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Selecting Key Couples

"Adjacent Couples and Corners" Method

Rich Reel   24 Jan 2004
See also: Overview of different methods for preparing to resolve the square by sight

  • The 4 dancers needed are: Two adjactent key couples
  • The 3 relationships needed are...
    1. Partner relationship for couple #1  (i.e. these 2 folks are partners)
    2. Partner relationship for couple #2
    3. Corner relationship between the couples (which 2 of these 4 dancers are each other's corners)

    This is the most widely used scheme and is the one taught in most caller schools.  If the parter pairings are easy (partner's clothes match, partners are married in real life, etc.) then you need only need to memorize 2 folks that are corners and then (after partners are paired) call to bring these two together for the resolve.  The first job is to get the partners paired and then use the corners to see if they are in the correct sequence.  When the key couples are in the correct sequence, the corners will be close to each other.  When they are in the wrong sequence, the corners are far apart.

     

    A variation:  Adjacent Couples and One Corner

         

    This variation requires a little less memorization up front and only slightly more thinking during the resolve.  When memorizing the key couples, you will note only one (either one) of the two corners and remember that this one person is a corner - no need to know who's corner - just that this dancer is a "special corner".  After both of the primary couples are paired, locate this "special corner".  Once paired, the two key couples will abut - one dancer of one couple will be adjacent (around the formation) to one dancer from the other couple.  If one of these abutting dancers (either one) is the "special corner", then the couples are "in sequence", correct for resolve.  If neither of the abutting dancers is our "special corner", then the couples are "out of sequence".  Think of the corner dancer as a spot of glue that will hold the two key couples together.

    Another silly variation... Note 2 dancers who are "not corners".  For example, if we could imagine the two "not-corners" were dancers that did not like each other.  If these two dancers are adjacent, we can think of this as "not good" - the couples are out of sequence!.

     

    See Possible Pairings to test your ability to recognize the patterns for resolve.

     


    See more of my site! - click here   Richard Reel   Hayward California USA