Modern Square Dancing

In the Edmonton District, Square Dancing includes

Square

Round

Contra

and

Clogging

EDMONTON & DISTRICT SQUARE DANCE ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE 2009

President Frank & Karen Klassen

Past President Murray & Dorothy Framingham

Vice President Dave and Evelyn Patterson

Treasurer Carman Dufresne

Secretary vacant

Dance Directors Arlene McLafferty

Publicity Deb & John Belik

Promenader Adrien & Geraldine Rootsaert

Social Convenor Bill Elmer

Federation Rep. Dwayne & Marian Jenkins

Caller Rep. Wayne & Agnes Russell

Web Page Dwayne & Marian Jenkins

Mascot Stealing

In the Square Dance movement, the practice of stealing mascots is done to encourage visitations, friendship and socializing between clubs.

There has been much discussion and confusion regarding the ?Rules? of mascot stealing in the Edmonton area.

These ?Rules? are actually meant to be Guidelines of Etiquette.

They are as follows:

- Phone ahead (at least 24 hours) as a courtesy, so the visited club will have sufficient lunch, if they have lunch after their dance, and to ensure that the club has a mascot.

- Four couples (eight persons) from the visiting club, are required to steal a mascot.

- Four couples (eight persons) from the visiting club, are required to retrieve a mascot.

- If eight couples (sixteen persons) got to retrieve their mascot they can both retrieve and steal.

It is up to EACH CLUB to decide if they will allow mascot stealing or retrieving at a ?Special? dance. This can be determined with a phone call.

Mascot stealing should not take place in April and all mascots should be retrieved before the end of the current dance season. Bring your mascots home for the Summer.

Adrien & Geraldine Rootsaert

Tips for Better Dancing

Most of this information, although generally known, has not been printed often. It was written by Ed Foote and published in the USDA News, July/Sept. 1997 issue. Dancers who follow these rules find they have a more enjoyable dancing experience.

TAKE HANDS WITH THOSE STANDING BESIDE YOU immediately after the completion of any figure. This will help you to see the formation you are in (line, wave, etc.) to do the next call.

1. Hands should be joined within 1/2 second after the completion of any call. Failure to join hands after a call often will result in sloppy lines or waves, which will cause the square to break down trying to do the next call.

2. Elbows must be bent when hands are joined. If arms are outstretched when hands are touching, the set is much too large to operate smoothly.

HOW TO AVOID BREAKING DOWN

1. Believe the caller, no matter what he says. Often dancers will stop cold if the caller tells them to do something and they do not know why he told them to do it. This results in the needless breakdown of the square. Forget worrying about "why" and just do as the caller says. If a dancer refuses to execute a given command, he has no one to blame but himself when this causes his square to break down.

2. If you want to help someone who is lost avoid talking and instead use hand signals. A very effective method is to point to the spot they should be in. If you talk, this may cause you and others in the square to miss hearing the caller give the next call.

3. If you are positive you have done a call correctly, do not let someone who is unsure of the call make you change your position. This will keep the square going.

4. If a square consists of two strong couples and two weak couples, the strong couples should be across from each other when squared up, never adjacent. This will give each weak person a strong corner, and will provide each part of the square with strong dancers when doing calls. So if you and other couples visit a dance where the level is higher than you are used to, if you dance together be sure to square up across form each other. Likewise, if two new graduates dance in your square, be sure that you and the other strong couple square up across from each other.

5. Keep your head raised. This lets you see what is going on. Many people dance looking down at the floor, and thus are out of touch with the square as a whole.

6. Keep the square small. Large squares break down much more often than small squares. One way to keep the square small is to touch hands immediately after every call.

ECMA (Emergency Call for Medical Assistance)

1. When a dancer goes down,
a second dancer attends to him/her.

2. Remaining couples join hands
     and take a step backward.
     This will allow the injured person
     and attendant air and room

3. Raise joined hands as high as
possible in the form of an
arched circle.

4. On seeing this signal, the caller or
hall monitor will immediately place
an Emergency Call for Medical Aid.

If you have anything interesting that would fit here, drop us a line.

Edmonton District Square Dance Association

Information (780)496-9136 or Email to edsda@edsda.org

Back to EDSDA Home Page

Edmonton District Square Dance Association

Edmonton, Alberta Canada

Email to edsda@edsda.org

Last Updated July 2010