I always start my pre-dance workshop with a 2-handed turn. If necessary, I demonstrate it with someone. Then I teach allemande left, allemande right, and dos-i-do. Then I sometimes ask the band to play a tune 2-3 times at a relatively fast tempo, and I make up a silly dance using only those figures, where the partners only dance with each other (no progression, although that would be fun -- just call "move to the next person!"). It doesn't take long before everyone is smiling and laughing, but the main thing is that they are doing the moves and listening to the calls and learning to trust my voice.

Woody

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Woody Lane
Caller, Percussive Dancer
Roseburg, Oregon
http://www.woodylanecaller.com
home: 541-440-1926 cell: 541-556-0054

On 6/17/2017 10:07 AM, Linda S. Mrosko via Callers wrote:

2-hand turns -- one year I was teaching a dance that had a 2-hand turn -- which I discovered was beyond their comprehension. Lots of blank faces and a few tried to hold onto each other and turn under their own arches. I grabbed a young fellow close by and demonstrated a 2-hand turn and there was a huge "ahhhh" from the group. Who'd have thought that was a foreign term for 18-year olds. Why don't they teach this stuff in school anymore?