Definitions of Square Dance Calls and Concepts -- Shorter / Longer Concept

Shorter / Longer Concept
(Vic Ceder 2009)

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The Shorter or Longer Concept can be applied calls in which all dancers are moving in the same direciton, either clockwise or counter-clockwise within their group of 4 (a Box, Diamond, or Single 1/4) for the last portion of the call.

Do the call normally, but end 1/2 of a Box Circulate position before (if Shorter) or 1/2 of a Box Circulate position after (if Longer) the normal ending position.

Upon completion of the call, each dancer's facing direction is the same as if the call was done normally. Only the ending spots on the floor are different.

Calls that normally end in a Box will end in a Single 1/4 or 3/4 Tag;

calls that normally end in a Diamond or Single 1/4 Tag will end in a Box.

Chase Right:


This is the starting formation for each of the following:


after Shorter Chase Right	after Chase Right	after Longer Chase Right

Note that in the above example,

A Chase Right is a Shorter Chase Right + Extend.
A Longer Chase Right is a Chase Right + Extend.

However, adding or subtracting an Extend is not always the case. When the ending formation is Facing Couples, the Longer version feels like doing the call + 1/2 With The Flow, and the Shorter version is akin to stopping the call 1/2 minus With The Flow.

Shakedown:


This is the starting formation for each of the following:


after Shorter Shakedown	after Shakedown	after Longer Shakedown

Right & Left Thru:


This is the starting formation for each of the following:


after Shorter Right & Left Thru	after Right & Left Thru	after Longer Right & Left Thru

In the above example,

A Shorter Right & Left Thru is a Right Pull By; 1/2 Courtesy Turn & Roll; Centers Touch.
A Longer Right & Left Thru is a Right & Left Thru + 1/2 With The Flow.

Switch To A Diamond:


This is the starting formation for each of the following:


after Shorter Switch To A Diamond	after Switch To A Diamond	after Longer Switch To A Diamond

Some 4-dancer calls (C3B or below) that could be done Shorter or Longer:

1/4 (3/4) Wheel The Sea	2/3 Cross Cycle	2/3 Recycle
Ah So (some formations)	Box Circulate (from R-H or L-H Box)	Box Counter Rotate (from R-H or L-H Box)
Box Sidetrack	Box Transfer	By Golly
Chase Right \| Left	Circle To A Wave	Couple Up
Cross Cycle (from 2FL)	Crossfire (from 2FL)	Cycle & Wheel (some formations)
Diamond Circulate (from normal Diamond)	Drop {direction}	Flutter Wheel
Follow To A Diamond	Mini-Chase	Pass & Roll
Recycle (from Wave)	Rip Off	Scoot Back
Scoot The Diamond	Shakedown	Shake & Rattle
Single Checkmate (some formations)	Split Swap	Swap Around
Sweep 1/4	Switch To A Diamond (from Wave)	Tag Back
Turn & Deal (from R-H 2FL)	Walk & Dodge	With The Flow

Notes:

From a Mini-Wave Box, a Box Circulate may be visualized as two parts:
1. a 1/2 Box Circulate (ending in a Diamond); followed by
2. a Drop In (ending in a Box).
For the Shorter version of the call, dancers end on footprints that are 1/2 of a Box Circulate position before their normal ending footprints.
For the Longer version of the call, dancers end on footprints that are 1/2 of a Box Circulate position after their normal ending footprints.
A dancer's Roll attribute is not affected by the Shorter or Longer concept. If a dancer could Roll after the normal version of the call, that dancer can Roll after the Shorter or Longer version of the call.
When the ending formation is a Box, how do you determine the axis along which the adjustment is made?
For the Shorter or Longer version of a call that normally ends in a 2x2, there are two possible sets of ending positions:
1. a Single 1/4 (or 3/4) Tag; and
2. a T-Bone Diamond.
Always opt for the Single 1/4 (or 3/4) Tag.
For example,

Longer Ah So:

RIGHT

WRONG

before
Longer Ah So after Not a Single 1/4 (or 3/4) Tag.

Shorter Box Counter Rotate:

RIGHT

WRONG

before
Shorter Box Counter Rotate after Not a Single 1/4 (or 3/4) Tag.
For calls normally ending in a Box, think of the normal version of the call as being the "1/2 Tag" version. The Shorter version is the "1/4 Tag" version, and the Longer version is the "3/4 Tag" version.
In fact, a Shorter 1/2 Tag is a 1/4 Tag, and a Longer 1/2 Tag is a 3/4 Tag.
A Shorter Scoot Back, from either a Single 1/4 Tag or a Mini-Wave Box, is the same as Scoot Back To A Wave.

Scoot Back:

This is the starting formation
for each of the following:

after
Shorter Scoot Back after
Scoot Back after
Longer Scoot Back

From a Mini-Wave Box,
- A Shorter Scoot Back is a Scoot Back To A Wave.
- A Longer Scoot Back is a Scoot Back + Extend.
A Shorter 2/3 Recycle is a 1/4 Flip The Line, a Longer 2/3 Recycle is a 3/4 Flip The Line (except of course, that on the 2/3 Recycle version, everybody can Roll!).
Any call that can be done With The Flow can also be done Shorter or Longer. The Longer version of the call feels like adding 1/2 With The Flow.
Future extensions of this concept might include a Much Longer concept (ending on the "Full Tag" footprints), and a Much Shorter concept (ending on the "Zero Tag" footprints). Who knows?
Although this paper concentrates on 4-dancer calls, Shorter and Longer can also be applied to 8-dancer calls. The 8-dancer call must end with all dancers in each group of 4 all moving clockwise or counter-clockwise (e.g., From Facing Couples, a Grand Chain Eight). The Shorter or Longer is done within each group of 4.

Comments? Questions? Suggestions?