Square Dancing is entertainment. It is accomplished by cooperation between the 8 members of each square and the caller. Challenge Square Dancing is also entertainment but is more difficult and demanding than Mainstream and Advanced Square Dancing because it requires a high level of commitment to the art of Square Dancing and a high level of cooperation amongst the dancers in each square. It is not casual dancing. It requires a sense of dedication and a commitment to learning what the techniques of square dancing are all about. Challenge square dancing requires a commitment to dance at least once a week, preferably twice a week. It would be preferable to dance to a live caller.
Dancing Challenge does not mean that Mainstream and Advanced dancing can be forgotten. The calls at these levels are still important in Challenge dancing. You must be able to do these calls because they are the connectors and fillers between Challenge calls. Many Challenge calls contain Mainstream calls as elements.
Many dancers don't know what quality dancing is and what the attributes of quality are in a square dancer. Many dancers don't know what they should and shouldn't be doing on the dance floor - in other words, they don't know what is expected of them as dancers.
If they don't know what the characteristics of a good dancer are then they cannot work to develop these characteristics and become better dancers.
Dancer Characteristics
What makes a dancer a strong or a weak dancer? By what method does a dancer measure himself or herself? What standards are used?
The list of strong dancer characteristics which follows is based on observations of hundreds of dancers at hundreds of dances over many years. These practical characteristics are derived from what dancers have to do and know to be successful, competent dancers.
Dances often
Dances at least once a week.
Knows call/concept definitions well
Demonstrates a great depth of understanding of the call and concept definitions including a knowledge of the fractional parts of calls.
Has spent significant time at each level
Has spent at least two years at each level, preferably more time than that before taking lessons for the next level.
Dances to live callers
Dances to live callers as much as possible.
Knows elemental calls
Knows basic calls such as Trade, Tag, Cast, Hinge, Explode, etc., and can do these calls with no errors.
Knows where he or she is in the formation at all times
Knows if he or she is a Leader/Trailer, End/Center, Belle/Beau, etc.
Makes very few mistakes when dancing
Mistakes are defined as those errors which result in failure to complete a call or sequence which result in the square breaking down.
Sees and understands distorted formations
Understands and successfully executes distorted formations such as Jays, Offset Lines/Waves/Columns, Parallelograms, "O's", Butterflies, etc., as appropriate for the dancer's current level.
Understands call timing and execution
Executes calls in the required number of musical beats, never getting ahead of or behind the required positioning for each part of a call.
Demonstrates accuracy in positioning (makes accurate formations)
Begins and ends calls in standard formations properly positioned for the current formation, facing the proper wall and with good spacing.
Understands and executes proper dancing paths of a call
Performs accurate shoulder passes, circulates, rolls, etc., required in call execution.
Understands formation symmetry
Knows that normal formations are symmetrical and that his or her opposite is always in a corresponding opposite spot in the formation. Knows that the geometric shape of a normal formation is always in symmetry.
Believes that he or she must execute 100% of the calls
Understands that call completion percentage is statistically cumulative and that percentages below 100% cause large call failure rates.
Is able to help other dancers
Helps other dancers with subtle hand pressures and gestures, head movements and soft words of direction.
Knows how to correct minor errors without breaking down
Uses knowledge of the current call and formation symmetry to get to the proper position in the formation as the call is progressing. Can continue to dance even if in the wrong position.
Displays a positive attitude and friendly demeanor
Is always pleasant. Dances with a positive attitude. Never pushes or shoves or has a hostile or unfriendly word for another dancer.
Of course these characteristics may not be in play all the time in every dancer.
This list of strong dancer characteristics gives dancers information they can use to evaluate their own performance. All dancers must evaluate themselves, comparing their own abilities to those of other dancers. Where many weaker dancers make a mistake is to compare themselves to other weak dancers, You often hear them say "Well, I did as much as that dancer over there," or, "I didn't break down as much as that other dancer." What they should be saying is, "I would like to dance as well as that couple. They hardly ever break down. Their square is always dancing."
The strong dancer expects to perform every call in every sequence in every tip. He expects to dance for himself, not himself and others in the square. The weaker dancer doesn't expect to do every call in every sequence. He expects to receive help from other dancers whenever he gets in trouble. He does not expect to do more than 80% of the dance. He or she violates the strong dancer characteristics list in many ways.
Dancer Responsibility
It gets down to responsibility. Dancers must be responsible for themselves and to the other dancers in their square.
Dancers must recognize that they have a responsibility to the other dancers in the square to know and be able to execute calls without error. They must know that it is inconsiderate to depend on the others in the square to pull them through calls and sequences. The other dancers in the square are there to dance and enjoy themselves. Dancers must not go to a dance hoping to find stronger dancers who will pull them through the figures while they stumble their way through figures that they don't know or fully understand. If they do this, they will be soon labeled as a "poor dancer" and the label will stick even if they eventually do learn the material.
Dancers who are new to a level are not expected to be experienced dancers at the new level. It takes time for new dancers to learn their way around at their new level. Most experienced dancers will help them and make adjustments for their lack of experience. They are expected to be experienced dancers at levels below their new level. Many are not. If the dancers are inexperienced at the lower levels then they must gain experience at those levels at the same time that they are gaining experience at the new level. That is very hard to do. The experienced dancers often know that the weaker dancers lack other level experience. It shows and is not appreciated.
Fairness in dancing demands that everyone must play their part. It is poor square dancing citizenship to come to a dance just because you want to be seen dancing at a particular level or because all your friends are dancing there. If you can't dance well, find workshops to hone your skills. Take the lessons over again. Keep working at it until you have developed the skills to come to a dance. Many dancers do.
The enjoyment of dancing for all dancers is in the dancing, being able to execute difficult figures and complex patterns and formations. If you require an excessive amount of help from the other dancers in order to complete most sequences, then the people helping you are, in effect, dancing for you as well as themselves. This is difficult for them and diminishes their enjoyment of dancing because they spend so much time helping you. If others in the square are helping you or are standing because you cannot perform the material, then you are interfering with other people's enjoyment and recreation. You have a responsibility to the other dancers in your square, and they to you, to be able to execute the figures with a very small number of errors.
You must recognize your own personal responsibility to perform before you attend a dance. This is what every dancer must do.
Charles Young
