Re: Request starter squares ("Of course everybody knows this dance")

John, I say everybody knows this dance because back when the square dance (including contra chestnuts) was part of the New England fabric and cultureand Ralph Page was known as a singing caller, certain figures became associated with certain melodies (Americana)  Perhaps the availability of dance recordings helped. So folks knew Dip and Dive was Red Wing,  Just Because was Ladies Chains and Golden Slippers had a cutaway figure. It's been noted that My Little Girl was a sensation when it came out. First Couple Promenade around the outside - around the outside of the ring.Head Ladies Chain right down the Center - and you Chain them back againYou Chain to the Right with the Right Hand Couple - and you Chain them back againYou Chain to the Left with the Left Hand Couple - and you Chain back home again Dosado with the Corner Girl, Dosado go 'round Your Own - go back and Swing your Corner round Runaway Home and Swing your Darlin' - She's the sweetest girl in town. Allemande Left with the ole left hand - Partner Right with a Right and Left Grand - go all the way go 'round It's all the way go 'round, you are homeward bound  - to the... 2ND COUPLE TAKE A WALK.. don't stop at home...round the outside...--- The routine or route of the dance is simple and there is no partner change - a single couple goes round the outside as they may do to any music. when they separate from each other or promenade together.. Then a little something at home and a finish using up a couple of phrases (or more) to go once around the set.  It doesn't have to be Grand Rights and Lefts and it doesn't have to be Ladies Chains.For those who dance once a year dancers its Promenade once around - just some Forward & Backs or Dosadoes, etc at home and a Promenade. Modify it but the music is great! But for the dancers who dance this regularly in New England  it's set in stone as above and on the old 78s. The break may vary on record and in books I've seen, but this one I've typed here allows no recovery or stopping at home.  The figure flows.Two Dosados in one phrase starting with left shoulders around the Corner and one large circle (not a figure 8) around the Partner - back to a Corner Swing It's the way I picked it up in Heath, MA  (1st & 3rd Saturdays into the late '90s)  and I still have Heath dancers. Bob LivingstonMiddletown, CT From: "JD Erskine island.dance(a)shaw.ca [trad-dance-callers]" <trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com> To: Trad Dance Callers <trad-dance-callers(a)yahoogroups.com> Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2016 11:42 PM Subject: [trad-dance-callers] Request starter squares ("Of course everybody knows this dance")   Hullo All, I've been enjoying the "auto pilot" thread. I loved Bob's "(Of course everybody knows this dance)" which I had to grin at. I don't. Now I'll look for it now as it appears to be a standard, somewhere. The picture here -- Aside from Cumberland Square Eight and some dances which occur in the ECD evenings in my "village" and area (like La Russe, Heidenroslein, and Newcastle), I've yet to break into calling squares. I have/had an opportunity to step into a MWSD callers workshop series, however while challenging, it doesn't seem a fit to my interests or needs. (I'm not in a club, and will likely not have an opportunity to call in that form.) Why am I interested? These trad./named dances exist, they're fun, and few call them in these parts. I'd like to include them in evenings/events that welcome them, and there is a geographically near-enough monthly series of traditional square dances where a few folks know how/what to call that I've been asked to participate in. Any tips or suggestions of how to begin calling such dances, what technique to learn first, and perhaps which basic dances go over well? As I dance or call/lead a variety of dances/dance forms I'd suspect formations or whole set dances aren't the issue. I suppose basic points on comparisons of similarity or major differences to barn/community, eCeilidh, ECD, SCD, "ACD" (Contra), Scottish ceilidh, etc. might be a quick path to understanding, relaxing with this. Thank you for any suggestions. Cheers, John -- J.D. 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