Don, it sounds like your zig-zag into 5/8 hey is a lot like a dance I
wrote last year with Lindsey Dono. In that one, the zag-zig is to the
right, then left; similarly, the weaving the line is with your partner
with the lady on the left and gent on the right, and gents begin the
hey passing left shoulders.

However, your notes are insufficiently clear on this - until I saw
Aahz's email I did not realize yours has just about the same setup,
because it has a zig-zag-zig (because you didn't write the last zig
left to face N#3 into it). I think it's conventional for a zig to
refer to motion in one direction and zag to motion in the other, so
you need a zigzag to pass one neighbor. For example, see Rick Mohr's
notes on his dance Leave the Wine:
http://rickmohr.net/Contra/Dances.asp#LeaveTheWine

So the way I would transcribe your dance is:

4 circle left
4 zig left, zag right past N1
4 zag right, zig left past N2; face N3
4 gents pass left to start a hey, pass partner right
8 continue, 1/2 hey*
8 P swing

(*: Incidentally, we call the middle part of the sequence [ladies
chain to P / hey to other side / P balance and swing] a 1/2 hey even
though there are only 3 passes of a hey, i.e. 3/8 of a hey. The same
thing happens here, so you would be justified in calling the hey in
this dance a 3/4 hey.)

I do think this flows well; it's similar to the entry to the hey in
Joyride from a poussette.

Ok, the actual question you posed: how do you teach this entry into
the hey? You face N3 and make sure they are the focus of attention.
Then, for teaching purposes, ladies take a step left, out of the set.
(Now everyone is in a clear position, though you might add, gents take
a step forward between your neighbors.) These gents pass left to start
a hey across, pass partner right, ladies pass left, etc. When you meet
your partner again, swing.


Finally, some meta-commentary. The more new and unfamiliar pieces you
have in a dance, the harder it is for dancers to learn each one of
them, because they have more stuff to try to remember, and they are
more likely to end up confused and unconfident that they're doing the
right thing. End effects don't help matters. I believe you're correct
that you come in in A2 on the zig zag with ladies on the left, but
also you want to be crossed-over when you come in for A1. This is just
to say that this new transition would be easier for dancers to learn
in a simpler context, so if I were going to teach this hey, I would
teach it in a different dance.


By the way, here's the dance I mentioned:

Life Is Short; Dance Often
Lindsey Dono, Yoyo Zhou
November 11, 2014
becket left

A1: circle left 1; ladies chain to N1
A2: mad robin around N1; circle right 1
B1: (~4) with P, zag right, zig left to face N2; (~12) ~3/4 hey, gents pass left
B2: P balance, swing

(You come in from the ends in B1 with the lady on the left.
I was concerned about the timing of B1, of course, with the balance at
B2, but it worked really well in practice.)

(P.S. In a Becket dance that ends this way, you get the benefit of
being able to start the teaching with a swing at home to identify
where to swing your partner.)

Yoyo Zhou

On Mar 29, 2015 2:53 PM, "Don Veino via Callers"
<callers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
> Another recent composition (thanks to Luke for getting me thinking about Zig-Zags!), called this to good feedback earlier this month.
>
> Only tricky part of the teaching was the A2 through B1 Hey entry... how would you teach this? I generally hate breaking the flow of a dance in a walk-through if possible to maintain it, but some folks got lost when I first taught it as "...Hey - Gents pass left shoulders across, Pass Partner Right..."
>
> My current thinking is to form a teaching-only wave across with Gents by left in center, have them note the side Gent is on (will Swing P back here when meet second time), drop hands and start the Hey.
>
> Thanks,
> -Don
>
> PS: At least one dancer needed re-assurance that passing through in reverse of progression was correct the first time around. :)
>
> Hey, Let's Zig-Zag!
> [Type]: Contra    [Formation]: Duple Improper    [Author]: Don Veino    [Status]: DV::
> [Comments]: Zig-Zag into Hey dance (first of it's kind?). Tricky two forward, one back progression.
> ::
> [A1]:
> (4,12) NEIGHBOR BALANCE, SWING
> ::
> [A2]:
> (4,4) CIRCLE LEFT 1/2, Ladies lead P ZIG LEFT [past CURRENT Ns]
> (4) ZAG RIGHT [passing NEXT Ns, to face 3rd Ns] and SEPARATE from P
> #PROGRESSION 1&2
> (4) HEY 1/8, GENTS START BY LEFT [across set, GL, PR, etc.]
> ::
> [B1]:
> (8) HALF HEY [so 5/8 total, until meet P 2nd time]
> (8) PARTNER SWING [on Lady's home side]
> ::
> [B2]:
> (4,4) RING BALANCE, LADIES ROLL GENTS [DIAGONALLY back-to-back across set, NO Half Sashay] *OR* Alternate: Gents Cross by Right
> (4,4) RING BALANCE, PASS THROUGH [Up/Dn] in REVERSE of progression
> #DE-PROGRESSION
> ::
> [Notes]: TEACH - NEVER OUT - do what those in the dance want you to do at ends! End effects TBC, but expect it is to wait out with Lady on Left ready to Zag right towards the Hey.
> Can have dancers swap places up/down with their N after hands-4 - this is the direction they'll come into the A1 Balance. Linda Leslie suggested a B2 Gents cross in place of my original draft's Gents See-Saw 1+1/2, added a Gents Roll Away option for more connection.::
> [Tunes]: ::
> [Provenance]: From author. Composed 2/23/2015. First called Scout House 3/9/15 with Gents Cross in B2::
> [Tags]: DI, Intermediate-Advanced, DV::
>
> _______________________________________________
> Callers mailing list
> Callers@lists.sharedweight.net
> http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net