Return toProgram List | Submitted by Tom Fromm
6. ALLEMANDE FAMILY: Starting formation -any position where dancers can conveniently turn 90° or less to face their corner.
(a) ALLEMANDE LEFT: Dancers face their corners and turn by the left forearm. Releasing arm holds and stepping forward, each dancer ends facing his partner.
(b) LEFT ARM TURN: Starting formation -facing dancers. Dancers join left forearms and walk forward around each other the distance specified; e.g. half (180°), three quarters (270°), full (360°), etc.
(c) RIGHT ARM TURN: Like left arm turn except dancers
turn with the rightforearm.

STYLING: The arms are held past the wrist but not past
the elbow joint.Each dancer places his hand on the inside of the arm of
the person with whom he is to work. The fingers and thumb are held in
close. The center of the turn will be at the joined arms, so, while turning,
each dancer is moving equally around the other.

TIMING: Full around, 8; three quarters, 6; one half, 4; one quarter.
On the first night, I only teach Allemande left. I start by having
them in a static square. I ask the everyone to face their corner. I tell
them to look at where they are standing right now. I tell them to look
where their corners feet are. I tell them to extend left hands to one
another. Take an arm hold, and using the arm hold as a pivot point, turn
as they walk forward, till they have their feet in the others footprints.
Now drop hands, and passing left shoulders, pass your corner till you
are looking at your partner. I only use the "real" corner at first.

To give them a view of doing a LA from an 8 chain thru position, I
would have the head girls circle 1/2 way around, and back out by the
opposite boy. Now I'll have the heads go forward and circle 3/4 around
. Now I would have the same heads walk past the one your looking at and
look your corner in the eye. Now like this do an allemande left. Let the
sides do the same, and repeat later.

I teach arm turns about week 4 or 5. I teach right arm turn first I
tell them that this will start the like right handed allemande. I start
by having them face the partner. Stick out a right hand and, take an
arm hold, and using your arm hold as the pivot point, turn 1/2 way
around. I will tell them stop beside their partner. I'll say "tell you
partner, this is where this move ends." Now I'll have them LA and
promenade.

Next I'll have them face the corner, and stick out a left hand. take
an arm hold, and using your arm hold as the pivot point, turn 1/2 way
around. I will have them stop beside their partner again, and tell them
this is where a left arm turn ends. I will tell them that the difference
between LA and left arm turn is you don't automatically pass through
here. I'll tell them to do what the next call is. Then I will tell them
to walk to your partner, turn her by the right, LA, promenade. I'll also
make a point to do left arm turns with the partner, and right with the
corner, so as not to create a habit. I'll have them do full turns as
well. I'll tell them, they will use the hand that I refer to when I call
an arm turn. If I teach this early in the evening, by the end of the
night I can have them doing lots of practice. At my fifth week, I had
my new dancers doing "red hot" & "ice cold" for those that remember
them.

Also, by using girls (boys) single file promenade inside, I had them
doing "all 8 spin the top". I simply told the ones that were on the
outside, to walk around the outside like a wrong way single file
promenade. Of course, I was breaking these moves down for them.
Does it make it less fun to have them broken down? I don't think so. Does
it get them to understand and to listen? YES!

Marting "Pavouk" writes:
I teach Arm Turns first. When they are comfortable with Arm Turns,
Allemande L. Is nothing more than Left Arm Turn with their momentary
corner.

mail totype_Document_Title_hereJim Penrod