Modern Western square dance

Western square dance (also Modern American Square Dance or Modern Western square dance called ) is - in contrast to Traditional Square Dance - the modern way of Square Dance.

Principle

Western square dance is led by a caller. A Square consists of four pairs which establish themselves in the initial position in the form of a square ( Engl square). The caller adds in chanting to music a number of different figures to each other, which are executed by the dancers in the Square. The number of squares dancing while a caller is not limited, and each square dancing independently of the other. The Square is a dance team for the duration of tips. A tip is usually made of two dances (one pattern and Singing -call) and is separated by a break from the next tip in which the dancers form new squares.

Dance programs

There are ten dance programs (levels ), which build on each other. Each dance program fully covers the previous case, and it includes this new characters, formations and concepts that have a considerable difficulty in the advanced dance programs. The programs are administered by Callerlab, an international association of square dance callers in the U.S. and adjusted occasionally. For dance events ( specials, Jamborees, etc.), the program offered is defined in the rule before and announced accordingly. The dancers can be sure that the dance program offered around the world includes the same figures.

(May 2013)

The number of specified programs for the dance figures may differ if not, as whole groups of figures ( similar figures summarize ), but the individual figures are counted. All programs each include all the characters and concepts of the lower one with programs. The programs C3b and C4 are not subject to standardization by Callerlab.

In October 2006, the " Basic " program, which had been abolished in 2000 as a standalone program, officially launched Callerlab again. In Germany, this program will scarcely offered in contrast to other countries such as Sweden.

Variants ( examples)

The following variants are normalized not by Callerlab, but are occasionally offered at club nights or events:

• Hot hash is very fast mainstream. The challenge lies in the high speed. In most cases, are figures that are only for the time recovery, not announced.

• Fun Squares - The focus here is not on precise dancing, but the fun. It occurs, for example, that couples change a so-called scatter the Promenade Square. A popular Fun- Square - variant is the Hexagon formation; The starting position is not a square with four, but a hexagon with six dancing couples.

Courses, competitions

The necessary figures and steps can be learned by almost anyone, to hold square dance clubs an approximately nine -month course (class ), which usually begins in the fall and ends in early summer with a graduation ceremony ( graduation ).

Competitions, there are no longer with the Square Dance since the 1950s. It is danced worldwide " from the fun of it ."

Fashion

In Germany, traditional square dance attire is worn at events, shows and often when visiting foreign clubs. When visiting the own club night clothes customs are subject to a North -South divide: while it is almost common everywhere in the south of Germany, to appear at any club night in square dance clothing can be found further north significantly more clubs where the club night street clothes is supported. A similar gradient can be found at the dance programs: the higher the dance program, the more the dancers tend to wear casual clothes. Occasionally a certain club night of the month is determined as "monthly dance " to which the dancers seem to be in dance attire.

The traditional square dance clothing includes:

• The men usually wear a western shirt with long sleeves, a collar braided cord ( Bolotie ) or a scarf ( scarf ), Collar Tips for decorating a belt with decorative buckle (Buckle ) and occasionally a small towel on your belt.

• The ladies usually wear a blouse and skirt with belt, including a petticoat and so-called " pettipants " ( lace panties ).

In the clothing it rarely comes to uniformity, but couples often occur in matching outfits. In contrast to the practice in Europe a meeting of Square - dancers to dance without appropriate dance clothing is hardly conceivable, for example, in the United States.