Re: [Callers] shadow vs corner

Thanks, Tom - good point re: the variability of "shadow" positions. Even experienced callers sometimes identify the wrong shadow in a walk-through, and when dancers get the wrong idea chaos ensues. On a separate but related note: This raises for me an interesting question: clarifying the terminology differences among "corner", "shadow", and "trail buddy". It strikes me that the use of "corner" in squares focuses dancers on the spatial position (lh lady, rh gent), and thus allows for the fact that (depending on whether the square is progressive or keeper) the corner may be the same person or may be a different person each iteration of the dance. The use of "shadow" in longways dances implies that it's the same person every time, regardless of their spatial relation to you within the major set. The difference between those two seems clear to me - which leaves "trail buddy", a term i'm always fuzzy on. When is an interaction a "trail buddy" rather than a "shadow"? (Four-face-four dances seem an obvious example.) Does the somewhat interchangeable use of the two terms in standard longways dances create undue confusion for the dancers? Feel free to direct me to archived SW threads if this is a discussion that's already been had! ~ tavi