Class 4 — Passing and Leading
Units covered: M13, M14, M15, M16. Units assumed: M1–M12 — including the Courtesy Turn,
which every turn-back and lead-out call is built on.
The units in this class
| Unit | Call | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| M13 | Half Sashay | swaps a couple's two dancers without letting go |
| M14 | U-Turn Back | turns one dancer about on the spot |
| M15 | Separate | sends a named couple out and round behind |
| M16 | Lead Right / Lead Left | takes a couple out and round a quarter turn |
Before you start
- They can Courtesy Turn with the hands kept joined the whole way.
- They know which dancer of a couple stands on which side.
- They hear "Heads" and "Sides" and act on it without a second telling.
Teaching sequence
- M13 — Half Sashay. Show the couple handing through each other, hands still joined. Pre-empt the pair who let go, walk round and rejoin facing the wrong way.
- M14 — U-Turn Back. Turn about hands off first, then with a partner's hand, so the class sees the handhold survive. Pre-empt the dancer who turns the short way and ends inside out.
- M15 — Separate. Walk the active couple out, round and in while the others stand still. Say that the dancers not named do nothing — the first inactive half in the course.
- M16 — Lead Right. Send a couple out and round. Pre-empt the couple who walk out and stop: the call is out and a quarter turn, and the turn is what finishes it.
Drills
- Heads Lead Right Heads Half Sashay Heads U-Turn Back Heads Lead Left Allemande Left Promenade Home
Trains the turn-and-lead calls with the sashay between them.
- Heads Separate Around 1 to a Line Heads Forward and Back Heads Pass Thru Heads U-Turn Back Heads Pass Thru Allemande Left Promenade Home
Trains Separate into a line, then the U-Turn Back that reverses it.
- Circle Left 1/4 Dosado Allemande Left Right and Left Grand Promenade Home
Trains the whole course so far as a closing figure.
Checks
- Half Sashay ends facing out — they let go and stepped round; keep the hands joined.
- U-Turn Back pulls the partner off their spot — do it hands off.
- Separate Around 1 to a Line comes back the wrong length — count as they arrive.
- Lead Right finishes facing the middle — the quarter turn was missed; name the wall.