2025 August Newsletter
Cane Country Squares Newsletter
August 2025
2025 Dance Sessions
Just a reminder about the 2025 program:
Tuesday - 6pm start. Alternating Beginners with full SSD.
Friday - 6.30pm start. Alternating MS & Plus.
Sun - 2pm start. A1 & A2. (2nd & 4th Sunday of the month)
Just a reminder that the hall is opened 15mins before the start of each session so we can start on time.
Square Eftpos Machine
After six months of having our square eftpos machine, what do you think? Has it helped you? The CC Squares committee would love to hear your feedback.
Dancing the opposite side to normal
With our next beginners class coming up, I wanted to write an article about the differences of dancing on the opposite side to normal. It’s certainly common for some ladies to learn both parts (Ladies
and Man). The list below will show major differences or slight differences between each side. Major differences mean opposite hands to normal or something that is more complicated.
Major Difference
- Swing Position
- Star Thru - Opposite Hand, girls go under the arch.
- Slide Thru - Turn opposite way
- California Twirl - Use opposite hand, girls go under the arch.
- Couples Promenade - Position
- Courtsey Turn - Couples promenade position. Man turns the lady.
- Right and Left thru - Courtsey turn component
- Chain down the line - Courtsey turn component
Slight difference
- Allemande Left - Still using left hand, corner is on the opposite side to normal.
- Box the gnat - Same hand, just the girl goes under arch.
The goal is to show this is only a small list and something that can be learnt. With our beginners class coming up, it’s the best time for ladies to have a go at learning the opposite side. This way, it can give you more dancing opportunities and assist in filling up squares that are always needing left hand dancers (The man’s side).
SD Tips
1. Getting into lines is the preferred process to fixing broken squares quickly. By doing this, the caller can get the other squares into lines and get you dancing faster.
This is extremely important when at larger dances and/or conventions.
2. In a singing call, if your part of the square has broken down in a figure, remember at the end of that figure, you will most likely swing your corner.
Find them and just keep going. At the end of the singing call, you can always then fix up the square so you
can get your original partner back.
Proposed Dance Program Changes
Since our last newsletter, there has been many updates to the proposal. It has now passed with a 75% approval worldwide.
This means on the CallerLab front, basic is no more. SSD will be no more. The new base level is called Mainstream and the next level is called Plus. Mainstream must be less than or equal to 50 calls. Plus must be 50 calls or greater.
So what’s next?
Callerlab has devised the following timelines and the committees are getting to work to meet this deadline. The goal is all changes must be ready for September 1st 2026.
For us, we will see out the remainder of this year as is but we will need to decide about next year. Do we operate as is for 2026 with a full implementation in 2027. Do we make a few changes for 2026 to help continue building our club and therefore be ready for the new programs on 1st Sept 2026. Any feedback from our members to the committee would be appreciated.
As we are looking to start a Plus level class this year, our Mainstream dancers will need to start thinking about if you can cope with these extra 29 Plus movements or not. It’s ok to say it’s too hard but this doesn’t mean you quit dancing. It just may mean Plus is not your level and Mainstream is. I want to stress that learning Plus is not easy and it will mean homework for all dancers. I’ll be preparing a checklist and getting some material ready before we start this.
Social Monthly Dance
The committee is looking to hold a monthly social dance hopefully on a Saturday afternoon for the rest of 2025. The goal is so our new Tuesday night graduates can come along and just dance. Our Friday and Sunday dancers can also have the opportunity to come out, meet our new graduates and just dance with them. We are hoping being an afternoon, it maybe more appealing to all.
It will be a 2 hour session. We are just waiting on confirmation from the RCBH before we go ahead.
Beginner Notes
With beginner's classes commencing, it’s a good time to remember that people learn in different ways. Some learn by listening, some by reading and some by doing. We need to be patient with these dancers and help them.
When it comes to progressing to the next level, it’s generally recommended by Callerlab for dancers to get 2 years of experience before moving up.
Sometimes exceptions are made by the caller/dance teacher as some dancers learn quicker than others and therefore can cope with moving up sooner.
Sometimes moving up too soon can also cause issues. You don’t want to struggle and break the square down often.
Always talk to your caller/dance teacher for their honest opinion.
