Comments/replies inserted below. Please read this with the image in your mind of me smiling pleasantly, showing interest and engaging - tone is difficult in email... Funny, I was originally worried that I'd over-documented the dance, but the uniqueness I thought warranted it. On Mon, Mar 30, 2015 at 9:46 AM, Aahz Maruch via Callers < callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote: Yep, I believe you shared that in the prior thread I'd started around the definition of a Zig-Zag. From that thread, I took away that there is no consensus definition as to what is a zig or zag, or standard timing. Different dances call each different things. So one need define them (either explicitly or in context) each time. Here a Zig is a leftward and forward arc that continues forward and rightward back to neutral position (passing one couple) in 4 beats. Zag is forward as well but first rightward and then leftward. You are leaving this with a forward and leftward inertia as you approach the third couple. BTW, my calls as the dance progressed became something like "... Ladies Zig 'em, Gents Zag 'em, Hey, Gents Left..." Yep, the next move tells you where to go next. :) "Separate" here is meant to convey that the next set of moves are not "as a couple" or anything else. GL = Gents by Left, PR = Partner by Right. Turns out the dancers adjust to this very well and the passes are smooth and easy in real life. Those dancing Gents and Ladies roles modify their amount of travel and it looks beautiful when done, in my opinion. Also in my opinion, Gents right shoulder pass to start provides no time for the Lady to turn, and would set the wrong momentum for entering the Partner Swing which follows. No means no, right? :) I've become very cautious now about dancer (and caller) expectations, traditions and preconceived notions on moves vs. what is actually stated/intended. In this case, people often conflate "Roll Away" and "with a Half Sashay". I was trying to make it clear there is no sashay in this situation, the Ladies remain right where they are and act as posts/hinges for the Gents as they swap positions. Yes. It appears you missed the note "Can have dancers swap places up/down with their N after hands-4 - this is the direction they'll come into the A1 Balance." :) Of course it doesn't really matter for this dance - the first cycle will take care of it so long as the dancers follow the calls/trust you to know what you're presenting. -- _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

Thanks for the reference to the other dances, I'd not encountered such before. Will look them up. Yes, the teaching trickiness is what I was interested in and my best thinking so far for getting folks positioned properly is the temporary/teaching only wave and drop hands approach. Would love to hear other ideas. Heys are magic and adaptable for sure! On Mon, Mar 30, 2015 at 12:33 PM, Chris Page &lt;chriscpage(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote: _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net

I would describe this dance as follows, and just emphasize to the dancers that all of  A2 must be done in the 16 counts of the second part of the dance, and let them work out the precise timing.  A1  N's B&S A2  Circle left 1/2       W lead partner to zig left, pass current Ns,  and slide right to face next (2nd) N's Continue with M leading a zag right to pass next N's and slide left to face 3rd N's,   and fall into position of a wavy line of four where M would take left hands,   but do not take hands M immediately pass left shoulders to face partner B1  Half hey, P's start right shoulders       P's swing on side of set W started dance B2  Balance in a circle  M exchange places by passing right shoulders, and face 2nd N's    With 2nd N's, balance in a circle, N's roll with a half sashay, W in front of M   (To end B2, 2nd N's could instead allemande, gypsy 1 1/2,        or balance right and box the gnat) Michael Fuerst      802 N Broadway      Urbana IL 61801      217 239 5844 On Monday, March 30, 2015 6:10 PM, Yoyo Zhou via Callers &lt;callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote: Don, it sounds like your zig-zag into 5/8 hey is a lot like a dance I wrote last year with Lindsey Dono. In that one, the zag-zig is to the right, then left; similarly, the weaving the line is with your partner with the lady on the left and gent on the right, and gents begin the hey passing left shoulders. However, your notes are insufficiently clear on this - until I saw Aahz's email I did not realize yours has just about the same setup, because it has a zig-zag-zig (because you didn't write the last zig left to face N#3 into it). I think it's conventional for a zig to refer to motion in one direction and zag to motion in the other, so you need a zigzag to pass one neighbor. For example, see Rick Mohr's notes on his dance Leave the Wine: http://rickmohr.net/Contra/Dances.asp#LeaveTheWine So the way I would transcribe your dance is: 4 circle left 4 zig left, zag right past N1 4 zag right, zig left past N2; face N3 4 gents pass left to start a hey, pass partner right 8 continue, 1/2 hey* 8 P swing (*: Incidentally, we call the middle part of the sequence [ladies chain to P / hey to other side / P balance and swing] a 1/2 hey even though there are only 3 passes of a hey, i.e. 3/8 of a hey. The same thing happens here, so you would be justified in calling the hey in this dance a 3/4 hey.) I do think this flows well; it's similar to the entry to the hey in Joyride from a poussette. Ok, the actual question you posed: how do you teach this entry into the hey? You face N3 and make sure they are the focus of attention. Then, for teaching purposes, ladies take a step left, out of the set. (Now everyone is in a clear position, though you might add, gents take a step forward between your neighbors.) These gents pass left to start a hey across, pass partner right, ladies pass left, etc. When you meet your partner again, swing. Finally, some meta-commentary. The more new and unfamiliar pieces you have in a dance, the harder it is for dancers to learn each one of them, because they have more stuff to try to remember, and they are more likely to end up confused and unconfident that they're doing the right thing. End effects don't help matters. I believe you're correct that you come in in A2 on the zig zag with ladies on the left, but also you want to be crossed-over when you come in for A1. This is just to say that this new transition would be easier for dancers to learn in a simpler context, so if I were going to teach this hey, I would teach it in a different dance. By the way, here's the dance I mentioned: Life Is Short; Dance Often Lindsey Dono, Yoyo Zhou November 11, 2014 becket left A1: circle left 1; ladies chain to N1 A2: mad robin around N1; circle right 1 B1: (~4) with P, zag right, zig left to face N2; (~12) ~3/4 hey, gents pass left B2: P balance, swing (You come in from the ends in B1 with the lady on the left. I was concerned about the timing of B1, of course, with the balance at B2, but it worked really well in practice.) (P.S. In a Becket dance that ends this way, you get the benefit of being able to start the teaching with a swing at home to identify where to swing your partner.) Yoyo Zhou On Mar 29, 2015 2:53 PM, "Don Veino via Callers" &lt;callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net&gt; wrote: _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net _______________________________________________ Callers mailing list Callers(a)lists.sharedweight.net http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/callers-sharedweight.net