centres In, Double Pass Thru, First couple go Left / Right, Cloverleaf, Pass to the centre, Tag the Line (then face In/Out), Wheel And Deal (from lines facing out), Circulate (split/ centres box)
This is not definitive, and sections such as Half
Sashayed, Same Sex Couples and Changing Direction can be interspersed
anywhere. The important bits are having Facing couples
– Box Circulate – Lines in that order.