Basic Part 1
Half Sashay
Links: Define – Standard – Analyze – Module – Teach – Extend
Traditional Square Dance:
SASHAY PARTNERS HALF WAY AROUND
Prompts:
First couple right and circle four,
Half-way ’round and then no more,
Sashay partners half way ’round,
Re-sashay, go all the way around,
Form a ring and make it go,
When you get right we’ll Do Paso,
(turn partner left, corner right, partner left).
Circle four and don’t get mixed,
Pick up two and make it six,
Circle six in the middle of the floor,
Half-way ’round as you did before,
Sashay partners half-way ’round and,
Re-sashay, go all the way around,
Form a ring and make it go,
Break that ring with a Do Paso,
(turn partner left, corner right, partner left).
Circle Six and don’t be late,
Pick up two and make it eight,
Sashay partners half-way ’round,
Re-sashay go all the way around,
Form a ring and make it go,
Break that ring with a Do Paso,
(turn partner left, corner right, partner left),
Hold on and Promenade home.
Repeat for couples 2, 3 and 4 adding Breaks where desired.
Description:
— The first couple dances to the second couple, and forms a ring of four which circles clockwise half around.
— The circle breaks and the two gentlemen dance to the right behind their Partners so as to exchange places with the ladies, while the ladies dance to the left in front of their partners to the gentlemen’s position. That is “Sashay partners half-way ’round.”
— The dancers now retrace their steps over the same path back to place. This is “Re-sashay.”
— The call now directs the dancers to “Go all the way around,” which they answer by continuing the Re-sashay movement in the direction they are moving, encircling their Partners, the gentlemen passing in front of their Partners and then dancing behind the ladies to place, while the ladies move counter, dancing to the left behind the gentlemen, then dancing to the right in front of the gentlemen to place.
— The first and second couples reform their ring of four and circle left half around to place the active couple in the center.
— Those same four dancers turn their partner by the left, their corner by the right and their partner by the left ending back in the circle of four. That is Do Paso (originally called Do-si-do).
— The active gent then picks up the next couple to make a circle of six and the dance repeats the same actions as described above.
Note: Re-Sashay is number 384 in Burleson’s Encyclopedia and is defined “from a couple that has completed a half sashay: The right side dancer will step across in back as the left side dancer side steps across in front to exchange places.” This is not part of any current CALLERLAB dance program.