I suggest teaching via analogy or via demonstration rather than via description. Experienced dancers are your greatest ally in the demonstration. The essential teaching piece is: everyone will end up where they started (presuming a full hey). Demonstration: Pick a set of experienced dancers in the middle (not the top) of the hall and have everyone else hunker down. Ask folks to watch the person in their position and ask them to walk the hey. Thank them and have everybody try it. Analogy: Picture yourself on a slolom ski run. Each other person in the hey is a gate. Pass each in turn, left-right-left or right-left-right. Experienced dancers can point to the shoulder you should be passing by. Mention that when you cross, you have plenty of time to make a loop before reentering the hey. (Note to you for picking a dance: Heys that end with a partner balance & swing have a definite "goal" and are easier for many than heys ending with another move, particularly a progression to the next set.) TRUST: If the crowd has more than 70% experienced dancers, the danger is in overteaching. Shoot for one demo, one practice hey. If you walk through dance twice, on second time just let them walk it without additional teaching unless there's a set that's "completely" broken. A "little" confusion is OK. Remind beginner dancers that they are in good hands, they'll have fun as they learn, and if they don't get it perfect the first time that's fine because the goal is fun. Good luck! And once the music starts, don't forget to breath. And have fun. -- Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 660-528-0714 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com