Class 1 — The First Evening
Units covered: M1, M2, M3, M4. Units assumed: none. Every dancer arrives knowing nothing, so
assume nothing and take nothing for granted.
The units in this class
| Unit | Call | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| M1 | Circle Left/Right (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, Full) | moves the whole square round a ring together |
| M2 | Dosado | exchanges two facing dancers and brings them back facing in |
| M3 | Couples Promenade | moves every couple round the square, side by side |
| M4 | Allemande Left | turns you by the left forearm to face your corner |
Before you start
- The class can stand in a squared set, and knows which wall is which.
- They know the words partner, corner, Head and Side.
- They can hold hands in a ring without gripping, and walk in time to the music.
Teaching sequence
- M1 — Circle Left/Right (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, Full). Teach the step first, the handhold second: walk a ring with no hands, then join hands and repeat. Pre-empt gripped, stretched rings.
- M2 — Dosado. Demonstrate with one couple, then send everybody pass-to-pass and stop halfway so they see themselves back to back. Pre-empt the drift outwards.
- M3 — Couples Promenade. Demonstrate the promenade handhold and promenade direction before anything else. Pre-empt the couple who walk opposite ways.
- M4 — Allemande Left. Have one pair show the elbow grip, then run the whole square. Pre-empt the tight, wrestling allemande: the grip rests, it does not pull.
Drills
- Circle Left 1/4 Dosado Allemande Left Promenade Home
Trains the whole evening's work in one figure.
- Circle Left (Full) Forward and Back Dosado Allemande Left Promenade Home
Trains the same calls after a movement that changes nothing but timing.
Checks
- Hands come apart, or the ring turns oval — say "light hands".
- Dancers look at the floor through Dosado — walk it half speed, heads up.
- Promenaders drift into the middle — fix the direction with your arm.
- Allemande Left ends in a shove — the grip is a hook, not a hold.