[Callers] Favorite dance to teach a ladies chain?

[Maia McCormick via Callers]

Real interesting discussion! My two cents on the order of teaching: I've
been having good luck lately with teaching in the following order--
1) promenade the ring
2) turn around to promenade the opposite direction (lady walks forward and
gent walks back, i.e. CCW rotation--get everyone used to turning in the
right direction)
3) promenade across the set ("gents, identify your own left shoulder. Now
identify that other gent's left shoulder. That's how you're going to pass
each other")
4) R/L through *with a demo*
5) ladies chain

On Tue, Aug 23, 2016 at 12:58 PM, Aahz via Callers <
callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> On Tue, Aug 23, 2016, George Mercer via Callers wrote:
> >
> > Just a note: I always teach the right and left through. It is a
> > simple move in the grand scheme, but it doesn't make much sense
> > for beginners. Saying it is like a ladies chain only both dancers
> > are crossing doesn't really help. Right-hand pull by across with
> > the dancer directly across, then left-hands on the side and you
> > courteously help each other turn via a courtesy turn.
>
> Most of my teaching has been in a square dance context, but I teach Pass
> Thru, Courtesy Turn before I teach R&L Thru.  And I teach sashayed
> Courtesy Turn -- probably wouldn't bother with that in a contra context.
>
> There's a regular argument in the square dance community about whether
> it's better to teach the handed version or no-hands version of calls
> first (e.g. California Twirl vs Partner Trade).  I overall favor the
> handed calls first because it's better body flow and the guide makes it
> easier to learn the call.  However, I switch with R&L Thru because
> learning how to take and drop hands while passing is a bit of a tricky
> skill for many people (the biggest culprit usually being Square Thru).
> --
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