10 Aug
2025
10 Aug
'25
4:19 a.m.
Yeah, I hear you...but the cow joke doesn't work if you call it a balance
and square through. :-)
On Sat, Aug 9, 2025, 7:28 PM Joe Harrington via Contra Callers <
contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
In a 6 count square through 2 without a balance, I
don't think the
pull-bys are happening on beats 2-3/5-6, nor on 1-2/4-5, with one beat to
set up or turn. They are either happening on 1-2-3-4 or 3-4-5-6, at least
when danced by experienced dancers who care about the music and can do the
move in time. Could it be that someone saw the chaos of different people
doing it on different beats and said, let's set this up with a balance and
then do the move together, in the same four beats, since it's more
interesting with the balance anyway?
Does that square (sorry) with history?
When did this move come into contra? Could that someone have been Tony
Parkes, or is the move with the balance older than Friday Night Fever?
As for what to call it, I'd be slow to make changes. I see some technical
value in searching databases for the balance/square-through combination
separately from non-balance square-throughs, but in cueing, I find "balance
and square through two" to be quicker and clearer than either
"interrupted"
or "balanced".
Thanks to Mac Mckeever for a relevant offline message.
--jh--
On Sat, Aug 9, 2025 at 7:54 PM Jerome Grisanti <jerome.grisanti(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
I use the move (balance, square thru two,
repeat), but don't use the term
balanced or interrupted (though I understand both in written instructions).
To dancers, I just orient with whom they will be doing it and say balance,
pull by (this person), pull by (that person). I call it a "square thru." I
understand that MWSD does not typically use balances in square thrus, so if
MWSD dancers are present I might explain the addition as a habit among
contra dancers. With contra dancers I might similarly explain when I use a
no-balance version of square thru.
—Jerome Grisanti
Jerome Grisanti
660-528-0858
http://www.jeromegrisanti.com
"Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and
power and magic in it." --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
On Sat, Aug 9, 2025, 6:00 PM Chris Page via Contra Callers <
contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
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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:
> > 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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> >
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