...
Standard
...
E-Mails
...
to
...
the
...
Class
...
(Dana
...
Scott,
...
Spring
...
2007)
...
These
...
are
...
some
...
of
...
the
...
e-mails
...
that
...
Dana
...
sent
...
when
...
she
...
was
...
Class
...
Coordinator.
...
Spring,
...
2007.
...
In
...
addition
...
to
...
the
...
Week
...
1
...
...Week
...
13
...
e-mails,
...
there
...
are
...
invitations
...
to
...
the
...
class
...
dance
...
and
...
other
...
events.
...
| Table of Contents |
|---|
Week 1
Hi!
My name is Dana Scott, and I'm the Coordinator for the Tech Squares
Spring 2007 class. We're glad you could come to our Fun Night a few
weeks ago and hope you'll join us this Tuesday, February 13th, for the first
night of class.
Dancing this week will be in Lobdell dining hall, the same room as Fun
Night. Please arrive by 8 pm so that you can fill out a registration
form and we can begin dancing on time!
If you are an MIT undergrad, you can get PE credit for taking our
class. You can register on Tuesday night.
If you are an MIT student and wish to receive PE credit, there is no
charge for the course. If you are a student anywhere, our class costs
$2/session, or $11 for a subscription. For non-students, the cost is
$3.50/session, or $40 for subscription. Subscriptions last for the
duration of the class. They save you money and make check-in quicker
and easier for both you and the club, so please consider buying one on
Tuesday night. Checks can be made out to Tech Squares.
You can find more information about Tech Squares on our website:http://www.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/activities/tech-squares/
...
If
...
you
...
have
...
any
...
questions,
...
don't
...
hesitate
...
to
...
contact
...
me.
...
Dana
...
Scott
...
dscott@mit.edu
...
Tech
...
Squares
...
Class
...
Coordinator
...
Week
...
2
...
Hi
...
!
...
Thanks
...
for
...
attending
...
the
...
first
...
night
...
of
...
the
...
Tech
...
Squares
...
class
...
last
...
Tuesday.
...
We
...
enjoyed
...
meeting
...
you,
...
and
...
we
...
look
...
forward
...
to
...
dancing
...
with
...
you
...
again
...
this
...
week.
...
This
...
week
...
we'll
...
be
...
dancing
...
in
...
La
...
Sala
...
de
...
Puerto
...
Rico,
...
on
...
the
...
2nd
...
floor
...
of
...
the
...
Student
...
Center,
...
opposite
...
Lobdell
...
(where
...
we
...
danced
...
last
...
week).
...
All
...
dances
...
this
...
term
...
will
...
be
...
in
...
either
...
Lobdell
...
or
...
Sala.
...
We
...
will
...
start
...
our
...
weekly
...
review
...
session
...
in
...
the
...
West
...
Lounge,
...
which
...
is
...
right
...
next
...
to
...
La
...
Sala,
...
on
...
the
...
left.
...
The
...
review
...
session
...
starts
...
at
...
7:30.
...
Attendance
...
is
...
optional
...
(our
...
caller,
...
Ted,
...
will
...
review
...
last
...
week's
...
material
...
during
...
the
...
first
...
class
...
tip),
...
but
...
the
...
reiew
...
session
...
is
...
an
...
easier
...
and
...
more
...
informal
...
forum
...
in
...
which
...
to
...
cover
...
specific
...
calls.
...
It
...
is
...
also
...
a
...
good
...
way
...
to
...
get
...
caught
...
up
...
if
...
you
...
miss
...
a
...
week.
...
If
...
you
...
choose
...
not
...
to
...
attend
...
early
...
walk
...
throughs,
...
please
...
arrive
...
promptly
...
and
...
ready
...
to
...
dance
...
by
...
8:15
...
so
...
that
...
we
...
can
...
get
...
the
...
first
...
class
...
tip
...
started
...
on
...
time.
...
Tech
...
Squares'
...
style
...
of
...
square
...
dancing
...
and
...
learning
...
is
...
not
...
like
...
that
...
of
...
other
...
clubs.
...
We
...
teach
...
very
...
quickly,
...
with
...
less
...
opportunity
...
for
...
practice,
...
and
...
dance
...
faster
...
to
...
more
...
complicated
...
choreography.
...
We
...
teach
...
the
...
first
...
two
...
standard
...
dance
...
progams
...
(Mainstream
...
and
...
Plus,
...
the
...
programs
...
danced
...
by
...
>90%
...
of
...
the
...
clubs
...
in
...
the
...
country),
...
in
...
13
...
weeks,
...
while
...
most
...
other
...
clubs
...
take
...
40
...
weeks
...
or
...
longer.
...
This
...
means
...
that
...
we
...
will
...
be
...
asking
...
you
...
to
...
learn
...
and
...
keep
...
up
...
with
...
a
...
lot
...
of
...
material
...
each
...
week.
...
If
...
you
...
miss
...
two
...
weeks
...
in
...
a
...
row,
...
chances
...
are
...
you
...
will
...
not
...
be
...
able
...
to
...
finish
...
the
...
course.
...
If
...
you
...
are
...
an
...
MIT
...
student
...
and
...
wish
...
to
...
receive
...
PE
...
credit,
...
there
...
is
...
no
...
charge
...
for
...
the
...
course.
...
If
...
you
...
are
...
a
...
student
...
anywhere,
...
our
...
class
...
costs
...
$2/session,
...
or
...
$11
...
for
...
a
...
subscription.
...
For
...
non-students,
...
the
...
cost
...
is
...
$3.50/session,
...
or
...
$40
...
for
...
subscription.
...
Subscriptions
...
last
...
for
...
the
...
duration
...
of
...
the
...
class.
...
They
...
save
...
you
...
money
...
and
...
make
...
check-in
...
quicker
...
and
...
easier
...
for
...
both
...
you
...
and
...
the
...
club,
...
so
...
please
...
consider
...
buying
...
one
...
on
...
Tuesday
...
night.
...
Checks
...
can
...
be
...
made
...
out
...
to
...
Tech
...
Squares.
...
You
...
can
...
find
...
more
...
information
...
about
...
Tech
...
Squares
...
on
...
our
...
website:
...
http://www.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/activities/tech-squares/
...
If
...
you
...
have
...
any
...
questions,
...
or
...
would
...
like
...
to
...
be
...
removed
...
from
...
this
...
list,
...
don't
...
hesitate
...
to
...
contact
...
me.
...
Dana
...
Scott
...
dscott@mit.edu
...
Tech
...
Squares
...
Class
...
Coordinator
...
Week
...
3
...
Hi,
...
all
...
!
...
Coming
...
up
...
on
...
Tuesday
...
is
...
week
...
3
...
of
...
our
...
class.
...
We'll
...
be
...
in
...
La
...
Sala
...
again,
...
like
...
last
...
week,
...
and
...
early
...
walk-throughs
...
will
...
be
...
in
...
the
...
West
...
Lounge,
...
also
...
like
...
last
...
week,
...
at
...
7:30.
...
If
...
you're
...
feeling
...
shaky
...
on
...
any
...
of
...
the
...
calls
...
we've
...
learned
...
so
...
far,
...
it's
...
a
...
good
...
idea
...
to
...
come
...
to
...
early
...
walk-throughs.
...
If
...
you
...
missed
...
last
...
week
...
and
...
intend
...
to
...
continue
...
taking
...
the
...
class,
...
it's
...
a
...
