I don't know where these class quizzes came from, but I used to include them in e-mail both when I took the class and when I was class coordinator. I enjoyed them during the class.
These are included in the email that gets sent a day or two before the class. You should consider using them, starting Week 3 or so. If you do so, make sure that the calls referenced have been taught. Otherwise, you'll need to edit them so they match, or write your own.
Grand Square - uses week 1 material
Grand Square has a well-defined algorithm: After every three steps, you turn 90 degrees (such that you never turn out of the square) and after 16 beats everyone reverses. So, what happens if you leave the basic definition in place, but change the starting conditions? Typically, the Sides start facing their partner and the Heads start as couples at home. What happens in each of these 4 scenarios?
- The Heads start facing their partner and the Sides start as a couple at home?
- Both Heads and Sides start facing their partners?
- The Sides start in the middle rather than facing? (They would begin the Grand Square by backing up three steps.)
- Everyone starts as they typically do, but the Heads start the Grand Square four beats later than the Sides? (and reverse four beats later than the Sides)
- From a squared set, all the boys face their partners, grand square. (The girls start walking forward; the boys start by backing up).
90 degree turns - anytime early
Some calls can be disorienting because they leave you turned 90 degrees from where you started. For example, a Star Thru will always turn you 1/4. If you started facing a "head" wall, you will end up facing a "side" wall. This can be disorienting because it leaves you facing someone different, perhaps even in a different formation. You've learned other calls after which you end facing 90 degrees from where you started; can you name them?
Box or line - uses week 6
Some 4 person calls work within a box. During the call you work exclusively with the dancers within your box. An example of a box type call is Right and Left Thru.
Box:
X X
X X
Other 4 person calls work within a line or wave. Note that a wave is a specialized form of a line where every other dancer is facing the opposite direction. An example of a line type call is Chain Down The Line.
Line:
X X X X
Wave: (The points are their noses)
v ^ v ^ or ^ v ^ v
Which type of call (box or line/wave) are the following 4 person calls?
- (Head) Ladies Chain
- Bend The Line
- Scoot Back
- Wheel and Deal
- Swing Thru
- Cross Run
- Cast Off Three Quarters
Bonus: Are you in the same formation (box or line/wave) with the same people at the end of the call? Or has it changed?
Singers - after singer lecture
As promised, here is the link to the longer talk on Singers that Guy gave during IAP in 2013: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/28748264 The core of the singer material starts around 17:00. Do you know the answers to these:
- Who does the #1 man swing at the end of Figure 3? (normal corner progression)
- Who does the #3 lady swing at the end of Figure 2? (same progression)
- If your square breaks down, who should you swing at the end of the Break?
- Can you name a few calls that are more typically used during the Opener, Break, and Closer than in the Figures?
Reminder on couple numbering:
Caller
1’s
2’s 4’s
3’s
Whom do you work with? - uses week 5
A new brain-teaser for you. In some of calls you are work with the person beside you. In others you work with the person in front of you (or behind you). Who are you working with for these calls?
- touch ¼
- hinge
- box the gnat
- trade
- zoom
- ½ sashay
- star thru
- run
- turn thru
- dosado
Careful, there is one call on the list that is a bit tricky as the answer is dependent on the starting formation. Consider both a right handed wave and facing lines.
How many dancers? - uses week 4
Some calls require all 8 dancers (e.g. Right and Left Grand), others are danced in smaller groups of people. For example, Right and Left Thru is danced by 4 people -- 2 couples facing each other. The other dancers in the square could be dancing the same call or something else altogether. It can be helpful to know how may people you are working with during a call. What size group do you work with to do each of the following:
- Square Thru 2
- U Turn Back
- Chain Down the Line
- Trade By
- Pass the Ocean
- Swing Thru
- Zoom
- Wheel Around
- Wheel & Deal
- Touch 1/4
- Boys Run
- Half Sashay
(Hint: the answers total 39)
Zeroes
version 1 - uses week 3 material
After some calls, you end exactly where you started the call. For example, dosado. After other calls you exactly end where you started if you dance them twice in a row, like California Twirl. How many consecutive times must each of these calls be danced before everyone is exactly back where they began?
- Starting from facing lines, Box the Gnat
- Starting from a squared set, Heads Star Thru
- Starting from facing lines, Bend the Line
- Starting from facing lines, Ends Run
- Starting from back-to-back lines, Men Run
- Starting from waves, Circulate
- Starting from left-handed waves, Swing Thru
- Starting from right-handed waves, Swing Thru
- Starting from two-faced lines, Couples Trade
- Starting from a squared set, Four Ladies Chain 3/4
(Hint: The answers total to 32.)
version 2 - uses week 5 material heavily
After some calls, you end exactly where you started the call, e.g Dosado. Other calls return you to the same spot after you dance the call two times in a row, e.g. California Twirl. How many consecutive times must each of these calls be danced before everyone is exactly back where they began?
- Starting from facing lines, Box the Gnat?
- Starting from a squared set, Heads Star Thru?
- Starting from facing lines, Ends Run?
- Starting from (normal) back-to-back lines, Men Run?
- Starting from waves, Centers Cross Run?
- Starting from waves, Circulate?
- Starting from waves, Split Circulate?
- Starting from left-handed waves, Swing Thru?
- Starting from right-handed waves, Swing Thru?
- Starting from two faced lines, Couples Trade?
- Starting from a squares set, Four Ladies Chain ¾?
- Starting from waves, Scoot Back?
- Starting from facing lines, Half Sashay?
- Starting from facing lines, Flutterwheel?
- Starting from a column, Zoom?
(Hint: The answers total to 46.)
