Class 12 — The Last Calls
Units covered: M46, M47, M48, M49, M50. Units assumed: all fifty units before them — every
figure here is built from calls the class already knows.
The units in this class
| Unit | Call | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| M46 | Spin the Top | turns the top of a wave, then the rest of it |
| M47 | Scoot Back | sends the ends and the centres past each other |
| M48 | Fold / Cross Fold | folds one dancer in beside the other |
| M49 | Tag the Line | walks a column forward and turns it into a line |
| M50 | Recycle (from Waves only) | turns a wave into a couple facing in |
Before you start
- They can hold a wave and turn it without losing the handhold.
- They can Fold and Roll as individuals, and know which dancer stays put.
- They can walk a column forward in time, and stop together.
Teaching sequence
- M46 — Spin the Top. Build it from a wave in front of the class, naming the top pair first. Walk it without the turn so they see the two halves, then add the turn. Pre-empt the pair who turn before the other pair moves.
- M47 — Scoot Back. Say "ends in, centres out" and demonstrate once with one wave. Pre-empt the dancer who steps straight forward instead of into the vacated spot.
- M48 — Fold / Cross Fold. Teach it from a wave, and name which dancer folds. Pre-empt the pair who both fold: the dancer not named stays put.
- M49 — Tag the Line. Walk the column forward counting the steps, then call the direction at the end. Pre-empt the line turning too early.
- M50 — Recycle. Teach it from a wave only, as the manual allows. Pre-empt the pair who turn away from each other: the centres turn inwards and the ends fold round them.
Drills
- Heads Pass Thru Heads Square Thru 4 Spin the Top Scoot Back Allemande Left Promenade Home
Trains the two wave calls of this class back to back.
- Heads Pass Thru Heads Square Thru 4 Tag the Line Allemande Left Promenade Home
Trains Tag the Line out of a column, with the line turning in as it arrives.
- Heads Pass Thru Heads Square Thru 4 Spin the Top Recycle Allemande Left Promenade Home
Trains the last new call in a figure built from what came before it.
Checks
- Spin the Top stalls halfway — name the top pair out loud.
- Scoot Back leaves two dancers facing the wrong way — ends and centres went the wrong directions.
- Fold leaves nobody in the vacated spot — only the named dancer moves.
- Tag the Line turns too early — walk the column first, then call the turn.
- Recycle finishes face to face — turn inward and let the ends fold round.