Essays About Square Dance Calling

Martin Ingenhütt
MARTIN_INGENHUETT_AT_EUROPEAN_CALLERS_AND_TEACHERS_ASSOCIATION

This site gathers a couple of essays on topics related to square dance calling that I have written over the years. In the beginning, I wrote in German, and still most of my articles exist in German versions only; in 2006 I decided to switch to English as I found more and more English speaking friends. I am planning to also translate my older articles into English as they need some revision anyhow. Unfortunately I am currently short of time for personal reasons - but this is a temporary.

Basically, I start to write an article if I become interested in a topic and try to sort out what I know. So each text actually does not reflect my 'superior knowledge' but my process of learning and searching. Inconsistencies and errors are possible, and I often feel the need to do a revision - in particular when a document is new, or after feedback from a reader. In other words, all my essays are work in progress - my thoughts are not finished. And all of them do just represent my personal opinion, often something that I never found anywhere else and that I wanted to share and discuss with other people. It may sometimes be different from the official views of Callerlab, ECTA and some big name callers.

And I am always happy for comments - when you read something where you agree or disagree, let me know. And most of all, if a particular thought was not expressed clearly and is therefore not understandable.

Have fun with my site, and don't believe what I am writing - think yourself.
  
Drifting
(Version 2007-08-08)
An article about body flow and a new modifier. The document contains some theoretical and a bit generical reflexions about elements in the Mainstream program that make calling with the flow more difficult than necessary.
  
Facing Couples Rule and Ocean Wave Rule
(Version 2007-08-08)
The essay reflects the two rules and when and where they should be applied. Swing Thru from facing couples is not the only possibility! On the other hand, dealing with the ambiguity of the two formations wave and facing couples is perhaps not always as simple as some courageous callers might be aware - at least if we still want to provide a fluent dancing where body flow and its implications are essential.
  
  
Courtesy Turn
(Version 2008-03-23)
This call is used often in early class and then neglected in favor for the calls derived from it. Perhaps this is the reason why it feels a bit simple and old-fashioned not only to dancers but also to callers. I remember when it hit me shortly after graduation and I had completly forgotten it; in my confusion I did a California Twirl, clearly knowing that this was wrong. The entire square laughed at me...

The article investigates possible usages of the call and makes some discoveries that were new to me.
  
  
Walk Around Your Corner / See Saw
(Version 2008-02-25)
In class, these calls seem a bit odd because they use the 'wrong' shoulder when meeting corner and partner. Apparently, this can be useful from time to time, and so they can serve a necessary functionality whithin ring formations. But as the calls are used quite rarely and - most of all - only from standardized sequences, it might be worth to see if they also offer some hidden possibilities.

Another question the article tries to answer is why these calls are not used more often within the resolution process.
  
  
Calling Through Ring Formations
(Version 2007-08-08)
This long article represents almost all my knowledge about ring formations such as circles, stars, thars, alamo rings, promenades and so on. The article does not really try to find unusual or sophisticated applications. Instead it concentrates on a kind of developed 'classical' approach. For instance, it more or less only considers 'normal' and 'half sashayed' arrangements.
  
  
Singing Call Evenings
(Version 2008-01-05)
A detailled description of four singing call evenings that the author did in the years 2004 to 2008.
  
  
Essays in German
(Version 2010-01-29)
Some German articles, most of them written in the years 2004 to 2005.
  
About the Author
(Version 2007-07-15)
A bit about me - and a photo!

 

Change History

In the following, changes of the documents are listed. Layout or technical amendment, or typo corrections can always happen but are not necessarily listed here. Dates follow the pattern 'year-month-day':
2010-01-29:Removed a bug that made part of this page invisible.
2008-03-29:The article Centers In / Split the Outside Couple has temporarily been withdrawn. Changes of the definitions make a thorough revision necessary.
2008-03-23:Courtesy Turn: Corrected minor mistake in the get-out using Eight Chain Thru.
2008-01-03:Singing Call Evenings: Added two new chapters Come Along and Ride This Train and List of Recordings
2007-12-15:Walk Around Your Corner / See Saw: Name of call has changed (from All Around... to Walk Around...)
2007-12-03:Amended many details in Courtesy Turn.
2007-10-23:Fixed broken link: Walk Around Your Corner / See Saw is now accessible...
2007-08-08:New article: Walk Around Your Corner / See Saw; minor amendment in most documents.
2007-07-26:New article: Centers In / Split the Outside Couple.
2007-07-21:New article: Courtesy Turn.
2007-06-01:Better wording at many places in Facing Couples Rule and Ocean Wave Rule; minor correction.
2007-02-15:Added pictures of the flyers to Singing Call Evenings; amended colophon.
2007-01-13:New: Singing Call Evenings (partly a translation of three older German articles).
2006-10-07:Change of the structure of this site: The start page is in English now.
About the Author: Some amendmend.
2006-10-03:Drifting: Added English and German abstract.
2006-09-24:Facing Couples Rule and Ocean Wave Rule: Revision; addition of Spin Chain Thru.
2006-09-20:About the Author: Translated into English
2006-09-17:Calling Through Ring Formations: Additions to chapter on thars; smaller additions to chapter on alamo ring and at other places.
2006-09-13:New: This page.
2006-09-01:New: Calling Through Ring Formations.
2006-07-17:Facing Couples Rule and Ocean Wave Rule: Revision of last chapter; small additions.
Drifting: Port into pdf format; additions about expected body flow.
2006-07-16:New: Facing Couples Rule und Ocean Wave Rule.
Drifting: Again more precisely: The source of me feeling sea sick.
2006-07-10:Drifting: Correction of the routine that makes me feel sea sick; small adaptations.
2006-07-02:Drifting: Addition of 'With the Flow', end more precisely.
2006-06-27:New: Drifting as my first English article.
2004-08-26:Start of this site (in German).

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Responsible for the content on www.calling.scootback.de: Martin Ingenhuett, Pellenzstrasse 44, 50823 Koeln/Cologne, Phone ++49 - 221 - 41 38 29.