VERY
...
good
...
idea
...
to
...
come
...
to
...
early
...
walk-throughs.
...
If
...
you
...
are
...
taking
...
the
...
class
...
for
...
PE
...
credit
...
and
...
you've
...
missed
...
a
...
week,
...
not
...
only
...
is
...
it
...
a
...
VERY
...
good
...
idea
...
to
...
come
...
to
...
walk-throughs,
...
but
...
you'll
...
need
...
to
...
in
...
order
...
to
...
meet
...
the
...
PE
...
attendance
...
requirement.
...
The
...
definitions
...
for
...
all
...
the
...
calls
...
that
...
we
...
have
...
learned
...
so
...
far
...
are
...
available
...
on
...
the
...
Tech
...
Squares
...
website:
...
http://www.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/~tech-squares/lessons/
...
Hard
...
copies
...
of
...
these
...
definitions
...
are
...
always
...
available
...
at
...
the
...
gate
...
table.
...
In
...
addition,
...
here
...
are
...
some
...
links
...
to
...
different
...
websites
...
with
...
animations:
...
http://www.tamtwirlers.org/tamination/
...
http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~noriks/ENGLISH/English-Index3.html
...
http://www.remus.dti.ne.jp/~jsda/sdtext/sdtext/basicpro-eng.html
...
And,
...
as
...
always,
...
if
...
you
...
have
...
questions
...
or
...
need
...
help,
...
feel
...
free
...
to
...
ask
...
me,
...
Bill,
...
or
...
any
...
club
...
member
...
!
...
Dana
Week 4
Hi everyone!
This Tuesday is week 4 of our class. Once again, we'll be in La Sala
for the teaching tips and in the West Lounge next door for early
walk-throughs at 7:30.
There are four teaching tips every Tuesday, from 8:15-10:15,
...
so
...
stick
...
around.
...
PE
...
students
...
are
...
required
...
to
...
stay
...
through
...
the
...
fourth
...
tip.
...
Make
...
sure
...
you
...
sign
...
in
...
at
...
the
...
door
...
at
...
the
...
beginning
...
of
...
the
...
evening
...
-
...
-
...
we
...
need
...
to
...
take
...
attendance
...
(even
...
club
...
members
...
have
...
to
...
sign
...
in,
...
it's
...
part
...
of
...
our
...
club
...
rules).
...
If
...
you're
...
trying
...
to
...
sign
...
in
...
and
...
people
...
are
...
squaring
...
up
...
for
...
a
...
class
...
tip,
...
it's
...
okay
...
to
...
sign
...
in
...
after
...
the
...
tip
...
rather
...
than
...
clog
...
the
...
attendance
...
line.
...
Just
...
remember
...
to
...
sign
...
in
...
when
...
the
...
tip
...
is
...
over.
...
Tech
...
Squares
...
is
...
a
...
singles
...
club,
...
but
...
our
...
etiquette
...
dictates
...
that
...
we
...
have
...
partners
...
before
...
squaring
...
up.
...
Please
...
find
...
a
...
club
...
member
...
to
...
be
...
your
...
partner
...
and
...
then
...
find
...
a
...
spot
...
in
...
a
...
square.
...
If
...
you
...
can't
...
find
...
a
...
partner,
...
let
...
me
...
know
...
and
...
I'll
...
find
...
one
...
for
...
you.
...
We've
...
learned
...
a
...
lot
...
of
...
material
...
so
...
far
...
-
...
-
...
congratulations
...
!
...
If
...
you
...
find
...
that
...
you
...
are
...
starting
...
to
...
have
...
trouble
...
with
...
the
...
calls
...
and
...
the
...
pace
...
at
...
which
...
we
...
teach,
...
I
...
encourage
...
you
...
to
...
read
...
over
...
the
...
call
...
definitions
...
before
...
clss.
...
They
...
can
...
be
...
found
...
at
...
http://www.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/~tech-squares/lessons/
...
The
...
pace
...
of
...
the
...
class
...
will
...
not
...
get
...
any
...
slower
...
and
...
the
...
material
...
will
...
not
...
get
...
easier.
...
Remember,
...
we
...
are
...
teaching
...
the
...
first
...
two
...
programs
...
of
...
square
...
dancing
...
(Mainstream
...
and
...
Plus)
...
in
...
13
...
weeks
...
-
...
-
...
other
...
clubs
...
can
...
take
...
almost
...
a
...
year.
...
It's
...
very
...
important
...
that
...
you're
...
comfortable
...
with
...
the
...
calls
...
from
...
the
...
first
...
few
...
weeks,
...
as
...
the
...
rest
...
of
...
the
...
class
...
will
...
build
...
on
...
them.
...
It
...
may
...
turn
...
out
...
that
...
our
...
style
...
and
...
speed
...
of
...
class
...
and
...
dancing
...
is
...
not
...
for
...
you.
...
If
...
you
...
have
...
concerns
...
or
...
need
...
help,
...
talk
...
to
...
me.
...
See
...
you
...
on
...
Tuesday
...
!
...
Dana
Week 5
MIA
Week 6
Hi everyone!
Week 6 is coming up on Tuesday. Once again, we'll be in Lobdell for dancing and upstairs in 20 Chimneys for walk throughs.
If you ever need to know where we're meeting, you can find all of that information here:
http://www.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/~tech-squares/schedules/
...
The
...
"weekly
...
schedules"
...
link
...
will
...
show
...
you
...
where
...
we
...
are
...
as
...
far
...
in
...
advance
...
as
...
we
...
know.
...
There's
...
also
...
a
...
link
...
on
...
the
...
left
...
sidebar
...
to
...
all
...
of
...
our
...
schedules.
...
Also,
...
please
...
note
...
that
...
next
...
Tuesday,
...
March
...
20th,
...
falls
...
during
...
MIT's
...
spring
...
break.
...
There
...
will
...
be
...
no
...
teaching
...
that
...
night,
...
but
...
plenty
...
of
...
class-level
...
dancing.
...
It's
...
a
...
good
...
opportunity
...
to
...
solidify
...
what
...
we've
...
already
...
learned
...
without
...
piling
...
on
...
even
...
more
...
calls.
...
If you are taking the class for PE, you will not be penalized for missing this week, but if you have missed a week, this week will make it up for you.
I apologize for missing last week. Bill, thank you so much for bailing me out. As of now, it looks like I will be permitted to leave my cubicle to come to class tomorrow. =) And, I hope that all of you who came out to dinner had a good time.
Dana
Week 7
Hi everyone!
This week is week 7! When we're done this week, you'll be more than
halfway through the class. Congratulations!
This week we'll be in Lobdell for dancing and upstairs in 20 Chimneys
for early walkthroughs.
The next few weeks are an exciting time for the square and folk dance
communities of the Boston area. There's also lots of stuff going on
for the Tech-Squares-class sub-community:
Weekend of:
April 7/8
MIT
Possible review of week 7. I sent mail about this yesterday. If I do
not get 8 RSVPs from either class members or club members willing to
help, THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN. For events like this we need hard RSVPs,
so if you are interested, you need to let me know. Please respond to
my previous email asking for time preferences, so that I can schedule
a time.
