Re: [Callers] Du Quoin Races

The dance is Becket formation and couples progress in the more common direction, i.e., clockwise. DuQuoin Races is a superb piece of choreography, I think, but it's not a simple dance, either for the folks on the floor or for the caller at the mic. It has many pieces that are unfamiliar for dancers and it's easy for people to get lost (e.g., in crossing from one wave to the other side to form a new wave.) The partner swing on the side at the start of B1 helps lost folks get reoriented again. On the other hand, it's only an 8 count swing, so the caller needs to be alert to prompt that first circle. Dancers need to be encouraged for the circles to make 'em large, not to rush. The tendency is to circle too far, too fast, too small, and then dancers are too far around the circle for the rollaways, all of which leads to them ultimately progressing on the wrong side or arriving several beats too early for the start of the next round of the dance. Called well and danced well, it's one of my favorites. David Millstone Lebanon, NH