Knowing where you're going 
Some dancers can understand the pattern of a dance just from reading the instructions — callers tend to get good at this. Some benefit from seeing another set dancing it; some find this no help at all. Some have to walk it through, and can then do their own part, but haven't a clue what the other members of the set are doing. For instance, how many men can dance the lady's part in a ladies chain or a swing? It's much better to get the full picture — or you end up as one of those people who can only dance “Newcastle” from head positions. Some callers can get like this — especially Display Team (Performance Group) leaders! If you want to shake up a group of dancers who think they're good, try calling “Levi Jackson Rag” (Pat Shaw — Pinewoods Collection) and then do it the second time with everyone improper. You'll be amazed at the ensuing chaos! Most men haven't a clue where they're going, even if you tell the women to be really firm with them. Some have a fixed idea that when you're dancing woman you rotate the other way in a swing, and most are incapable of finishing the swing on the right-hand side. But they'll all have a great time (remember what I keep saying about enjoyment?) and it may make the men look at things differently. Men expect women to be able to dance the man's part at the drop of a hat, and have no idea how confusing it is. I remember dancing an American Square as a woman while calling — I was fine until my partner twirled me at the end of a promenade, then I went to pieces! But I'm more experienced now and I think I would cope with it. If you're a male caller, you need to dance the woman's part some of the time. You'll discover that the women have most of the awkward moves — presumably because most dances are written by men.Many dances are full of “zero-movement” figures — they get you back where you started. Right-hand star, left-hand star. Ladies chain over and back. But “Circle left ¾, pass through” — suddenly you're unsure of yourself. You have to trust the caller (assuming he's trustworthy) and not automatically drift back into a standard formation. If you're in lines and the caller says “pass through”, English dancers automatically about turn to face into the set. But that's not what a pass through is. And if there's a lady on your left, gentlemen, and the caller says “two-hand turn” — what's the betting that she'll finish the turn on your right? You'll see that in the Playford dance “Fain I Would” — it's a square, so she should be on my right. I've seen men do the movement correctly, then panic and shuffle back to the left side because surely that's a safe place to be. Not always!Most dances have points of repose, at which you're in a standard formation, before zooming off somewhere else. Look for these in the walkthrough; they'll help you when the music starts. Above all, don't panic, and don't just stand rooted to the spot; that's usually wrong. If a woman is pushable I can do all sorts of things with her. I mean — get her into all sorts of interesting positions — you know what I mean.
Andes Anomaly
Dance by Cary Ravitz, instructions at http://ravitz.us/dance/#aa2. Cary is known for writing disorientating contras which still always have a partner swing and a neighbour swing.Levi Jackson Rag
Dance and music by Pat Shaw — and we're going to dance it improper.The Ashford Assembly
One of mine, which keeps changing formation from three couple longways to a wave of six.Peter's Maze
Another one of mine, which is something like an American Square but doesn't follow the rules of symmetry that many people expect.Fain I would
A Classic first edition Playford dance where you need to keep your wits about you.Ringing the Changes
The Dance Gypsy
Amicable Settlement