Weekend of:
April 14/15
MIT
Class Dance! Bill has offered to call a dance for us. By this time
we will have finished Mainstream (the first level of modern western
square dancing). Yay! There will be no teaching, just a few hours of
straight dancing in a celebratory atmosphere. It's a great chance to
reinforce what you've already learned while having a good time. I'll
be taking a poll about times at class meeting on Tuesday, so please
look over your schedule beforehand. If you'd rather let me know by
email, please tell me which of the following times you're available:
Friday night (4/13); Saturday (4/14) afternoon, evening; Sunday (4/15)
afternoon, evening.
Weekend of:
April 20-22
Mansfield, MA
NEFFA Festival! This is a giant yearly event put on by the New
England Folk Festival Association. It's not a Tech Squares event, but
there will be lots of other folk dancing and music events, and lots of
Tech Squares people will be there. You can find more information
about it at http://www.neffa.org/. 
...
;
...
If
...
you're
...
interested,
...
find
...
me
...
on
...
Tuesday
...
night
...
and
...
I
...
can
...
let
...
you
...
know
...
more
...
about
...
it.
...
If
...
you'd
...
like
...
to
...
go
...
but
...
don't
...
have
...
a
...
way
...
to
...
get
...
there,
...
I
...
can
...
also
...
help
...
you
...
find
...
a
...
ride.
...
Weekend
...
of:
...
April
...
27/28
...
Springfield,
...
MA
...
49th
...
annual
...
New
...
England
...
Square
...
and
...
Round
...
Dance
...
Convention.
...
NESRDC
...
is
...
quite
...
an
...
experience,
...
and
...
since
...
you
...
will
...
have
...
finished
...
Mainstream
...
by
...
then,
...
you
...
can
...
dance
...
nonstop
...
for
...
2.5
...
days
...
if
...
you
...
so
...
choose.
...
Ted,
...
Bill,
...
and
...
Clark
...
will
...
be
...
calling.
...
Lots
...
of
...
Tech
...
Squares
...
people
...
will
...
be
...
there.
...
You
...
can
...
find
...
a
...
limited
...
amount
...
of
...
not-very-useful
...
information
...
at
...
...
;
...
For
...
more
...
and
...
more
...
useful
...
information,
...
ask
...
any
...
club
...
member
...
on
...
Tuesday
...
night.
...
We'll
...
talk
...
more
...
about
...
Convention
...
in
...
class
...
meeting
...
as
...
the
...
time
...
gets
...
closer,
...
but
...
rides
...
and
...
hotel
...
rooms
...
will
...
be
...
arranged
...
by
...
a
...
volunteer
...
from
...
the
...
club
...
if
...
you'd
...
like
...
to
...
be
...
in
...
on
...
them.
...
Weekend
...
of:
...
May
...
4-6
...
MIT
...
Tech
...
Squares
...
is
...
hosting
...
a
...
weekend-long
...
dance
...
event
...
with
...
an
...
out
...
of
...
town
...
caller
...
and
...
cuers.
...
I'm
...
talking
...
with
...
the
...
dance
...
organizers
...
now
...
to
...
see
...
if
...
we
...
can
...
arrange
...
to
...
have
...
some
...
of
...
the
...
weekend
...
be
...
at
...
class
...
level.
...
I
...
will
...
keep
...
you
...
posted
...
as
...
I
...
know
...
more.
...
For
...
now,
...
you
...
can
...
find
...
information
...
at
...
http://www.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/~tech-squares/schedules/weekends/may07.html
...
.
...
I
...
hope
...
all
...
the
...
students
...
had
...
a
...
relaxing
...
spring
...
break,
...
and
...
if
...
you
...
celebrate
...
Passover
...
or
...
Easter,
...
enjoy
...
your
...
holiday
...
!
...
And
...
please,
...
remember
...
to
...
do
...
your
...
taxes
...
early
...
so
...
that
...
you
...
can
...
come
...
out
...
and
...
dance
...
at
...
all
...
these
...
awesome
...
events
...
!
...
(This
...
means
...
you,
...
Bill.)
...
See
...
you
...
Tuesday
...
!
...
If
...
I
...
won't,
...
please
...
let
...
me
...
know
...
about
...
your
...
schedule
...
preferences
...
for
...
the
...
week
...
7
...
review
...
and
...
the
...
class
...
dance.
...
Dana
Week 8
Hi everyone!
Congratulations! You're
...
halfway
...
through
...
the
...
class,
...
and
...
this
...
week
...
we
...
finish
...
Mainstream.
...
We'll
...
be
...
in
...
Sala/West
...
lounge
...
this
...
week
...
for
...
dancing/walk-throughs.
...
Thanks
...
to
...
Bill
...
for
...
calling
...
a
...
totally
...
awesome,
...
fun
...
and
...
hopefully
...
useful
...
week
...
7
...
review
...
session
...
on
...
Saturday
...
!
...
Upcoming
...
events:
...
Class
...
Dance
...
-
...
-
...
Sunday
...
4/15,
...
2-4,
...
W20-491,
...
called
...
by
...
Bill
...
New
...
England
...
Square
...
and
...
Round
...
Dance
...
Convention
...
-
...
-
...
Friday/Saturday
...
4/27-28.
...
There
...
will
...
be
...
a
...
crowd
...
from
...
Tech
...
going
...
and
...
you
...
are
...
encouraged
...
to
...
come
...
and
...
dance
...
!
...
Rides
...
will
...
be
...
arranged.
...
See
...
you
...
Tuesday
...
!
...
Dana
Week 9
Hey everyone!
This week we'll
...
be
...
in
...
Lobdell,
...
with
...
early
...
walkthroughs
...
upstairs
...
in
...
20
...
Chimneys.
...
Congratulations
...
on
...
finishing
...
Mainstream,
...
at
...
one
...
of
...
the
...
most
...
blistering
...
paces
...
in
...
the
...
world
...
!
...
Now
...
you
...
can
...
attend
...
outside
...
dances
...
that
...
offer
...
this
...
level.
...
Just
...
be
...
aware
...
that
...
many
...
outside
...
clubs/dances
...
expect
...
you
...
to
...
come
...
with
...
a
...
partner.
...
Tech
...
Squares
...
has
...
lots
...
of
...
practice
...
at
...
forming
...
pools
...
of
...
partners
...
for
...
outside
...
dances,
...
so
...
if
...
you're
...
interested,
...
I'll
...
help
...
get
...
you
...
set
...
up.
...
Now,
...
on
...
to
...
Plus,
...
still
...
at
...
one
...
of
...
the
...
most
...
blistering
...
paces
...
in
...
the
...
world.
...
=)
...
We
...
had
...
an
...
awesome
...
class
...
dance
...
this
...
past
...
weekend
...
with
...
almost
...
4
...
squares
...
!
...
I
...
hope
...
everyone
...
had
...
a
...
good
...
time.
...
Thank
...
you
...
Bill
...
!
...
!
...
Coming
...
up
...
in
...
2
...
weeks(4/27
...
-
...
4/28)
...
is
...
the
...
New
...
England
...
Square
...
and
...
Round
...
Dance
...
Convention.
...
Y'all
...
should
...
come
...
!
...
It
...
will
...
be
...
fun.
...
In
...
a
...
separate
...
email,
...
I
...
will
...
forward
...
some
...
...
that
...
went
...
to
...
the
...
club
...
encouraging
...
them
...
to
...
go.
...
See
...
you
...
in
...
a
...
square
...
!
...
Dana
Week 10
Hey everyone!
