A New Approach to Teaching MWSD with the SSD
programme.
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 constantly 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:
| Concepts Introduced | Moves | |
| 1 | Facing couples | Ladies chain |
| F&B | ||
| Stars | ||
| Circles | ||
| Flutterwheel | ||
| R&L Thru | ||
| DoSiDo | ||
| Box the Gnat | ||
| 1/2 Sashay | ||
| 2 | Couples facing out | Pass Thru |
| Passing Rule | Partner Trade (Couple) | |
| Cal Twirl | ||
| U turn back | ||
| Wheel Around | ||
| 3 | Box | Ladies / Gents U turn back |
| L & R Handed | Box Circulate | |
| Partner Trade (Wave) | ||
| Scoot Back | ||
| Zoom | ||
| 4 | Transitions: FC & Box | Run |
| 5 | Changing Direction by 90 deg | Touch a Quarter |
| Slide Thru (normal and 1/2 sashayed) | ||
| Star Thru | ||
| Sweep a Quarter | ||
| Square Thru | ||
| 6 | Ocean Wave | Hinge |
| Facing Couples Rule | (L) Swing Thru | |
| Ocean Wave Rule | Trades | |
| L & R Handed | ||
| Centres / ends | ||
| 7 | Transitions - Ocean Waves | Cast off 3/4 |
| Same Position Rule | Chain down the Line | |
| Step to a Wave (Extend) | ||
| Pass the Ocean | ||
| 8 | Transitions - Ocean Waves | Half Tag |
| Fold | ||
| Extend | ||
| 9 | Two Faced Lines | Veer |
| Tag the Line, Face L/R | ||
| Run (from wave) | ||
| Bend the Line | ||
| Partner Trade | ||
| 10 | Two Faced Lines | Veer |
| Tag the Line (1/2 or Face In/Out) | ||
| Chain down the Line | ||
| Run | ||
| Wheel And Deal | ||
| R&L Thru & 1/4 more | ||
| 11 | Crossing | Cross Run |
| Cross Fold | ||
| Recycle | ||
| Moves requiring at least 8 people | ||
| 12 | Squares | Heads Lead Right |
| Heads / Sides | Split 2 | |
| Circle to a Line | ||
| Separate, go round 1 ( or 2) | ||
| 2/4 L/C | ||
| 13 | Columns, Facing Couples | Trade By |
| Leaders / Trailers | Double Pass Thru | |
| Insides / Outsides | Centres / ends | |
| Pass Thru | ||
| Partner Trade | ||
| U Turn Back | ||
| 1/2 sashay | ||
| 14 | 8CT, (C)DPT | Put Centres In |
| First couple go Left / Right | ||
| Touch 1/4 | ||
| 15 | Columns, Miniwaves | Circulate (all / split/ centres) |
| Run | ||
| Touch 1/4 | ||
| Zoom | ||
| 16 | General Lines | Wheel And Deal |
| As Couples | Wheel And Deal (LFO) | |
| Sweep 1/4 | Ferris Wheel | |
| Couples Circulate | ||
| Tag the Line (then face In/Out) | ||
| Couples Hinge | ||
| 17 | Waves | Extend |
| Circulate (all / split/ centres/ends) | ||
| Tag the Line (then face In/Out) | ||
| Zoom | ||
| 18 | Tidal Lines | Centres / ends |
| Very Centres | ||
| 19 | Quarter Tag | Centres / ends |
| Very Centres | ||
| 20 | 3&1 and Inverted Lines | Run |
| Centres… | ||
| 21 | Completing the Circle | Alamo Style |
| Grand Square | ||
| Backtrack | ||
| Ladies in, Men Sashay | ||
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.