9 Aug
2025
9 Aug
'25
10:05 p.m.
It's because with the balance and square through, a little time is
stolen from the balances.
It also feels like a rushed figure, but there's recovery points.
My best (rough) estimate for the timing of a square through is 2 beats
per pull by
and 1 beat per 90 degree turn.
Tony Parkes original version of Friday Night Fever, with only one balance, takes
the same timing approach. I'm not sure when two balances got added to
square throughs. Maybe "Al's Advice"?
Cheers,
-Chris Page
Los Angeles, CA
On Sat, Aug 9, 2025 at 1:42 PM Joe Harrington via Contra Callers
<contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
Oddly, in several dances with uninterrupted square through twos and threes in
Caller's Box, the figure is given an extra two beats. What's with that? See:
The Amazing Sarah Wilcox by Tom Hinds
https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=6397
0.0238095238 or 1/42 by Gary Shapiro
https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=12155
Square Route by Bob Isaacs and Chris Page
https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=13707
--jh--
On Sat, Aug 9, 2025 at 3:52 PM Bob Hofkin via Contra Callers
<contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
I pulled Contra*Butions 3 off my shelf, and found the term "balanced
square thru" (along with a definition). I'm sure Chris and Michael have
good reason for standardizing on "interrupted" and I'm not about to
challenge them.
Bob
On 08/09/2025 12:13, Bob Morgan via Contra Callers wrote:
_______________________________________________
Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net Caller's Box only references interrupted
square through
Carol Ormand's Baling Hay does contain an interrupted square thru 2
https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=1522
<https://www.ibiblio.org/contradance/thecallersbox/dance.php?id=1522>
I don't think I've come across balanced square through all that much
here. I would define either usage in teaching though.
Bob
On Sat, Aug 9, 2025 at 7:38 PM John Sweeney via Contra Callers
<contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net
<mailto:contracallers@lists.sharedweight.net>> wrote:
The original “Rights & Lefts” was commonly four steps for each of
four “changes”.____
__ __
Square Dancers often do them at twice that speed, just two steps for
each change.____
__ __
My guess is that Contra Dancers found four steps too slow and wanted
to add more energy, so they introduced the Balance Forward & Back
then two quick changes.____
__ __
Note: Square Dancers define Square Thru as finishing in the
direction you were facing for the last change, with your back to the
person you just passed; Contra Dancers liked the term, but ignored
that bit of the definition! Aren’t living traditions wonderful?____
__ __
Of course, since a Balanced “Square Thru” is now a well-defined
contra term, an Interrupted one should surely be:____
Pull by Right, give Left Hand & Balance F/B, Pull by Left____
:-)____
__ __
Happy dancing,____
John____
____
John Sweeney, Dancer, England john(a)modernjive.com
<mailto:john@modernjive.com> 01233 625 362 & 07802 940 574____
http://www.contrafusion.co.uk <http://www.contrafusion.co.uk> for
Dancing in Kent____
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