Excellent job last week with the first week of plus calls!
We'll be in Sala this week, with early walkthroughs in the West
Lounge. We had several people missing last week, so if you were one
of them, being on time (7:30)
...
to
...
walkthroughs
...
is
...
a
...
very
...
good
...
idea.
...
In
...
addition,
...
remember
...
that
...
all
...
of
...
the
...
weekly
...
definition
...
handouts
...
are
...
available
...
online.
...
If
...
you've
...
missed
...
a
...
week,
...
reading
...
through
...
the
...
definitions
...
before
...
class
...
can
...
be
...
very
...
helpful:
...
http://www.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/~tech-squares/lessons/
...
A
...
few
...
notes:
...
Remember
...
to
...
check
...
in
...
at
...
the
...
door
...
when
...
you
...
arrive
...
for
...
squares.
...
We
...
need
...
this
...
information
...
for
...
our
...
attendance
...
records.
...
When
...
you're
...
squaring
...
up,
...
please
...
try
...
to
...
find
...
a
...
club
...
partner
...
rather
...
than
...
dancing
...
with
...
another
...
class
...
member.
...
I
...
know
...
that
...
it's
...
fun
...
to
...
dance
...
with
...
each
...
other,
...
but
...
this
...
helps
...
automatically
...
distribute
...
the
...
learners
...
and
...
the
...
helpers
...
around
...
the
...
room.
...
If
...
you
...
can't
...
find
...
a
...
club
...
partner,
...
find
...
me
...
and
...
I'll
...
give
...
you
...
a
...
hand.
...
Fun
...
stuff
...
coming
...
up:
...
Tomorrow:
...
Marketa's
...
birthday
...
!
...
Post-squares
...
dinner
...
at
...
Cindy's.
...
Unfortunately
...
(for
...
you)
...
we'll
...
be
...
having
...
an
...
extra
...
half-hour
...
of
...
dancing
...
tomorrow
...
night
...
(until
...
11)
...
so
...
that
...
Ted
...
can
...
practice
...
calling
...
A1
...
(the
...
level
...
above
...
Plus)
...
for
...
convention.
...
We
...
won't
...
need
...
to
...
do
...
tables,
...
so
...
we
...
should
...
be
...
able
...
to
...
leave
...
promptly
...
at
...
11;
...
stick
...
around
...
and
...
watch
...
the
...
all-knowing
...
(yeah,
...
right)
...
club
...
members
...
start
...
screwing
...
up,
...
then
...
we'll
...
head
...
out
...
for
...
food
...
and
...
socialness.
...
This
...
weekend,
...
Friday
...
and
...
Saturday:
...
New
...
England
...
Convention
...
!
...
It
...
will
...
be
...
lots
...
of
...
fun
...
!
...
There
...
will
...
be
...
lots
...
(about
...
30)
...
of
...
Tech
...
Squares
...
people
...
there
...
!
...
You
...
could
...
be
...
one
...
of
...
them
...
!
...
There
...
will
...
be
...
signup
...
sheets
...
and
...
schedules
...
at
...
gate
...
and
...
class
...
meeting
...
tomorrow.
...
It's
...
out
...
in
...
Springfield,
...
there
...
are
...
rides
...
and
...
accomodations
...
available,
...
and
...
you
...
can
...
come
...
for
...
as
...
little
...
or
...
as
...
much
...
as
...
you
...
like.
...
See
...
you
...
tomorrow
...
!
...
Dana
Week 11
Hello class!
Lots of important stuff coming up in the next few weeks (and just
because I say that every week doesn't mean it's not true. =) ):
5/1 (this Tuesday): Week 11, Hack Tip discussion at class meeting (see below)
5/6 (Saturday): There is some chance that we will be able to have some
class-level dancing this weekend during the Tech Squares weekend.
There will also be dinner. I'll keep you posted as we're working it
out.
5/8: Week 12, Hack Tip voting, late-night dancing (no teaching,
class-accessible) until 11 -- Eric Mulder calling
5/15: Week 13 -- Graduation! Hack tips, cake and punch, celebration, etc.
In just two more weeks, you will have all finished Plus and will be
ready to graduate into the club! This is quite an accomplishment,
particularly at the Tech Squares pace. As you have already seen, this
club is rather unique in that we dance hard and fast and require quick
thinking from our dancers. Other clubs do not offer such a fast-paced
class, nor do they dance as vigorously as we do. It may turn out that
this club is not for you, but I encourage you to keep coming to our
Tuesday dances over the summer so that you can really see what we're
about. We'll talk more later about what it's like to be a full club
member, but if you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them.
One of the special things we do for graduation is hack tips. The
class will choose some modifications and challenge the club to dance a
tip with them, and then the club will challenge us with some other
modifications. Dancing the hack tips is not required, but recommended
because they're a lot of fun. We'll need to pick two different hacks
for the club to dance, one for the patter half of the tip and one for
the singer half. So, be thinking of ideas! We'll come up with a list
this week and finalize our choices next week. Recent hack tips have
included: replacing someone in each square with a broomstick that must
stay off the ground, everyone has to balance some small object on
his/her head, change gender roles when the whistle blows, Ted can call
"undo" on any previous call... The possibilities are endless, so think
of some by Tuesday night. =)
As a Tech Squares member, you will be entitled to wear a stylish
plastic Tech Squares badge. I'll be taking orders for them on Tuesday
and I hope to put in the order by Friday, so if you won't be there
tomorrow and you want a badge, let me know.
See you Tuesday!
Dana
Week 12
Hey everyone!
We're almost done! We have two weeks and nine calls left until
graduation!
This week, dancing will be in Lobdell and early walkthroughs will be
upstairs in 20 Chimneys. We'll be dancing until 11 instead of 10:30,
and the extra dancing will be class-level, so class members are
welcome to join in! Eric Mulder will be calling progressive squares,
where the boundaries between squares become fuzzy or nonexistent. It
will be fun!
I put the badge order in last Friday. If you ordered a badge, you
need to give me money: $6 for a pin-back badge and $9 for a
magnet-back.
Next week is graduation. We need to pick some hacks for the club's
hack tip. I'd like the voting to go quickly in class meeting, since
we have other stuff to talk about, so I'll go over our ideas here and
we can discuss them now and then just vote in the meeting. (I meant
to send this out in the middle of last week but then I got hosed,
sorry about that.)
1. Dancing backwards: I think this would be too dangerous, since no
one would be able to see where they were going. A similar but safer
idea would be to do "nose dancing." To do this, everyone turns one
wall left or right and then sticks their elbow out to make a "nose."
Then you dance the entire tip sideways from how you should be facing.
This is actually harder than going backwards, and by the way, you
can't really use hands. More information athttp://www.tiac.net/~mabaker/square-games.html
...
(search
...
for
...
"nose
...
dancing").
...
Another
...
idea
...
is
...
that
...
Ted
...
can
...
ask
...
dancers
...
to
...
"undo"
...
the
...
previous
...
call,
...
which
...
would
...
be
...
a
...
little
...
bit
...
of
...
backwards
...
dancing
...
without
...
total
...
chaos.
...
Or,
...
on
...
an
...
undo,
...
we
...
could
...
have
...
everyone
...
u-turn
...
back
...
and
...
walk
...
backwards
...
along
...
the
...
path
...
of
...
the
...
call
...
they
...
just
...
did.
...
2.
...
