The Eagle - C3B

Two Couple C3B Dancing by CD Workshop

This is a two-couple CD for the C3B level. There are very few calls at this level that can be danced with only 4 dancers and no phantoms. Therefore, other than the first two sequences, there will be considerable phantom work.

To assist you in using this CD, the caller provides some hints at the beginning of most calls.

Whenever phantoms are involved, the call will be preceded by an overall formation. For example, Phantom Waves Swing-O-Late or Phantom Diamonds Explode the Diamond.
Whenever the four real dancers are to work with each other without phantoms, the first such call will be preceded by "With each other…" Subsequent calls involving only the real dancers will not have any special instructions.
Following many of the harder calls, the words preceding the next call will give a clue as to where the real people are supposed to be. For example, a call might be presented as "You're leads in phantom right-hand two-faced lines…" This will help you to identify an error shortly after it happens rather than waiting until the end of the sequence.

Some Unfamiliar Terms

There are a few formations given that may be unfamiliar to some dancers.

Inneractives and Outeractives are terms to designate specific dancers in waves. Inneractives are the end facing in and his partner. Outeractives are the end facing out and his partner.

There are some terms used to describe certain formations in a 1x8 matrix. A tidal one-faced line has all dancers in each half of the 1x8 facing the same direction. A tidal two-faced line has a two-faced line in each half. A tidal inverted line has an inverted line in each half.

A 1/4 line setup is just like a 1/4 tag setup except the centers are in a two-faced line rather than in a wave.

You'll often hear instructions like: "You're 1 and 2 in a phantom tidal wave." The numbers always refer to the dancer positions counting from the very end of the tidal wave. For example, suppose two dancers are outeractives in right-hand waves. After the call "lock it," they will be "numbers 1 and 3 in a tidal wave."

Hints on Dancing Phantom

Dancing with phantoms is very difficult. Here are some ideas that may help you.

Use some object to designate the center of the set; we've often used a set of keys. This will give you a fixed reference point. At the conclusion of each call, be sure that your position is consistent with the center of the set. For example, if you end a call as the trailing center of a left-hand wave, you should be positioned so that the center of the set is in front of you and a little to your right.

All dancers in the square should try to maintain good positioning relative to the center of the set and to each other after each call.

Communicating your positioning with one another is one of the most important ingredients for success in phantom dancing. Successful dancers form habits of doing this after each call, and usually without speaking.

At the conclusion of the call, always extend the appropriate arm toward your new partner, real or phantom. This provides useful information to others and will help them to line up properly with you.

Often, you'll be doing your part of a call with a phantom either in front of or behind you. Put your arm slightly in front of or behind you as you dance the call as a reminder of the existence and the position of the phantom.

Indicate where you are relative to the center of the set (if near or next to the center), or where you are in a column or tidal wave (1, 2, 3, or 4).

For example, suppose you're the lead end of right-hand waves, and the call is "Phantom waves follow your leader." As you dance the call, put your hand in front of you to lock-in the position of the other lead dancer in your original wave. Knowing the position of this "other dancer" will help you to complete the call correctly. When you're finished, use one hand to indicate your new partner and the other to indicate that you're (in effect) behind someone. It will then be easy for others to see that you're number four in right-hand columns.

This technique will also assist you in dancing calls like "reflected flip back." When you get to the half-tag position, hesitate, use your arm to indicate the phantom that's in tandem with you, dance the reflected part carefully, then continue.

Some Generalized Suggestions

Flip and Cross Flip the Line ¾ These are very common, but deceptively hard calls, especially in a phantom environment. We suggest that the ends face down the line, then hesitate while the centers run (or cross run), then all do the tagging motion together.

Lift Off ¾ Any call that doesn't have well-defined parts is difficult to dance phantom. Most people dance this one more by feel than by definition. Here's a definition that will help you dance it phantom - and with real dancers, for that matter.

It starts in a "heads pass thru setup":

Centers Cast right 1/4, (to momentarily form a right-hand two-faced line across the center).
All as couples Extend, (your square now is in right-hand two-faced lines).
Centers circulate.
Everyone circulate.

There's a mnemonic you can use to remember it: CECE - Cast, Extend, Centers, Everyone.

Dance the call in pieces ¾ Let's use an example of Reflected Flip Back to illustrate this point. Dance this call as follows:

Flip the Line 1/2 (and use the arm-position suggestion from above for this part)

Pause to get your new orientation

Reflect it

Pause again to visualize the new formation

Then dance the Scootback.

Your success will improve if you break the call into pieces like this, and pause slightly after each piece.

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Please feel free to contact CD Workshop at:

G2 Ideas Inc
1133 Bal Harbor Blvd. 1139-180
Punta Gorda, FL 33950 USA

Tel: 941 639 7172 Fax: 941 639 7494
E-mail: G2 Ideas about the CDW Eagle

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