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Written by Tom Fromm
3. DOSADO: Starting formation -facing dancers. Dancers advance and pass right shoulders. Without turning, each dancer moves to the right passing in back of the other dancer. Then moving backwards, each passes left shoulders returning to starting position.
STYLING: Men -arms in natural dance position, right shoulders forward as right shoulders pass, left shoulders forward as left shoulders pass. Ladies -both hands on skirt, moving skirt forward and back to avoid opposite dancer, right hand forward as right shoulders pass, left hand forward as left shoulders pass.
TIMING: SS with corner, 6 steps; with partner, 6; from a Box formation , 6; SS across the set, 8.
When teaching this move, I would first start with the dancers at home. I would have them turn to face their partner. I would tell them the name of the call, then tell the definition. I would say, "now lets walk through it together, and go slowly." I would tell them to step a little bit to the left, and walk by their partner, passing right shoulders. Now, slide back to back with your partner. Now back up passing left shoulders, and then step a little to your left, so that you come back eye to eye with your partner. I would make a point to tell them, that it is important to come back eye to eye, with the person they started the move with. Then let them do it again for practice.
Now I would have them to turn around, and walk over face to face with their corner. I would say now with your corner, Do Sa Do. I would cue them through it the first several times, putting emphases on ending up eye to eye with the one you started with. I would have them square the set, and circle them left, then right till they get back home. Now I have the sides go forward and back. Now go forward again and Do Sa Do with your opposite, and back out at home. Give the heads a chance also.
I would want to have just the head boys, go in and Do Sa Do. I want to give equal time to the side boys, and the girls the same way. Once again, I want to make certain to say "eye to eye with the one you started with".
I would want to use this in conjunction with the call circle. I would have the girls (boys) circle 3/4, and back out over there. Now I can have them do some of the same things we done earlier, but it will be with a different person. It doesn't take as long to do all of this as it seems, but ads so much variety, and helps the dancers to understand what the move looks like start to finish. The idea is FUN, and they can have fun with so few calls.
As the night goes on, I may want to show them some variations that are uncommon, but will hopefully help them understand better, and provide some fun. I might have the heads (sides) go forward, keep holding your partners hand, and as a couple, (they don't care about "A" at this point) Do Sa Do the couple you're looking at. I may have the head (side) boy (or girl) go stand in front of their corner. Now just like that, Do Sa Do your corner. Now that your are still facing your corner, carefully Do Sa Do (1 working with 2) the sides (heads) as a couple. "You started facing your corner, make sure you end that way."
Another type I could use is, "wheelbarrow Do Sa Do". Have the heads go forward, and take both hands with your opposite. Now boys push, and the girls back up. Boys slide back to back with each other. Now girls, you get to push and the boys back up. Girls back to back, then back to place where you started.
Later on, it won't take very long, to get them to understand what goes on with (L.A. - DO SA DO -L.A. - RLG). They understand the move, and explaining about getting into position for the next call will be simple. In the future, I want to be sure to follow Do Sa Do with a variety of calls. This should help keep them from jumping into an ocean wave.
Nate Bliss nbliss@castles.com Writes:
When I teach the call for the first time ... I have them move up Right Shoulder to Right Shoulder and tell them that this is: 1/4 of a Do Sa Do
Now step forward and back to back with each other, this is: 1/2 of a Do Sa Do
Now move back to Left Shoulders side by side, this is: 3/4 of a Do Sa Do
Now step back to face (where you started the call), this is: A FULL Do Sa Do
I then remind them that if I call Do Sa Do, with no fraction, the given is a FULL Do Sa Do.
I then call the fractions as equivalents for other calls (like: 1 1/2 to equal Do Sa Do and Pass Thru). As we go along I use the fractions to get them into Ocean Waves (1 1/4), etc.

Jim Penrod