Repeating
...
the
...
previous
...
call
...
out
...
loud:
...
I'd
...
be
...
worried
...
that
...
this
...
would
...
get
...
old
...
quickly.
...
3.
...
Hopping
...
on
...
one
...
foot
...
4.
...
Only
...
allowed
...
to
...
have
...
weight
...
on
...
one
...
foot
...
5.
...
Blindfolded:
...
all
...
8
...
people
...
is
...
a
...
bad
...
idea.
...
The
...
maximum
...
I
...
think
...
a
...
square
...
can
...
support
...
is
...
2
...
or
...
3.
...
6.
...
Dancing
...
with
...
earplugs:
...
while
...
having
...
all
...
8
...
people
...
with
...
earplugs
...
wouldn't
...
be
...
actively
...
dangerous,
...
it
...
probably
...
wouldn't
...
be
...
all
...
that
...
interesting.
...
=)
...
I
...
don't
...
really
...
know
...
whether
...
dancing
...
with
...
earplugs
...
is
...
harder
...
than
...
dancing
...
blindfolded,
...
so
...
I'd
...
go
...
with
...
no
...
more
...
than
...
2
...
or
...
3
...
people
...
per
...
square.
...
7.
...
Some
...
people
...
blindfolded/some
...
people
...
with
...
earplugs:
...
if
...
two
...
many
...
people
...
are
...
handicapped,
...
this
...
will
...
be
...
impossible.
...
I'm
...
not
...
sure
...
what
...
the
...
right
...
number
...
is,
...
but
...
I
...
think
...
that
...
any
...
one
...
person
...
should
...
only
...
have
...
a
...
blindfold
...
OR
...
earplugs.
...
Two
...
blindfolds
...
and
...
two
...
earplugs
...
is
...
probably
...
the
...
most
...
a
...
square
...
could
...
tolerate
...
and
...
still
...
have
...
fun,
...
and
...
one
...
of
...
each
...
might
...
be
...
better.
...
8.
...
Gemini,
...
tandem,
...
or
...
some
...
combination:
...
see
...
http://www.tiac.net/~mabaker/square-games.html
...
(search
...
for
...
"gemini").
...
9.
...
Crossed
...
hands:
...
I'd
...
be
...
worried
...
that
...
this
...
would
...
get
...
boring
...
quickly.
...
10.
...
Abbreviated
...
call
...
names:
...
I
...
actually
...
think
...
this
...
would
...
be
...
too
...
easy.
...
11.
...
Carry
...
a
...
(hard-boiled)
...
egg
...
on
...
a
...
spoon:
...
a)
...
eggs
...
have
...
the
...
potential
...
to
...
be
...
messy
...
even
...
if
...
they're
...
hard-boiled,
...
so
...
maybe
...
a
...
ping
...
pong
...
ball
...
or
...
something
...
similar
...
would
...
work
...
better.
...
b)
...
is
...
everyone
...
in
...
the
...
square
...
going
...
to
...
do
...
this?
...
Because
...
if
...
not,
...
then
...
that's
...
pretty
...
boring
...
for
...
the
...
dancers
...
who
...
don't
...
get
...
something
...
to
...
carry.
...
12.
...
Chant
...
the
...
alphabet,
...
or
...
something
...
else
...
that
...
everyone
...
knows,
...
while
...
dancing:
...
This
...
might
...
be
...
hard
...
and
...
confusing
...
but
...
not
...
that
...
much
...
fun.
...
I'm
...
not
...
sure.
...
13.
...
Pass
...
an
...
object:
...
a)
...
This
...
isn't
...
actually
...
very
...
hard
...
or
...
interesting,
...
and
...
b)
...
the
...
class
...
did
...
this
...
to
...
the
...
club
...
just
...
last
...
semester.
...
14.
...
Holding
...
or
...
passing
...
an
...
object
...
under
...
your
...
chin:
...
When
...
would
...
they
...
pass
...
it?
...
Perhaps
...
in
...
a
...
singing
...
call
...
we
...
could
...
give
...
oranges
...
(for
...
example)
...
to
...
the
...
head
...
girls
...
(for
...
example)
...
and
...
every
...
time
...
you
...
swing
...
you
...
have
...
to
...
pass
...
it
...
along
...
to
...
the
...
next
...
person
...
(without
...
hands).
...
15.
...
Hot
...
potato:
...
the
...
club
...
made
...
the
...
class
...
do
...
this
...
a
...
few
...
terms
...
ago
...
with
...
a
...
beach
...
ball.
...
It
...
was
...
kind
...
of
...
a
...
disaster
...
in
...
that
...
no
...
actual
...
square
...
dancing
...
took
...
place.
...
But
...
maybe
...
if
...
we
...
made
...
the
...
club
...
do
...
it
...
instead,
...
it
...
would
...
go
...
better.
...
16.
...
Any
...
time
...
you
...
end
...
in
...
a
...
right-hand
...
wave,
...
switch
...
it
...
to
...
a
...
left
...
hand
...
wave:
...
this
...
is
...
an
...
interesting
...
idea.
...
Would
...
we
...
also
...
switch
...
to
...
a
...
right
...
hand
...
wave
...
if
...
the
...
previous
...
call
...
ends
...
in
...
a
...
left-hand
...
wave?
...
We
...
need
...
something
...
for
...
the
...
patter
...
and
...
something
...
for
...
the
...
singer.
...
From
this list,
...
I
...
think
...
the
...
ones
...
that
...
would
...
work
...
best
...
for
...
a
...
singer
...
are
...
passing
...
an
...
object
...
under
...
your
...
chin,
...
hot
...
potato,
...
and
...
hopping
...
on
...
one
...
foot.
...
Discuss
...
!
...
Dana
Week 13
Hi everyone!
Congratulations! You are just four calls short of dancing full Plus!
We'll be in Sala this week, with walkthroughs in the West Lounge. If
you've missed any classes recently, you want to be at walkthroughs
this week. Ted's post-graduation tips are pretty tricky.
Your Stylish Plastic Badges are sitting in a magnetic ball on my
kitchen table. The following people need to give me badge money on
Tuesday: Amy H., Danielle, Frances, Marketa, Matt, Niki, Paul B., Paul
H., Robert, Xiao.
We need to be prepared for our hack tips for the club. Here's what we
picked:
Patter: 2 people/square blindfolded, 2 people/square deafened
Singer: Head girls start with oranges under their chins that they must
hold there while dancing. When Ted calls "swing," those with oranges
must pass the orange to the person they would be swinging with,
without using their hands.
First we need some props.
Amy H. has volunteered to bring at least 12 pairs of earplugs.
Cori has volunteered to coordinate gathering at least 12 blindfolds.
Danielle has volunteered to bring at least 12 oranges.
Second, we need two people to announce/explain the hack tips to the
club, one for the patter and one for the singer. If you would be
comfortable getting up on stage and doing this, let me know.
After the hack tips, we will have a grand march, led by Tech Squares
founder Veronica McClure. You'll need a club partner for this, and
time is always short for graduation, so finding a partner ahead of
time is one way to streamline things.
After the grand march and the awarding of diplomas, we'll have some
cake and then a few tips of club level dancing... featuring you!
See you Tuesday!
