Moving and Grooving Square Dance CDs for Teachers

Type
Resource
Owner
Nick and Mary Anne Turner (nmturner@telus.net)
Links
Information Website
Description

This is a set of CDs and guidebooks that can be used by teachers or community leaders as a user friendly resource for teaching square dancing. See below for a description of what is included in the package.

Introduction

This dance program is in two sections, each of which can be used as a stand alone program or which you can mix and match to meet your needs.

All the dances are non-sex oriented. This means that you do not have to have boy/girl, man/woman partnering (though you might want to encourage students - especially in the higher grades - to partner with the opposite sex when the man is always on the woman’s LEFT)

The dances in both sections can be used in schools from Grade 3 though 12 and in any church or community group.

Partners will be designated by numbers: “1” for the left hand dancer in a couple (normally the man) and “2” for the right hand dancer in a couple (normally the woman) It helps greatly if the “2s” wear a sash - easily made from forestry marking ribbon, available in most hardware stores.

We used a three ring binder for this program so that you can easily add notes, or copy pages. We have done our best to make it “teacher-friendly.” We hope it will be a program that you will enjoy using for years!

Moving

The first section - “MOVING” - is a collection of traditional dances. Many these dances will be “walked thru” once on one Track and then the dance will be cued or prompted to the music on the next track of the CD. However, there are many that teachers and leaders can easily walk their dancers through themselves. You are expected to teach the steps which are explained in each dance.

Most of these dances can be used with a variety of tunes and songs. If you have a favorite piece of music or a favorite song, try it with one of the dances. Don’t be afraid to change the dance by omitting or adding an 8 count move such as a Do Sa Do, a Forward and Back, a Star. Let the music tell you!

The dances in this section are good to get a class warmed up before starting on a Square Dance Unit and may be mixed and matched with the Square Dance “ Tips.” There are hundreds of similar dances and a Dance and Music Sources page has been included for your reference.

Grooving

The second section, “GROOVING” is entirely Modern Square Dancing. There are ten sequential units, with all instructions and calling done on the CDs. Units 1 - 5 will be easily done by Grades 3 and 4 and Units 1 - 10 by Grades 5 - 12 and by adult groups.

Again, all the dances are non-sex oriented. The left hand dancer in a couple (usually the man’s position) will be called a “1” and the right hand person of the couple, (usually the woman’s position) will be called a “2”. “2s” are encouraged to wear sashes.

Don’t be scared away by the lesson plans and terminology in this section. They are for your information only. All of the teaching and calling is on the CDs.