Calls with roles
version 1 - uses week 8
In some calls, the definition has everyone doing essentially the same thing, e.g. Pass Thru. Then there are calls that are defined as two separate parts. For example, for Wheel Around the person on the right side of the couple walks forward while the person on the left backs up. The parts aren't always distinguished by which side of the couple you are on. Sometimes it's centers vs. ends, or those facing out vs. those facing in, or gender, or simply the ones the caller designates. It can be helpful to notice your starting position before moving so you know which part of the call you should be doing. For the following calls, how are the parts distinguished?
- Half Sashay
- Walk and Dodge
- Flutterwheel
- Pass to the Center
- Chain Down the Line
- Star Thru
- Zoom
- Fan the Top
- Dixie Style to a Wave
version 2 - uses week 6
In some calls, everyone does the same thing (like Pass Thru). Other calls have different roles for different people, such as zoom, which has a leader’s part and a trailer’s part. (Remember: Leaders are facing out of their back-to-front pair; trailers are facing in. It doesn’t matter which way the other person is facing, i.e. from facing lines, everyone is facing in, so everyone is a trailer).What about the following calls? Do they have roles, and if so, how are they distinguished - leader/trailer, right-side dancer/left-side dancer (also known as belle/beau), girl/boy, center/end?
- Cloverleaf (from a completed double pass thru)
- Rollaway
- Double Pass Thru
- Scootback
- Flutterwheel
- Right and Left Thru
- Square Thru
- Star Thru
- Pass the Ocean (from facing lines)
- Cast Off ¾ (from a wave)
- Cast Off ¾ (from back-to-back lines)
- Turn Thru
- Centers Cross Run
- Trade By
- Chain Down the Line
version 3 - uses week 5
In some calls, everyone does the same thing (like Pass Thru). Other calls have different roles for different people, which can be distinguished in different ways.
For instance, Zoom has two roles -- the leaders (those in front) do one thing while the trailers (those behind) do something different.
Star Thru has two roles -- the boys do on thing and the girls do another.
Other calls may have roles for centers/ends or right-side dancer/left-side dancer. What about the following calls? Do they have different roles? If so, what different roles do they have?
Trade By
Split Circulate
Scootback
Flutterwheel
Right and Left Thru
Square Thru
Turn Thru
Centers Cross Run
Chain Down the Line
What's the difference? - uses week 8
- Fan the Top and Spin the Top?
- Split Two and Centers In?
- Half Sashay and Rollaway?
- Slide Thru and Star Thru?
- Wheel and Deal and Ferris Wheel?
- Slip the Clutch and Shoot the Star?
- Double Pass Thru and Tag the Line?
- Split Circulate and Walk and Dodge?
Ending formations
version 1 - uses week 8 (barely)
It can be helpful to know what formation various calls end in. Then when you take hands at the end of the call, you can check that you have the right formation. With some calls the formation doesn’t change during the call. For example, when you Circulate, the formation you start in will be the same formation that you end in. Other calls start in one formation and end in another. If you Touch ¼ from facing lines, you will end up in Columns. Where do the following calls end?
- from Two-Face Lines, Ferris Wheel?
- from Two-Face Lines, Wheel and Deal?
- From Back-to-Back lines, Wheel and Deal?
- From Two-Face Lines (right handed), Chain Down the Line?
- From Waves (left handed), Chain Down the Line?
- From Facing Lines, Square Thru 2?
- From Eight Chain, Square Thru 2?
- From Eight Chain, Lead Right?
- From Waves, Recycle?
version 2 - uses week 9
Brainteaser: It can be helpful to know what formations calls end in, especially as the calls get more complicated. Where do these calls end? The list of formations may be useful for remember what names different formations have. However, being able to recognize the formation is more important than knowing the names.
- Walk and Dodge from left-hand parallel waves?
- Load the Boat from facing lines?
- Dixie Style to a Wave from facing lines?
- Heads Dixie Style to a Wave from a squared set?
- Flip the Diamond from normal right-hand diamonds?
- Half Tag the Line from back-to-back lines?
- Spin Chain the Gears from left-hand parallel waves?
- Recycle from right-hand waves?
- Recycle from a right-hand tidal wave?
- Crossfire from right hand two-faced lines?
- Fan the Top from a right-hand tidal wave?
- Spin the Top from parallel left-hand waves?
version 3- uses week 7
Opposites - uses week 9
Imagine doing a Circle Left. The person directly across from
you is called your Opposite. It is the person who is the same
head/side-ness as you and dancing the same gender as you.
Because 99% of what callers call is symmetric, your Opposite
should always be across the center of the square from you and is
always the same person thoughout a tip.
Just as it can be helpful to note your Partner and Corner when
you square up, it can be helpful to notice your Opposite. After
you've done a hard call or scrambled to get caught up, it can be
helpful to check that your Opposite is still across the square
from you. =)
If you are X, where is your Opposite?
Squared set
vX v7 >1 <6 >2 <5 ^3 ^4
Tidal wave
^1 v2 ^X v3 ^4 v5 ^6 v7
Double pass thru
>1 >2 <3 <4 >5 >6 <X <7
Diamonds
>1 >2 ^X v3 ^4 v5 <6 <7
Waves (right-handed)
^1 v2 ^3 vX ^4 v5 ^6 v7
Fractions (uses week 9, should be late)
Do you have any ideas for more?
Here are a few ideas that class coordinators have had but not developed into quizzes.
- something about symmetry versus asymmetry
- calls with parts
- Which Wall? If you start follow your neighbor from a right hand wave facing the head walls, what wall will you be facing at the end?
Swing thru v spin the top.
Trade v hinge. ( is it the exact same wall?)
and "roll"