Dana
Spring Break
Hi all,
There's no teaching this week, since it's MIT's spring break. But,
there will be plenty of class-level dancing! This is a good chance to
solidify what you already know without having to pile more on top. =)
We'll be meeting in La Sala this week, with early walkthroughs in the
West Lounge. Bill is out of town, so Andy has volunteered to call the
walkthroughs. Thanks, Andy!
This week does not count for PE credit. The new PE quarter starts
next week, and runs through 5/15. The attendance counter resets, so
if you'd like to receive PE credit for the 2nd half of the class, you
can only miss one Tuesday. If you do miss more than one, you must
come to TWO walkthrough sessions to make up the missed class.
See you tomorrow!
Dana
Veronica's Brief History
A Brief History of Square and Round Dancing
Veronica Anne McClure
Today's square and round dancing is a continuation of the social dance
history of western civilization. This tradition has always emphasized
a group of dancers moving through space making large pattersn, with a
steady, rhythmical base supporting the melody of the music. An early
form was a line of dancers who made circles, spirals, and
followed-the-leader. The line could be divided for concentric
circles, lines, columns, ranks, or squares. Individuals moved as a
group so that it could make these patterns Over and over, references
describe a group creating a basic shape, moving through other
formations, and returning to the starting shape, just as when we do
some calls and then promenade home.
Coinciding with these group dances are couple dances in which one of a
few couples separate from the group, dance for the group, and then
rejoin the group. Both types are in Italian dance manuals of the 15th
and 16th centuries and appear to have been danced in all parts of
Europe. In the 17th century (the Puritan era), there were many groups
using the name "English country dance." However, the name may be
misleading as the dancing was also done in cities and by the upper
classes -- it was not "hayseed" or "bumpkin" at all. In 1651, the
first book about this dancing, _The English Dancing Master_, was
published. This was also the beginning of the Baroque style of
dance, which reached its greatest development in the French courts.
There is much surviving documentation about both and how they
influenced one another, especially in England and France.
Because the North American continent was colonized by Europeans,
especially the English and French, we inherited this dancing. During
the Revolutionary period, the formation most popular was two lines
facing, then called "longways" and now "contra." In the early 19th
century, the square ("quadrille," "lancers") became most popular. All
through the 19th century it was a dominant force in the ballroom, and
a mainstay of the upper classes.
In the late 18th century, a folk dance became popular in upper class
ballrooms because of the same mindset that fueled the French and
American Revolutions and idealized "the common man." It was the
waltz. It was considered shocking not only because of its low-class
origin but because dancers turned their backs on the group and
concentrated on themselves. Not only that, they turned around
together, creating the first "round dance" in the sense that we today
use the term.
Class Dance
Hey everyone!
As decided in class meeting this week, we'll be having our class dance next Sunday afternoon, 2-4 pm. It will be the Student Center, upstairs from Lobdell and Sala in room 491. There will be signs directing you from the elevator lobby on the 4th floor.
Please bring a snack for the refreshment table if you can. Don't worry, dress is still casual. =)
Thanks to Bill for offering us the chance to dance some Mainstream! The class dance is a great chance to get some practice without having to absorb anything new. Plus, it will be fun!
See you Sunday! (Well, Tuesday first, then Sunday.)
Dana
May Weekend
Hello!
As mentioned in class meeting yesterday, Eric Mulder has graciously agreed to call some class-level plus on Saturday during the Tech Squares weekend.
Here's the schedule:
3:30-6:00: Class-level dancing with Eric Mulder
Alternating A2/C2 with Sandie Bryant
Board games!
6:00-8:00: Dinner from Mary Chung's, general hanging out, probably more board games
8:00-11:00: Hard Plus (full Plus) with Sandie Bryant -- only open to class members who went to the extra crash course to learn the remaining Plus calls
Class members are welcome to come dance to Eric, play some games, be social, and eat yummy dinner!
BUT:
We need to make sure we have enough food. So, if you would like to join in for dinner from Mary Chung's ($5/students, $10/non-students) you need to tell us that you are coming! Otherwise we won't know whether to order 15 orders of peking ravioli, or merely 12 (you might think I'm kidding, but you would be wrong).
If you are planning to be there for dinner, please email Sara Pickett(sarac@mit.edu), who is organizing the weekend, with the following information:
Where are you on the meat-veggie scale? Pick one:
carnivore
omnivore
herbivore
How spicy do you like your food? Pick one:
wimp
neutral
bring it on!!
Any other dietary restrictions or things we should know? We can't promise to accommodate everyone.
Y'all should come hang out and dance and eat lots of Chinese food with us on Saturday! I hope I'll see you there!
Dana
Survey
Hi, everyone!
I know you've missed getting harrassed by me via email once a week.
However, this week, I have news!
1. Please take a few minutes to fill out our exit survey. It's
anonymous (unless you choose not to be), so please be honest! You can
be as terse or as verbose as you like, but we'll appreciate any
response. We take your responses very seriously. Your answers will
go to me, and I'll share the information with Ted, Bill, JB (next
fall's Class Coordinator) and anyone else to whom it will be useful.
Please help us improve the structure and format of the class for
future students!
http://www.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/~tech-squares/class-exit-survey.html
...
2.
...
In
...
a
...
week
...
or
...
so,
...
I'll
...
be
...
taking
...
everyone
...
off
...
of
...
tech-squares-class.
...
3.
...
If
...
I'm
...
really
...
on
...
the
...
ball,
...
you
...
may
...
get
...
another
...
survey
...
from
...
me
...
in
...
a
...
few
...
months,
...
asking
...
more
...
long-term
...
sorts
...
of
...
questions.
...
I
...
hope
...
everyone
...
had
...
a
...
good
...
time
...
taking
...
our
...
class
...
!
...
I'm
...
glad
...
to
...
see
...
so
...
many
...
of
...
you
...
having
...
fun
...
on
...
Tuesday
...
nights.
...
=)
...
I
...
had
...
an
...
awesome
...
time
...
being
...
your
...
Class
...
Coordinator
...
!
...
And,
...
thank
...
you
...
for
...
the
...
card,
...
flowers,
...
and
...
present.
...
The
...
card
...
is
...
still
...
sitting
...
on
...
my
...
desk
...
at
...
work.
...
Dana
Unsubscribe From Email List, End of Semester
Hey everyone,
As the class is now over, I'm going to take everyone off of the class
mailing list.
If you haven't already done so, please take a few minutes and fill out
the survey:
http://www.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/~tech-squares/class-exit-survey.html
...
We're
...
interested
...
in
...
hearing
...
your
...
opinions
...
if
...
you
...
didn't
...
graduate
...
or
...
haven't
...
been
...
coming
...
on
...
Tuesdays.
...
Thanks
...
for
...
your
...
time
...
!
...
See
...
you
...
in
...
a
...
square.
...
Dana
Review of Week 7 (Passover)
...
In
...
spring
...
2007,
...
the
...
7th
...
week
...
of
...
class
...
was
...
the
...
2nd
...
night
...
of
...
Passover.
...
Several
...
class
...
members
...
were
...
unable
...
to
...
attend.
...
It
...
was
...
suggested
...
that
...
if
...
this
...
happens
...
in
...
the
...
future
...
the
...
usually
...
non-teaching
...
week
...
during
...
spring
...
break
...
could
...
be
...
used
...
to
...
teach
...
the
...
week
...
7
...
calls
...
again.
...
Hi,
...
all
...
-
...
-
...
