Was doing some Plus DBD writing and noticed that your program has the finishing formation after Spin chain exchange the gears and roll to be an 8 chain thru. Is that correct? As I read the definition from Callerlab, the trailing dancer after his roll would be facing out and not in. An I reading the wrong definition or making a bad interpretation? After the "momentary column of four dancers, the lead three face right and the leader runs, the trailing dancer faces left...etc" That would seem to me that the dancer number two in the column finished the call with no turning motion and the number four dancer in that column has a left turning motion. So, I figure from right hand waves starting position, the ending position after spin chain exchange and roll.....might be a mixed formation with two dancers in a T bone and another two in a tandem.
Where have I gone wrong?
In my opinion, the Callerlab definition of
"Spin Chain & Exchange the Gears" is hideous. It's really
more of an attempt at a description than a real definition.
As such, I'd be wary of writing DBD Plus that relies
upon the idiosyncracies of Callerlab's written definition.
The problem is, that definition-wise, the lower the level of
the call, the harder it is to write a technically precise
definition. This is especially true for calls can't be
described in terms of lower level calls.
In terms of Challege calls, Spin Chain & Exchange the Gears
can easily be described. For example, using the calls
Exchange the Diamond and Interlocked Flip the Diamond, or
perhaps even Walk Out to a Wave.
In my opinion, the "gestalt" of a call overrides it's
actual written definition.
My gestalt of "Spin Chain & Exchange the Gears" is:
- Do the first three parts of Spin Chain the Gears
- Arm Turn 1/2;
- Centers Cast Off 3/4 as Ends U-Turn Back;
- Very Centers Trade; (and form two Stars)
- Star 3/4;
- Start an Exchange the Stars, but end in a Wave
(sort of like Walk Out to a Wave).
This last movement should be danced as one
flowing movement. As such, when starting from R-H Waves, the final part has everyone turning toward the right. So I believe everyone can Roll, and that direction is to the Right.
When teaching this movement to Plus dancers, (assuming starting
from R-H Waves with the Girls in the Center), and after turning
the Stars, I tell the dancers to follow the Center Girl and walk
around the other star, and then have the Girls RIGHT-FACED
U-Turn Back, to join R-H with the Boy behind them to end in a R-H Wave.
You certainly can't tell Plus dancers to do a 3/4 Exchange the Diamond, then Interlocked Flip the Diamond!
My opinion is that the Callerlab definition inadequately describes the movement, and needs some revision work.
Should you feel otherwise, and believe CSDS is incorrect, you
can edit the Snapshot record for Spin Chain & Exchange the Gears
and reset the Roll attributes for some of the dancers.
Perhaps the best thing is to not call a
Roll after Spin Chain & Exchange the Gears.
Ceder Chest Definition of Spin Chain & Exchange The Gears
