Katherine,

A few thoughts: First, I really like your approach of a monthly theme with variations. 

While square dancers know the configuration as an ocean wave, my experience has been that in contra dance circles it's much more frequently referred to by the far more descriptive term that you used, Short wavy line. 

There are lots of exciting dances that take dancers from a short wavy line out of their minor to interact with their next neighbors or even second next neighbors before returning home, those often generate great confusion even for experienced dancers.  The end effects tend to be especially troublesome. 

On a positive note, I think that the most straightforward way to get into an short wavy line is to start the dance in that arrangement.  Balance the wave, do some stuff, eventually end back in the same wave half way through B2.  Balance again, then walk straight forward to make a short wavy line with your next neighbors.  If B1 ends with a partner swing on the appropriate side, B2 can be circle left 3 places and ooze into a short wavy line.  Balance the wave and walk forward to the next neighbors. 

Dave Harding

Hi folks-

As I've mentioned before, our Halifax group is not very advanced - we welcome a lot of beginners each month, and our regulars are not super regular or super skilled.. - and so the practice we've settled on is to choose one "feature figure" each month to focus on teaching....

in the first part of the evening we break down the figure in detail so everyone gets a chance to learn it inside-out... then do a few dances that has that figure in it, but nothing else difficult (not even swings! unless swing is the feature figure for that evening).

Then at the very end of the evening we do an "advanced segment" where we call a few dances quickly with little teaching (probably more like what all of your dances look like!) - and those dances include all sorts of figures that have been featured over the past 6+ months.
(Usually most of the beginners have been tired out and gone home at this point)

Anyhow, this month our feature figure will be short wavy lines - and I don't have a lot of experience with them myself.

Could anyone point me towards some videos where short wavy lines are featured?

I'm interested in being able to watch different fun things that can be done in SWLs... including the Rory O'Moore sequence, and other simple/basic actions.

No need to send me videos of more elaborate and unusual types of SWL figures. 

Also no need to worry about the content of the rest of the dance - I generally write custom dances to incorporate the feature figure while keeping everything else way simpler than you folks are used to :)

I want to do 3 dances with SWLs - each one with a slightly different type of SWL figure - I can think of balancing then allemanding haflway around, repeat...

and the Rory O'Moore sequence as the final more tricky one...

But is there something else I could do in short wavy lines too?

and I would like to see the first two in action so I can make sure to feel confident in my teaching!!

Many thanks :)

Kat in Hfx

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