As
...
discussed
...
in
...
class
...
meeting,
...
we
...
will
...
be
...
having
...
a
...
review
...
of
...
last
...
night's
...
calls,
...
called
...
by
...
Bill.
...
It
...
will
...
be
...
on
...
Saturday,
...
April
...
7,
...
at
...
4
...
pm.
...
I
...
expect
...
that
...
it
...
will
...
run
...
somewhere
...
between
...
and
...
hour
...
and
...
2
...
hours.
...
It
...
will
...
be
...
in
...
a
...
classroom
...
on
...
the
...
MIT
...
campus.
...
I'll
...
let
...
you
...
know
...
where
...
as
...
soon
...
as
...
I
...
do.
...
So
...
far,
...
based
...
on
...
the
...
people
...
who
...
have
...
sent
...
me
...
email,
...
I
...
am
...
expecting:
...
(Five
...
Names)
...
If
...
you
...
are
...
definitely
...
coming,
...
please
...
send
...
me
...
email.
...
If
...
I
...
have
...
you
...
listed
...
as
...
attending
...
and
...
you
...
can't,
...
please
...
send
...
me
...
email.
...
I
...
need
...
to
...
get
...
an
...
accurate
...
count
...
so
...
that
...
I
...
can
...
make
...
sure
...
we
...
have
...
enough
...
people.
...
We
...
will
...
be
...
reviewing:
...
Alamo
...
Style
...
Wave
...
Balance
...
Circle
...
to
...
a
...
Line
...
Cross
...
Fold
...
Eight
...
Chain
...
Thru
...
(1-8
...
hands)
...
Fold
...
Slide
...
Thru
...
Spin
...
the
...
Top
...
See
...
some
...
of
...
you
...
Saturday
...
!
...
Dana
Clarification of "Fly
...
In"
...
Weekend
...
for
...
Class
...
Hey
...
all,
...
There
...
may
...
be
...
some
...
confusion
...
about
...
this
...
weekend,
...
so
...
I
...
wanted
...
to
...
try
...
to
...
be
...
even
...
clearer
...
about
...
what's
...
going
...
on
...
and
...
what
...
will
...
be
...
accessible
...
to
...
class
...
members.
...
2-6
...
pm
...
Saturday:
...
Board
...
games
...
and
...
other
...
socialness,
...
Lobdell
...
or
...
20
...
Chimneys
...
(the
...
Lobdell-side
...
walkthrough
...
room).
...
Open to all!
3:30-6
...
pm
...
Saturday:
...
Class
...
level
...
dance,
...
called
...
by
...
Eric
...
Mulder,
...
W20-491
...
(the
...
same
...
room
...
as
...
the
...
class
...
dance).
...
Open
...
to
...
all
...
class
...
members.
...
6-8
...
pm
...
Saturday:
...
Cheap
...
dinner
...
from
...
Mary
...
Chung's
...
!
...
In
Lobdell.
...
$5/students,
...
$10/non-students.
...
If
...
you
...
would
...
like
...
dinner,
...
email
...
Sara
...
Pickett
...
(sarac@mit.edu)
...
and
...
let
...
her
...
know.
...
Also
...
let
...
her
...
know
...
whether
...
you
...
eat
...
meat
...
and
...
if
...
you
...
like
...
spicy
...
food
...
(yes/neutral/no).
...
Open
...
to
...
all
...
!
...
Come
...
be
...
social
...
and
...
eat
...
yummy
...
food.
...
8-11
...
pm
...
Saturday:
...
Hard
...
Plus
...
dance,
...
called
...
by
...
Sandie
...
Bryant,
...
Lobdell.
...
Open
...
to
...
all
...
class
...
members
...
who
...
attended
...
the
...
rest-of-Plus
...
cram
...
session
...
last
...
Monday.
...
In
...
case
...
it
...
wasn't
...
clear,
...
when
...
I
...
mentioned
...
in
...
class
...
meeting
...
last
...
week
...
that
...
you
...
should
...
hold
...
off
...
on
...
dancing
...
in
...
club
...
tips,
...
I
...
meant
...
you
...
should
...
hold
...
off
...
on
...
dancing
...
in
...
class
...
tips
...
on
...
Tuesday
...
nights.
...
If
...
you
...
attended
...
Monday
...
night's
...
cram
...
session
...
and
...
you
...
know
...
full
...
Plus,
...
you
...
are
...
welcome
...
to
...
dance
...
with
...
the
...
club
...
for
...
the
...
Saturday
...
night
...
dance.
...
I
...
hope
...
to
...
see
...
lots
...
of
...
you
...
this
...
weekend
...
!
...
Dana
Invitation to Crash Rest-of-Plus
...
Class
...
Hey
...
everyone,
...
As
...
discussed
...
at
...
class
...
meeting,
...
there
...
will
...
be
...
a
...
Tech
...
Squares
...
weekend
...
at
...
MIT
...
next
...
weekend,
...
May
...
4th,
...
5th
...
and
...
6th:
...
http://www.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/~tech-squares/schedules/weekends/may07.html
...
It
...
will
...
be
...
a
...
Plus-level
...
weekend.
...
At
...
that
...
time,
...
y'all
...
will
...
be
...
nine
...
calls
...
short
...
of
...
being
...
able
...
to
...
dance
...
Plus.
...
If
...
enough
...
people
...
are
...
interested,
...
we
...
might
...
have
...
a
...
special
...
session
...
sometime
...
this
...
week
...
to
...
learn
...
those
...
last
...
nine
...
calls,
...
extremely
...
quickly.
...
This
...
special
...
session
...
is
...
not
...
for
...
everyone.
...
You
...
should
...
only
...
consider
...
coming
...
to
...
the
...
weekend
...
if
...
you
...
are
...
already
...
very
...
solid
...
on
...
what
...
we've
...
been
...
learning
...
on
...
Tuesday
...
nights.
...
In addition,
...
you
...
would
...
be
...
expected
...
to
...
put
...
in
...
time
...
studying
...
and
...
practicing
...
(I
...
can
...
give
...
some
...
tips
...
on
...
how
...
to
...
do
...
that).
...
The
...
weekend
...
should
...
be
...
fun
...
if
...
you
...
can
...
keep
...
up,
...
but
...
if
...
you
...
can't
...
just
...
yet,
...
it
...
won't
...
be
...
very
...
much
...
fun
...
for
...
you
...
or
...
for
...
the
...
other
...
dancers.
...
If
...
you
...
are
...
interested
...
in
...
coming
...
to
...
a
...
super-fast
...
last-9-calls-of-plus
...
session,
...
please
...
let
...
me
...
know
...
when
...
you
...
would
...
prefer:
...
Sunday
...
afternoon
...
Sunday
...
evening
...
Monday
...
evening
...
Wednesday
...
evening
...
Thursday
...
evening
...
Please
...
get
...
back
...
to
...
me
...
ASAP
...
so
...
I
...
can
...
find
...
a
...
caller,
...
book
...
a
...
room,
...
and
...
fill
...
out
...
a
...
square.
...
Dana
E-Mails
...
to
...
Club
...
and
...
Outside
To Club: Order Badges
Hello Tech Squares!
I'm going to be putting in a badge order at the end of this week.
If you would like a new badge or bar, you need to tell me by THURSDAY,
May 3rd. If you will be at Tech on Tuesday or at the Sandie Bryant
weekend, be prepared to pay for it then. If not, I will email you to
deal with payment after I've put in the order.
