 | DON'T LET YOURSELF BE INTIMIDATED. Stand your ground. If
you think you are right, stay there. Usually, the person that is trying to turn you is the
one that is wrong. |
| STAY WHERE YOU ARE. Don’t look around to see
where the other dancers are and try to make yourself fit the pattern. In all position
dancing you may not be in a normal situation. Leave it to the caller to get you out. |
| BE GENTLE. Don’t cause bruises or broken bones.
All holds should really be touches only, never a death grip. Usually a strong grip is the
sign of a weak or inexperienced dancer. |
| LOOK AT THE CALL ITSELF, NOT JUST A POSITION. See
what the call does. Where does it start, where does it end, what are the different
positions doing? If you want practice on a particular call, just ask the caller. |
| LEARN YOU RIGHT FROM YOUR LEFT. This is the hardest
part for many dancers. Find a trick that works for you. It must be quick and simple. |
| DANCE TO THE MUSIC. We are dancing! The calls have a
designated number of beats and you need all of them to be smooth. Dancing fast will make
the movement jerky; moving too slowly will cause breakdowns since you will not be ready
for the next call. |
| LISTEN. You can’t talk and listen at the same
time. Most breakdowns among good dancers happen because they didn't hear the call. |
| FOLLOW THE LEADER. If you get lost, look for an empty
spot in the square and fill it. It is better to be wrong than not dancing at all. If there
is a strong dancer in the square, ask where to go. |
| GET INTO LINES. If your square breaks down, get into
facing lines. The approved way to get into lines is to square up and then the heads slide
to the right to form a line with the sides. The caller will usually have you moving again
within four or five calls. Never square up and wait for a left allemande!!! |
