Class 7 — Lines and Turns
Units covered: M25, M26, M27, M28. Units assumed: M1–M24 — in particular Double Pass Thru
and Square Thru, which put the class into the columns these calls work from.
The units in this class
| Unit | Call | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| M25 | First Couple Go Left/Right, Next Couple Go Right/Left | splits a column into two lines |
| M26 | Wheel and Deal | turns a couple or a line about from the centre |
| M27 | California Twirl | turns a couple around under an arch |
| M28 | Slide Thru | turns a facing pair into a couple, sliding past |
Before you start
- They can Double Pass Thru and finish in a proper column.
- They can Bend the Line without moving the end dancers.
- They can make a Star Thru arch at eye level without collapsing it.
Teaching sequence
- M25 — First Couple Go Left/Right, Next Couple Go Right/Left. Name each couple as you point, because this is a direction for two couples at once. Walk it as two separate pairs first. Pre-empt the second couple who copy the first couple's direction.
- M26 — Wheel and Deal. Teach it from facing couples in the centre, not from a line, so the class sees a single pivot. Pre-empt the dancer who walks round instead of pivoting on the spot.
- M27 — California Twirl. It looks like Star Thru, so show the difference: here the arch stays with the couple and turns them about. Pre-empt the pair who finish facing each other.
- M28 — Slide Thru. Walk it beside the Star Thru so the class sees the same shape and the different hands. Pre-empt the pair who reach for an arch: Slide Thru has no raised hands.
Drills
- Heads Double Pass Thru First Couple Go Left, Next Couple Go Right California Twirl Pass Thru Wheel and Deal Double Pass Thru Allemande Left Promenade Home
Trains the split column, the twirl and the wheel, and finishes with a pass through that returns the square.
- Heads Square Thru 4 Slide Thru Wheel and Deal Double Pass Thru Allemande Left Promenade Home
Trains Slide Thru as the way to make a couple out of a facing pair.
Checks
- The split column's couples both turn the same way — one couple is copying; point each pair.
- Wheel and Deal leaves a gap in the centre — the dancers walked round instead of pivoting.
- California Twirl finishes face to face — the pair made a Star Thru instead.
- Slide Thru produces an elbow fight — hands are too high; keep them low and slide.