Pin-back badges are $6.00.
Magnet-back badges are $9.00.
Bars are $3.50.
If you would like a new badge, I need to know:
first line (larger, commonly first name)
second line (smaller, commonly last name)
pin- or magnet-back
If you would like a new bar, I need to know:
What you want it to say (duh. =) )
Send me your orders! Your deadline is Thursday, May 3rd.
Dana
Badge Company: Badge Order
Hi Peggy,
I'll need 25 badges (23 magnet-back, 2 pin-back) and 2 bars. The
badges should be in the standard Tech Squares style with the larger
first line.
2 notes:
Joanne McLernon -- if it's possible to raise the "c" so that it's
level with the top of the letters rather than the bottom, please do.
Marketa Valterova -- If possible, this name should have 2 accents,
both rising from left to right (/), one on the "e" in "Marketa", one
on the final "a" in "Valterova."
Badges:
1st line 2nd line pin/magnet notes paid
(First) (Last) (M|pin) ($9|$6)
bars:
PAST PRESIDENT
EX BANNER COMMANDO
You can ship the order and invoice to:
Dana Scott
(Address)
Please let me know the final total and when I can expect them, and I'll start the process of getting a check for you.
Thank you!
Dana Scott
Tech Squares Class Coordinator
pin: 5@ $6 = $30
magnet: 21@ $9 = $189
bars: 2@ $3.50 = $7
shipping: $8
$234
real total = 245.30
To Club: Class Dance Announcement
The spring class will finish Mainstream this coming Tuesday! To
celebrate, we're having a dance for them next weekend.
Class Dance
Sunday, 4/15, 2-4
W20-491
Bill Ackerman calling
Dress is casual. Please bring food for the refreshment table!
I will not be helping the class members find partners, as I do on
Tuesdays, so please be friendly and ask them to dance. Also, please
give them preference when squaring up; no class members who want to
dance should be sitting out.
Also, I will not be adjusting the squares as I do on Tuesdays, so
please try to distribute yourselves (as angels) among the squares
roughly evenly so that the success rate (and consequently the fun
rate) is higher.
To Club: Want Caller for Rest-of-Plus Crash Course
Hello callers!
I am both blessed and cursed with a lot of extremely psyched class
members.
Since there will be no class-level dancing at the May weekend, it's
been suggested by the officers and the aforementioned psyched class
members that I put together a super-fast session to learn the
remaining 9 calls they'll need to come to the weekend.
All the class members who have replied are doing well in the class and
willing to put in time outside of class to make an effort to really
know the extra calls.
So far the most popular times are Monday evening (first choice) and
Wednesday evening (second choice). Would any of you lovely people
like to call a crash-through the rest of plus on either of those
nights? The 9 calls in question are:
Chase Right
Peel the Top
(Anything) and Spread
Teacup Chain
Track II
Single Circle to a Wave
Dixie Grand
Grand Swing Thru
Ping Pong Circulate
In addition, if the crash session is Monday rather than Wednesday, they will not yet have learned:
Coordinate
Cut the Diamond
Follow Your Neighbor
(Anything) and Roll
Spin Chain and Exchange the Gears
Trade the Wave
Please let me know quickly so I can find some angels, book a room, and
let the psyched class members know what's happening.
Thanks!
Dana
Veronica: Plan for Grand March
Hi Veronica,
We finally had our officers' meeting and we talked about the Grand
March.
The consensus was that we would like to have a grand march, but that,
in the past, the march has taken up a lot of time in an already packed
evening. We now have several calls to teach, plus two hack tips, plus
the awarding of diplomas.
So, we'd like to request two things:
1. We would love for you to lead a Grand March, but it should take no
longer than 5 minutes.
2. Given that it will be shorter than in the past, we'd like to
emphasize the moves that allow marchers to interact or make eye
contact with everyone else in the march, like the spiral or the
bridge/tunnel that usually goes at the end.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks so much for continuing to do this! It's nice to have
a sense of continuity and history by involving one of our founders.
Dana
To and From Veronica: Planning for Grand March
Dana, I am SOOOO delighted there will be more time for the Grand March !
I had visions of having to reverse the spiral when it was only beginning
and I do dearly , dearly believe that having some other figure or figures
before the spiral and tunnel is important. However, I'm not certain what
you mean by keeping the emphasis on the group. Please explain. Are there
certain figures you have in mind that seem more or less groupy?
Getting folks to line up promptly is a way to keep the time from
evaporating. Can the class be reminded to line up quickly at their last
class meeting tomorrow?
And could the club be reminded, perhaps during a club tip early in the
evening? It might mean more coming from a club member than from me.
Also thanks for the names and e-mail addresses -- this is very helpful.
I was hoping to be at Tech more often this semester, but one thing after
another has happened, including the deaths of three people important to me,
a major backache that lasted two weeks after driving home from Baltimore
and my brother's funeral, changes at work, and now this blankety-blank
bursitis for which the doctor says no dancing for now, grrrrr. I was
especially upset last night as I went to my usual Scottish country dance
session to hang out ('cause I'm not supposed to dance), and a lovely
newly-composed dance was introduced which really interested me. After the
group got the hang of it, the teacher announced that the new dance is "Miss
McClure's Strathspey" composed especially for me by Roger Gilbert, a very
skilled and attractive dancer himself, who admires how I dance strathspays,
especially those with flirtacious moments! Can you imagine? I was so
delighted but also so upset that I couldn't dance "my" dance.
I'm not supposed to dance tomorrow -- especially the squares as all the
quick, brief turns are potential trouble for the bursitis which is in my
right leg near the hip joint. But I will lead the Grand March, especially
the spiral, as that is consistent walking, and I'm hoping for a few rounds
as well. But I enjoy dancing the hack tips and I'm sad I shall have to sit
them out this time.
So while I won't be full steam ahead, I will be there and I'll be
especially happy to lead the Grand March.
All the best,
Veronica
Hey Veronica,
I hope the bursitis isn't bothering you as much. If you can't dance
with us, at least you should be able to come to graduation and have
fun and cue some rounds for us.
> However, I'm not certain what
> you mean by keeping the emphasis on the group. Please explain. Are there
> certain figures you have in mind that seem more or less groupy?
In your previous mail, you said
> Ideally, a Grand March should give time to establish the couples as well as
> the group...
I think (and it was the consensus at the officers's meeting) that for
something like this, where the couples are mostly random anyway and
what we are celebrating is the inclusion of the new people into the
group, "establishing the group" should be more the focus than
"establishing the couples."
We felt that things like the spiral and the tunnel are good for
"establishing the group," which is why we'd definitely like to keep
them, and comparatively little time should be figures that involve
marching alone or with just one other person.
Does that make more sense?
I'm glad I could give you more time, but we are still pretty pressed
timewise, so please be aware of that.
> Getting folks to line up promptly is a way to keep the time from
> evaporating. Can the class be reminded to line up quickly at their
> last class meeting tomorrow?
I've already suggested that they try to find a partner earlier in the
evening, and I'll be sure to mention it at class meeting.
> And could the club be reminded, perhaps during a club tip early in the
> evening?
Sure. I'll ask Ted to mention it.
What exactly should we be telling everyone to do? Stand with your
partner in a column down the center of the room, or something else?
I'm glad to hear you'll be cueing something for us tonight! I hope I
am not so busy that I won't be able to dance it. =)
See you tonight!
Dana